Czech Embassy, NCCA mount comics exhibit
BESIDES -
In celebration of the 100th year of Czech Comics, the Czech Embassy in Manila has collaborated with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for an exhibit of famed works of notable artists and writers from the Central European country.
Called “Meanwhile, Elsewhere” the show was inaugurated on September 11 and runs until the 30th at the NCCA Gallery on General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila.
“The exhibition forms part of the commemorations of the major anniversaries of 2018 – the centenary foundation of Czechoslovakia ( 1918), 70 years from the establishment of the infamous communist regime (1948) and
25 years of the creation of the
Czech Republic
( 1993),” Czech Ambassador to the Philippines
Jaroslav Olsa Jr. told the guests and the media on opening night.
While American Comics is laden with superheroes, Czech’s delved
- tion stories, like his favorite comics while growing up.
“Superheroes are a a creation of a capitalist society, whereas the Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia) had been under Communism, so superhero stories were banned,” the Czech Ambassador told The
ManilaTimes in a tete-a-tete as he showed guests around the displays. He said the exhibition will also be brought to Davao City.
Curator Tomas Prokupek, meanwhile, explained that the exhibition not only shows the themes and authors in all their respective historical periods until today, but also recaps a tumultuous national history through comics that aptly reflects the historical, political and cultural changes of the Czech Republic.
- east Asia, Prokupek was previously in Japan for a similar exhibit.
Samples of different illustrations are showcased to depict the history and evolution of Czech Comics and how they were affected by the times. Visitors of all ages can enjoy the exhibition as it contains numerous original books and magazines.
Filipino artists in comics published in Czech
Ambassador Olsa also mentioned (in fact cited in the audio-visual presentation or AVP) that two comic book Filipino artists – working as part of an international comic book project – have had their works published to critical acclaim in the Czech Republic. As reported in TheSunday
TimesMagazine in August last year, 33-year-old AJ Bernardo and 29- year- old Josel Nicolas have illustrated multiple stories for Welsh writer James Stafford for the graphic novel “The Sorrowful Putto of Prague.” Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic.
Originally launched in 2011 as a webcomic, the comic was collected into book form and published in
by Argo, one of the Czech Republic’s major publishers.
Hollywood superstar Samuel L. Jackson’s praise of the comic book to his six million Twitter followers helped in making the book gain popularity.