Halakhak Komiks was a regular weekly funnies or funny pagescomic book that was established after the Second World War through the suggestion of Isaac Tolentino to Jaime Lucas, the owner of a newly established bookstore known as Universal Bookstore located at Azcarraga Avenue in the Philippines. At the time, Tolentino was looking for a job. Lucas, an admirer of Tolentino’s talent, agreed and accepted Tolentino’s idea because publishing a regularly issued comics-magazine had never been done before in the Philippines. Lucas funded the initial publication of the comics by utilizing his own money and bank loans. Tolentino summoned his pre-war cartooning colleagues. The printing of the initial issue was commissioned to the Carmelo and Bauermann, Inc. The office of Halakhak Komiks was located at #665 Evangelista, Quiapo, Manila. Among the Filipino cartoonists who contributed to Halakhak Komiks were Tony Velasquez, Damy Velasquez, J.M. Perez, Elmer Abustan, Gene Cabrera, Francisco V. Coching, Liborio Gatbonton, Fred Carillo, Francisco Reyes, Jose Zabala Santos, Hugo Yonzon, Larry Alcala, Pedro Coniconde, and Lib Abrena. Initially priced at 25 centavos per copy, Halakhak was published with 42 pages that were half the size of a regular bond paper due to shortage of paper after World War II. Later on, it was published as a regular-sized comic bookat 40 centavos per copy. Halakhak Komiks was published in ten issues before the company closed due to the naiveté of the managers in the comic book business, financial difficulties, ineffective distribution and advertising strategies, and non-paying comic book agents and distributors.
Halakhak Komiks #1 featured comic strips such as Isaac Tolentino’s Mga Hindi Sukat Akalain and Geslani, Gene Cabrera’s Eto na si Tibo, Jose Zabala Santos’ Si Pino, Francisco Reyes’ Talahib, Liborio Gatbonton’s Doon daw sa Langit, Francisco V. Coching’s Bulalakaw, Damy Velasquez's and Jesse Santos' Kidlat, A. Roullo’s Kasikoy, Noly Panaligan’s Binong, Cris CaGuintuan’s Eniong Bohemio, Hugo Yonzon’s Teryong Alat, and Maning de Leon’s Indo.
Regular serials
Among the regular serials that were featured in the pages of Halakhak Komiks included Dumlao’s Bernardo Carpio, Francisco V. Coching’s Bulalakaw, Cris CaGuintuan’s Eniong Bohemio, Isaac Tolentino’s Mga Hindi Sukat Akalain and Geslani, Jose Zabala Santos’ Kani-Kaniya nga Naman , Damy Velasquez’s and Jesse F. Santos’ Kidlat, Larry Alacala’s Siopawman, and Francisco Reyes’ Talahib.
