Today we’d like to introduce you to Bong Abad.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
‘Gawakoto’ is a name derived from the Filipino phrase ‘gawa ko ito,’ which literally means ‘I made this.’ The brand has evolved greatly through the years. From a virtual portfolio in the early 2000s to fight wear brand making jiujitsu kimonos and rashguards in 2012, to a toy brand in most recent years. Despite these changes, its essence has remained the same: taking inspiration from Filipino culture, comic book art, and martial arts.
In its recent incarnation, a sofubi (soft vinyl) designer and sculptor. I am an avid attendee of the yearly pop culture convention, San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). After seeing the coolest toys and collectible statues, I studied the art of sculpting through online tutorials and books. With lots of experimentation and patience, I made a successful run of resin mini statues of jiujitsu masters.
‘Kalabaw Jiujitsu’ became my first Sofubi or Sofvi*, and it was made in 2021 with the help of a fellow jiujitsu practitioner and toymaker in Japan. The toy is inspired by the Philippines indigenous water buffalo commonly called ‘Kalabaw’ in Tagalog dialect. The Kalabaw sports a jiujitsu gi (kimono) to represent my love of the art. This was followed by ‘Gentle Cthulhu,’ a spin on HP Lovecraft’s monster creation ‘Cthulhu.’
My next character releases would be a spin on Universal Monster’s Frankenstein as a Mixed Martial artist and another version of the ‘Kalabaw’. From there, I hope to be releasing some licensed IPs from Japan and the US and more of my own characters.
* Sofubi, short for “soft vinyl,” is a type of plastic material used to create Japanese vinyl toy. Soft vinyl production started in the 1950s and became a popular method of toy production in Japan, ranging from Kewpie dolls to robots.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When the brand was merely an online portfolio of random sketches to a fightwear brand, I had to learn to draw differently in order to be reproduced and applied on garments. Learning different manufacturing methods and how they affect the design was also a must skill that needed to be acquired.
The fightwear industry despite being a niche industry, many brands are trying to dominate the market. Competition is tough, and tougher to stay ahead. Eventually, the brand succumbed to the pressure and eventually folded as a fightwear brand and rejuvenated into something else entirely different— a designer toy brand.
Embarking on a new path is always never easy or smooth sailing. Learning a new craft demands a lot of time in studying and experimenting, and sofubi-making is no different.
Designing a toy to be sculpted that can be molded and cast posted a bit of a challenge — not only in the process of toy making itself, but also in communicating with the factory in Japan. Online translators do help in that regard.
Being a new toy brand also means I have to take extra steps to be noticed in a very big industry. I can only rely on social media organically and word of mouth.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Gawakoto as it suggests, I do most of the work (if not all), from the initial concept and design of a project to production to packaging design. Sometimes, I resist delegating some work just to be true on what the brand literally means. That’s probably the aspect that I’m really proud of.
My aim for the brand is to promote the Filipino culture in my own little way. And with my love of jiujitsu (& martial arts in general) and comic book art, I (hope) am making a unique brand of my own.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
Not sure if it is luck or mere determination that paved my way into this path. I have been an artist and martial artist since I was young. From these, I have made friends and (business) connections, which helped me in achieving what needed to be what the brand it is today.
I’ve been lucky, I guess to be surrounded by determined and creative individuals. As they push me to be better not only as an artist but also a better person. Surrounding myself with like-minded people only reinforces my desire to be the best I can be creatively.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gawakoto.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/gawakoto
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/gawakoto
