Kidlat Komiks #137 end splash by Alex Niño (1972)
Artist: Alex Niño (All)
10 Comments - 415 Views - 12 Likes
Artwork Details
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DescriptionWhen I was reading comics as a kid, the last thing I was thinking about was who all these people writing and drawing the comics were. Or where they were from? I was too preoccupied with how cool Spider-man was and how awesome The Hulk was. I certainly never thought, gee I wonder where Jack Kirby is from? I wonder where Stan Lee was born? What country is Steve Ditko from or where did John Romita come from? And I certainly never thought for even one second, gee I wonder if there are any artists from the Philippines working on these comics? At some point (and I’ll stop short of calling it an epiphany), I did begin to notice certain names in some of the books and couldn’t help but wonder if they might indeed be Filipino.
Alex Niño was among the earliest waves of Filipino artists brought in to work in American comics. His first stint was at DC, where he worked alongside some of his legendary peers such as Alcala, DeZuniga, and Redondo. He later went to work at Marvel, but was used only sparingly (mostly as an inker). His most profound impact as a comic artist came in magazine form, with his work on Warren’s various b&w horror titles, and Euro-centric sci-fi mags like Heavy Metal. Over the years, Mr. Niño developed his distinctive signature style that was both instantly recognizable and greatly admired. To this day, he has had few (if any) imitators. When you look at this particular piece of art, on the surface, it would seem to have none of that signature Niño linework. It’s over 50 years old after all. But if you look just a little closer, you might see the humble beginnings of that trademark style in some of those ink strokes. I see it everywhere. The definition on the man’s facial features and torso, on the water buffalo’s neck and shoulders, even on the loosely drawn plants and leaves. Granted this is a bit more cartoony than what we’re used to seeing from him. I have no idea what this comic is about. But if I had to guess, I would say that it was the Philippines answer to Archie Comics. Ultimately, the fact that it was from a Philippine comic is what makes me especially proud to own it. And of course the fact that I finally have an example by THE GREAT Alex Niño! Thanks for looking. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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André . 
Member Since 2015
Posted on 9/2/2024
The lines on this are gorgeous. You can already see him developing his trademarks - the inks and design on the water buffalo share a lot of similarities with the painted creature work he's been putting out the last decade. Great piece and great write up.
E DLS
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 9/2/2024
André . wrote:
The lines on this are gorgeous. You can already see him developing his trademarks - the inks and design on the water buffalo share a lot of similarities with the painted creature work he's been putting out the last decade. Great piece and great write up.
Thanks André, that truly means a lot. Honestly, when I posted this (and even when I bought it), I really didn't think anyone would care. I mean, there are no known characters here. And it's not even from an American comic. I was simply adhering to one of my main collecting philosophies that, it's not who or what you draw, but HOW you draw. So no Wolverine or Batman, just beautiful work by a Philippine legend. That was more than enough for me. I'm just glad that there is at least one other person out there who sees what I see in this piece. Again, thank you. Your comment made me very, very, happy.
Rick W
Member Since 2017
Posted on 9/2/2024
NAIPIT-NASIPIT translated:
"You wash may back - I'll wash yours" ;)
E DLS
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 9/3/2024
Rick W wrote:
NAIPIT-NASIPIT translated:
"You wash may back - I'll wash yours" ;)
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you're not fluent in (or even have a working knowledge of) Tagalog. Hopefully you never find yourself lost in the Philippines needing to ask for directions. LOL! Thanks for the comment buddy.
Scott Williams
Member Since 2004
Posted on 9/2/2024
In my opinion, Alex Nino is a true genius. One of a kind, unique artist. Underrated in so many ways. Master with a brush. Everyone who appreciates great comic art should have a Nino original in their collection.
Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005
Posted on 9/2/2024
Very clean early komiks work showing off the lush inks that would used later to stretch and bend the imagination for more heavy subject matter. Also impressive by being well preserved not suffering from condition issues normally found in the old art from the climate of the Philippines.
Comic Art Channel
Member Since 2018
Posted on 9/2/2024
Clearly Nino. The greatest of all the Filipino artists of the era.
F M
Member Since 2005
Posted on 9/3/2024
I know you like your Disney's so you'll have to excuse me for the violence of the reality check I'm about to impose, but to me, this CLEARLY looks like the introduction of what will soon evolve into a classic 70s Filipino porn comic ;p
And yes, agreeing with Scott on the genius aspect of Nino's art, he is clearly the best Filipino artist to ever work in Comics. The fact that he is not better regarded is that his art was probably too abstract and avant-garde for mainstream audience for one, and second, he was never very interested in capes and underpants (and who can fault him, really? :)
Duke Fleed aka #1 Groo Fan
Member Since 2013
Posted on 9/3/2024
Has a bit of Jeff Jones or is that Kelly Jones bent to it! Nice overall!
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