Just a little teaser...
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 04, 2008
It was Free Comic Book Day yesterday, and for the first time I missed it. I was at a business meeting the whole morning until about 1:00 in the afternoon that I was just so doggone tired and just wanted to go home. Plus, I missed Kuki and Jade that I decided just to forego FCBD and stay with my family. My only regret was that I wasn't able to get a copy of the free comic from Graphic Classics.
Well, I guess I'll just read all about FCBD from other people's blogs. :)
Image from blog.beliefnet.com
Anyway, I just watched Beowulf on DVD this morning, and decided to write my opinion about it. I'm assuming everyone has seen it by this time, so suffice to say there may be spoilers ahead. But really, weren't we all required to read this during grade school? I guess everyone knows the basic story by now.
The one thing that really struck me about this version is that from the get-go, none of the characters are particularly likeable. It's hard to muster any sympathy for most of the lead characters, with the exception of Beowulf's right hand man Wiglaf and the the queen Wealthow. Beowulf himself is a pretty annoying braggart. Throughout the movie, I didn't particularly care what happens to most of the cast. I found myself being more sympathetic to Grendel's plight, since the monster is portrayed as a dejected son (impled to ne King Hrothgar's, actually).
But I guess maybe what director Robert Zemeckis and co. are trying to say is that men can easily fall prey to our own failings and to temptation, as personified by Grendel's mother, who is the master manipulator behind all the bad things happening in this movie. She has no particular motivation, actually, other than enjoying playing around with the humans around her. Even manipulating her sons to do her work. Sons? Yep, she bedded Beowulf and they had a son, the dragon, who in the film's finale seeks revenge against his negligent father.
In the end, Beowulf realizes the mistakes he made, but it comes a little bit too late. All throughout the majority of the movie he has been unlikeable, so when he finally finds redemption in the end, I found myself hard-pressed to even care. In the end, he gets a burial at sea, and Grendel's mother reappears, now setting her sights on tempting Wiglaf, who is now king. It all ends there, leaving it to the audience to conclude if Wiglaf falls prey to her advances or not. All throughout the film I found Wiglaf to be a man of very strong character, and as someone who is very fiercely loyal to Beowulf. I'd like to think that everything ends on a good note.
What else? Man, I found the animation to be very stiff. I don't know why they couldn't have made this in live-action instead of "realistic" (and I use that term very loosely) CGI. I think it would have worked better.
I have to admit, though, that the final battle with the dragon was spectacular, but again, like Beowulf's redemption, it comes a little bit too late. I guess this DVD will be going to my "for sale" bin.
Well, I guess I'll just read all about FCBD from other people's blogs. :)
Image from blog.beliefnet.com
Anyway, I just watched Beowulf on DVD this morning, and decided to write my opinion about it. I'm assuming everyone has seen it by this time, so suffice to say there may be spoilers ahead. But really, weren't we all required to read this during grade school? I guess everyone knows the basic story by now.
The one thing that really struck me about this version is that from the get-go, none of the characters are particularly likeable. It's hard to muster any sympathy for most of the lead characters, with the exception of Beowulf's right hand man Wiglaf and the the queen Wealthow. Beowulf himself is a pretty annoying braggart. Throughout the movie, I didn't particularly care what happens to most of the cast. I found myself being more sympathetic to Grendel's plight, since the monster is portrayed as a dejected son (impled to ne King Hrothgar's, actually).
But I guess maybe what director Robert Zemeckis and co. are trying to say is that men can easily fall prey to our own failings and to temptation, as personified by Grendel's mother, who is the master manipulator behind all the bad things happening in this movie. She has no particular motivation, actually, other than enjoying playing around with the humans around her. Even manipulating her sons to do her work. Sons? Yep, she bedded Beowulf and they had a son, the dragon, who in the film's finale seeks revenge against his negligent father.
