MASKARADO #23





Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

USELESS THOUGHT...

Why do we call thin people "skinny?" Aren't they supposed to be called "boney?"

When a person has a lot of hair, they're "hairy," so I guess when you have a lot of skin, you should be "skinny," as opposed to a thin person who I think doesn't have that much skin, right?

So, if you're on the chubby side, that's when you should be called 'skinny," since you have much more skin than the average person.

BLOG FILLER #2!

Today's Blog Filler... Dyok Taym!

IBANG POSISYON:
Husband: Shall we try a different position tonight?
Wife: Thats a good idea dear!... doon ka sa may plantsahan at ako naman ang uupo sa sofa at manoood ng tv.

PINOY INGENUITY?
A Filipino doctor has introduced the use of a device that enlarges a man's sex organ by up to 5 times with no side effects. It is called a magnifiying glass.

REGALO:
Mare: Di yata nagustuhan ni Pare ang birthday gift mo, ah...
Mrs: Oo nga, 7 months na, di pa rin ginagamit.
Mare: Bakit, ano ba regalo mo sa kanya?
Mrs: Memorial Plan.

SI GINO:
LOLO: Gino, paabot nga ng kape ko.
APO: 'lo, Gina po.
LOLO: Gino, paabot nga ng kutchara.
APO: 'lo, Gina po.
LOLO: Punyeta ka, Gino! Tigil-tigilan mo yang kabaklaan mo!

TUTPIK:
Kustomer: Ano ba naman itong tutpik nyo, iisa na nga lang, ang dali pang mabali!
Waiter (inis): Alam nyo, sir, ang dami nang gumamit nyan, pero kayo lang nakabali!

CONFIDENT VS CONFIDENTIAL:
Anak: Itay, ano ang kaibahan ng confident sa confidential?
Itay: Anak kita, CONFIDENT ako dyan. Yung bespren mong si Tikboy, anak ko rin, CONFIDENTIAL yan.

FIRST LOVE NEVER DIES:
Anak: Inay, totoo ba na "First love never dies"?
Nanay: Aba, oo. Tignan mo yang tatay mo, hangga ngayon, buhay pa ang animal!

SUKO SA MISTER:
Mrs 1: Suko na ako sa mister ko, lagi na lang ako binubugbog bago niroromansa...
Mrs 2: Mas grabe yung mister ko. Binubugbog ako tapos si Inday ang niroromansa.

PAGOD DAW.....
Mrs: Ano ba? Two days na tayong kasal, 'la pa rin.
Mr: Kasi pagod ako.
Mrs: Sige ka, pag ayaw mo, maghahanap ako ng lalaki.
Mr: Sige, gawin mong dalawa, tig isa tayo!

PARI AT MADRE:
Pari: Sister, ikaw ba ang nasa CR? Kukunin ko lang toothbrush ko...
Sister: Sandali, naka-panty lang ako.
Pari: Ok, antay ako.
Sister: Pasok na, wala na akong panty!

ESTUDYANTE:
Bugaw: Sir, Chicks P1,500, estudiante!
Man: Ganun ba? Hanapan mo ako ng mga P1,000 lang pero mas magaling pa sa estudiante.
Bugaw: Yung PRINCIPAL, sir!

AFTER THE WEDDING:
Husband: Sinungaling ka, sabi mo virgin ka! Bakit kagabi maluwag na!
Wife: Ulol ka! Dahil lasing ka, katabi mo kagabi si mama!

PAMBOBOSO:
Anak: Inay, sinisilip ng kaklase ko 'yung panty ko!
Inay: Bastos 'yun ah! Ano'ng ginawa mo?
Anak: Hinubad ko at itinago ko 'yung panty, para 'di nya makita!

PROMOTION:
Judge: Ikaw na naman! Sampung taon ka nang humaharap sa korte ko ah!
Swindler: Your Honor, di ko kasalanan kung hindi po kayo ma-promote.

AMPON:
Anak: 'Nay, tinutukso po ako ng kalaro ko na anak ako sa labas!
Nanay: Hindi totoo 'yan, anak. Ang sabihin mo sa kanila, ampon ka!

ANG SULAT:
Patient: Dok, malungkot dito sa mental kaya naisipan kong sulatan ang sarili ko...
Doc: E ano naman ang laman ng sulat mo?
Patient: Di ko pa po alam kasi next wik ko pa ata matatangap...

LIIT NAMAN:
Wife: Honey... bili mo naman ako ng bra...
Husband: Hon.. wag ka nang magbra...liit naman dede mo e..
Wife: E ba't ikaw, naka-brief!?

