Back in college (I’ll leave you to imagine how long ago that was >.>), there was this cheeky little anime-magazine-slash-comic-anthology that dared to get itself published, despite the twin odds of zero advertising support and zero market share.
That magazine was the legendary Culture Crash, and ten years later — 2010, let’s take a look back at the magazine’s heyday, the many doors it opened for the Philippine otaku scene, and influence it still exerts over a new generation of anime fans.
When it was first released, Culture Crash was an instant cult hit. Bookstores and comic shops could only stock five, ten issues at a time — in part due to the magazine’s limited run and in part due to their reluctance to give precious shelf space to a then unknown quantity. But pretty soon shops were running out of copies, and Culture Crash’s printing facility (originally a school textbook and government manual producer) had to work extra shifts to make more.
Culture Crash became the Pinoy otaku’s reading material of choice. It was one of the main sources of information for new fans as well as a catalyst for discussion for more established fans (not that I took sides, but does anybody still remember the “Why Solstice Butterfly Sucks” flame war?). Although some of the articles seem dated by today’s standards, keep in mind that this was years before the advent of high speed internet and daily blog posts, so back then the articles were as fresh as they came.
Culture Crash paved the way for many of today’s local anime magazines and manga anthologies; CC was the litmus test for more commercial outfits to see if there really was a local market for an anime-themed mag. If you look at bookstore shelves today, we have at least two Manila-based anime magazines, local imprints of international books like the How To Draw Manga series, and a slew of kids and teens magazines covering anime as one of its regular topics. Ten years ago, that sort of thing very rarely happened, if at all.
Culture Crash was still considered a success even after the publication folded for unspecified reasons. Even today, their fans are clamoring for new issues. But is that really a good idea? With things the way they are, if CC returned to us would it survive today’s Scylla and Charybdis of commercial publishing and online self-publishing?
I’m a big fan, but I will be the first to admit that if the magazine resurrected itself and started publishing again it will no longer be as successful as it used to be. The scene has changed over the years, with the biggest changes being the speed at which information reaches its target audience, and the way the anime community acquires new material.
I mean, how useful would it be to read an anime review from a bimonthly magazine when I can get daily updates via blogs and websites? Will people be willing to pay to read show reviews and manga recommendations when they can access the material directly via file-sharing services and online video sites? There are already two or three other magazines battling it out for a shrinking target market — will CC be able to fight back especially with its lack of advertising and its soaring overhead costs?
Things are not looking so hot so thanks, but not thanks.
Having said that, there is still no denying the influence that this one publication was able to exert over the Philippine anime fan scene. Local media has more anime than ever before. Conventions are held almost every week when ten years ago, only CC and a handful of other organizers would put up the money and hard work to hold a con. Kids are trying to emulate Ilog, Memer, J.I.O., and James by publishing their own books and selling them from DeviantArt sites and doujinshi markets.
So yeah, the boys are no longer here — but then again, maybe they never really left.
Continued in Culture Crash Comics, Ten Years Later: Culture Crash as an Comic Anthology.
JPOP Manila 
I remember looking forward to every issue. We even had an issue or two signed by the boys. 😛 My favorite would have to be “One Day, Isang Diwa.” 😛
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😀 This brings back memories when I was still wearing braces!
I wanted to be part of what Jessie James Palabay and the crew were doing. I wanted to draw my own room like how they drew their office 😛
Loved ODID & Cat’s Trail!
I could so relate with what Jun was going thru with Clarissa.
Oh man… Too bad they stopped making it 😦
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I remember just reading the first two issues in the bookstore before starting my collection. The first two C3Cons were a fond memory and surely started the yardstick by which future events were measured.
I can still remember going to Komikon and thinking they actually released a new issue (it was a mockup cover on the tablecloth) and excitedly grabbing for it. 😛
Cat’s Trail and Kubori Kikiam have new chapters, though, giving some old and new fans a dose of new stuff. 😀
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i miss these guys…i actually live around the corner from their office and i’ve accompanied some friends who interviewed them for papers and stuff. the level of excitement i feel seeing a new issue of CC come out is still unparalleled by anything else during those days XD
maybe i would just want to see a compiled version of all titles that came out (or have they released it and i just wasn’t aware?)
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Well, I really love the One Day Isang Diwa. Too bad they just disappeared. I was still in high school when I read the comics..
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I have a soft spot for Culture Crash. I was a skeptic too when they first came out, but as they progressed, I became a fan. I even ended up writing for them, covering the first Animax gig a few years back. I think I have a sketch of Dante somewhere.