In the end, Beowulf realizes the mistakes he made, but it comes a little bit too late. All throughout the majority of the movie he has been unlikeable, so when he finally finds redemption in the end, I found myself hard-pressed to even care. In the end, he gets a burial at sea, and Grendel's mother reappears, now setting her sights on tempting Wiglaf, who is now king. It all ends there, leaving it to the audience to conclude if Wiglaf falls prey to her advances or not. All throughout the film I found Wiglaf to be a man of very strong character, and as someone who is very fiercely loyal to Beowulf. I'd like to think that everything ends on a good note.
What else? Man, I found the animation to be very stiff. I don't know why they couldn't have made this in live-action instead of "realistic" (and I use that term very loosely) CGI. I think it would have worked better.
I have to admit, though, that the final battle with the dragon was spectacular, but again, like Beowulf's redemption, it comes a little bit too late. I guess this DVD will be going to my "for sale" bin.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Could this be the next big budget blockbuster movie!!?!?!
Well, one can only dream. right? :)
I was just fooling around during my lunch break and quickly cobbled up this faux movie poster with some images I got off the internet (so please don't sue me!). Rhian Ramos was the first actress who popped in my head when I was thinking of a lead actress so there she is. And, yes, that's me in the Maskarado costume. I had one made a while back. Complete with foam muscle suit underneath. That costume is HOT! I think it needs a little bit more streamlining, but that will come when I have the budget to pay for it again. I still need to get some white boots. :P
Anyone out there interested in making this movie? Or a teleseries, maybe? GMA? ABS-CBN? ABC 5? Maybe IBC 13? :)
Hey, who would you like to see play the role of Maskarado? I'm thinking Alfred Vargas (since Kuki likes him), or maybe Will Devaughn? Who else would be good for the role?
Well, one can only dream. right? :)
I was just fooling around during my lunch break and quickly cobbled up this faux movie poster with some images I got off the internet (so please don't sue me!). Rhian Ramos was the first actress who popped in my head when I was thinking of a lead actress so there she is. And, yes, that's me in the Maskarado costume. I had one made a while back. Complete with foam muscle suit underneath. That costume is HOT! I think it needs a little bit more streamlining, but that will come when I have the budget to pay for it again. I still need to get some white boots. :P
Anyone out there interested in making this movie? Or a teleseries, maybe? GMA? ABS-CBN? ABC 5? Maybe IBC 13? :)
Hey, who would you like to see play the role of Maskarado? I'm thinking Alfred Vargas (since Kuki likes him), or maybe Will Devaughn? Who else would be good for the role?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
As a regular MRT rider, I couldn't help but notice the small stickers plastered on the train walls with the title of KFC Cruelty. Upon inspection of their website, it looks like a PETA-backed campaign which encourages everyone to boycott KFC, since they (according to PETA) subject their chickens to physical abuse. To quote the site:
"KFC suppliers cram birds into huge waste-filled factories, breed and drug them to grow so large that they can’t even walk, and often break their wings and legs. At slaughter, the birds’ throats are slit and they are dropped into tanks of scalding-hot water—often while they are still conscious. It would be illegal for KFC to abuse dogs, cats, pigs, or cows in these ways."
Which got me to remembering this article I once read when I was in high school about one of the provinces in our country (I can't remember which one) where they first beat up the chicken (while it's still alive) before it's cooked. The reason for this is the beat-up chicken releases adrenalin through its skin, making it tastier when cooked. I don't know if this is still practiced up to this day (chances are it still is).
Where do I stand on all this? I honestly don't know. Part of me says "They're just chickens! They're food to us!" But still another part of me would hate for that to happen to my pet (if I had one). What I do know is I hardly eat at KFC anymore. After years of eating there, I seem to have developed a sort of taste fatigue for their chicken. Same goes for Jollibee's Chickenjoy.
Anyway, here's hoping PETA will do the campaign below for the Philippines:
(image from tygerland.net)
Would something like that convince you? ;P
"KFC suppliers cram birds into huge waste-filled factories, breed and drug them to grow so large that they can’t even walk, and often break their wings and legs. At slaughter, the birds’ throats are slit and they are dropped into tanks of scalding-hot water—often while they are still conscious. It would be illegal for KFC to abuse dogs, cats, pigs, or cows in these ways."
