IFC
More than 500 published works illustrated in Adobe Photoshop
Acknowledgement: Philippine’s Daily Express Publishing Co. Evening Express Expressweek Magazine WeForum Veritas News Magazine Philippine Graphic Magazine Business Mirror FPJ Media Bureau UST CAFAtids Batch 73 Samahan Kartunista ng Pilipinas GoFundMe Patrons T. Anthony Cabangon Deogracias DV Savellano Susan Tagle Joel C. Paredes Marita Nuque Celina Cristobal Krip Yuson Joe Galvez Ben Razon Randy Ordonez Roy Acosta Lito Gagni Natividad D. Guerrero Jimbo Albano Alvin Dacanay Jimbo Albano Boboy Yonzon Romy Buen Dengcoy Miel Romy Buen Ian Go Nanie Gonzales Gianne Carlo Gonzales Bernard Testa Caesar Sario Renato Bisquerra Beting Laygo Dolor Dan Avisado Haydee Abayan Sy Teng Panlilio Fonacier Raul Jorolan Eric Cachero Sonny Burgos Ritz Abarquez Malou Francisco Josie Palma Kichner Chatobrina Purganan And My Family Art Direction & Production: Nanie Gonzales Research & Editorial: Ian Go General Manager: Randy Ordoñez
FOREWORD reserved for NEAL H. CRUZ
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The Last Laugh: A Cartoon Library by Benjo Laygo
INTRODUCTION By Recah Trinidad
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HE art of the gifted and accomplished Benjo Laygo, at its best, is masterful and poetically arresting. There are many superb frames that had been displayed and admired in distinctive art exhibits. It indeed is a great occasion that his art, from classy pen & ink cartoons, illustrations, and full colored frames on national leaders and social conditions, has been captured and collected in a single book. The lifelong journey of his works, from pen & ink to Adobe photoshop, is celebrated in the delightful and colorful volume. There is however no certainty if those in charge of the collection had bothered to include one unforgettable and haunting Laygo cartoon done for the defunct Philippine Daily Express during the Marcos regime. We speak here about a inely executed pen & ink strip centering on a freshly laid egg (a hawk’s?) clamped inside a solid steel cage, that has visibly been shut forever. Caught, captured, no hope of escape or freedom before it could even be a complete winged being. It spoke of Laygo’s originality and deep fearless wit, rare qualities which would transcend his future frames. Benjo’s sensitive depiction of social conditions are complete, honest, graphically amazing, executed by a bon vivant who has been a sharp and silent witness to people, history, events in his time. Laygo, with his good looks,in-born virtuosity and charm, de initely knows how to suffer, observe and absorb the impossible for art and mankind’s sake. He’s the princely kind that comes only once in a lifetime. In a semestral break in the early 70s, I became an instant disciple of Gahan Wilson, an extra-ordinary cartoonist and playwright, who peppered Playboy magazine and National Lampoon with his unique brand of humor rendered in cross-hatched strokes. So awed, I even patterned my second signature after his. I hand-painted details of his works on t-shirts using acrylic, forged his signature, and gave away as presents to selected friends then. 40 years later, he was marketing his own masterpieces through the internet. I thought, I’d charge Mr. Wilson for “royalty?!”, LoL. The Last Laugh: A Cartoon Library by Benjo Laygo
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n a semestral break in the early 70s, I became an instant disciple of Gahan Wilson, an extraordinary cartoonist and playwright, who peppered Playboy magazine and National Lampoon with his unique brand of humor rendered in cross-hatched strokes. So awed, I even patterned my second signature after his. I hand-painted details of his works on t-shirts using acrylic, forged his signature, and gave away as presents to selected friends then. 40 years later, he was marketing his own masterpieces through the internet. I thought, I’d charge Mr. Wilson for “royalty?!”, LoL. Digital art, at the turn of the millennium, had overwhelming features. As I adapted to it, it became my new pen & ink and brush. I thought Aldus Freehand and Adobe Illustrator can compliment my works. The fondness to these softwares, especially with Adobe Photoshop, became pivotal in my career. But of course, technique comes only next to concept. Being a staff artist at the Philippines’ Daily Express publications, which started in 1973, exposed me to broader media arts and its add-ons. My job included retouching and cropping photos, doing infographics, editorial