He is best known for creating such Filipino superheroes and comic book characters as Panday, Bakekang, Totoy Bato, Joaquin Bordado, Kamagong, Kamandag, Elias Paniki, Tasya Fantasya, and Gagambino among others.
One of the nine children of a laundrywoman and an unemployed father, Caparas took numerous jobs to support his family, as well as his secondary schooling, including a water carrier, boatman, construction laborer, and factory worker.
[3] In 2007, in efforts to revive the comics industry, Caparas led writers and illustrators of works which were later published in newly-launched titles;[6] and proposed activities sponsored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
[7][6] These culminated with the unveiling of his five new komiks in a ceremony, led by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, at the NCCA Building in Intramuros, Manila in July.
[3] Such films with long titles were based on true stories of outlaws and crimes, one example was Wilson Sorronda: Leader Kuratong Baleleng Solid Group in 1995.
In May 2003, he offered to produce a biographical film for then-chairman of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Bayani Fernando,[12] though on July 31, Fernando revealed to reporters that he declined any offer for a film adaptation of his life due to election laws preventing any campaigns from being held before the campaign period for the 2004 Philippine presidential election began in December 2003.
[18] In July 2009, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo named Caparas as one of seven National Artist of the Philippines proclaimed for that year, under the new category of "Visual Arts and Film.
[20] This led to controversy, however, when the nominating committee for the award, composed of representatives from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), revealed that Caparas and three other individuals that year had not originally been recommended by the committee for proclamation to the Order of National Artist, and had instead been proclaimed when Macapagal-Arroyo exercised her "presidential prerogative.
[28] Lourd de Veyra, frontman for the band Radioactive Sago Project, also satirized Caparas, and compared his work to fecal matter in a blog post about a sign that said "Bawal Tumae Dito.
"[30] He attributed his win to the fact that he managed to cross over from comic books to film and television, and saying that his triumph was significant because he was a National Artist who came from the working class.
[21] On July 16, 2013, the Supreme Court nullified the proclamation of Caparas and three others as National Artists[31] on the ground that the "preferential treatment" given to them by Arroyo violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court observed a "manifest disregard" of the rules, guidelines and processes of the NCCA and the CCP when Arroyo considered names that were not screened and recommended by the boards of the two entities.
[32] It decreed: While the Court invalidates today the proclamation of respondents Guidote-Alvarez, Caparas, Mañosa and Moreno as National Artists, such action should not be taken as a pronouncement on whether they are worthy to be conferred that honor.
However, nothing in this Decision should be read as a disqualification on the part of respondents Guidote-Alvarez, Caparas, Mañosa and Moreno to be considered for the honor of National Artist in the future, subject to compliance with the laws, rules and regulations governing said award.In February 2007, during the National Arts Month,[5] Caparas, along with four (posthumous) "legends of Philippine komiks", was among the seven individuals who were given Presidential Medals of Merit by President Arroyo at the Malacañang Palace.