REVIEW: Pugad Baboy 27

SHOWING THE TEETH

Pol Medina Jr., one of the most influential Philippine cartoonists ever, continues his brand of irreverent and street smarts humor in the latest compilation PUGAD BABOY 27. To be serious here, I find his latest volume a vast improvement over the rather disappointing previous volume. Understandably, he just resigned from his former job in the Philippine Daily Inquirer two years ago (2013) over some editorial brouhaha and went online with a media website, where he is currently employed and continuing nitpicking, ridiculing, musing on himself, the Philippine national and political landscape, society, culture, and even the international scenes, particularly the USA.

Obviously, the reading experience between the internet and the printed versions, particularly the compilation, is different. The former has some features, especially in the abovementioned website, to choose the “possible” outcomes or “punch lines”, a multiple choice of laughter; puns; satirical, biting and comedic commentaries. In the latter, it reads awkward, if not lazily, due to the repetitive first two to three panels until the punch lines deliver at the end. Similar to the last volume, this one is no exception and one can finish reading and comprehending in just one serious (but laughing out loud) take.

However, unlike majority of his previous compilations or strips in the Inquirer years that presented some artistic restraints, if not “expressive freedom”, the creator unleashes his true critical stance on just about anything and everything that deems outright outrageous, stupidity, and worth ridiculing. This is apparently true in the so-called “politically correct” atmosphere  that its advocates, the “PC police”, wants to “standardize”, “dictate”, and “control” almost every aspect of life, including cartoon strips and their brand of humor. Pol confronts these people, including the PC’s latest spawn, the Social Justice Warriors (SJWs). He even creates a character to explore the supposed dynamics and motivations why this fellow is so “critical” on just about anything (so, I’m “rapplering” right now). Similar to his previous critics, this “Mister Morales” (the pun in itself indeed) and other “PC police” are so “humourly challenged”; they could not take a joke so lightly/seriously, or even failing to distinguish a joke, an insult, or even a comedy. Worse, the artist uncovers further hypocritical attitude of these people that we Pinoys/ays already embodied: we like make fun and criticize those we mostly personally don’t know, or the easy targets. Spot on, Pol!

Another worthy mention from this 27^th volume is the return of Pol’s original arc. This time, it features “ANG PUNYAL NI DEVLINO” that reads similarly to the hilarious, virtually no-holds barred, and highly critical “ANG HIWAGA NG DUENAS” in one of the first volumes in the early 1990s (yes, you millennial, Pol’s around even before majority of you were even born or being socially and politically conscious and critical). This is the purest Pol Medina as the storyteller in his newly found territory yet. Hope he tells us more.

As mentioned, the “rappling” experience is tedious to old-time readers and followers of the traditional reading moments. Also, due to some printing issues, some panels are blurted out or erased. However, Pugad Baboy 27 is superior to the last one, an improvement altogether. The new story arc, Pol’s trademark of humor and more unhinged satirical and comedic takes (even the corny ones) and his continuing quest of Philippine humor are all here. WELCOME BACK, POL!