Komiks kon-tinuity: the rise of komiks conventions and komiks culture

Abstract

Komiks culture in the Philippines is evident in the rise of Komiks conventions. These conventions established a culture within fans, artists, publishers, and convention organizers. But with the lack of studies on komiks and komiks conventions themselves, the researcher aims to determine the Philippine Comics Culture (Komiks Culture) produced by Komiks Conventions. In order to do so, the researcher studied the 3 local Komiks conventions, guided by theories on Culture Industry and Production of Culture. This study was able to identify komiks conventions as a cultural industry based on the commercial and postmodern usage of the term cultural industry by Robert Protherough. These conventions produced an economically productive activity and as well illustrates the erosion of the boundary between the artistic and commercial world. Komiks conventions could also be identified as a Cultural Industry based on UNESCO's (2005) definition in which these conventions provide a venue for artists to sell their work at the same time it promotes komiks to the public and bridge them to old and new komiks artists. The Komiks culture that these komiks conventions produced is a komiks culture that is nurturing, growing, inclusive, and serves as a reflection of Filipino culture and values.