From: [arthur v k] at [xs4all.nl] (| a | c | w |)
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 1996 18:26:11 +0100
Subject: Re: Comics in Oz, SE Asia?

- -Poster: [arthur v k] at [xs4all.nl] (| a | c | w |)

Robert Boyd:
>I don't know any Indonesian cartoonists (and I suspect Indonesian comics
>would be fairly inaccessible to most of us)

I know only one cartoonist from "De Gordel van Smaragd": The' Tjong Khing.
He was born, raised and educated in Indonesia, but left for the Netherlands
in 1956. Here he worked forMarten Toonder (who's sometimes called the Dutch
Disney), and made a name for himself as a free-lance illustrator. His main
claim to comix fame is the graphic novel _Iris_ (1968), written by Lo
Hartog van Banda, which served as an introduction to an excellent SF strip
called _Arman & Ilva_. Horn wrote: "Khing's unique style [is] a harmonious
blend of action-packed composition and a decorative, sinuous Oriental
line."

>there is a great Malaysian cartoonist named Lat.

I remember seeing a tiny sample of his work in an issue of--I think--_JIM_.
Those few panels made me feel "like some watcher of the skies, when a new
planet swims into his ken." Breathtaking. I don't know why I didn't send my
money to Malaysia right away--maybe because there was no address...

BTW, Mark, while you're in the Rim, why not be a real comix adventurer and
explore the mysteries of alternative cartooning in the Philippines? Find
out everything about Reggie, who "likens himself to Goya and Daumier,"
whose "graphic works are dramatic statements dealing with the brutalities
and excesses of war, as well as psychological manifestations caused by the
painful, degrading and humiliating experiences brought on by fear, poverty,
ignorance, greed, hunger and corruption." (Yummy! And it should be
available in English as well.) Or discover the secret of Malaya. You'll
want to, once you've read the text following the entry in_The World
Encyclopedia of Comics_ (1976). I'll blatantly reproduce it here (I know
it's pretty uncool--but sometimes I just love to type other people's words,
call it th-th-therapy):

"The word "malaya" means freedom in the Tagalog dialect; it is also the
name of the most intriguing of all the Filipino underground cartoonists. No
one knows for sure whether this pen name applies to an individual, male or
female, or to a group of artists. However, there are many who speculate
that Malaya is actually a group of individuals illustrating under one name
to protect themselves from political pressures that could be brought upon
their families, relatives, friends, or they themselves. This theory is
plausible because of the variety of styles and approaches that the work
bears.

Malaya submits comic strips, editorial cartoons, political illustrations,
and humorous features to conservative and radical publications alike.
Adding to the mystery, many of the envelopes that contain these works have
been mailed in various segments from different localities.

According to some individuals the earliest known appearance of Malaya's
work was sometime in the 1950's, but definite documentation of these strips
is difficult to obtain because of the rarity and obscure nature of the
publications.

>From January 3 to April 1, 1963, a daily strip titled _Dili Ako Mahadlok_
("I Am Not Afraid") appeared in the now-defunct newspaper, _Leyte Express_.
It was written in Cebuano, one of the many dialects of the Visayan region.
It dealt with the atrocities perpetrated by rich landlords and their
spoiled offspring against the hapless tenants of the vicinity. Many of the
sequences in the strip were actual incidents, thus bringing forth the wrath
of the landlords. All copies of the paper were confiscated or destroyed,
but the elusive Malaya seemed to disappear into thin air. To this day many
of the inhabitants deny the existence of the publication for fear of the
consequences.

In 1967, after a heavy typhoon, an airplane appeared out of the blue skies
in the area of Bago Bantay in Quezon City. The plane dropped leaflets
containing several comic strips concerned with the excessive power of the
Church over the populace. On the last page of the pamphlets the name,
Malaya, was scribbled. Since then it is believed that Malaya is probably an
eccentric millionaire who crusades against wrongdoers; after all only
someone extremely rich can afford to use a plane and print thousands of
leaflets.

In 1971 a new publication, _Kalayaan International_, appeared on the scene.
Copies were available in various Filipino stores throughout the San
Francisco Bay Area in California, as well as in the lobby of the of the
International Hotel located on Kearney Street, a block away from the
tourist-infested Chinatown area. In the February-March issue of the
newspaper, volume 1, number 6, there appeared several editorial and
political cartoons signed by Malaya. The _Kalayaan_ has since disappeared.
As for Malay, he or she (or they) have not been heard of since. Not yet,
anyway.... "

So, Dr. Nevins, if you have the chance, hire yourself a guide and a hundred
bearers, and hack your way through the Filipino jungles in search of the
legendary Malaya. (Think of the comix list as your _New York Herald_. :)

Proost,
Arthur (gathering dust in Rotterdam).

PS. 20 years have past since the publication of Horn's _WEoC_, and there
have been several political changes in the Phillipines, so perhaps the
mystery of Malaya has already been solved. If so, I'd like to know. Does
anyone know of any recent literature on Filipino comics?