FUNNY

Not too long ago when technology was simpler and television was a mile high improvement over the humble radio as a source of entertainment, having one was all the rage. Colored TV was an upgrade, an option over the default Black and White. It wasn't unusual to have neigbors come over and watch TV programs at your home cause it wasn't imperative to buy one unlike now when TVs, while still coming second to radios, aren't really all that expensive of an entertainment medium for a household not to afford one. Of course, the influx of second hand Japanese electronic surpluses added to its affordability and, at the same time, headaches for those who were curious enough to buy one from such stores cause soon after they shelled out their precious dough they automatically signed themselves up for the repairs the possibility of which was not a matter of if but when. Comics added the third dimension from the so-called tri-media: television, radio, and print. Newspapers were appaling as opposed to appealing for any kid I must say. There weren't even colored photos in newspapers so back then, through my eyes, the only good that could come out of newspapers was when they were used as an outer wrapper for the kakanins pre-wrapped with banana leaves or when they were cone shaped as dispensers for the generic cheese curls.

Comics,the local version not by Marvel or DC-they were overly priced even their back issues, got me into reading at about the same time I entered pre-school. By the time I was in first grade, reading and comprehending was a breeze. I would recommend comics as a learning supplement to kids during their formative years cause the visuals would immediately help generate interest unlike the bland, illustration deprived books. Books minus visuals will help stimulate imagination and that is one of its selling point. I am willing to buy that but perhaps, maybe later cause initially, you would want to get the kids to WANT to learn first how to read and bland books might scare them away. And regarding the imagination thing, kids have to stock up first on their imagination bank or they've nothing to begin with. Comics with their color rich visuals generously offer loads full of vivid imaginative elements.


Funny Komiks published weekly got me into reading that by the time I was in elementary school reading MITHI books, the scarce illustration of the textbooks didn't stop me from associating visuals I would imaginatively put in the mix thanks to the stockpile I got from the Niknoks, Lola Potsays, Kakais, and the Bardagols from planet opdi eyps. Back then when Mom came home from from the palengke, my brother and I, after the Mano-Po gesture would immediately scour the bayong where the Funny Komiks was thrown in along with the vegetables,and meat,and the kakanins. I forgot when exactly it was issued but Mom bought it mostly on weekends although I could remember one time when she picked me up from school and she brought me a copy. There came also a point when Mom had to buy two copies just so my brother and I would not literally fight over who gets to read first. I remember feeling guilty for the money wasted in buying two copies cause putting things in perspective, it was just a matter of minutes, perhaps an hour, before the other got his turn. But stubborn kids forget "perspective" upon the sight of Funny komiks. Leave the perspective to the adults.

Funny Komiks is a collection of comic strips, not newspaper comic strip long, but 3 to four pages long per creator/illustrator. With that alone you get your money's worth cause there are about six or more regular comic strips per issue. It also has a reader's section where you can send in your letters and drawings and they publish it along with your name, address,and age. It was a child's brief introduction to the so called "15mins of fame". My brother got his letter published and we still keep the cutout in one of our photo albums. Funny Komiks helped me realise or develop(I don't know if I was born with it or if I learned my way through it) my talent in drawing. From elementary to highchool I was known as that student who knew how to draw and I was proud to trace my beginnings to the doodling of Funny Komiks characters.

Niknok was one of my favorite characters. A naughty kid who always figured into mischiefs sometimes deliberately sometimes by accident, Niknok was far from being a bad character since he would find ways to make amends. As a kid I remember me doing a skit from one of the Niknok issues which I would gladly regale my parents' guests with. What I would do was part mime, part explaining myself cause I wanted to make sure the guests were clearly following the skit especially on parts where I deemed the explanation was my best option when my limited miming skills wouldn't do justice to what I was trying to deliver.