Cartoon art museum celebrates Pinoy comic book artists

This painting by Alex Niño is featured at the Cartoon Art Museum. “Pinoy Power!” shines the spotlight on Filipino comic book artists. Photo from the Cartoon Art Museum

SAN FRANCISCO – The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco is featuring “Pinoy Power! A Celebration of Filipino Komiks from the Archipelago to the Bay,” a two-gallery exhibition of original artwork spanning six decades of Filipino heritage and history.

The first component of the exhibition looks back at the first wave of comic book artists who immigrated to the United States in the 1970s as American publishers actively recruited the brilliant, hard-working and underpaid artists who were seeking more opportunities and a wider audience outside of their native Philippines.

The second half of the exhibition, co-curated by graphic novelist Rina Ayuyang, celebrates contemporary Filipino voices. Photo from the Cartoon Art Museum

“Pinoy Power!” shines the spotlight on several of these artists, including Alex Niño, Alfredo Alcala and Nestor Redondo, whose detailed and electrifying storytelling made them into household names on both sides of the Pacific.

By the middle of the 1970s, many of the top Filipino comic book artists were dazzling readers in the pages of DC’s horror and mystery anthology titles including “House of Secrets” and “Weird War Tales,” as well as sword-and-sorcery comics and lavishly-illustrated tales inspired by the Bible and the legend of King Arthur and Camelot.

Cartoon Art Museum Executive Director Summerlea Kashar (left) accompanied Consulate representatives, including Vice Consul Adrian Baccay, during the guided tour of the “Pinoy Power!” exhibit. Photo from San Francisco PCG

The majority of the artwork on display in this installment of the exhibition comes from the collection of Manuel Auad, a San Francisco-based publisher who specializes in monographs celebrating the best in 20th century illustration.

Auad, a much beloved and celebrated comics historian, was instrumental in bringing many of these featured artists to the United States in the 1970s, and continues to preserve and celebrate the legacy of those artists today.

Rina Ayuyang, bus shelter comics funded by SFAC

The second half of the exhibition, co-curated by graphic novelist Rina Ayuyang, celebrates contemporary Filipino voices, including Donna Almendrala, Lynda Barry, Martin Cendreda, Trinidad Escobar, Tintin Pantoja and Bong Redila.

“The Philippines has always been shaped by the actions of revolutionaries, so it’s not surprising that a similar kind of drive and passionate spirit can be felt in the work made by Filipino comic artists through the years,” says Ayuyang.

“Whether injecting gorgeously detailed craftsmanship in portrayals of iconic American superheroes, or breaking new ground in the indie alternative comics scene, the Filipino comic artists included in this important and exciting exhibition all embrace the importance of change with a deep appreciation for what came before.

“Their work celebrates being Filipino, the power of representation, and the huge impact that Filipinos have made to American art and culture. I am so honored and full of Pinoy Pride to be involved in this exhibition, and grateful to the Cartoon Art Museum for putting Filipino voices and stories under the spotlight and center stage.”

The Cartoon Art Museum will host a series of panel discussions throughout the run of the exhibition, both onsite at the Cartoon Art Museum and online to allow artists from the Bay Area to Manila Bay to participate in the museum’s public programming.

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, represented by Vice Consul Adrian Baccay and Cultural Officer Cristine Clasara-Steylaerts, toured the groundbreaking exhibit last week.

Cartoon Art Museum Executive Director Summerlea Kashar accompanied consulate representatives during the guided tour of the “Pinoy Power” exhibit.