The Life and Art of Francisco Coching

Authored by Patrick D. Flores, Justino Dormiendo, Alice Guillermo,
D.M. Reyes, and Soledad Reyes
Edited by Patrick D. Flores

A born storyteller with a flair for the dramatic, a selftaught illustrator who schooled his genius with discipline and hard work, Francisco V. Coching created komiks that transformed ordinary lives into vivid adventures. He nurtured a generation of readers who found in his stories not fleeting fantasies or escapist romance, but a world where they loomed large as the makers of their fate and the tellers of their tales. Coching’s singular artistry is illuminated with komiks excerpts, covers, character sketches and illustrations, alongside essays that weave biographical detail and discussions of his work into a concise narrative.

The book focuses on Coching’s key themes while offering a scholarly look at the uniquely Philippine artistic phenomenon that is komiks, placing the popular graphic tradition in the pantheon of great Filipino art.

For two decades, Francisco Coching’s fanciful stories captured the popular imagination. Borrowing from the long tradition of romances and corridos along with the moro-moro and zarzuela of the colonial era, Coching reimagined Philippine history in his enduring works. Masterfully edited by Patrick Flores, this book puts outstanding scholars together in a salute to this prolific artist and storyteller.

—Alfredo Roces, art critic

By dint of talent, imagination and courage, Francisco Coching used the medium of komiks to enrich the cultural life of the Philippines. This book pays tribute to Coching, the artist and nationalist, and his brilliantly crafted works.

—Eddie Romero, National Artist for Film

© 2009
234 pages