'Lipat-bahay' for Pol Medina Jr. and Pugad Baboy

Pol Medina lives in a spacious two-storey house in a quiet village in Las Piñas, where he and his family moved last November. Next week, his comic strip "Pugad Baboy" will be moving house as well, after 25 years at the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Medina abruptly resigned from the Inquirer last week after a controversy erupted over a comic strip that named St. Scholastica's College as a Catholic school that purportedly tolerated lesbianism.

Pugad Baboy's new address has yet to be revealed, but Medina shares it will be online. "Ito na yung medium of the future eh. 'Yun na 'yung venue ko. Galing sa old school, mag-oonline na rin ako," he told GMA News on Friday, in an interview at his house, which he designed.

"Ako lang ang kliyente ko eh. Wala akong makuhang iba kaya ako na lang," jokes Medina, who graduated with a degree in architecture in 1983. He learned to draw before he could walk, according to his mother's stories. "Nagkakalat na ako sa walls namin ng mga doodles. Kaya nila nasabing ako, kasi ka height ko yung drawing sa wall eh," he said.

Medina had wanted to pursue Fine Arts, but his parents urged him to take up architecture. At the time, it seemed to be the better career option, but it was comics that became Medina's bread and butter.

As a young architect, Medina had trouble finding clients. "Gusto nila mga established na, kasi bahay nila yun eh, yung titirhan nila baka gumuho kung bata ang gumawa," he said. Even his offer to design a house for free was declined. Medina realized he had to find something else that he could do for a living.

That something else was comics, but he knew he would get into trouble for his style. As a cartoonist for their parish newsletter, Medina targeted the parish priest and the choir. "Hindi ka ba puwedeng mag parody ng iba diyan? Yung mga parishioners, kung paano sila magbihis. Bakit tayo pa?" they would ask him. "Pero style ko ito," said Medina.

"Panahon ni Marcos 'yun. Sabi ko, hindi ito puwede sa Bulletin o sa ano, kasi hawak niya lahat ng media saka communications eh," said Medina, who decided to find work outside the country.

In Iraq, he lived with his dog, Dado, who seemed to understand him. He recalled wishing he could afford the designer shoes that his Italian neighbors would wear. The very next day, Dado brought him a pair, exactly his size. "Iniiwan nila 'yung sapatos nila sa labas ng trailer nila. Nagnakaw siya ng talagang ka-size ko," Medina laughed. "Tapos pinost ko, sabi ko lost and found, pero walang nag claim."

Another time, he needed a wok, and Dado brought him food. "'Yun yung naisip ko baka naiintindahan nya ako, baka isang araw kausapin ako nito! Kailangan ko na talagang umuwi! 'Yun yung naging inspirasyon ko kay Polgas," he said.

Apart from Polgas, he came up with two characters based on himself and his older brother. Dagul, Bab, and Polgas became the first residents of Pugad Baboy, a community bound by their bulging waists.

As soon as Marcos fled, Medina returned home. Still struggling as an architect, Medina learned to make cartoons. He admired cartoonists such as Jess Abrera and Larry Alcala. "Noong papasok na ko sa comics, wala akong alam. Hindi ako marunong magcartoons eh. Kaya kong magdrawing yung nakaproportion yung anatomy ng tao... so nag-aral ako. Inaral ko yung Peanuts, malaki ulo maliit katawan. Eh gusto me body language 'yung expression ng katawan hindi masyadong makuha pag maliit e. Tinabaan ko, hanggang sa sumobra naman yung taba! Noong matabang-mataba na sila nung nilayo ko sila sinabi ko gawin ko kayang common denominator nila yung mataba," he said.

With one strip, he went to Intramuros to seek a space for his comics in Manila Bulletin. Following a guard's misdirection, Medina found himself at The Philippine Daily Inquirer, where then art editor Abrera saw him and took the strip. "Swerte lang ako kasi noong time na yun may tatanggalin na syndicated na strip, Andy Capp. Kasi dollars yung binabayaran, tapos bigla akong dumating. Sabi ni Jess, 'O bakit alam mong meron?' Sabi ko 'Hindi ko alam, akala ko nga Bulletin ito eh," he said.