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Actually Culture Crash’s persistent cult following stemmed from their stories/comics in my opinion, and not necessarily the then up-to-date information regarding anime and other related topics.
If Culture Crash were to be resurrected, I hope and pray it would be to continue the comic/manga line of One Day Isang Diwa, Pasig, Cat’s Trail, Kubori Kikkiam and yes, even Solstice Butterfly- if they can develop a much better storyline and character development.
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hi eva_guy01 — please read the second part for my thoughts on that. cheers!
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yosh! i’ve read cc before in high school and to be honest, it is a memento of pinoy’s talent to this kind of industry. too bad it got cancelled.
well i’ve been making my own comics (only personal, no one’s interseted to publish it and because my background sucks, hehe).
i’m near graduating in college now and i still hope that pinoy will resurrect this opportunity, atleast i believe fans would still buy original copies rather than reading from net.
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by the way, to the author of this magazine. you have the power to influence the higher-ups to stabilize this chance once more. just remember, press have freedom lol!
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i love one day isang diwa, cat’s trail and pasig. peo prang d tapos ung one day isang diwa? meron pa po b kaung na release na kasunod ng ussue 14? meron na po kasi aqng 1-14 issue. kung meron pong issue 15 san siya pede mabili? salamat ^^
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all stories were left unfinished when the magazine folded. as far as i know there were fifteen volumes total (i’ll have to check again just to be sure), and all have been sold out.
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I remember that two years ago they had this plug that they’re looking for new talents? Then after the 2008 Komikon (I’m not sure if it is), no news where heard after. Do you by any chance knew what happened to this part? I almost believed that it’ll be the start of Culture Crash.
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nawala lahat ng cc collection ko 😦
may nagnakaw 😦
san ba ako pwede ulet makakuha ng mga copies?
email nu naman me sa analene.lantayona@gmail.com pls.
para kasing wala na dito sa cebu eh 😦
tnx
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Bring back Culture Crash! I’d sign a thousand times if there’s any signature campaign going on to bring this back!
I just love the alter-ego/pen-name characters each story writer and artist made for himself. The following was phenomenal! I still have the ticket to the first Culture Crash Convention where they gave away TAMMY THE TAMARAW plushies! I remember how everyone was frantically screaming on top of their lungs, cheering and clapping when the giant TAMMY was unveiled! It was epic! I imagine Funny Comics would have the same kind of reception if it had a convention (different story).
Gosh… I’ll have to go back to our copies, read, reread, read again like I’m reading them for the first time… I love all the stories, fave was “One Day Isang Diwa”… I wonder how the stories end… I’ll never know…
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I’ve started collecting the series when I was in High School up to College. I started from issue 5 and ended at issue 15. I also bought the novel compilation of issue 1-3. my brother borrowed it and haven’t it up to now. I really miss the series. When will it be back?
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Probably never as many of the artists have moved on to other things.
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The Death Of A Dream i once called it yes ndi natin sya masasabi na original ksi anime/manga/comic ung theme but the stories & articles were amazing/original if kung prepresenta mo to sa isang jmanga editor eh mapapabilib talaga sya i once remember kahit sa iloilo noon kung hindi ka mabilis mauubusan ka talaga it simply shows that it wasn’t just promising it was phenomenal kaya nalungkut ako nung nawala cc nasabi ko pa nga na kung sana mayaman lang ako mageenvest talaga pra ndi sya mawala pro anung maeenvest ko pra ndi sya mawala i was just 16 at that time the bottomline is this country, this society is killing everybodys dream to start something if cc was only given a chance if someone with much greater power/wealth could have supported them i think magbobom sana ngaun un ganito klasing industriya sayang talaga!
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Missing Culture Crash badly. 😦 SAYANG NA SAYANG TALAGA. I mean, I know for a fact that the reason they ceased their operation was due to lack of financial support, pero look at Otaku Anime Magazine… sayang talaagaaaa.
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Some of the CC authors still publish comics independently under their own imprints 🙂
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i have CC issue 1-15. how much can i sell them as a set? thanks =)
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Seems like we’re the same age. I was able to collect all issues and I remember back then that I should buy 2-3 copies for future (lol) because I know (not sure why) that this will be limited issues. But since I also have limited budget and limited stock, my greediness did not win. This is the first local comic that I love and will certainly buy succeeding issues. Hopefully they could produce more – just maybe enough to put endings to these series.
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