DOWNY:
GIRL: Ang puti naman ng bird mo...
BOY: Aba, syempre ah! Likas papaya ata gamit ko diyan!
GIRL: Ginagamitan mo rin ba ng Downy?
BOY: Baket? Bango ba?
GIRL: Lambot eh!!!

HIDE AND SEEK:
GIRL: Hide and seek tayo. If you find me, papayag akong makipag-sex sa 'yo...
BOY: Eh, kung di kita makita?
GIRL: Nasa likod lang ako ng piano...

MADRE:
dalawang madre nirereyp ng goons....
Madre 1: Jusko, patawarin mo po sila...hindi nila nalalaman ang kanilang ginagawa!
Madre2: Ay, yung sa akin marunong!!!!

RAPE SUSPEK:
ATTY: Inday, pwede mo bang idiskrayb dito sa korte ang taong nangreyp sa 'yo?
INDAY: Maitim, panot, tagyawatin, pango ilong, at bungal...
SUSPEK: Sige!...mang-asar ka pa!!!!

Another piece of Maskarado fan art by the uber-talented Edgar Tadeo...



Holy Moley! That's a great shot of Maskarado, Ed! Maybe you could do a cover for me one day? he he he...

BEE-YOOO-TI-FUL!!!

MASKARADO #22





Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

I ran across (pun intended) this song on the internet. It's entitled "The Ballad of Barry Allen." Being a big Flash fan, I downloaded it, and it's a good song. it's by Jim's Big Ego, and the song was written by Jim Infantino, who I assume is related to silver age Flash artist Carmine Infantino. The lyrics...

I've got time to think about the meaning of the thousand variations of the beating of a wing of a hummingbird suspended in the aspic of the world moving slower than molasses as I'm off to catch the girl who is falling off the cliff

and I'm there before she knows it
I'll be gone before she sees me
with my hand around her waist
I pull her back to safety
by the time she knows what's happened
there'll be someone else who needs me
because time keeps dragging on
and on
and on
and on

(time keeps dragging on)

I've got time to think about my past as I dodge between the bullets how my life was so exciting before I got this way and how long ago it was now I never can explain by the clock that's on the tower or the one that's in my brain

and I'm there before you know it
I'll be gone before you see me
and I'd like to get to know you
but you're talking much too slowly
and I know you'd really like me
but I never stick around
because time keeps dragging on
and on
and on
and on
and on

And you say the world goes rushing by
but it seems so slow to me
and you see a blur around you fly
but it takes too long
it seems so slow to me

(time keeps dragging on)

How I wish I'd never gone into my lab to experiment that night before lightning flashed around me
and time changed speed
now I have to try to be so patient and wait for calamity to strike
because when things change in an instant
it's almost fast enough for me

and I'll be there before you know it
I'll be gone before you see me
and do you think you can imagine
anything so lonely
and I know you'd really like me
but I never stick around
because time keeps dragging on
and on
and on
and on
and on

And you say the world goes rushing by
but it seems so slow to me
complain I'm gone before you blink your eye
but it takes too long
it seems so slow
And you say the world goes rushing by
but it seems so slow to me
and I want to be there while you laugh or cry
but it takes too long
it seems so slow to me

(time keeps dragging on)
and on
and on

You can download it here.

I've gotten some submissions for TABLOID KOMIKS, and I gotta say that they're all great. I've got some great stuff lined up. There's a prose piece from Alamat head honcho Budjette Tan, more DROLLS from Ariel Atienza, a two-pager from Tatum Milambiling, also known as Greco M (check out his strip in the Manila Bulletin), and a 4-page story from Jhomar Soriano, whose RUMBLE TO KAGA strip has appeared in Dark Horse's Blade of the Immortal.

I'm still trying to meet the KomiKon deadline I've set for TABLOID #4, but MASKARADO will definitely have a new issue (#7) that's going to be available there.

ASKALS by Dodo Dayao & Bong Leal



A great noir-ish tale in black & white. The mood and artwork will blow you away. And it's EXCLUSIVELY available at the CAPSULEZONE/MASKARADO table at KOMIKON 2005 at the UP BAHAY NG ALUMNI on October 22.

More on ASKALS here.

MASKARADO #21




Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

TO MY WIFE...

Kuki's birthday is coming up, September 17, to be exact. We've been man & wife for close to 7 years now, been together as a couple four years before that, and have known each other another 2 years prior.

Our relationship is far from perfect... there are good times, there are bad times, there are worse times... but still I'm thankful to be able to share my life with someone so indescribably... perfect to me.

