Indie Comics, its creators and publishers, is the grassroots level of the comic book industry.

Indie or independent comics are mostly photocopied mini-comics (though there are offset printed ones that can still be categorically called Indies) sold at conventions, events, and some specialty stores and marketed mostly by word-of-mouth.

Most of the people involved in endeavors like these barely make profit (in fact, a lot of them lose money) doing it mostly out of a sense of adventure and for the love of the medium. Many Indies are of sub-standard quality as compared to their glossier counterparts produced my Juggernauts such as Marvel and DC Comics.

These little critters, however, perform some very important tasks.

Having a greater degree of creative freedom, Indies are great places for experimentation and innovation.

Indies come up with stories, format, and materials which would never have otherwise seen the light of day in a more commercial setting.

Gerry Alanguilan’s WASTED, published first by Alamat Comics and then by PULP Magazine (both sold out) and Carlo Vergara’s Zsazsa Zaturnnah, published by VisPrint Publications, adapted as a play and a movie both started out as Indies.

It would have been a safe bet that no established Publication during that time would have taken a chance with the two titles and creators considering their subject matters (WASTED was ultra violent with crude drawings and Zsazsa was unabashedly gay). The two however was able to tell their stories without restrictions as Indies and proved that there was an existing market for their tales which brought them recognition and commercial success later on.

Indies explores new untapped markets and strategies which could largely go ignored by more established and mainstream companies.

With the number of people going online worldwide rising almost exponentially every year and new ways of earning money on the web based on advertising models becoming available to the everyday folk, web comics is fast becoming a viable alternative to print in terms of publishing, popularizing, and earning income from your comics.

Aside from the web we also have seen an increase in the demand for compelling content for mobile devices (mobile phones and PDAs, for example). These so-called compelling contents include videos, music, and comics.

Webcomics and mobile content were largely explored by the Indie market with a tiny few coming from the mainstream (such as Darna and Lastikman but mostly for the mobile market) much much later in the game. This brings much needed diversity in the field of comics which gives it stability.

It also allows us, as comic book creators, to cross over to other Medias and find new audiences for our comics.

With diversity and multiple demands for our comics from various Medias ensures healthy growth and sustainability for our beloved industry. With some help from the government like subsidies and tax holidays (click here for my thoughts on this), we can attract more investors and businesses creating more jobs for artists and writers.

Indies sets the stage for a comic book renaissance.

When a lot of the major publishers went under, the Indie comic book scene kept comic books alive in the consciousness of people and also introduced it to a new generation of comic book readers. It continually stirred interest so that comics were not forgotten even if it had to resort to servicing niches (as opposed to the mass market reach of the comics of yesteryears) lacking the financial resources to publish and distribute for nationwide audience.

It produced comics and also organized events in line with this agenda.

The First Philippine Comic Book Convention, the KOMIKON was organized by Indie Comic Book Creators with support from various online communities.

I liken the role of Indie Comics in the over-all picture as a catalyst for change and for this reason I feel that there must be more Indie Comic Creators to represent the younger generation in the coming Komiks Congress.

For if the Philippine Comic Industry is to revive, survive, and indeed thrive in the 21^st century, everyone involved in our beloved industry must be adequately represented.

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