design and layout, direct pictorials from time to time, illustrate and do cartoons to fill up vacant spaces. These routine can be boring, had not the best editors, writers, artists and photographers made my days after days then. Naming a few, Neal H. Cruz, Recah Trinidad, Noel Cabrera, Teddy Berbano, Ernie Tolentino, Jun Engracia, Hugo C. Yonzon, Larry Alcala, Danilo Franco, Boy Togonon, Dante Munsayac, Arnold Adao, Ed Santiago, Manny Goloyugo and Jun de Leon. These gentlemen were tops in the business. In 1984, I volunteered to be retrenched at the Daily Express. That move saddened Neal H. Cruz and columnist Nestor Mata. But of course our friendship transcended past Daily Express. A tabloid publisher intended to take me in right away but before that, asked me to do an editorial cartoon attacking Roberto S. Benedicto (RSB). RSB was owner of the Daily Express which has been my bread and butter for 11 years. So I told Mr. Tabloid publisher that I’d work on it at home because I left my tools. I never showed up to him again. I should have concentrated on painting on that jobless year instead of playing in moderate executive chess tournaments. I’d sell tangible prizes to friends, if I prevailed, which come far between. A hassle here and there kept me floating until Recah Trinidad took me with him at Joe Burgos’ WeForum in 1985. surpass targeted never moderate silently student self-practiced explored informal teacher identity research (the rest is up to you)
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Eva Florentino viewing my heavily-censored works
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President Corazon Aquino with members of Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas (SKP), headed by Larry Alcala listen to SKP president Nonoy Marcelo (not in photo) deliver his message during the organization’s induction in Malacanang in 1987. Photo by ANDY VALLE
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The Last The Laugh: Last Laugh: A Cartoon A Cartoon Library Library bybyBenjo BenjoLaygo Laygo
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Being poor is no problem. If there is no money to buy meds to lower your blood pressure, just keep still. Always be ready to modify.
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Caricatures and commished works
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artoonists and non-cartoonists alike age. They become more observebant and reactionary. The morals that draped form part of their skin. Embedded.
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Do not impress, do not pretend. Do not post “dirty inger/s” in print and in social media. If the iness to perform has been tiresome and nothing more can stop you from exhibiting your right to be an a-hole, then do it in person.
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Father of Graphic Arts in the Philippines Manuel Rodriguez Sr. with Eva Florentino, Zny Laygo and Elle Laygo Partan opening my painting exhibit, Philippine Palettes 2, at Casa Victoria in New Jersey, 2000 (top); Hands on editorial designing Graphic weekly magazine in the mid-90s (right).
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On-the-spot sketching in Marawi City and in Iligan’s Tinago Falls.
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The Last Laugh, my ϐirst cartoon exhibit, was opened by my mother Zny Laygo, Larry Alcala and Odette Alcantara at the Rear Room Art Gallery in June 1980.
A friend kept repeating, “he who laughs last, did not get the joke right away...” Working on Times Journal broadsheet modules in the late 90s(right); Battling stage fright while delivering a speech to campus journalists/ cartoonists at NSSPC in Naga City (below).
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Discussing some pointers on cartooning for tertiary level in Lipa City, 1994 (top); and being introduced as one of the judges inan on-the-spot art competition at the Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park, Manila in 1995 (below). Photos by BERNARD TESTA
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Business Mirror cartoon illustrations Quicky column illustrations done in photoshop. Freehand drawings are executed much faster.
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Cartooning in the Philippines is light years from being lucrative. But despite of this reality, the cartoonist should always give his/her all. Labor of love dedication its fruition
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