Francisco Coching


Francisco V. Coching was a Filipino comic books illustrator and writer and is regarded as one of the “pillars of the Philippine Komiks Industry”. He served as both illustrator and writer for his comic book stories, Coching is referred to as the "King of Komiks", and as the "Dean of Philippine Comics". In 2014, he was posthumously conferred as a National Artist for Visual Arts, the highest honor for artists in the Philippines.

Biography

Coching was born in Buting, Pasig, Rizal Province in the Philippines. He was the son of Gregorio Coching, a Filipino novelist in the Tagalog-language magazine Liwayway.
Coching was unable to finish his studies in order to be an illustrator for Liwayway under the apprenticeship of Tony Velasquez. In 1934, at the age of fifteen, Coching created Bing Bigotilyo. Coching had been influenced by Francisco Reyes, another pioneer in the Filipino comic book industry. In 1935, he created Marabini. World War II interrupted Coching’s career in comics. He became a guerrillero for the Kamagong Unit of the Hunters-ROTC resistance organization.
After the Second World War, Coching created Hagibis, a Tarzan-like and Kulafu-like character in Liwayway Magazine. Other creations by Coching were Sabas, ang Barbaro, Pedro Penduko, El Indio, Bertong Balutan, Don Cobarde, Ang Kaluluwa ni Dante, Pagano, Haring Ulupong, Dumagit, Lapu-Lapu, Bulalakaw, Waldas, Talipandas, Palasig, Movie Fan, Anak ni Hagibis, Gat Sibasib, Satur, Dimasalang, Bella Bandida, El Vibora, Sa Ngalan ng Batas, and El Negro. El Negro was his last komiks novel.
After 39 years in the komiks industry, Coching retired in 1973 at the age of 54. Coching was able to produce 53 komiks novels overall.

Death

He died at age of 79 on September 1, 1998.

Influence

Coching influenced many other Filipino illustrators. Among them were Noly Panaligan, Federico C. Javinal, Carlos Lemos, Celso Trinidad, Emil Quizon-Cruz, Nestor Redondo, Alfredo Alcala, and Emil Rodriguez.

Film adaptations

Almost all of Coching’s komiks novels were adapted into films, with the exception of three titles. Among those that were made into a film was El Negro in 1974.

Awards

In 1981, Coching obtained the Makasining na Komiks Award in the Tanging Parangal for Comics Art from the Manila Commission of Arts and Culture.
In 1984, Coching received the Komiks Operation Brotherhood Inc. Life Achievement Award.
In 1998, he received the Award of Excellence from the government of Pasay City.
Coching received the nomination as a National Artist of the Philippines for the Visual Arts in 1999 and in 2001. On June 20, 2014, Coching was posthumously named as a National Artist for the Visual Arts by virtue of Proclamation No. 808, series of 2014.