"Akin na nga yan, gago ka pala magbu-Bulletin ka pa. Mas maganda dito sa Inquirer. Sabi ko, 'Ise-Xerox ko muna.' Sabi niya, 'Anong ise-Xerox, gago ka pala eh, ano, dadalhin mo pa sa ibang ano?" Abrera said.

By the time Medina got back home, the Inquirer had already decided to give Pugad Baboy a space. Over the phone, they asked him what his strip was called. The first thing he came up with was Pugad Baboy, after a place in Valenzuela where he and his classmates would work on their projects. "Talagang babuyan, tapos ang kitid ng kalye na hindi na puwedeng dumaan yung tricycle na nagkakarga ng baboy. Ganun ka kitid. Malayo pa lang amoy mo na eh... doon kami gumagawa tapos ang dami naming pagkain, puro pork," he said.

Back then, Medina had no idea how far his comic strip would go. His parents had mixed feelings about his going into comics. "Noong unang lumabas 'yan, nung pumayag nga si Jess na ilabas yan, pinakita ko sa nanay ko. Sabi ko, 'Mommy may bagong comic strip.'  Binasa niya. 'Pwe! Pangit!' sabi niya. 'Ako gumawa niyan eh.' 'Ang ganda!' sabi niya bigla," he said.

Neither of them knew that Medina would be able to support his wife and six children through comics. Medina met his wife in 1993. "Noong nakita ko siya, para akong napana. Naaattract ako sa babae na kaya akong patawanin. 'Yung iba kasi masyadong guarded. Siya hindi, tumatawa siyang may kanin sa bibig eh. Wala siyang pakialam, kaya na in love ako sa kanya," Medina shared.

As a daily strip, the comics were by no means enough to live on. Medina hid behind his signature, afraid that it would affect his career as an architect. "Eh noong tumagal tagal, gusto ko nang palitan dahil eto na yung naging ano ko, main line ko," he said. The first Pugad Baboy compilations came out under New Day Publishing, followed by Anvil.
After Medina learned that he could have copies printed before paying the printer, he decided to publish the next book on his own. This was no easy feat, especially when it came to distribution.

He and his wife would go to every branch to deliver the books. But their efforts paid off. "Noong nilabas namin yung Book 9, first na joint namin ni misis, talagang bumaha ng biyaya. Nakakagulat eh, nung sinabing 'O, magbabayad na ba kayo sa books niyo?' binuo namin, sabi, 'Aba okay a!" he said. Their initial print run for Book 9 was 100,000 copies, with reprints of 30,000 per batch. Eventually, Medina invested in a printing machine of his own.

Attributing his success to "a series of fortunate events," Medina says that aspiring cartoonists must have a degree. "Ang hirap sumikat eh... dapat may sunod sunod na swerteng dumating sayo para ka makilala," he said. Medina stressed the importance of having something to fall back on, saying that even his architecture degree did not go to waste. "'Yung experience na lang ng pagaaral, magiging source ng material mo. Saka matututo kang matuto," he said.

Medina himself has learned many lessons along the way, including how to break the rules. Granted, he doesn't always get away with it, as seen in the recent controversy over his strip on hypocrisy.

Many of his strips had been rejected, but Medina continues to create such strips. "Kasi piniplease ko lang yung sarili ko eh. Tawang tawa ako pag kunwari yung mga ganun na joke. Kasi kaming pamilya namin, mga dark kami eh. Gusto namin ng black comedy, tapos yung mga off the wall talaga na comedy," he said, adding that he was also able to publish the rejected strips in his compilations. "Walang Ombudsman eh. Walang nakatingin sa shoulder mo na, 'O, bawal 'yan,'" he said.

Of all the complaints, Medina shared one that stood out. In 1991, Gabriela wrote a scathing letter in response to one of his strips, where he made a rape joke. "Na-Vice Ganda ako. Ako yung original na Vice Ganda. Nag rape joke ako tapos sa front page, mayroong dalawang bata na nirape. 'Yung joke ko, lalaki, may bakla akong character tsaka si Bab. 'Yung joke niya, kahit bakla hindi ka rarape-in. Ganun ang ginawa ko, pero rape pa rin, kahit na hindi babae yung sinabi ko. Sumulat yung Gabriela, 'Bakit ganyan 'yung kababuyan...' ganun din kasakit," he said.