Which got me to remembering this article I once read when I was in high school about one of the provinces in our country (I can't remember which one) where they first beat up the chicken (while it's still alive) before it's cooked. The reason for this is the beat-up chicken releases adrenalin through its skin, making it tastier when cooked. I don't know if this is still practiced up to this day (chances are it still is).
Where do I stand on all this? I honestly don't know. Part of me says "They're just chickens! They're food to us!" But still another part of me would hate for that to happen to my pet (if I had one). What I do know is I hardly eat at KFC anymore. After years of eating there, I seem to have developed a sort of taste fatigue for their chicken. Same goes for Jollibee's Chickenjoy.
Anyway, here's hoping PETA will do the campaign below for the Philippines:
(image from tygerland.net)
Would something like that convince you? ;P
Monday, March 31, 2008
Newsarama review for Sequential Suicide 2008 TPB: Slop...
Writer(s): A heap of ‘em
Artist(s): A mass of ‘em
From: 803 Studios
Review By: Jeff
I’m not a fan of anthologies. I find them to be as aggravatingly similar to buying music on CD: you get one or two tracks of brilliance, and then thirteen more of space-filling caterwauling. They are the epitome of Forrest’s box of chocolates analogy (anthologies, not the CDs) and even though I’ve been burned over and over again, I still pick them up after a quick breeze through. I want to believe not only that it’s possible to put out a quality tome of shorts surrounding a central theme and told from multiple perspectives, but that one can create such a creature that doesn’t require a doctorate in metaphysics or existentialism in order to understand (Flight for example).
That’s how I came to Slop. Created by 803 Studios to showcase writers and artists that the rest of the comic book community would choose to ignore, the premise for this anthology (which I believe is their second outing) is Remus Filch, pig-farmer by day, serial killer of prostitutes by night. Connect the dots and you can quickly suss out how Remus’s blue-ribbon winning sows get their High-Pro glow. Lest you think this is ridiculous (or even derivative of Gerald Grice from Watchmen infamy), allow me to introduce you to Robert Pickton, the Canadian real-life inspiration for Remus who might be responsible for sixty or more murders. Having followed several serial-killer cases and Pickton’s in particular, I had to read this book.
And what a gem it is.
There are fourteen stories here, each one with a different artist and writer team (one is even penned by Newsarama’s own Steven Ekstrom) trying to get into the head of a truly evil and unhinged individual and scratch the surface of what makes him tick so terrifyingly out of time with the world around him. Well, most of them, anyway: Mr. Ekstrom’s “Breakfast” takes a more law-enforcement-centric approach; “In A Pig’s Eye” by Anthony Hightower posits the possibility that the pigs might be aware that they are accessories to the crime; “The Dancer” by Steven Prouse takes a Korean horror movie inflection to examine the results of a Fourth of July pig roast; and “Hunger” by Patrick Tkaczynski is really so far off the reservation that it’s almost into another genre (terrific, I need to state, but an odd inclusion to this book).
Having taken Andy Schmidt’s “Writing For Comics” introductory course (www.ComicsExperience.com) I can appreciate the difficulty in trying to tell a story within the confines of five to eight pages. Surprisingly, the majority of this lot perform admirably, telling tales of creepiness that echo of the good old days from EC and Warren Comics. For sure, “Sacrament” by Travis Legge is the most shuddersome of the lot. The violence and gore is mostly confined off-panel, which I feel is better storytelling and the only time weakness really appears is in some conclusions, when the stories feel as if they have been guillotined into truncation so as to fit the allotted space. I would have liked a few more pages on some of them of the offerings, just as I would have liked a couple more stories told from the law enforcement’s point of view as they hunt and try to catch this psychopath.
Where this anthology really shines, though, is in its artwork. I have never heard of these artists, but why they don’t currently have regular work is as mystifying to me as why the world drinks Coke Zero. Reno Maniquis (team-mate of the aforementioned Mr. Tkaczynski), why aren’t you drawing New Avengers? And Daniele Serra, I’ll take your art over Ben Templesmith’s any day of the week. Making the book in black and white may have been a publishing choice in order to reign in costs, but as a horror book it is imperative. There is such diversity amongst the artists that it’s a smorgasbord of visual delight, much more solid than any anthology I have read in the past several years.
