Comic strip creator and filmmaker Carlo J. Caparas dies at 80

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino comic strip creator and veteran director Carlo J. Caparas has died. He was 80 years old. 

His daughter, Peach Caparas, confirmed the death in a Facebook post on Saturday, May 25. Additional details about his death, such as cause and date, weren’t disclosed. 

Peach paid tribute to her late father by penning a poem titled “Sa Bawat Tipa ng Makinilya,” along with a black-and-white photo of the artist. 

“Isang mananalaysay ng kwento ng buhay, nilalabanan ang antok, nagsusunog ng kilay,” she wrote. “Sa larangan ng komiks siya ang naghari, naging bahagi ng kultura, naging yaman ng lahi.”

(A storyteller who created stories about life while fighting through sleepless nights and working late… He reigned in the field of comics. He made a mark in local culture that enriched our culture.)

“Dad, you will forever be loved, cherished, and honored… by all of us,” she added. 

In the comments section, Peach disclosed that her father’s wake will be held on Monday, May 27, from noon until midnight at the Golden Haven Memorial Chapels and Crematorium. 

Caparas was best known for creating the well-loved Filipino superhero characters Panday, Totoy Bato, Elias Paniki, Bakekang, and Gagambino, among others, through his comic strips. 

These comic books were later adapted into television series, ABS-CBN releasing Panday in 2005, Pieta in 2008, and Dugong Buhay in 2013, and GMA Network with Bakekang in 2006, Carlo J. Caparas’ Tasya Fantasya in 2008, and Gagambino in 2008, to name a few. 

As a film writer and director, his works include Hiwaga ng Panday, Ang Babaing Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang, Chavit, Tirad Pass: The Last Stand of Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, and Kamagong. 

In 2009, Caparas was named a National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts and Film by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. However, the proclamation was ruled invalid by the Supreme Court in July 2013. – Rappler.com