Which makes me go back to this particular story which I've read some years back (heh, you knew the comics thingie would creep in, didn't you?). It was ASTRO CITY 1/2, and I think it's the most beautiful story I've ever read. I guess some people who've read it will agree.

I won't recount the story here, since it's available for download online and I'll leave you readers to read it by yourself. Suffice it to say whenever I read it, I can't help but think of Kuki, and I don't think I can go through life the way the lead character, Michael Tenicek, does once he learns the truth about the woman who haunts his dreams. I definitely would make the same decision he made, but after that it would have been hard to go on living.

It's a real tear-jerker for me, and even as I write this i get all choked-up just remembering the story. You can download it by clicking here.

You too, Tot (That's how I call Kuki). Alam ko tamad ka magbasa, pero just this once pagbigyan mo ako. =)

BLOG FILLER #1!

Sometimes I don't have any personal thoughts that I want to share here. During those times, I'll post forwarded e-mails... jokes, stories or whatever. Hence, the name BLOG FILLERS. This then, is the first one.

It's purported to be a true story, but of course I don't have solid proof of that. Just read on and you can judge by yourself...


Scene took place on a BA flight between Johannesburg and London. A White woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a black man. Obviously disturbed by this, she called the air Hostess. "Madam, what Is the matter," the hostess asked. "You obviously do not see it then?" She responded. "You placed me next to a black man. I do not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat." "Be calm please," the hostess replied. "Almost all the places on this flight are taken. I will go to see if another place is available."

The Hostess went away and then came back a few minutes later. "Madam, Just as I thought, there are no other available seats in the economy class. I spoke to the captain and he informed me that there is also a seat in the business class. All the same, we still have one place in the first class."

Before the woman could say anything, the hostess continued: "It is not usual for our company to permit someone from the economy class to sit in the first class. However, given the circumstances, the captain feels that it would be scandalous to make anyone sit next to someone so disgusting."

She turned to the black guy, and said, "Therefore, Sir, if you would like to please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in first class. At that moment, the other passengers who were shocked by what they had just witnessed stood up and applauded. This is a true story.

As a wrestling fan, this bit of news came as a pleasant surprise...

News tidbit from prowrestling.com...

Both The Undertaker and and Christian were in Manny Pacquiao's corner during the HBO fights last night. The boxing www.secondsout.com web site in describing Christian, called him "a hugely talented performer...but sadly, wrestling promoters don't value smaller fighters like boxing promotions do, and Christian has been held back by his bosses despite the fact he's probably the most charismatic character on WWE TV."

Mabuhay ka, Manny Pacquiao!

INKING JIM LEE

A few months back, Jim Lee posted his pencils featuring Superman & Batman in his blog, Gelatometti. He called on anyone interested to ink it. He set a deadline, and sad to say I didn't make the deadline because of the sudden onrush of office work. Up to this day, I haven't finished inking the backgrounds yet. But I thought that I'd post my inking take on Jim Lee's pencils. I've placed them side-by-side for comparison's sake, blurring out the pencils on the inked piece. Look below...



Here's a detail of Batman's head...



And if you'd like to see a bigger image, click here.

MASKARADO #20



Thursday Comic Webring time! Go go go!



Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

Rob Liefeld.

Some call him the "most-hated man in comics." But that seems a bit... extreme (no pun intended).

When I first came across Rob Liefeld's art, I wasn't blown away by it, but I didn't despise it, either. I think it was a "Bonus Book" feature back in the days when WARLORD was still being published by DC. He then went on to do HAWK & DOVE and then became very popular during his tenure on X-FORCE.

But enough of the history lesson. Rob Liefelds art is a weird thing to me. There are times when I like to look at his art (I have enough back issues of his Image comics for me to do a bit of reminiscing, and also his infamous CAPTAIN AMERICA run), and there are times when I do look at it, it just seems ugly to me.

But come to think of it, there are artists a lot worse than Mr. Liefeld. And looking at his work, you can't deny that there is a certain power and dynamism in the way he poses his figures that makes you pay attention. But I guess that in itself is the inherent problem with his art. They look nothing more than pin-ups divided into panels or two-page spreads. Not to mention the inconsistensies, like sometimes his character BADROCK has three fingers, sometimes four. And this is just between pages of the same issue. I guess he doesn't even reference the previous page he's drawn.

