Severino “Nonoy” Santos Marcelo
CA (January 22, 1939 – October 22, 2002) was a Filipino cartoonist, animator and filmmaker. He is best known for creating comic strips that lampooned lifestyles in Filipino youths including ''Plain Folks'' and ''Tisoy'', the latter which was adapted into two films and a television series as a screenwriter. He is also an animation and sound director in films. He was joined by
National Media Production Center to evade
censorship
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...
from politics at large, learned that the government
blacklisted
Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...
fellow cartoonists.
Publicly viewed as a
political cartoon
A political cartoon, also known as an editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically co ...
ist for his irreverent, biting
political satire
Political satire is a type of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics. Political satire can also act as a tool for advancing political arguments in conditions where political speech and dissent are banned.
Political satir ...
s and
social commentaries in
cartoon
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...
s provided on various Philippine issues that assumed to criticize the repressive regime infusing his projects with signature subversive humor in the midst of
martial law
Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
administered by the Philippines' tenth president
Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
, led to his subject of the character
Ikabod Bubwit (literally "Ikabod the Small Rodent" or "Ikabod the Small Mouse" in
Tagalog) in the comic strip ''Ikabod'', until the president was overthrown by
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
in 1986.
Aside from political cartoons, he frequently tasked by the government in invitation to join the
New Society Movement as a filmmaker to direct
propaganda film
A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...
s for the
Marcos administration, including ''
Da Real Makoy
''Da Real Makoy'' (lit. ''The Real Macoy'') is a 1977 Philippine propaganda documentary film follows the tenth president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr., sets a field trip to Ilocos Norte, Marcos's hometown, with his e ...
'' (1977) and ''
Tadhana
() is a Philippine television drama anthology series broadcast by GMA Network. Hosted by Marian Rivera, it premiered on May 20, 2017 on the network's Sabado Star Power sa Hapon line up.
The series is streaming online on YouTube.
Premise
...
'' (1978), at the time which collaborated with
close friend and
producing partner Imee Marcos
Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos-Manotoc (; born November 12, 1955) is a Filipino politician and film producer serving as a Senate of the Philippines, senator since 2019. She previously served as governor of Ilocos Norte ...
.
[Philippine Animation Festival » 2009 » Lifetime Achievement Awardee » Jose Zabala Santos](_blank)
. Animahenasyon. Retrieved on 2011-05-25.
Upon his legacy, Marcelo is widely noted one of the greatest and most influential figures in the Philippines, particularly his pioneering recognition of
modern cartooning and first foray into
animation
Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...
, the latter admired by students for his influence on animation which led to become future animators creating their original and outsourcing works in the Philippine animation industry starting in the 1980s.
Early life
Marcelo was born in
Malabon
Malabon, officially the City of Malabon (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 380,522 people. Located just north of the city of Manila, Malabon is ...
,
Rizal
Rizal most commonly refers to:
* Rizal (province), a province of the Philippines
* José Rizal, Filipino national hero whom the province is named after
Rizal may also refer to:
People
* Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, Malaysian footballer
* Atep Ri ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
on January 22, 1939, to David Marcelo, a war hero and an assistant dean of
Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University (), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a Private university, private research non-sectarian university in Manila, Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and ...
(FEU) and Rita Santos, an FEU English professor.
He was a
prodigy
Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to:
* Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer
** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess
Arts, entertainment, and m ...
.
Career
Before Marcos's administration (1948–1966)
''Likmuan ng mga Pighati sa Paligid-ligid''
At the age of nine, he had a published book to his credit, a comic book entitled ''Likmuan ng mga Pighati sa Paligid-ligid'' (
English: ''Seat of Sorrows All Around''). He once admitted in an interview with the Diliman Review, drawing was already in his veins since he was a child.
''Plain Folks''
He created the comic strips ''Plain Folks'', which appeared in the
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
during the early 1960s, and ''Tisoy'' in 1963 for the
Manila Times
''The Manila Times'' is the oldest extant English-language newspaper in the Philippines. It is published daily by The Manila Times Publishing Corp. (formerly La Vanguardia Publishing Corporation) with editorial and administrative offices at 2/F ...
