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
The exhibit, 'Pinoy Power! A
Celebration of Filipino Komiks
from the Archipelago to the
Bay, will run until April 28
INQUIRER.net US Bureau / 06:22 PM February 28, 2024
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.
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.
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
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” exhibi