That a book this entertaining hails from a small publisher is impressive. It far outshines similar fare from its bigger peers and has a quality to it that every small publisher should take notes from. For fans of horror, crime, and the odd, this book is certainly a must have.
__________________________________
Woo-hoo! Thanks for the special mention, Newsarama! Now, if only I can get Marvel Comics to look at this book...
Although, I do drink Coke Zero. But I prefer Pepsi Max. :)
Writer(s): A heap of ‘em
Artist(s): A mass of ‘em
From: 803 Studios
Review By: Jeff
I’m not a fan of anthologies. I find them to be as aggravatingly similar to buying music on CD: you get one or two tracks of brilliance, and then thirteen more of space-filling caterwauling. They are the epitome of Forrest’s box of chocolates analogy (anthologies, not the CDs) and even though I’ve been burned over and over again, I still pick them up after a quick breeze through. I want to believe not only that it’s possible to put out a quality tome of shorts surrounding a central theme and told from multiple perspectives, but that one can create such a creature that doesn’t require a doctorate in metaphysics or existentialism in order to understand (Flight for example).
That’s how I came to Slop. Created by 803 Studios to showcase writers and artists that the rest of the comic book community would choose to ignore, the premise for this anthology (which I believe is their second outing) is Remus Filch, pig-farmer by day, serial killer of prostitutes by night. Connect the dots and you can quickly suss out how Remus’s blue-ribbon winning sows get their High-Pro glow. Lest you think this is ridiculous (or even derivative of Gerald Grice from Watchmen infamy), allow me to introduce you to Robert Pickton, the Canadian real-life inspiration for Remus who might be responsible for sixty or more murders. Having followed several serial-killer cases and Pickton’s in particular, I had to read this book.
And what a gem it is.
There are fourteen stories here, each one with a different artist and writer team (one is even penned by Newsarama’s own Steven Ekstrom) trying to get into the head of a truly evil and unhinged individual and scratch the surface of what makes him tick so terrifyingly out of time with the world around him. Well, most of them, anyway: Mr. Ekstrom’s “Breakfast” takes a more law-enforcement-centric approach; “In A Pig’s Eye” by Anthony Hightower posits the possibility that the pigs might be aware that they are accessories to the crime; “The Dancer” by Steven Prouse takes a Korean horror movie inflection to examine the results of a Fourth of July pig roast; and “Hunger” by Patrick Tkaczynski is really so far off the reservation that it’s almost into another genre (terrific, I need to state, but an odd inclusion to this book).
Having taken Andy Schmidt’s “Writing For Comics” introductory course (www.ComicsExperience.com) I can appreciate the difficulty in trying to tell a story within the confines of five to eight pages. Surprisingly, the majority of this lot perform admirably, telling tales of creepiness that echo of the good old days from EC and Warren Comics. For sure, “Sacrament” by Travis Legge is the most shuddersome of the lot. The violence and gore is mostly confined off-panel, which I feel is better storytelling and the only time weakness really appears is in some conclusions, when the stories feel as if they have been guillotined into truncation so as to fit the allotted space. I would have liked a few more pages on some of them of the offerings, just as I would have liked a couple more stories told from the law enforcement’s point of view as they hunt and try to catch this psychopath.
Where this anthology really shines, though, is in its artwork. I have never heard of these artists, but why they don’t currently have regular work is as mystifying to me as why the world drinks Coke Zero. Reno Maniquis (team-mate of the aforementioned Mr. Tkaczynski), why aren’t you drawing New Avengers? And Daniele Serra, I’ll take your art over Ben Templesmith’s any day of the week. Making the book in black and white may have been a publishing choice in order to reign in costs, but as a horror book it is imperative. There is such diversity amongst the artists that it’s a smorgasbord of visual delight, much more solid than any anthology I have read in the past several years.
That a book this entertaining hails from a small publisher is impressive. It far outshines similar fare from its bigger peers and has a quality to it that every small publisher should take notes from. For fans of horror, crime, and the odd, this book is certainly a must have.
