The Pig’s Nest

The Enduring Filipino Comic in the Digital Era

The well-loved and, perhaps, the most popular Filipino comic strip Pugad Baboy has grown into the hearts of every Pinoy who grew up receiving the Sunday newspaper. I remember as a child I would skip all sections and go straight to the comics, reading the strips even if I barely understood the issues they talked about as long as I get to enjoy looking at the pictures. Nothing changed much today, except the bitter understanding of an adult.

The children who loved Pugad Baboy have grown (just like me) together with this timeless Sunday comic strip. Pugad Baboy will be celebrating its 30th anniversary since its first appearance in Philippine Daily Inquirer on May 18, 1988. It was (and is still) one of the most popular comics in the Philippines. It spawned into different forms of entertainment: a live-action TV show, compilation books and graphic novels, apparel and figurines, and digital webcomics.

Throughout the years, Pugad Baboy never failed to deliver humorous comics to the Filipinos. From the idiosyncrasies of the Filipinos to social issues, the appeal of this 30-year old comic strip endures through time.

Often, Medina’s works do not specifically name individuals or institutions. Bato bato sa langit, ang tamaan ‘wag magalit. It is aimed at no one in particular (but we do know who exactly the Sungcal’s are talking about, especially when the tone is political). But there are some cases when Pol Medina becomes especially more vocal about his opinions.

Pugad Baboy’s popularity is riddled with controversies as well. The biggest one happened in 2013 when Medina published a strip regarding lesbianism and Christianity and name-dropped St. Scholastica College.

This caused an uproar on social media. One side called out Medina for disrespecting iskas and the nuns. Other side says the freedom of speech must be upheld. (Because of this issue, Philippine Daily Inquirer suspended Medina, but Medina resigned instead.)

From producing comics in print, Medina moved to digital when he signed a contract with Rappler.

The Digital Era

Medina’s transfer to Rappler was not expected and happened only due to the St. Scholastica comic incident. What is expected, however, is the artist’s decision to go digital.

This is in no way a prescription to artists. It is still their (and yours, dear reader) prerogative which platform they want to express their creativity. However, to reach more people (especially the younger generation), being online is an advantage. While there is no doubt that Pol Medina’s Pugad Baboy would have been still popular in print, there is no denying that being online played a part in renewing Pugad Baboy’s popularity.

Back Home

As of March 5 of this year, Pugad Baboy is back on print, appearing in Philippine Star and Pilipino Star Ngayon. It will be almost 30 years since Pugad Baboy graced the Philippine print media and to this day, continues to inspire and entertain Filipinos in many forms, in different avenues, transcending platforms and generations.