Virgilio "Virgil" Redondo y Purugganan (March 28, 1926 – April 13, 1997) was a Filipino comic book writer and artist.
Biography
Early life
Redondo was born in the town of
San Esteban, Ilocos Sur
San Esteban, officially the Municipality of San Esteban (; ), is a municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 8,381 people.
Etymology
The Spaniards named the pueblo (the equivale ...
, Philippines, the eldest of eight children.
Early work
Redondo started as a staff and advertising artist. He worked, along with his younger brothers
Francisco "Quico" Redondo, and Sisenando Redondo, Jr., on a newspaper.
On December 15, 1948, he published his komik serial ''Mahiwagang Bundok''. His first cartoon comic strip was "Isyo", a humorous strip from Pilipino
Komiks Komiks (Polish and Tagalog, 'comics') may refer to:
* ''Komiks'' (TV series), Philippine television series
* Polish comics
* Philippine comics
Philippine Comics () have been popular throughout Philippines, the nation from the 1920s to the p ...
. In the 1950s Virgil started to work at Ace Publication Incorporated aided by Tony Velasquez. His writing became successful with ''
Diwani
Diwani is a calligraphic variety of Arabic script, a cursive style developed during the reign of the early Ottoman Turks (16th century - early 17th century). It reached its height of popularity under Süleyman I the Magnificent (1520–1566 ...
'' in 1951 and ''Reyna Bandida'' in 1952. The latter was adapted into a movie by
Sampaguita Pictures
Sampaguita Pictures was a Philippine film production company. It was named for the Philippine national flower, sampaguita. Though no longer functioning, the company's Sampaguita Compound remains in Quezon City.
History
Sampaguita Pictures was e ...
, starring
Alicia Vergel
Erlinda Gaerlan Asturias-Aguilar (June 7, 1927 – May 20, 1992), popularity known as Alicia Vergel, was a Filipino actress, film producer, entrepreneur and politician. She was known for playing fiesty, strong-willed characters and was famous fo ...
. Then followed ''Tin-edyer'' in 1953, ''Talusaling'' in 1955 and ''Aling Kutsero'' in 1956, in which
Nida Blanca
Dorothy Guinto Jones (January 6, 1936 – November 7, 2001), known professionally as Nida Blanca, was a Filipino actress. In a career spanning five decades, she is known for her dramatic and comedic roles in Cinema of the Philippines, film ...
appeared, released by
LVN Pictures
LVN Pictures, Inc. was a Filipino film studio that was considered one of the biggest in the history of Philippine cinema and its foremost establishment in motion picture post-production until 2005. In its heyday of motion picture production, LV ...
. He also created ''Alyas Palos'', ''Bakas ng Gagamba'', ''Panginoon'', ''Ang Mga Lawin'', ''Vod-a-vil'', ''Teen-age Crush'', ''Anak ng Kidlat'' and ''Rolling Rockers''.
CRAF Publications
In April 1963 Virgilio Redondo and a group of writers and illustrator founded CRAF Publications, initially named after Amado Castrillo, Tony Caravana, Virgil Redondo,
Alfredo Alcala
Alfredo P. Alcala (August 23, 1925 – April 8, 2000) was a Filipinos, Filipino comics artist, born in Talisay, Negros Occidental, in the Philippines. Alcala was an established illustrator whose works appeared in the ''Alcala Komix Magazine''. ...
and
Jim Fernandez
Jim M. Fernandez (February 21, 1936 – June 13, 2022) was a Filipino people, Filipino comic book artist best known for his works on ''Aztec'' and ''Aliwan Komiks''. He also popularized the fictional character, Zuma (comics), Zuma in his novels. Ap ...
. Their first comic was ''Redondo Komiks'', released on May 7, 1963. CRAF introduced many titles, such as Alcala's ''Fight Komiks'', Amado's ''Lovers Komiks'', ''Craf Klasix'', and ''Magic Comics''. The firm shut down in 1968.
Collaboration with other writers
Redondo teamed up with
Gilda Olvidado
Gilda Olvidado (born 9 August 1957 in Cebu City, Cebu) is a Filipina movie and television writer, and melodrama novelist. Her novels have been turned into live-action movies by VIVA Films, and also been remade for television through Sine Novela.
F ...
to illustrate the short stories "May Sopresa Ang Pag-ibig," "Ang Paborito", and "Narito ang Anak, Narito ang Ina." He demonstrated his artwork in Rico Bello Omagap's novel ''Bathaluman Sino Ka?'' and ''Putik sa Mukha ng Birhen''.
Other works
Virgil also worked at
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. As both penciller and inker, he contributed to ''
Planet of the Apes
''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...
'', ''
Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction
''Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction'' was a 1970s American black-and-white, science fiction comics magazine published by Marvel Comics' parent company, Magazine Management.
The anthology title featured original stories and literary adaptations ...
'', ''
Solomon Kane
Solomon Kane is a fictional character created by the pulp-era writer Robert E. Howard. A late-16th-to-early-17th century Puritan, Solomon Kane is a somber-looking man who wanders the world with no apparent goal other than to vanquish evil in al ...
'', ''
Savage Sword of Conan
''The Savage Sword of Conan'' is a black-and-white magazine-format comic book series published beginning in 1974 by Curtis Magazines, an imprint of American company Marvel Comics, and then later by Marvel itself. ''Savage Sword of Conan'' starred ...
'' #20, ''
Tomb of Dracula
''The Tomb of Dracula'' is an American Horror comics, horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Dracula (Marvel Comics), Count Dracula a ...
'', ''
Tales of the Zombie
''Tales of the Zombie'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by List of comics magazines published by Magazine Management in the 1970s, Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 10 issues ...
'', and ''
Vampire Tales
''Vampire Tales'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 11 issues and one annual publication from 1973 to 1975, and featuring vampires as both ...
''.
He also worked as an Illustrator with
Vincent Fago
Vincenzo Francisco Gennaro Di Fago (; November 28, 1914 – June 13, 2002),Vincent F. Fago at the Unite ...
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion.
He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...
's ''
The Scarlet Letter
''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a historical novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who concei ...
''.
Death
Redondo died on April 13, 1997, and rests at Eternal Garden at East Bagong Barrio,
Caloocan
Caloocan, officially the City of Caloocan (; ), is a highly urbanized city in Metro Manila, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,661,584 people making it the fourth-most populous city in the Philippines.
Caloo ...