__________________________________
Woo-hoo! Thanks for the special mention, Newsarama! Now, if only I can get Marvel Comics to look at this book...
Although, I do drink Coke Zero. But I prefer Pepsi Max. :)
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The "T" IN TITANS...
Image from en.dcdatabaseproject.com
Jade was watching TEEN TITANS on TV this morning, and she asked me "Why do the Titans live in a T?"
I said "Because Titans start with the letter T, right?" To which she immediately replied "We should live in a P because we're people!" :)
Image from en.dcdatabaseproject.com
Jade was watching TEEN TITANS on TV this morning, and she asked me "Why do the Titans live in a T?"
I said "Because Titans start with the letter T, right?" To which she immediately replied "We should live in a P because we're people!" :)
Friday, March 28, 2008
WALL OF ANGELS #5 NOW AVAILABLE!
Cover colors by Brian Miller and HiFi Design.
Go to www.twentytosix.com for more info on how to purchase this comic book. or, if you live in the USA, it's free for download at wowio.com. Click on the icon below to go directly to the book's wowio page...
Can't wait to get my comp copy! :)
Cover colors by Brian Miller and HiFi Design.
Go to www.twentytosix.com for more info on how to purchase this comic book. or, if you live in the USA, it's free for download at wowio.com. Click on the icon below to go directly to the book's wowio page...
Can't wait to get my comp copy! :)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
This won't be available until August, but you can pre-order it now from Amazon.com! I'm really excited about this book, since this is the most "mainstream" of the comics projects I have done for the US market to date. So, please buy it! :)
Graphic Classics Volume 6: Ambrose Bierce - 2nd Edition
by Ambrose Bierce, Mort Castle, Rod Lott, Antonella Caputo, Steven Cerio, Stanley Shaw, Carlo Vergara, Reno Maniquis, Mark A. Nelson, Annie Owens, Michael Slack, Dan Burr, Milton Knight, Roger Langridge, Dan O'Neill, Shary Flenniken, Johnny Ryan, Florence Cestac, Mark Dancey
Graphic Classics: Ambrose Bierce is revised, with 70 new pages, including new comics adaptations of "Moxon's Master", "The Damned Thing" and "The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter". Returning from the first edition are "The Stranger" and four other tales, plus a collection of 20 short fables illustrated by Dan O'Neill, Shary Flenniken, Florence Cestac, Johnny Ryan and more great artists. With a stunning cover illustration by Steven Cerio.
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Eureka Productions; 2 edition (August 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0978791959
ISBN-13: 978-0978791957
Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.5 inches
Graphic Classics Volume 6: Ambrose Bierce - 2nd Edition
by Ambrose Bierce, Mort Castle, Rod Lott, Antonella Caputo, Steven Cerio, Stanley Shaw, Carlo Vergara, Reno Maniquis, Mark A. Nelson, Annie Owens, Michael Slack, Dan Burr, Milton Knight, Roger Langridge, Dan O'Neill, Shary Flenniken, Johnny Ryan, Florence Cestac, Mark Dancey
Graphic Classics: Ambrose Bierce is revised, with 70 new pages, including new comics adaptations of "Moxon's Master", "The Damned Thing" and "The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter". Returning from the first edition are "The Stranger" and four other tales, plus a collection of 20 short fables illustrated by Dan O'Neill, Shary Flenniken, Florence Cestac, Johnny Ryan and more great artists. With a stunning cover illustration by Steven Cerio.
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Eureka Productions; 2 edition (August 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0978791959
ISBN-13: 978-0978791957
Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.5 inches
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
You know that TV ad that says "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" that conveys the message that Mac is better?
Well, yeah, maybe, but certainly not in my case.
Don't get me wrong. I have been a loyal Mac user for more than a decade, but being a Mac OWNER is the pits. Kuki bought a 17" iMac G5 for me about two years ago. It was working fine until last October then a vertical line started appearing on the screen. I inquired about it at my local dealer and they said the LCD needed replacing, but the parts needed were unavailable.
