José Zabala-Santos

José Zabala-Santos (sometimes spelled as Jose Zabala Santos ) by hometown neighbors Zabala is one of the "respected names" of artists in the Philippine cartoon and comics industry. He temporarily interrupted his cartooning career in 1941 upon the onset of World War II.

After the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines in 1972, Zabala retired from his cartooning career in Philippine comics to work instead for the Philippine Manufacturing Company (PMC, now known as Procter & Gamble) in 1949.

In 1970, Zabala retired from the Philippine Manufacturing Company in order to join the advertising agency of Francisco Reyes, another Filipino pioneer in comics. to work on the production of Tadhana ("Destiny"), the first-ever Philippine feature-length animation film.

Awards Zabala received honors and recognitions for his contribution to the Philippine comics and magazine industry. His awards included the Komiks Operation Brotherhood (KOMOPEB) Life Achievement Award (1984) and the 4th Gintong Parangal ng Malabon's Gawad ng Katangian (1984). Zabala was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI) during the November 25 to 28, 2009 Animahenasyon Pinoy Animation Festival that was held at the Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City.