Another Pinoy will be making waves in the US comic book scene!

MICO SUAYAN has been tapped to pencil Marvel's MOON KNIGHT after David Finch. Congrats, Mico! This guy has been one of the best talents to come out lately, and I'm glad he finally has a high-profile gig!

Read all about it here...

MEETING MICO: THE NEW MOON KNIGHT ARTIST MICO SUAYAN

Just recently, I've had an experience that just reaffirms the fact that some (if not most) of the younger generation today have to learn a thing or two about respect.

I won't go into details, but a word of advice to newly-grads or college kids... don't be condescending towards people who are older than you. While it is true that in some cases age doesn't necessarily mean wisdom, it is also much truer that us older guys know much more than you do, especially if it is in an area where we have been working in for most of our adult life.

I'm only 33, but I've been in the advertising field for 12 YEARS. And I still try to learn more from people who have been in this business longer than me. I have a colleague who's been in this business for 12 years, too. So I can understand her... "rage" (for a lack of a better term)... when a fresh grad tells her how to do things as if they know everything there is to know about advertising.

12 FREAKING YEARS, people! Respect that, please. You may think that you're the hotshot new generation who's gonna be bringing something new or be that someone who's gonna revolutionize the industry or something. And you may be right. In all honesty, I hope that you'll be able to do that. But don't be cocky and arrogant. CONFIDENT, YES... @SSHOLE, NO.

They don't teach you this in school. But, really, do they have to?

MASKARADO BACK ON THE RACKS!!!



Issues 2-7 are now available at Comic Odyssey Robinsons Galleria. Grab your copy now!!!!! (Well, not grab, really, because you have to pay for it. hehe.)

COMIC ODYSSEY
Level III Expansion Mall
Robinsons Galleria
EDSA cor. Ortigas Ave.
Quezon City
Tel. 914-0040

Thanks, Sandy!

A reaction to the "BAROK GENERATION"...

I just read this post from mcoy.blogspot.com on language misuse by the younger generation today. Click on the link then come back here for my reaction below...


Yes, that's a big problem with this new generation. It's not just the skewering of the language that's alarming, it's the lack of common courtesy.

Some of the time, I get e-mails from students asking me about komiks or illustration requesting for some info for their research. But they don't even find the time to be courteous enough to write the letter properly. I'm sure Gerry Alanguilan has had some experience with this, too.

Come on, people, is it so hard to hit the shift button so that every sentence starts with a capital letter? Or even to spell out words so they don't come out in "txt speak?"

Plus, this generation has been so used to everything coming to them on a silver platter. "Hey, give me some info!" "Wala sa internet, eh!"... My God... Use your feet! Write with your hands! Bring a notepad (or a laptop, if you like) and go out there and research! Go to libraries! Interview people face to face! Everything is NOT on the internet, or on Wikipedia.

I don't want to sound like an old codger, but this is the truth.

Another lazy post...

BLOG FILLER #10!

PARENTAL DISCRETION IS ADVISED!

Parishioner: Father bakit may nakasampay na daster, bra at panty sa may kumbento? may asawa ka?
Father: Kung aasa ako sa mga donasyon nyo, di ako mabubuhay! Tumatanggap ako ng labada!

GF: I'm warning you! darating na si daddy within 1 hour!
BF: Eh ano ngayon? eh wala naman tayong ginagawang masama ah!
GF: Kaya nga! kung may plano ka, DALIAN MO NA!!!

Nay? bakit po VICTORIA ang name ni ate?
Kasi anak dun namin siya ginawa ng itay mo...
Eh bakit si kuya, ANITO?
Ay, tumigil ka na nga Luneta at baka mapalo kita!
Tawagin mo na si kuya FX mo!

HONEYMOON:
Wife: Hon wag mo ako bibiglain ha? I'm still a virgin.
Husband: You mean ako ang una?
Wife: Yes, do it na.
Husband: I did it na, kanina pa!!
Wife: ah ganon ba? Aray pala!

Ama: Buntis anak ko, panagutan mo!
BF: May asawa na po ako!
Ama: Pano 'to?
BF: Areglo na lang po... 2 M pag Boy, 2.5M pag Girl
Ama: Ok, pero pag nakunan. GIB HER ANADER CHANS ha?

Maid: Sir sinong mas yummy? si mam ba o ako?
Sir: Syempre naman ikaw day! bakit?
Maid: Naguguluhan lang po kasi ako eh... sabi kasi ng driver, eh mas yummy daw talaga si mam!

Wife: Dear, ano regalo mo sa 25th Anniversary natin?
Husband: Dalhin kita sa Africa...
Wife: Wow! How sweet naman... eh! sa 50th Anniversary natin?
Husband: Susunduin na kita!

BUS HINOLDAP!
Holdaper: re-reypin ko lahat ng babae dito!
Prosti: ako na lang po, maawa kayo sa iba..
Lola: Sinabi na ngang LAHAT eh! sasagot pa! gagang 'to!

Dalawang probinsyano sumakay sa elevator
Gorio: magkano ibabayad natin?
Andoy: tanga! inosente! bugok! stupid! bat ka magbabayad eh wala pa tayong tiket!