I just got to thinking about Rob because of my recent purchase of the SUPREME trade paperback. Maybe only time will tell if people are wrong to dislike him. Heck, when I was young, I HATED Jack Kirby's art. I remember thinking "Why do the people look like they're made of boxes? Why are the tips of their fingers flat?" And so on and so forth. It wasn't until I grew older that I learned to appreciate the exaggeration Kirby brought forth in his work. He's also one of the best storytellers ever.

So maybe there will come a time when the Rob-haters will learn to appreciate his work.

Maybe tomorrow I'm gonna pick up an old Rob Liefeld book and say "Hey! There's great stuff here that I didn't see before!" But then again, maybe I'm gonna say "Why the hell did I buy this? What was i thinking?"

Only time will tell.

P.S. As for a look as to what CAPTAIN AMERICA naked as drawn by Rob Liefeld would look like, click here.

I just found this great blog by fellow Hal Santiago student RANDY VALIENTE. Click the link below...

MALIKHAING KOMIKS

Also, this hilarious blog about comics during the 80s-90s (mostly) by David Campbell. Head on over and browse through...

DAVE'S LONG BOX

Something to look forward to...



I'm gonna be getting a table there to sell some Maskarado stuff and give away copies of Tabloid Komiks. It's also a great chance to meet and greet with other people who share similar interests and passions.

For more information, head on over to the Komikon blog or the Artists' Den blog.

Last Sunday, Jade bumped her cheek in our bathroom's doorway. Naturally, she cried. After she had calmed down a bit, I asked her if she wanted to put ice on her bruise. She then promptly said (in a bit of a baby-ish way) "ice, ice......... baby." I almost rolled on the floor laughing. Where in the world did she learn that phrase?!?! Kuki then told me that her cousin Kitten taught her that.

Ewan ko ba sa batang ito. When it comes to learning ABCs and 123s, she refuses to listen and learn. Pero pagdating sa kalokohan and other nonsense stuff, she picks it up almost instantly. Just take a gander at this photo...



And just think, she's only 22 months old. I look forward to years still to come.

We love ya, Jade!

I went to the MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOKFAIR last Saturday. I t was my first time going there since they moved the venue from the Megatrade Hall to the World Trade Center and I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were still plenty of attendees despite being moved to an out-of-the-way location.

With Kuki and Jade in tow (and most of my in-laws) we got there at around 4pm. I told myself to practice restraint, because the KomiKon is coming up and I have to finance my participation there. Jade got the most purchases, since Kuki and I hit the childrens' books places early on. We bought her 6 new books, plus two local romance novels for her yaya.

Jade started to nod off by then, so Kuki took her and sat down at the Reflexology seminar booth, which left me free to pursue my own interests. I headed on down to the Central Comics Headquarters booth, where all of the books were 50% off! Restraint... restraint.........

I first picked up the ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE GRAPHIC CLASSICS, since it included among its roster Nestor Redondo and Arnold Arre. I was pondering on whether to get the H.G. WELLS edition which had Alex Niño art in it, but it was sealed and the Niño art could have been a reprint of the early Pendulum Press edition of WAR OF THE WORLDS which I already have, so I decided against getting it.

Editor Vincent Fago wrote an intro (with accompanying illustration by Arre) about Nestor Redondo, and it's an eye-opening piece on how he discovered Redondo living in the Philippines, on his trip here, and how he enjoyed taking in the culture of our land. Sometimes it takes the eyes of an outsider for us to realize how much we Pinoys have in our country.

I saw a copy of Alan Moore's SUPREME: THE STORY OF THE YEAR, but was really torn about getting it because of the Rob Liefeld association. It was sealed, too, so I didn't know if the art was Liefeld-ish (Rob Liefeld I can tolerate somewhat, but his dozens of clones were just -- ugh). After going back and forth I finally decided on purchasing it on the strength of it being written by Alan Moore. When I got home to read it, I was very happy I did. This is great stuff by Moore, much like his Miracleman run, and the art wasn't too bad. Rick Veitch really does the retro comic book look really well, and he even does a not-too-bad riff on Neal Adams' style.

I also went to the Power Books and Fully-Booked booths, hoping to get a MARVEL ESSENTIAL or two, but the lines were too long and I didn't like the Essentials they had anyway, so I didn't get to purchase anything there.

I bought Jade a book from the Adarna booth earlier, and told myself I'd come back for the collected edition of THE MYTHOLOGY CLASS, but I completely forgot all about it and remembered only when I reached home. Well, I can still get it from bookstores, anyway.

All in all, a nice time was had by all. I look forward to next year's Bookfair again.

MASKARADO #19



It's that thingie again that happens here every Thursday. Click for more strips below...



Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado