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NESTOR MALGAPO
was born in Barrio Baluarte, Gapan, Nueva Ecija. Impoverished at
a young age, he sold comics to pay for his grade school education. He admired
the many artists who worked on those comics, specially Francisco V. Coching,
Nestor Redondo, Alfredo Alcala, Elpidio Torres, etc. (He never dreamed
that one day he himself would be part of the comics he were selling.)
He
finished high school with the distinction of being awarded "Artist of the
Year". He was able to work immediately in Manila as a sign painter of billboards
and passenger buses. He then worked as a stripper/cameraman for a printing
press which had been printing Extra and Romansa Komiks. It was here he
saw artist Felipe Ilag, working in the printing press trying to meet a
deadline drawing "Asuwang", written by Mars Ravelo. This was Nestor's
first exposure the professional world of comics illustration. He had believed
that comics were drawn with the help of machines when in fact they were
all drawn by hand, a fact that left quite an impact on him. From that time
on, he decided that he too will be a comics illustrator.
Nestor made several sample drawings and
shopped them around the comics companies. But because the art directors
of those companies were very strict and exacting in their standards, it
took Nestor a year of study and practice until he was finally given a break
drawing "Walang Mukha" written by Tony Ma. Alcaraz for Sinderela Komiks.
That was the start of what would be a long career in drawing comics for
many different publications.
When Nestor showed sample drawings to PSG
Publishing House, he was assigned a comics-novel right away with
the script "Ikaw Pa Rin Ang Hahanapin", written by PSG publisher himself,
Pablo S. Gomez. Nestor wondered if he could try working for other
publishers so he tried sending samples to the editor in chief of Pilipino
Komiks Inc. (which eventually became Atlas Publishing Corp.), Mars Ravelo.
Ravelo gave him a break by letting him illustrate several short stories
before granting him a whole novel entitled "Kaibigan Ko'ng Sto. Niño",
written by A.S. Tenorio.
So
impressed was Ravelo by Nestor's work that when Ravelo left Pilipino Komiks
Inc. to establish RAR Publications, he brought Nestor with him to illustrate
almost all the comics-novels he wrote here.
Prolific, Nestor was also able to work with
Clodualdo del Mundo at Liwayway Publications, Tony Velasquez at Graphic
Arts Service, as well as G. Miranda & Sons Publications and Rex Publications,
and literally almost every other existing publication at the time.
In the 1970's, comics illustrators organized
to form HAND (Huwarang Akbayan ng mga Nagkakaisang Dibuhista) in response
to unfair working conditions, primary of these were being underpaid. Nestor
was one of those who founded the organization and served as president in
the 10 years of the group's existence. HAND was able to champion the cause
of the illustrators and resulted in beneficial priviledges and recognition
from the publishers the importance of the comics illustrators to the industy.
The success of HAND resulted in the formation of the UAP or the United
Artists of the Philippines, a much larger organization with a much larger
membership encompassing writers, illustrators, letterers as well as colorsists.
Nestor became president of the SPIC or the
Society of Philippine Illustrators and Cartoonists after Nestor Redondo
relinquished his position as president when he left to work in the United
States.
When
DC Comics publisher Carmine Infantino and and Editor Joe Orlando arrived
in the Philippines accompanied by Tony DeZuniga in the 70's to look for
talents to work for DC, Nestor was one of only eight hired to work as penciller/inkers.
Nestor worked on some of the many mystery titles DC were currently publishing
including Ghosts, House Of Mystery, The Unexpected and GI Combat. He was
also able to ink Teen Titans, as well as Neal Adams' Megalith for Continuity
Comics.
Nestor tried to study animation as well.
He became layout artist for Island Animation headed by fellow illustrator
Abe Ocampo.
Nestor established the Dynacoil Home Study
Art School, an art correspondence school, to help young Filipinos and the
out of school youth to develop their interest in art. Comics Illustration
is just one among the many art courses that the school teaches. Many of
those who have studied under Nestor have found success in many aspects
of art, specially in the field of animation here and abroad.
Nestor learned to write comics scripts as
well, and he has been able to draw many of his own stories in Atlas and
ACE Publications.
Nestor is currently serving as a design
supervisor for the local television channel of a religious organization.
Tagalog Bio courtesy of Nestor
Malgapo.
Photo by Gerry Alanguilan
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