Pedro bumps a foreigner
Pedro: ay sori
Foreigner: sorry too
Pedro: sori 3
Foreigner: what are you sorry for?
Pedro: (kala mo bobo ako ha!) sori 5
Foreigner: i think you are sick!
Pedro: hahahaha! sick daw, seven sunod!

Pedro: Pare bakit malungkot ka?
Juan: Asawa ko nag hire ng driver, Gwapo, Bata, Macho!
Pedro: Nagseselos ka?
Juan: Nagtataka lang ako kasi wala kaming sasakyan!

Anak: Itay, bibili ako ng bond paper
Itay: Anak, wag kang bobo ha? hindi "bond paper" ang tawag dun!
Anak: Ano po ba?
Itay: "Kokongban"

Madre: Father, tell your seminarian not to urinate along the fence...
Father: Sister naman, maliit na bagay lang papansinin mo pa...
Madre: No Malalaki, Father.. Malalaki!!!

Alam mo ba kung bakit may sabaw ang balot?
Kung Ikaw kaya ang ikulong sa shell... saan ka ji-jingle?
Aber?
Saan??
Sumagot kaaaa!!
SaaaAANNNNNNN ?!?!?!

Farmer: lalaki na talaga ang aking anak kasi magsasaka na, "ano ang plano mong itanim sa sakahan mo anak?"
Anak: flowers papa! lots of Bongacious Flowers!!

Ama: Hoy! Huwag kang babakla bakla ha!
Anak: Hindi po Itay, pupunta nga ako ng basketbolan eh!
Ama: Yan! Astig!
Anak: Inay? nakita mo yung POMPOMS ko?
Ina: Alin? yung pink?

Misis: " Sir, mananawagan po sana ako sa mister ko kasi dinala niya ang limang anak namin."
Radio Host: " Ok, go ahead!"
Misis: " Honey, ibalik mo na ang mga bata, isa lang naman ang sa iyo diyan!"

Juan: San ka galing?
Pedro: sementeryo, libing ng byenan ko.
Juan: E bakit puro kamot ang mukha at braso mo?
Pedro: Mahirap ilibing eh... Lumalaban!!

Two nurses on duty...
Nurse 1: Hoy! Gaga, bakit may thermometer sa tenga mo!
Nurse 2: Ha? susmaryosep! kaninong pwet ko kaya naiwan yung ballpen ko!!

Hari: Ano gusto mong parusa? ipakain sa leon o pasukan ng bubuyog sa pwet?
Pedro: Mas gugustuhin ko pong pasukan ng bubuyog sa pwet.
Hari: Mga kawal! ilabas si Jolibee!

BLOG FILLER #9!

FIVE SECRETS OF A PERFECT RELATIONSHIP

1. It is important to have a woman who looks after the home; cooks well, can sew and knit, and has a paying job.
2. It is important to have a woman who can make you laugh.
3. It is important to have a woman who you can trust and who doesn't lie.
4. It is important to have a woman who is good in bed and who likes being with you.
5. It is very, very important that these four women don't know each other.

Finally, I've updated my website, CapsuleZone.

I've added a Captain Barbell page, where you can check out some of the art I've done for this Mars Ravelo creation. I've also updated the Maskarado page, although not by much. I just completed the listing for available issues of the Maskarado comic (I'm glad to say that I've already sold out issues 0 and 1).

That's about it. click here to go to my webpage, or here to go directly to the Captain barbell page.



Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

The other night, while we were asleep, Jade just blurts this phrase out of nowhere...

"I CAN'T PLAY GUITAR WITH STICKY HANDS!"

So, there you go. Sound advice from a sleeping 3-year old.

A quick plug for Kuki...




Metro Manila orders only! :)

Got this quiz from Nostalgia Manila, where you can live out your childhood days all over again and admit that you are OLD. hehe.

Which member of Voltes V are you?

You are Mark Gordon!You're a rebel at heart. You always choose to go against the currents, and are always up for a challenge. You loathe authority, but you respect people who possess great skills you can learn from. Although you don't show it much, you are compassionate towards people who are in need of help. You like the company of others but often times you find peace in solitude.
Take this quiz!








Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

The usual thing you'll hear when you go to the doctor to get shots is "parang kagat lang 'yan ng langgam."

Nung bata pa ako, narinig ko ito mula sa duktor ko. Nang sambitin niya ito habang ako'y nag-iiyak dahil nga sa takot sa iniksyon, lalo lang ako naiyak. Bakit?

I don't know if these doctors have ever been bitten by an ant their entire lives, pero di ba nila alam KUNG GAANO KASAKIT ANG KAGAT NG LANGGAM??!? Ngayon ngang malaki na ako, mas mamatamisin ko pang ma-injection-an kesa makagat ng langgam!

Ibang klase ang kagat ng langgam. Sobra ang kirot nito, at hindi natatanggal ang kati at kirot kaagad-agad. 'Di tulad ng sa lamok na kapag kinamot mo any magiginhawaan ka na agad. Ang sa langgam, kahit kamutin mo masakit at makati pa rin. I don't know why the pain still lingers for a long while.

Marahil dito lang kasi sila nakakaganti sa ating mga tao. 'Di ba sobra kung maliitin natin ang mga langgam? At ilang beses na rin tayong tumiris ng langgam ng walang pakundangan. Madali kasi silang hulihin. 'Di tulad ng lamok, langaw o ipis na kailangan habulin mo pa para patayin.

kaya sa susunod, Dok, huwag niyong sabihing parang kagat lang ng langgam. MAS MASAKIT ANG KAGAT NG LANGGAM. Sabihin niyo na lang na para ka lang natusok ng karayom... or better yet basta itusok niyo na lang habang di nakatingin ang pasyente.

Happy Birthday to my Unica Hija... JADE!!!!

I made a pin-up for Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo's Exhibit 13 featuring various artists' take on their characters from TRESE. You can check it out (and a ton of great art) at the link below:

EXHIBIT 13

Another KOMIKON has come and gone... and it was a blast! It was a lot roomier this time around, the tables weren't packed so close to each other. I don't know if it's because there were less exhibitors or not.

From the time the doors opened until about lunchtime, there weren't that many people. Bong, Dodo and I were contemplating if it was a bad sign. But after 1pm, people started coming, and soon after the place was packed! I think it's safe to say that more people went this year than the last.

Sales (komiks-wise) were also better this time around. Maybe it's due to the fact that we were selling more titles than last year. Our bestseller, of course, was the MARVELOUS KOMIKS preview, followed by ASKALS. I sold more MASKARADO titles this time around, but I guess that was due to the discounted price. The Ravelos also sold some merchandising stuff like pins and shirts.

Our MARS RAVELO Character displays got a good reaction from the crowd, most of them asking when the titles are coming out. Hopefully next year! (Pressure, Dodo!) I guess we've fulfilled the purpose of joining the Komikon, and that's to get people excited about these classic characters again. I was amused by one person who asked why we copied the Captain Barbell costume used by GMA 7. We quickly pointed out that we were the original designers and not the other way around.

We were joking around that maybe we should do manga to attract young girls, since most people asking around our booth were mostly guys in their 30s. hehe.

One guy with his girlfriend was looking at the MASKARADO komiks I had on display,and asked if this was the same Maskarado that was published in Tempo before. It always makes me happy taht some people still remember Maskarado from his original incarnation.

Komiks creators who came to visit us were Gerry Alanguilan, Edgar Tadeo, Jonas Diego, Jac Ting Lim, Randy Valiente, Budjette Tan, Andrew Drilon, KC Cordero, Tobie Abad, Ner Pedrina, Gilbert Monsanto and so many others that it would be difficult for me to name them all. Komiks historian Orvy Jundis also dropped by for a bit. Thanks for the support, guys! Special thanks also go to Budjette for giving me free copies of TRESE and to KC for giving me a complimentary copy of FILIPINO KOMIKS. And to Tobie Abad, too, who gave me a CD copy of his DILIMAN. Much appreciated, guys!

As always, Ka-jo Baldisimo never ceases to amaze me. I was milling around their table and got to see him do a TRESE sketch with a brush pen. It was awesome, not to mention fast!

I got to do some sketches of my own, I did around five, I think. Two Maskarados and three Captain Barbells. Sketching on the spot is always difficult for me to do. Nakaka-conscious. I'm sorry if the sketches turned out scratchy, guys! Bong also did some sketches, too.

Another young creator who has impressed me is Josel Nicolas. Watch out for more things from this young man.

I don't have any pics, because I'm a bit lazy when it comes to taking photos. You can mill around the 'net for photos taken by other people, though.

All in all, a satisfying experience. Hopefully, next year will continue the trend set by the first two KOMIKONs.

Ugaliing magbasa ng Pinoy Komiks!

Just testing to see if I can upload videos here on blogger...

Here's a MASKARADO cartoon I tinkered with. I did this waaaayy back in 2001, I think. I was into BATMAN BEYOND at that time, so I did this short in that style. Every single frame of animation here was done on Photoshop and edited on iMovie.

An article on Philippine Komiks by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean is now up at NEWSARAMA. They emailed me about it some time ago, but alas I didn't open my yahoo mail until recently and didn't get to reply to their questions about Philippine komiks. My apologies, Mr. Ong Pang Kean. But I know Gerry, Budjette and the other komikeros were more than able to give Newsarama their money's worth (figuratively speaking). Link to part 1 of the article below...

CELEBRATING 120 YEARS OF KOMIKS FROM THE PHILIPPINES I: THE HISTORY OF KOMIKS

And for the KOMIKON tomorrow, here's a look at the cover of the preview comic...



Bili kayo!

Just a quick announcement for today. At the KOMIKON this Saturday, all MASKARADO Komiks will be 50% OFF. Yep. That's right, same MASKARADO goodness for less!



I'll be manning the MARS RAVELO booth with Bong Leal, Dodo Dayao, newcomer Cheyenne Quintana and, of course, the Ravelos. Bong and Dodo's ASKALS will also be available, and hopefully some other good stuff.

Budjette e-mailed and texted several local talents to participate in a special TRESE Friday the 13th (that's tomorrow). I wanted to do something, but I'm kinda rushing something for the KOMIKON, on top of my busy schedule at work.

I owe you a pin-up, Budj.

So, just to show you guys something that will hopefully come out at the KOMIKON, here's a little sneak peek...



Heck, it's Thursday, so it must be...



Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

KOMIKON 2006



UP Bahay ng Alumni. October 21, 2006, Saturday. 10am to 8pm.

Everybody else is blogging about typhoon Milenyo this fine Monday morning, so I guess I'll shut up about it. Though I did spend Thursday clearing the gutters in our compound with the neighbors to prevent the flood waters from coming into the house. No such luck though, a small amount still managed to seep in the front door.

Okay, shutting up about it now.

Instead I give you... BLOG FILLER #8!

The Husband Store!

A store that sells husbands has just opened in New York City, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates. You may visit the store ONLY ONCE !

There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights. There is, however, a catch... you may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building! So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband.

On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

Floor 1 - These men have jobs and love the Lord.

The second floor sign reads:

Floor 2 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, and love kids.

The third floor sign reads:

Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, and are extremely good looking.

"Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.

She goes to the fourth floor and sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop- dead good looking and help with the housework.

"Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"

Still, she goes to the fifth floor and sign reads:

Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop- dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 6 - You are visitor 4,363,012th to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.

Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. Watch your step as you exit the building, and have a nice day!

Sometimes I get "burned out" looking at some of today's comic art. it seems that nowadays (especially in US comics), it's either you draw as "photo-realistically" as possible or draw in manga-ish style (oooooohhhh.... now I'm gonna get it).

It's the photo-realistic thing that I'm gonna rant about...

Don't get me wrong. I'm still amazed by guys who draw in this style... John Cassaday, Daniel Acuña, Steve McNiven (to name a few). But sometimes I yearn for simple yet reliable art. Stuff like what Curt Swan used to do. Or Paul Ryan. These guys didn't have splashy visuals. But their storytelling is so clear that they didn't (or don't) need to resort to double-page spreads or extreme pin-up shots. Their panels didn't even need to show too much detail. Just telling a straightforward story was good enough.

Which brings me to something else I wanted to rant about. I think the problem nowadays with most comic artists (pencillers in particular) is that they pour (or would that be "pore?") over too much detail and precision into their pages that it takes them too much time to finish one. I remember reading an interview with Brian Bolland wherein he states that when he was pencilling CAMELOT 3000 back in the 80s, he was inking with his pencil. He tried to dominate the look of the art too much that essentially he was dominating the inker, which took him too long, so that the latter issues came out late.

I think it defeats the purpose of having an inker in the first place. That's why American comics developed the "assembly-line" of making comics before, to make it faster. So much time is saved by having two different people working on the art.

Well, nowadays, we have what some people term digital inking, wherein pencil pages are scanned then cleaned up on the computer. But then again, in order for the clean-up to be not too time-consuming, the pencils have to be as detailed as possible, essentially having the penciller go over his pencils a second time to "ink" with his pencil.

For example, take a look at John Byrne's pencils. They're kinda rough, but just enough information is given that in the hands of a competent inker, the page will come out great. Even Gil Kane pencilled roughly. Take John Romita, Jr., for example. He can pencil two books (at the least) every month and never fall behind schedule. He doesn't obsess on every little detail. But he's still one of today's kick@$$ artists.

On a side note, one of my favorite inkers is Kevin Nowlan. He injects his own style when he inks somebody else, but enough of the penciller's style comes through the art that you still recognize who did the pencils.

You know who's the most amazing penciller of all? Mark Bagley. Man, that guy stays on schedule no matter what. And his art is so full of energy.

Sigh. I've gotta admit, I've fallen into the trap of making my art photo-realistic, too. Lately I've been so obsessed about it that I spend too much time looking for photo references before I draw. Like this pin-up here, for example...


The Paranormals © copyright Carlo Borromeo and Reno Maniquis.

That's why for the PROJECT HERO thing I'm doing for Vin Simbulan, I'm trying to get back to basics. No photo reference, except for backgrounds and other everyday objects. Wish me luck!

Man, this post just went on and on and even I don't know what the single thought behind it was. Must be tired...

Wala lang, napagkatuwaan lang... Superman and Captain Barbell team-up!



I'll be at the KOMIKON 2006, along with the Ravelos, Bong Leal and Dodo Dayao. We'll be manning the MARS RAVELO MARVELOUS CREATIONS, INC. booth, showcasing the history of Mars Ravelo's characters (hopefully) and what the future has in store for them. See you all there!

It's time for the EXODUS PROJECT. This may be the last time I'm going to post some art about this topic, since I've run out of them, anyway. Unless Bong somehow gets to return some of the unfinished art to me and I find the time to scan them.

This time, the aswang Bangkila gets the re-design treatment. She was played in the movie by the sexy Aubrey Miles.



This is how Bangkila more or less appeared in the movie, with trenchcoat, metal claws and wings, plus aviator goggles.



I'm a big XENA fan, and I remember one episode where Xena sports a samurai-styled outfit. This was inspired by that. I think the long sleeves and crotch flap of the original design worked well. It gave a sense of motion, especially when she's flying, so I tried to incorporate that here. I also gave her bat wings, which is more in keeping with her being an aswang.



This one has more of a medieval vampire feel. I tried to incorporate the feel of the trenchcoat from the original design by adding a cape-like trail behind her, though I made the front part sexier by keeping her shorts "short," so to speak. As with all versions, her claws are now retractable, since in the movie version the claws were permanently there. Her wings are like that of an archaeopteryx, leather-like but with feathers.



