How Can MomentCam and Bitstrips Kill Today's Comic Artists and Cartoonists

One of the earliest Filipino Comic Strips: RESURECCTION (Muling Pagkabuhay) Written by Tony Velasquez  | Pinoy Komiks #77, April 21, 1966 Graphic Arts Service, Inc.

You were so happy when Momentcam and Bitstrips have finally found their way to the iOS and Android’s busy App market. You have learned to love them because first thing, they are free. They are super cool and user friendly too that you won't need any heavy instructional manuals anymore. Plus, they are so quick to use and free from any hassle as you add some cool details to your photos.

When early photoshops and picture editing tools were introduced on the 90's, the use of these was just within a community of professional photographers and artist. It was used primarily to enhance photographs for advertisements, promotional banners and studio portraiture. But nowadays, the use of these tools and applications are more accessible; thus, transforming photo-editing a less work-demanding experience.

To give you an idea, MomentCam is an App available for both iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. It was first created by Huang Guangming along with some young Chinese artists and computer developers who aim to provide simple joys to people who love sharing some bits and pieces of their daily life in a fun way by transforming pictures into a vintage-looking cartoon sketches. It has been viral in the internet from the past three months and still keeps playing a busy role ‘infecting’ almost all multimedia users.

An example of MomentCam's amazing comic art

Bitstrips on the other hand, take comic art to the next level. Bitstrips is a Canadian comic-maker app that was launched last year but just gained its popularity today when the company created a version that can be used by both IOs and Android-operated smartphones. Other than just making a cartoon version of yourself, you can also include some of your friends’ avatar to your comic strip. I guess this is pretty much one clear reason why most of the people spent too much time on their Facebook walls nowadays.

Comic art produced through Bitstrip 

Other than just making a cartoon version of yourself, you can also include some other people's avatar into your comic strip

The Social Impact: Filipino Comic Artists Now Dying Out

I don't know how will comic artists and cartoonists react to this new trend of cartoons and comic strips.

When I was small, I was so fascinated with these easy to read, manually sketched Filipino comic mags which I usually buy at the magazine stand on the nearby dry market in my hometown province. Noticeably, the publishing of this stuff were slowly dying out now. Who's to blame? There might be some factors like the new technology of comic strip-making and photo editing tools that most of them are digital now. Comic strips are mostly published on the internet now too. This made me think that the era of paper-based comics has slowly come to its end.

Another surprising thing too is, non-cartoonist can now also be an instant cartoonist without any art degree required. The uniqueness and authenticity of the comic art that started decades ago were somehow being affected by these new Apps: MomentCam and Bitstrips. These apps challenge the capacity of some cartoonists on how they could create new ideas and how will they adjust and evolve their magnum opus to beat this 10-minute, do-it-yourself, digital comic artwork.

I am not questioning if you have already fell in love with the way how these apps changed your social media experience. I understand the fun they give you and your friends. But what made me worry a little is how this new technology imposes threats to the Filipino community of comic artists. For sure in the future, there are going to be more apps like these that are more interesting and free for everyone's use. Now the impending danger is: What will be the future for our next generation of comic artists?



MomentCam and Bitstrips photos by Kat-Kat Biteng