Francisco Coching

Early life Coching was born in Buting, Pasig, Rizal province in the Philippines. He was the son of Gregorio Coching, a Filipino novelist in the Tagalog-language magazine Liwayway.

World War II interrupted Coching's career in comics. He became a guerrillero (guerilla) for the Kamagong Unit of the Hunters-ROTC resistance organization. Hagibis ran for 15 years in Liwayway magazine and inspired eight film adaptations starting with the first in 1947.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Coching was a leading figure of the "Golden Age of Philippine komiks" Many of Coching's works depicted social struggles during the Spanish colonial period, such as Sabas, ang Barbaro ("Sabas, the Barbarian") and Sagisag ng Lahing Pilipino ("Symbol of the Filipino people").

His oeuvre also spanned diverse genres including comedy, adventure, history, romance, mythology, sex, and horror.

Style Coching was among the few Filipino comics artists who also served as the writer of his own stories, The Encyclopedia of Philippine Art published by the Cultural Center of the Philippines notes that Coching's style adhered to the romantic tradition of Philippine komiks, characterized by "dynamic curvilinear lines and tonal modeling, with a fluid undulating effect." Esquire magazine wrote that Philippine pop culture acquired its sense of identity through Coching's komiks, which reflected "the culture and ideals and personalities" of the pre-martial law Philippines.

Coching's works such as Pedro Penduko, which centers on "a heroic everyman" from an indigenous tribe who fights monsters for the people, have been described as fusing traditional folk culture with pop culture. Art curator Patrick D. Flores places Coching alongside muralist Botong Francisco and filmmaker Manuel Conde, arguing that these three National Artists wove folklore and the desires of the masses into their works, portraying a Filipino identity that "cannot easily be confined to expectations of custom or citizenship or even nationalism."

Coching influenced many other Filipino illustrators. Among them were Noly Panaligan, Federico C. Javinal, Carlos Lemos, Celso Trinidad, Emil Quizon-Cruz, Nestor Redondo, Alfredo Alcala, and Emil Rodriguez. while Steve Gan, artist and co-creator of Star-Lord for Marvel Comics, collected Coching's comics and artwork. Kajo Baldisimo, artist and co-creator of the supernatural series Trese, was also inspired by the artist.

His 1973 illustration of Lapu-Lapu was among the series of national postage stamps based on Philippine comics released on November 15, 2004, by PhilPost. In 2019, his centennial year, a commemorative stamp featuring Coching's self-portrait was issued.

Exhibitions of Coching's works have been held at cultural venues such as Nayong Pilipino Clark (1987), the Cultural Center of the Philippines (2001), and the National Museum of Fine Arts (2009).

Awards In 1981, Coching obtained the Makasining na Komiks Award in the Tanging Parangal for Comics Art from the Manila Commission of Arts and Culture.

Publications Several of Coching's komiks serials have been reissued in collected editions since the 2000s.