This last design has a dominatrix/warrior feel to it. I felt like I went over-the-top here a bit, adding unnecessary metal thingies to the costume. I've kept the blade-like wings in this design. Of the three, this is the one I liked least.

My first choice would be the samurai outfit, since it still evokes most of the elements from the original design. I wouldn't want the characters to be virtually unrecognizable from their film counterparts.

For Iya Villania's character Lin-Ay, I didn't do any re-designs, since her costume was fine the way it was.

That's it. Hope you've enjoyed seeing this stuff. Here's the rest of the Thursday Webring...



Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

Once more, KC Cordero gives some useful insights about local publishing. Here's what he has to say about DISTRIBUTION...

"Sa ngayon, kung may publication ka maliit man o malaki ay tulad pa rin ng dati ang distribution. Ikaw ang lalapit sa mga ahente (may asosasyon, meron din naman na indibidwal lang na ahente.) Kung mabenta ang produkto mo, puwede kang mag-demand ng bond depende sa iyo. Ang amount ng bond ay proteksyon mo sakaling balasubasin ka ng ahente at di na mag-remit ng kita. Isinosoli pa rin ang hindi nabentang kopya, at mula roon ay kukuwentahin lang kung ilan ang di nabenta o naisoli ng ahente. Kaya kung tutuusin, kung iisa ang produkto gaya ng kay Gerry (i.e. ELMER) ay mas praktikal na you do the distribution and everything. Karga mo sa car mo, punta ka sa mga bookstore. Pero dapat ay rehistrado 'yan as a company/business para may official receipt ka at makakakuha ka ng ISBN/ISSN sa national library. Sa National Bookstore ay paaaprubahan mo ang kopya bago nila payagan na mai-display roon. At para maaprubahan, magbibigay ka ng kopya ng business registration at company profile. 40% cut nila, at sakaling mawala o manakaw di nila babayaran. Ang kargo lang nila sa 'yo ay 'yung lalabas sa resibo nila. So, kung may nagnakaw at di naka-record sa actual sales nila, sori. Ikaw na rin ang kukuha ng mga kopya na hindi nabenta. Pero pag graphic novel naman ay pumapayag sila na matagal sa display. ang Expressions, Booksale at iba pang bookstore ay 30% lang ang cut."

I hope this proves helpful to all local creators out there!

A few weeks ago, discussions at Randy Valiente's blog prompted me into asking questions about the local komiks "industry."

KC Cordero, associate editor for THE BUZZ magazine, was kind enough to reply. Here's his answer...

"I'm into publishing right now, at ito ang analysis ko. Mahirap nang sabihin ang demographics/class ng readers ngayon. sa karanasan ko sa kasalukuyan, pag gusto ng isang reader ang produkto bibilhin niya 'yan. Ang crucial factor ngayon ay ang visibility. Kung well-distributed ang product, mas nakatitiyak ng ROI. The best marketing strategy is not to determine the classification of the readers, kundi ang makakuha ng maraming stores na pagtitindahan. Isa pa, consciousness ng readers. Kapag lagi niyang nakikita na may komiks palang ganito o ganyan, papasok sa consciousness niya. Pag na-curious siya, bibili. Nagulat nga ako na kahit xerox binibili. Ganoon kasabik ang tao sa komiks. Laging may market sa komiks, maraming nagtatanong. Sana tuluy-tuloy ang paggawa ninyo ng komiks. Saka kung magpapa-print kayo ng komiks, pa-quote kayo sa at least 4 printers. Isa o dalawa roon siguradong mababa sisingil lalo na kung camera-ready na."

Thanks, KC!

I hope anyone out there who's thinking of coming up with their own komiks glean something from this.

Another EXODUS PROJECT feature!

This time, I'll be featuring designs I did for the Santelmo character SILAB, played by BJ Forbes.



This more or less what Silab looked like in the movie. The publisher thought that his costume here was too "modern," and did not fit a "sword & sorcery" setting. I could see his point. A yellow jumpsuit was really out of place in EXODUS' setting.



A study of Silab's head. As you can see from my notes, I wanted his eyes to be red, and his hair actual flames (a la Firestorm). I think the flaming hair was what they intended for the movie, but I guess they opted for red hair due to budget constraints.



This is study 1, more of a swashbuckler-type. I had intended a backstory for Silab that he is prince of the Santelmo race, since we first see him hiding inside the ruins of a castle. So the swashbuckler/princely attire suited this backstory.



Study 2 shows Silab as more of the street urchin/warrior type. Not too much story behind this design, just wanted to throw every possibility I could think of.



And lastly, study 3 is a shaolin-inspired outfit, since in the movie, there are two shaolin kids who appear out of nowhere to help Silab fight. I guess they're flame constructs that he whips out in times of need. This costume is more in tune with that idea.

I can't remember which one the publisher preferred, but for me personally I would have gone for study 1, since it ties in with his supposed backstory.

SILAB property of The Enchanted Kingdom, Inc.

That's all for this week. Check out the rest of the Thursday Webring...



Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

LEAD SLINGER CHALLENGE!



Details at THE BLURB.

I thought I'd post some more sketches of the "EXODUS PROJECT" here. First up, sketches of the main man, Exodus himself...