On the other hand, he has also gotten much support, even in the recent controversy. "'Yung recently 'yung feedback galing sa Kulasas for Pol Medina page, doon natuwa ako," he said.

A big part of Pugad Baboy's appeal is that everyone has representation. "Lahat ng sector na may representative sila. Nandyan si Brosia para sa proletariat, nandyan 'yung mga sosyal sosyalan diyan ganun, mga pulis, mga pulitiko. Tapos meron ding, siguro cute 'yung mascot ko si Polgas kaya nakuha ko yung demographic na seven," Medina said.

With a complete cast of characters, Medina doesn't even feel the need to make them grow older. "Nasuspend na sila sa edad na yun. Ayoko yung idea na balang araw mamamatay sila eh. Maganda kasi well-represented naman, kaya kung sakaling maglalabas ako ng taong may midlife crisis, may character akong ganun na pagpipilian ko," he said.

For Medina, comics is urgent. "Hindi totoo na kailangan may mood. Required kang mag-produce eh," he said. When he was just starting out, he would sometimes create six strips in a day, in order to take the rest of the week off. But if an issue suddenly came up, this meant he would only be able to release a strip about it the next week. "Mapapanis kapag hindi natin nalagay," he would tell his editor.

Readers enjoy Pugad Baboy because they can relate to the strip. These are people you know, issues you face, feelings you recognize. "Ano kasi siya eh, satire. Iba-ibang klase. Merong political satire, social commentary. Pero lahat totoo. Lahat naman ng comedy is katotohanan eh. Kaya ka nakakaidentify, nakakarelate ka doon sa joke. Ang problema lang sa katotohanan, masakit. Kaya ako nabatikos. yung masakit, 'yung ang ano eh. Ang tao pag naghabla ng libel, galit siya dahil hindi tama. Pagka satire galit siya dahil totoo," he said.

The difference, Medina said, is also that feedback didn't spread so fast back then. Technology has certainly made things easier for him as an artist. "Noong time namin nun, magsusubmit ako ng strips nagpupunta ako physically sa Inquirer. Kaya kung dalawang strip lang ang naidrawing mo, lugi ka," said Medina. With the internet, submitting a strip only takes a few clicks.

On the other hand, technology also allows feedback to grow exponentially. "Kasi pag kinalat mo sa isa, kakalat sa lima, kakalat sa sampu, ganun din kalakas kaya yung isa lang na nagsabi o yung strip nung June 4, aba, patay ka," he said.

Despite his 25 years at PDI, Medina does not feel sentimental about leaving. In fact, he says he feels relieved now that he is about to turn a new page. "Ayoko ngang aminin pero para akong naacquit sa kasong murder eh. 'Yung nakahinga ako nang ano, para akong si Hubert Webb. 'Hay salamat,' parang napaganun ako. Kaya sabi ng misis ko ansama mo naman hindi ka man lang ba romantic o sentimental na kaka silver anniversary niyo pa lang eh ganyan ang pakiramdam mo, para kang narelieve na nakaalis ka. Eh kasi ito na yung medium of the future eh," said Medina, who noted that even street sweepers have smartphones.

"Sabi ko, 'lahat pala online na eh. Makikisawsaw na rin ako, makikiuso," Medina said.

He cannot imagine his life without Pugad Baboy, although his resignation has given him time for his other hobbies, like baking and planting. Medina's cooking was both a hobby and out of necessity, as the last time the family had a maid was eight years ago. Medina shared that his favorite television shows are all about the kitchen, and his dream is to be able to cook a meal without leaving the house to get ingredients.

In his backyard, he shows us his okra, tomatoes and basil, and a water pump he converted into a grill. "Ang dream house ko talaga, lalabas ka ng bahay, papanain 'yung manok. 'Yung kumpleto ka na may livestock ka. 'Yun ang pinaka dream ko, kaya lang frustrated farmer ako. Namamatay mga tanim ko," Medina said.

His dreams of becoming a farmer may not come true any time soon, but his career as a cartoonist is far from over. — BM/HS, GMA News