Fast forward to today, and my whole screen is shot (I'm typing this at the office). Since it's an iMac, it's just in one piece, not like a PC which has a separate monitor and CPU. Well, guess what? It seems the parts are still unavailable, and it's looking bleak that Apple's going to start production on it again. Which just sucks big-time. I was forced to buy an external monitor, but to my surprise the cable I need isn't readily available here in the Philippines. It's been two weeks now and I have to wait for the cable to arrive from God-knows-where. So essentially, I haven't been able to use my computer for close to two weeks, since last week was Holy Week and the computer shop couldn't process my order.
To be fair, the local Mac dealers have been a great help, but Apple itself irritates me. I've since then learned that a lot of people have had the same problems with the same mac model, but Apple seems to be keeping mum about the whole issue. There was one guy online who had the same problem and had his Mac replaced (kids, if you're purchasing a Mac, it's advisable to purchase the extended 3-year warranty called AppleCare, although it's a bit on the expensive side, too). What happened to his new Mac? The screen started to have vertical lines, too. Meaning that THAT particular iMac model really had problems.
So, Mr. Steve Jobs, shouldn't we all get a refund or have our Macs replaced since you sold us defective products in the first place?
Yeah, like that'll happen.
So, kiddies, if you want to buy a Mac, get AppleCare, and don't buy the 17" iMac G5.
Me, I'm considering buying a PC for my personal use. At least the parts I need are available EVERYWHERE.
Crap... This thing just pisses me off.
Well, yeah, maybe, but certainly not in my case.
Don't get me wrong. I have been a loyal Mac user for more than a decade, but being a Mac OWNER is the pits. Kuki bought a 17" iMac G5 for me about two years ago. It was working fine until last October then a vertical line started appearing on the screen. I inquired about it at my local dealer and they said the LCD needed replacing, but the parts needed were unavailable.
Fast forward to today, and my whole screen is shot (I'm typing this at the office). Since it's an iMac, it's just in one piece, not like a PC which has a separate monitor and CPU. Well, guess what? It seems the parts are still unavailable, and it's looking bleak that Apple's going to start production on it again. Which just sucks big-time. I was forced to buy an external monitor, but to my surprise the cable I need isn't readily available here in the Philippines. It's been two weeks now and I have to wait for the cable to arrive from God-knows-where. So essentially, I haven't been able to use my computer for close to two weeks, since last week was Holy Week and the computer shop couldn't process my order.
To be fair, the local Mac dealers have been a great help, but Apple itself irritates me. I've since then learned that a lot of people have had the same problems with the same mac model, but Apple seems to be keeping mum about the whole issue. There was one guy online who had the same problem and had his Mac replaced (kids, if you're purchasing a Mac, it's advisable to purchase the extended 3-year warranty called AppleCare, although it's a bit on the expensive side, too). What happened to his new Mac? The screen started to have vertical lines, too. Meaning that THAT particular iMac model really had problems.
So, Mr. Steve Jobs, shouldn't we all get a refund or have our Macs replaced since you sold us defective products in the first place?
Yeah, like that'll happen.
So, kiddies, if you want to buy a Mac, get AppleCare, and don't buy the 17" iMac G5.
Me, I'm considering buying a PC for my personal use. At least the parts I need are available EVERYWHERE.
Crap... This thing just pisses me off.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Here's the first page of the short story I did with author Patrick Tkaczynski for the anthology Sequential Suicide: Slop...
If you want to know more, there's an interview with editor Steven Prouse right here.
I'll try to get ahold of some copies and hopefully I'll be selling some of it here in the Philippines in the near future. :)
Oh, and check out the new link I added to the links list on the right. It's a blog site called Video 48. They've got cool scans of vintage Philippine movies. I was especially surprised to learn that Victor Wood once played Batman! If you're a movie buff, I suggest you check it out. It's awesome!
If you want to know more, there's an interview with editor Steven Prouse right here.
I'll try to get ahold of some copies and hopefully I'll be selling some of it here in the Philippines in the near future. :)
Oh, and check out the new link I added to the links list on the right. It's a blog site called Video 48. They've got cool scans of vintage Philippine movies. I was especially surprised to learn that Victor Wood once played Batman! If you're a movie buff, I suggest you check it out. It's awesome!