Here's a study of Exodus' face. I tried to get a considerable likeness of the actor who played him, Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., and tried to beef up the face a little by giving him a more prominent jawline. I also simplified the hair, since in the movie version he had this unruly hair and little braids (a la Padawans in Star Wars).



Here, we have a full-body shot of Exodus. The chest plate has been improved, since some movie critics have said that it looked like he was wearing a bra. I've also redesigned the flap running down between his legs, making it look more heavy for added protection. Here, he is also seen brandishing two swords (or "bahi"). He had two swords in the original screenplay, but I guess it was scrapped in favor of just one. All in all, only minimal redesigning was done.



Here's Tayho, the character played by Benjie Paras. Minimal redesigning, too.. just some tweaking on his body tattoos and making his feet more hoof-like. You can also see a small inset of Tayho in centaur-mode. This was in the original screenplay and we were also going to re-insert it into the comic book. He could switch back and forth from human to centaur if he needed to.

Next week, more designs for the other characters!

All characters are property of The Enchanted Kingdom, Inc.

I know, it's Friday... but here's the Thursday webring anyway...



Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

E-mailed by Ms. Syeri Baet. Great tips for artists who are just starting out.

Taken from Painter Creativity

Top 10 Lies told to Naive Artists and Designers
Mark W. Lewis

1 "Do this one cheap (or free) and we'll make it up on the next one."
No reputable business person would first give away their work and time or merchandise on the hope of making it up later. Can you imagine what a plumber would say if you said "come in, provide and install the sink for free and next time we'll make it up when we need a sink." You would be laughed at! Also the likelyhood is that if something important came along, they wouldn't use you.

2 "We never pay a cent until we see the final product."

This is a croc, unless the person is leaving the door open to cheat you out of your pay. Virtually every profession requres a deposit or incremental payment during anything but the smallest project. Once you have a working relationship, you may work out another arrangement with a client. But a new client should not ask you to go beyond an initial meeting and, perhaps some preliminary sketches without pay on the job!

3 "Do this for us and you'll get great exposure! The jobs will just pour in!"

Baloney. Tell a plumber "Install this sink and my friend will see and you'll get lots of business!" Our plumber friend would say "You mean even if I do a good job I have to give my work away to get noticed? Then it isn't worth the notice." Also the guy would likely brag to everyone he knows about how this would normally cost (X) dollars, but brilliant businessman that he is he got if for free! If anyone calls, they'll expect the same or better deal.

4 On looking at sketches or concepts: "Well, we aren't sure if we want to use you yet, but leave your material here so I can talk to my partner/investor/wife/clergy."

You can be sure that 15 minutes after you leave he will be on the phone to other designers, now with concepts in hand, asking for price quotes. When you call back you will be informed that your prices were too high and Joe Blow Design/Illustration will be doing the job. Why shouldn't they be cheaper? You just gave them hours of free consulting work! Until you have a deal, LEAVE NOTHING CREATIVE at the clients office.

5 "Well, the job isn't CANCELLED, just delayed. Keep the account open and we'll continue in a month or two."

Ummm, probably not. If something is hot, then not, it could be dead. It would be a mistake to *not* bill for work performed at this point and then let the chips fall where they may! Call in two months and someone else may be in that job. And guess what? They don't know you at all.....

6 "Contract? We don't need no stinking contact! Aren't we friends?"

Yes, we are, until something goes wrong or is misunderstood, then you are the jerk in the suit and I am that idiot designer, then the contract is essential. That is, unless one doesn't care about being paid. Any reputable business uses paperwork to define relationships and you should too.

7 "Send me a bill after the work goes to press."

Why wait for an irrelevant deadline to send an invoice? You stand behind your work, right? You are honest, right? Why would you feel bound to this deadline? Once you deliver the work and it is accepted, BILL IT. This point may just be a delaying tactic so the job goes through the printer prior to any question of your being paid. If the guy waits for the job to be printed, and you do changes as necessary, then he can stiff you and not take a chance that he'll have to pay someone else for changes.

8 "The last guy did it for XXX dollars."

That is irrelevant. If the last guy was so good they wouldn't be talking to you, now would they? And what that guy charged means nothing to you, really. People who charge too little for their time go out of business (or self-destruct financially, or change occupations) and then someone else has to step in. Set a fair price and stick to it.

9 "Our budget is XXX dollars, firm."

Amazing, isn't it? This guy goes out to buy a car, and what, knows exactly what he is going to spend before even looking or researching? Not likely. A certain amount of work costs a certain amount of money. If they have less money (and you *can*) do less work and still take the job. But make sure they understand that you are doing less work if you take less money that you originally estimated. Give fewer comps, simplify, let them go elsewhere for services (like films) etc.

10 "We are having financial problems. Give us the work, we'll make some money and we'll pay you. Simple."

Yeah, except when the money comes, you can expect that you will be pretty low on the list to be paid. If someone reaches the point where they admit that the company is in trouble, then they are probably much worse off than they are admitting to. Even then, are you a bank? Are you qualified to check out their financials? If the company is strapped to the point where credit is a problem through credit agencies, banks etc. what business would you have extending credit to them. You have exactly ZERO pull once they have the work. Noble intentions or not, this is probably a losing bet. But if you are going to roll the dice, AT LEAST you should be getting additional money for waiting. The bank gets interest and so should you. That is probably why the person is approaching you; to get six months worth of free interest instead of paying bank rates for credit and then paying you with that money. Don't give away money.