, which tells about the lifestyle of young Filipinos. His main character, Tisoy (slang for "
mestizo
( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...
"), and cast members such as Aling Otik, Maribubut, Caligula, Tatang, Tikyo and Kinse, soon became established in Philippine pop culture.
''Tisoy''
Marcelo developed ''Tisoy'' in 1963, which lampooned Filipino lifestyles to youths. His characters Aling Otik, her grandson Kinse and his cat Myawok, among others, romped through the comic strip.
Alfredo Roces, a former dean of FEU, was his model for the main character.
Marcos's administration (1966–1986)
''Tisoy'' adaptations
''Tisoy'' adapted three times during the Marcos administration: a 1968 television miniseries and its 1969 television film featuring Jimmy Morato and
Pilar Pilapil
Pilar Delilah Veloso Pilapil-Penas (born October 12, 1950) is a Filipino actress and beauty pageant titleholder. She was crowned as Binibining Pilipinas Universe 1967. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 1967 pageant but was ...
, and a 1977 theatrical film directed by
Ishmael Bernal
Ishmael Bernal (September 30, 1938 – June 2, 1996) was a Philippines, Filipino filmmaker, stage and television director, actor and screenwriter. Noted for his melodramas, particularly with feminist and moral issues, he directed many landmark ...
, starring
Christopher de Leon
Christopher Strauss de León (born October 31, 1956), also known as Boyet, is a Filipino actor, filmmaker and politician. Often referred to as the "King of Philippine Drama", he gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous film and te ...
and
Charo Santos
María Rosario "Charo" Navarro Santos-Concio (; born October 27, 1955) is a Filipino actress and former media executive. She is the host of , the longest running television drama anthology in the Philippines. From 2012 to 2016, she was the ch ...
.
''Da Real Makoy''
A 1977 half-hour propaganda documentary film about the former president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos during a trip to
Ilocos
The Ilocos Region (; ; ), designated as Region I, is an administrative region of the Philippines. Located in the northwestern section of Luzon, it is bordered by the Cordillera Administrative Region to the east, the Cagayan Valley to the northe ...
.
''Ikabod''
''Ikabod'' ran from the late 1970s to 2002. It was a satirical strip that re-cast the Philippines as a nation called Dagalandia. The strip humorously depicted the socio-political woes of ordinary Filipinos, as represented by the tailless Everymouse hero, Ikabod - who became as iconic in his own way as that other popular cartoon rodent,
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...
. Marcelo often used the strip to caricature political figures from
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
and
Corazon Aquino
María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...
to
Joseph Estrada
Joseph Ejercito Estrada (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 until his resignation in 2001. ...
and
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
, re-imagining them as mice.
''Tadhana''
He was collaborated again with Imee to participate the project adapted from Ferdinand's novel into an 54-minute
adult animated
An adult is an animal that has reached full growth. The biological definition of the word means an animal reaching sexual maturity and thus capable of reproduction. In the human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and ...
film titled ''Tadhana'' (1978), which originally conceived as a
television pilot
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...
due to a lengthy process.
''The Adventures of Lam-Ang'' and ''Annie Batungbakal''
In 1979, ''The Adventures of Lam-Ang'' was produced a one-hour animated feature based on
Biag ni Lam-ang, a Philippine epic poem.
[Feichin, Ted Tschang, and Andrea Goldstein. "Production and Political Economy in the Animation Industry: Why Insourcing and Outsourcing Occur." DRUID Summer Conference 2004, 2004.] At the same year, Marcelo served as
animation director
An animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated or television film, or an animated segment for a live-action film or television show. Alternatively, the animation direct ...
for a seven-minute opening scene in
Nora Aunor
Nora Cabaltera Villamayor (May 21, 1953 – April 16, 2025), known professionally as Nora Aunor (), was a Filipino actress, producer and singer. Known for her leading roles with patriotic, feminist and Political sociology, socio-political th ...
