Welcome, oh Reader from the Philippines! As you know your language is a very compact one. ‘Ding, ang bato!’ means: “My dear brother and sidekick Ding, could you pass me the alien stone, so I could change into the superheroine Darna, after swallowing it and shouting: “DARNA!”
If you believe Darna is just a low-budget Asian version of Wonderwoman, spiced up with Superman or Shazam elements, you’d underestimate the power of popculture. Pop is about copying, ripping, burning and re-evaluating things under new circumstances permanently. Superman and Batman, Zorro and the Scarlet Pimpernel are no original, brandnew concepts either, but cleverly arranged patchworks from shoplifted goods from 5000 years of pop culture.
“DARNA is a cultural icon born at a time when the Philippines was struggling to come out of the devastation of World War II. She served as a salve to a country looking for a champion. Larry V. Sipin (The Manila Times)
Darna is the most popular pulp hero for the Philippines since when it was invented in the fifties by komiks legend Mars Ravelo. This myth instantly developed in over a dozen movies and hundreds of magazines and spin offs. In 2005 a tv series was broadcast that didn’t meet the spectator’s expectations and didn’t survive the first season. I personally thought Angel Locs was quite fitting in the bracelets of Darna, just too many foes and not enough script accompanied her. What a mess!
But as you read this, a new TV-series is in development. It seems that Marian Rivera – chosen to be number two in a ranking of the 100 sexiest women by FHM Philippines – is starring as Darna this time. GMA Network announced the new series will bring “more comedy flavor into the drama plot.” Well, we have to wait…
Darna Webcomic @ Mango Comics
You might like the following articles @ the In-Sect interesting: Supergatas, The 10 Lamest Superheroes, Dance in India. With Superman or World’s Finest Superheroes
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