Now, this list wasn't meant to make anyone crazy or paranoid, but is designed to inject some reality into the fantasy.
You are GOING to be dealing with people who are unlike yourself. Their motivations are their own and their attitudes are probably different than yours. There are going to be demands, problems, issues and all the hassles that go with practically ANY work/job/money situation. Too many times I see the sad example of someone walking in to a situation with noble intentions and then getting royally screwed, because what they see as an opportunity and a labor of love, the other party sees as something else entirely, not at all romantic or idealized, but raw and simple.

How can you deal with this stuff and still do good creative work? Good question. THIS is why an education is important. You learn, out of the line of fire, how to deal with the art at it's own level and also how to deal with the crap that surrounds it. You may have tough teachers and think that it can't be worse, but wait until a business person has a hundred grand riding on your art! Then you will know what "demanding" means. You will then thank all those tough teachers for building up the calluses that enable you to enjoy the job rather than just feeling like it is all a big waste of time!

In the end, working commercially, being a terrific artist is about 25% of the task. If that is the only part of the task that you are interested in, do yourself a favor. Don't turn "pro."

Comment ko ito sa blog ni Randy Valiente, gusto ko lamang i-post uli dito. Reaksyon ko ito sa mga negatibong puna ng ilang anonymous commentors doon ukol sa bagong henerasyon ng mga komiks creators ngayon. Pinuna din ang Komikon. To quote...

"Ang henerasyon ding ito ang nagtatatag ng isang di maintindihang "Komikon" sa Pilipinas gayong patay na ang industriya ng local komiks. Ang gamit nilang salita kadalasan ay Ingles, ang mga tao sa drawing nila kadalasan mga caucasian o japanese anime', wala silang pakialam sa suliranin sa paligid nila kaya panay escapism at apathy ang tema ng kanilang mga gawa (at salita), dahil dito todo at abnormal ang pagka-masayahin silang tao at higit sa lahat, may mga sariling mga mundo. "

Here is my reply...

I was just wondering, does the new, young crop of indie filmmakers get this type of flak from others? Why are the new generation of komiks creators getting this?

And why the negative reaction to the Komikon? If there was a Komikon during the heyday of the komiks industry, would it get this same reaction? And isn't the point of any convention (komiks or otherwise) to be a gathering of like-minded people and have fun and discuss things they have in common?

At masama bang mag-target ng specific market? Kung hindi ba masa ang target market mo, huwag ka na lang gumawa ng komiks? Sa marketing, isang malaking no-no ang gawing "ALL" ang target market mo. Kailangan may specific parameters. Oo, maganda kung makuha mo ang lahat (tulad ng nangyari noong panahon sa komiks), pero hindi praktikal ang mag-cater sa panlasa ng lahat.

Kung nais ng ibang publishers na maglabas para sa class A, B at upper C, nasa kanila na iyon. May target din naman silang print run na nais nilang ibenta. Karamihan sa mga iyan ngayon, di na hinahangad ang numbers ng readers noon (which count in the millions). Mabenta nila ang kalahati ng print run nilang 10,000 copies, ROI na sila. Kumita na sila. Masaya na sila doon. At yun naman ang point ng bawat business... ang kumita.

I was browsing around the newsstands recently, and was surprised to see MR. & MS. magazine priced at P100. Noon ay mumurahing babasahin lamang ito. Sobrang iba na ang format nito.

Bakit nagkaganoon? Bumabalik iyan sa sinabi ni Gerry (Alanguilan) na CHANGE OR DIE. I'm just speculating, pero malamang napagtanto ng publishers na hindi na bumebenta ang lumang format ng magazine nila. Hence, they felt the need to "improve" upon it.

Parang mga Showbiz magazines. Dati pulos hanggang mga 20pesos lamang ang mga ito. Ngayon, wala nang bababa sa 50pesos, which is just a little above the range of the "masa." Ang tanging magasin na nakita kong 20pesos ay LIWAYWAY.

Sa ngayon, di pa natin alam kung anong format o klase ng komiks ang kakagatin ng karamihan. Kung kaya't sinusubukan ng iba't-ibang publishers at creators ang iba't-ibang paraan upang makuha ang kiliti ng mambabasa.

Addendum:

At mukhang hindi naman nagpunta sa Komikon ang taong pumuna dito. Kundi'y makikita niya ang variety ng mga komiks na naroon. May mga anime at US style, pero maraming ring hindi. Marami ring seryoso ang tema ng mga gawa nila, at di lang escapism at fantasy ang nakita kong mga komiks noong ako'y nandoon. Kung nagpunta man siya, pareho kayang Komikon ang aming napuntahan?

Maskarado fan art! This time by the talented John Becaro...



View the full version here.

Thanks, John! Hoping to see your comic on the stands soon!

It's Thursday. Visit the other webring guys...



Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

Noong nakaraang Lunes ay death anniversary ni Ninoy Aquino.

