ZUMA Goes Green

In celebration of Earth Hour, Zuma does his own unique part in protecting the environment in Modernisasyon ("Modernization") from Zuma Komiks #115 (January 19, 1996).

Snakes vs Crocodiles: ZUMA Fights Corruption!

In celebration of the Year of the Snake, this February will be Snake Month!  Elections are just around the corner, so to kick things off we have Aztec serpent king Zuma himself dealing with government corruption in this tale, Lasing ("Drunk") from Zuma Komiks #111 (December 22, 1995), written by Ronald Tabuzo and illustrated by Vicatan.

 

 

DINO, Son of ZUMA: Blind Date with a Dinosaur

"I love you, you love me..."

Dino was one of the bizarre characters made famous in Jim Fernandez and Ben Maniclang's long-running Aliwan Komiks serial, Anak ni Zuma (1976-1984). The dinosaur-headed son of the Aztec demigod Zuma has also been portrayed on film, appearing in the 1987 sequel based on the serial.

During the mid-1990's, Grahic Arts Service, Inc. published Zuma And Other Amazing Stories (or Zuma Komiks, for short). The anthology featured the further adventures of the sinister snake-man (Zuma The Series), while another strip, Mga Anak ni Zuma ("The Children of Zuma") was devoted to his offspring Galema and, of course, Dino.

In this short tale from Zuma Komiks #112 (December 29, 1995), we find that Dino has been playing Lizard King of the Jungle, living in peace and harmony with his animal friends. But then, an injured and blinded young woman enters his life...

Happy Father's Day, ZUMA - Love, GALEMA

Fatherly love. (Read what happens next at Filipiniana.net)

 

Galema, daughter of Zuma, has always been an important part of the Aztec anti-hero's mythos since her introduction in the long-running Aliwan Komiks serial, Anak ni Zuma (1976-1984). Raised by human foster parents, Galema never saw eye-to-eye with her natural father, choosing to protect humanity from his malevolent machinations. 

 On film, Galema was first portrayed by actress Snooky Serna in the 1985 movie Zuma, and by Jenny Lyn in the 1987 sequel Anak ni Zuma. A television series is reportedly in the works, Galema, Ang Anak ni Zuma ("Galema, The Daughter of Zuma"), to star Andi Eigenmann in the title role. (And before I forget, ZUMA ASUNCION?! SERIOUSLY?!) When Zuma was given his own title in the mid-90's, Zuma Komiks, Galema (along with her half-man/half-dinosaur half-brother Dino) also appeared in a back-up strip, Mga Anak ni Zuma ("The Children of Zuma"). In the following episode from Zuma Komiks #111 (December 22, 1995), Galema has a heart-to-heart talk with her dad about religion, parent-child relations and sacrificing virgins.

 

How ZUMA Saved Christmas

More of a villain than a hero, Zuma is nonetheless one of Philippine comics' most iconic characters. Created by writer Jim M. Fernandez (who, as an illustrator, co-created Captain Barbell with Mars Ravelo), the serpentine demigod first rose from his tomb in the serial Aztec, but really came to prominence in the classic komiks novel Anak ni Zuma, serialized in Aliwan Komiks and published by Graphic Arts Service, Inc. (GASI). Illustrated by Ben S. Maniclang, it ran weekly from 1976 to 1984, making it one of the longest-running series in komiks history. It also introduced other memorable characters such as Zuma's children: his kind-hearted daughter Galema, and his dinosaur-headed son Dino. _

Art by Ben Maniclang

So great was Zuma's fame that he was practically a household name. He would come to star in a succession of spin-offs, some of which even ran concurrently with his main series. Among these was Dugong Aztec ("Aztec Blood") by Fernandez and artist Elmer Esquivas (who delineated a much more sinister-looking portrayal of the character), which appeared from 1978 to 79 in the pages of Rex Komiks, published by Rex Publications, Inc. Another series was the prequel Angkan ni Zuma, written by Fernandez and drawn by Mar T. Santana for Pinoy Klasiks from 1978 to 83.

Art by Elmer Esquivas

Image from KOMIKERO DOT COM

_ With Zuma reaching the peak of his popularity, a movie adaptation would not be far behind. Imposing actor Max Laurel would portray the Aztec anti-hero in 2 films, Zuma (1985) and its sequel Anak ni Zuma (1987). Here's a clip from the latter film, dubbed in English (and sounding kind of like an old kung-fu movie). _ By the way, it appears ABS-CBN will be producing a new television series, Galema, Ang Anak ni Zuma ("Galema, The Daughter of Zuma"). I'm looking at its Wikipedia page, and I don't know how accurate the information on it is, but apparently, this version of Zuma is going to have a last name ("Zuma Asuncion?" Seriously?) That sounds weird as hell to me, but we'll see how it goes. _ Anyway, Zuma's popularity had somewhat waned by the 1990's, but he had one last run when he was given his own magazine in 1993. Published by GASI, Zuma And Other Amazing Stories (also known as Zuma And Other Horror Stories or simply Zuma Komiks) was a horror anthology book whose main feature was Zuma The Series. Written by various writers, with art by Clem V. Rivera and, later, Vic Catan Jr., the character was revived with a new twist. Zuma now had the ability to heal the sick, which he used to make up for all the evil he had caused in the past. That doesn't necessarily make him a good guy, though. There's some moral ambiguity in that he has amassed himself a fanatical cult of worshippers, and he was still required by his religion to make virgin sacrifices to the Aztec serpent god Kukulkan. _

Art by Vicatan

_ Although the character of Zuma may have been watered-down a bit, the new stories did cast him in the interesting role of the outsider who commented on and (violently) reacted to the foibles of "civilized" human behavior. In this yuletide tale from Zuma Komiks #112 (December 29, 1995) by writer Arman T. Francisco and artist Vicatan, Zuma makes observations on the gaudiness of Christmas celebrations, and gives a blind beggar boy the gift of sight... a gift that not everyone appreciates.

[Special thanks to Reno Maniquis and Komiklopedia for the additional info.]