History

While the first indigenous cartoons may be traced to José Rizal's fable "The Monkey and the Tortoise" (1889), the origins of the mainstream komiks industry would not arise until after the Spanish–American War.

Originally inspired by American comic strips and comic books left behind by American GIs, the medium steadily diverged, and by the 1950s, drew more inspiration from other forms of Filipino literature such as komedya, as well as Philippine mythology.

At one point, between 33 to 40 percent of Filipinos read komiks, but this number has since dwindled somewhat due to competition from other media forms. More recently, comic artists have begun producing what is often called "Pinoy Manga," inspired largely by Japanese anime and manga, which have been widely available in the Philippines since the 1970s.

Types of COMICS

∙Alternative comics∙Manga comics∙Science Fiction/Fantasy∙Action Comic∙Horror comics∙Romance/Adult Comic

**ALTERNATIVE COMIC**

ALTERNATIVE/ESOTERIC COMIC BOOKS ARE MORE REALISTIC THAN SUPERHERO COMIC BOOKS, BUT THEY DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE REAL TO LIFE.

**MANGA**

MANGA COMIC BOOKS ARE JAPANESE. IN THE UNITED STATES, THESE BOOKS ARE TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH. WITH THE POPULARITY OF THESE COMIC BOOKS, THE STYLE IS OFTEN ALSO PRODUCED IN COUNTRIES OTHER THAN IN JAPAN.

**SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY**

SCIENCE FICTION COMIC BOOKS TELL FUTURISTIC STORIES THAT INCORPORATE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND, USUALLY, TRAVEL THROUGH SPACE.

**HORROR COMIC**

FEATURE CHARACTERS SUCH AS ZOMBIES, MONSTERS, AND VAMPIRES.

**ROMANCE/ADULT COMIC**

ROMANCE COMIC BOOKS INVOLVE STORIES ABOUT LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS. MANY TIMES, THESE COMIC BOOKS ALSO CROSS OVER TO OTHER GENRES.