's ''
Annie Batungbakal''.
After Marcos's administration (1986–2000)
''Mighty Pens''
He was featured in
Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
for its cover story ''Mighty Pens'', published on September 12, 1988, for his bold commentaries on the current socio-political state of the country through his comic strips, making him the only Asian cartoonist.
''Bayaning 3rd World''
In 1999, Marcelo made his final work as an animator in
Noli
Noli (; ) is a coast ''comune'' of Liguria, Italy, in the Province of Savona, it is about southwest of Genoa by rail, about above sea-level. The origin of the name may come from ''Neapolis'', meaning "new city" in Greek.
It is one of I Borgh ...
and
Fili parts of the film. According to film director
Mike De Leon, the original script of the film was meant to include several animation sequences from Marcelo, which he did studies but the animation proved to be an impractical idea.
Personal life
Education
Marcelo graduated the Institute of Arts and Sciences from FEU with an AB English degree. He took a course in advance animation from the
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.
History
This school was started by Silas ...
in New York in 1971 and a filmmaking course from the
New School for Social Research
The New School for Social Research (NSSR), previously known as The University in Exile and The New School University, is a graduate-level educational division of The New School in New York City, United States. NSSR enrolls more than 1,000 stud ...
in 1972, soon became a cartoonist in an American magazine cover
The Advocate
An advocate is a professional in the field of law.
The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to:
Magazines
* The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States
* ''The Harvard Advocate' ...
at the same year.
Marcelo was appointed the title of Senior Lecturer in Film Animation at the
UP College of Fine Arts by a chairwoman of Department of Visual Communication, Margarita Revilla Simpliciano, during the deanship of National Artist
Napoleon V. Abueva.
Death
Nonoy Marcelo died at the
Chinese General Hospital
Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC) (), also known as the Chinese General Hospital, is a district general hospital and teaching hospital in Manila, Philippines. It is one of the oldest hospitals in the Philippines, founded durin ...
in Manila on October 22, 2002, at the age of 63. He died of sepsis due to complications from his diabetes.
He was survived by his five children: Dario, Sarita, Ninoy, Rajah and Jinoy; Dario was an editor and co-author of a
memoir
A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autob ...
''Huling Ptyk: Da Art of Nonoy Marcelo'' about his late father's history, collaborated with his father's friend Pandy Aviado''.''
Filmography
Films
Television series
Legacy
After the
People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
, Marcelo was given the Catholic Mass Media Award for the Best Comic Strip in 1986 for ''Ikabod'' and in 1988 for both ''Ikabod'' and ''Aling Otik''. In 1998, Marcelo received the
Cultural Center of the Philippines
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP; ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) established to preserve, develop and promote Arts in the Philippines, arts and Culture of the Philippines, culture in the Philippines.Presid ...
' Centennial Artist Award, the only cartoonist to be honored; cited him by CCP for excellence in the visual arts and for helping define national identity by taking a stand on political and social issues.
In 2002, the Patnubay Award for Visual Arts given by the City of Manila.
Eighteen years after his death, he has been nominated for the Order of the
National Artist National Artist is an honorary title issued by some states as the highest recognition of artists for their significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the nation.
An equivalent title, People's Artist, has been known in countries of the ...
in the Visual Arts category.
In 2008, Marcelo was posthumously honored the Lifetime Achievement Award by members of
Animahenasyon, an annual animation film festival in the Philippines.
References
External links
A sample Ikabod strip (in Tagalog)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marcelo, Nonoy
1939 births
2002 deaths
Filipino animators
Filipino comic strip cartoonists
Filipino comics artists
Filipino comics writers
Filipino editorial cartoonists
Filipino film directors
Filipino propagandists
Filipino satirists
Filipino political artists
Filipino writers of bilingual works
People from Malabon
Artists from Metro Manila
Far Eastern University alumni