Sexy women, ghosts, simplistic plot, tendency to be naughty and violent. These are the stereotypical characteristics people have come to associate with the old-school Thai-style pulp comics that are close to disappearing from the market.
Interest in them was recently regenerated from the movies Saeng Krasue (Inhuman Kiss) and Krasue Siam (Sisters), now in cinemas. Both are modern interpretations of the female ghost with a detached head floating along with its entrails glowing in the night.
The old folktale was first popularised and made iconic in the comic series Krasue Sao by artist and master of ghost comics Tawee Witsanukorn, published from the late 1960s until early 1970s. It tells the story of a young woman afflicted with a curse that has transformed her into a krasue. The comics' popularity has resulted in the krasue being featured in films and soap operas over the years, plus modern retellings currently showing in the cinema.
Once a popular form of entertainment before television and phones took over, these pulp comics are possibly seeing their last light, said Pakpoom Noywat -- editor at Tawee Witsanukorn's publishing house -- who now oversees the publication of Tawee's ghost comics, including Krasue Sao.
An avid fan of Thai comics and graphic novels himself, Pakpoom recalled the heyday of Thai comics, when they were sold for as little as 1 and 5 baht. Since around the 1950s, Thai comics emulated the styles of drawing and storytelling of Western comics, which soon developed and evolved into a distinctive style of its own. Ghost, superhero, folktale, action and more were popular genres. There were both short stories and series that ran for years. At first, the price was generally set at 5 baht, and their size resembled today's magazines.
"There was no other form of entertainment back then. Not even TV, as it was very expensive. Comic books, on the other hand, were affordable," said Pakpoom.
Pakpoom Noywat holds the complete version of Tawee Witsanukorn’s famous comic Krasue Sao.
By the late 70s, to cut costs and stay in competition with the influx of Japanese manga, the book size was reduced by half and priced down to 1 baht. Still, it was a losing battle.
"At that time, it cost less to publish Japanese comics, as we had no copyright law yet. Publishers were simply buying a copy of manga to translate and sell on their own. It was cheaper than buying manuscripts from Thai artists," said Pakpoom.
"Japanese manga of this nature was sold for 10 baht. Thai pulp comics were at 1 baht, which was a lot cheaper, but it was vastly different when you flipped through the pages. Story-wise, Japanese ones were more complex with action, fantasy, robots and even stories set in space, while Thai comics were pretty much going around in circles with comedy and ghosts that looked all the same. It failed to keep up with the market and people's demands. The price for manuscripts soon dropped. Talented artists then began leaving the industry to seek other work with better pay."
Somsak works on his comic in his office. (Photo by Jetjaras Na Ranong)
The introduction of the Copyright Act in 1994 did breathe new life into the Thai comics scene. But while it made a comeback, the style was no longer the same.
"They all emulated the Japanese style of drawing, as it was at a time when Japanese manga dominated the market. The characters' faces were all different. The drawings no longer resembled those found in the 1 baht pulp comic."
This gave rise to another strand of evolution altogether. But while the Japanese style prevailed, the more original Thai style is dying and in need of resuscitation, as Pakpoom puts it. The situation today for these Thai comics remains a struggle, though a few are still trying to push through.
Comics artist Somsak Jesakul, known by his pen name Chai Chatree, is still running a publishing house that prints cheap pulp comics and pulp novels. He is in his 70s and has been drawing since he was a teen.
From around 15 publishers in the past, there are two still printing pulp comics, and Somsak is one of them.
"It's simple stuff for the grassroots, not for people with money," explained Somsak about his comic, which is sold for 5 and 15 baht. "I don't think rich people buy these things."
Pulp comics with covers drawn by Somsak. (Photo by Jetjaras Na Ranong)
Somsak still works on his art almost daily, though he limits himself to illustrating colourful covers now (notably using food colouring as paint), leaving the inside for stories from other artists. Most of his writers have been submitting stories to him for a long time.
Each story found in the book is 16 pages long. Based on recent editions we've read, the stories can be run-of-the-mill, bizarre, clichéd and anything in between that is mostly in domestic or rural settings. Example plot points include a drug dealer being eaten by a crocodile after trying to kill a woman who saved him, a prince disguised as a beggar searching for his bride, a witch doctor fighting a snake demon, and a man being haunted by ghosts at a rental house.
"When it comes to the story, there are ghosts, or general life stories with phra ake [a leading man] and nang ake [a leading lady]. Others don't sell," explained Somsak.
"With ghosts, people are always interested even if they are scared. And if there are no pretty women, it's hard to sell. Boys want to see these women. In any genre, there have to be handsome men and attractive women. Thais like good-looking people."
Somsak's comics can be found at some 7-Elevens and small book vendors. Reportedly, sales of pulp comic were best in the South and East, bad in the North, and worst in Bangkok.
"Those who still read this pulp may be old people," he added, "or people in the rural areas. Not much of the younger generation. Even my kids don't read them. I guess Thai comics aren't made all that great. It may be right that people don't support them anymore, if you think about it. There's Japanese manga. There are phones and TVs. One by one, people leave. But I'm still here. I don't know what else to do."
While Somsak plans to keep on pursuing his art, he admitted he also doesn't know how long he will keep it up. He revealed that he has stopped receiving manuscripts, as he already has a lot that he has purchased. He also has no intention to go online with his content, as he believes a change in platform wouldn't help him much.
"Maybe there's no more future in this industry," he said. "I've had young people asking me to teach them how to draw. But I'm not good enough. Drawing is difficult. It takes years of practice before it's good enough to be sold. And even if they're good enough, if they want to pursue this, to whom can they sell their work? There are no more publishers. It's better to do other kinds of work."
Somsak may be losing hope. But Pakpoom remains positive. As part of an effort for conservation, Pakpoom now oversees the restoration and publication of maestro Tawee's ghost stories, such as Krasue Sao and others, now published as complete, collectable editions that are also sent to universities and libraries in order to show the world what a Thai comic masterpiece is like. He revealed that there are now plans in motion to establish a foundation and learning centre for Thai-style comics.
"It's our cultural heritage," said Pakpoom. "I've always heard people say that 1 baht cartoons are dirty and violent. I don't think they've really read Thai comics because those are just the minority. There are great ones out there that teach morals. And they also serve as anthropological evidence, as they show people's lifestyles in the past, which may be hard to get from other types of cartoons, as they aren't as realistic. But these documented that period of time when people weren't disrupted by other media. It will be really good if we can conserve it."
To resurrect these Thai-style comics, Pakpoom believes it's possible due to the recurring craze for retro styles. But to successfully do so, storytelling has to be improved, and the style of working more professional. From individual artists working alone and doing everything themselves, he views that forming a team of artists to handle different tasks, as is common in Japan, may be a good way to go. He also feels that different styles, the dwindling Thai, the popular Japanese, and others that are done by Thai artists, should be able to find common ground where they can be combined and developed.
"This way, it'll bring pride to us that we have our own style of comic, distinctive with our own identity, story and beliefs."
More of Somsak Jesakul's works can be viewed at http://bangkokpost.com/vdo.