Tuwing ako'y nakakabasa o makaririnig ng mga negatibong generalizations tungkol sa Pinoy, 'di ko maiwasang mainis. Lalo na't kung ito'y nanggagaling sa kapwa Pinoy din. Kesyo ang Pinoy daw ay puro siraan, puro awayan, puro inggitan... etcetera etecetera...

Doon lamang sa isang blog na pinupuntahan ko. Nag-aaway na ang mga tao sa comments section tungkol sa kung ano ba talaga ang "Pinoy Komiks." Ayos lang iyon. 'Di naman maiwasang magtalo-talo sa iba't-ibang bagay. Ang ikinainis ko, may nag-comment na "Pinoy nga kayo! Puro awayan!"

Sa tingin ko'y unfair ang mga ganitong comments. Sa tingin niyo ba'y hindi nag-aaway at nagsisiraan ang mga Amerikano? Ang mga Hapon? Ang mga Kastila? Mga Aleman? Lahat ng bansa, mayroong ganyan. Iyan ay likas sa ilang TAO. Hindi lamang sa PINOY. Katulad din na likas din sa tao ang maging MABUTI.

Mahal ko ang aking bayan. Ilang beses na akong nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na mangibang bansa ngunit pinili ko pa ring manirahan sa Pilipinas. Noon ay nagkaroon ako ng Green Card sa US. Ito'y dahil naging immigrants ang mga magulang ko, kaya't damay kaming mga anak nila. Ngunit makalipas ang ilang taon, gi-nive up ko ito. Marami sa mga kailala ko ang nagtaka at nagsabing ang tanga ko daw. Opinyon nila iyon. Ngunit para sa akin, wala akong pagsisisi sa pasya ko.

Nagkaroon din ako ng pagkakataong magtrabaho noon sa Singapore. gunit kasabay noon, nagkaroon din ako ng ibang job offer sa 'Pinas. Malamang nahulaan niyo na kung alin ang pinili ko.

Tunay na minsan ay nakapanlulumo ang sitwasyon sa ating bansa. Ngunit hindi tama na sabihin nating walang kuwenta ang Pinoy. Bakit kapag nasa ibang bansa'y namimitagan tayo at kadalasan ay pinupuri ng mga banyaga? Ngunit sa sarili nating bansa ay hirap tayong makaahon man lamang sa kahirapan? Hindi ko alam ang mga kasagutan, ngunit alam kong kaya natin.

Sabi ni Ninoy, "The Filipino is worth dying for." Iyan ay aking pinaniniwalaan. Bakit, 'ika niyo?

Heto ang isang magandang halimbawa ng magandang ugali ng Pinoy...

May kaibigan ako. Isang araw ay nilapitan siya ng batang babaeng nagbebenta ng sampagita. Beinte pesos lang daw ang isang bungkos. Inabutan niya ng isandaan ang bata, at sinabing kukunin na niya lahat ng paninda nito.

Medyo nataranta ang bata sa paghahanap ng panukli, ngunit sabi ng aking kaibigan ay "Sa 'yo na 'yan." Malaki ang ngiting inabot ng bata ang panindang sampagita. Hindi tinanggap ng kaibigina ko. "Okey lang. Sa 'yo na rin 'yan. Baka maibenta mo pa sa iba."

Lalong lumaki ang ngiti ng bata. Bago kumandirit palayo sa tuwa, Isang tuwang-tuwang "Salamat po!" ang binigkas ng kanyang bibig.

Magandang araw sa lahat!

Birthday ngayon ng bespren ko, si Archie Poblete.

Hoy, gago! Happy Birthday! Nagbabasa ka ba ng blog ko? Malamang hindi.

Sana mabasa mo ito. Laging nagba-bounce back mga email ko sa 'yo! Magbukas ka naman ng yahoo paminsan-minsan!

Happy Birthday na din galing kay Kuki at Jade. At pati na rin kay Ariel.

'Di kita ma-text wala akong load.

I haven't been participating much in the Thursday Comic Webring, so I think I'll make a contribution this week. Yeah, I know, it's only Wednesday, but I'll jump the gun a little.

And, truth to tell, I think the only one in the webring who's been actively posting new strips is Jonas. He he. Sorry Jonas!

Anyway, this is the aborted EXODUS comic book adaptation. I don't know if EK (that's Enchanted Kingdom, ya know) will still be pushing through with this project with another creative team, but this is what it would have looked like if we (that is, Bong Leal and me. He did the backgrounds and colors) had done it.

Bong has also posted some of these images in his blog, sans dialogue. So I thought I'd post it here WITH dialogue (HA! Nasapawan kita, pre. hehehe.)

Click on the links below...

Print Ad
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5

And, check out the other guys in the webring!



Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

Nung bata pa ako, tuwing hapon ay may nagdaraan na magtataho sa neighborhood namin. Kilala namin siya bilang Mang Lando. Walang paltos. Kahit Linggo, dumadaan siya, nagbebenta ng taho. Halos lagi naman niya kaming nakikita, kasi noong unang panahon, ang mga batang tulad namin ay naglalaro sa labas. Di tulad ngayon, nakatutok na lang sa TV o computer.

Pero balik tayo sa panahon ng aking kabataan. Ito ang dekada otsenta, na may halong late 70's na rin. Mabalik na rin tayo kay Mang Lando. Walang paltos din na bumibili kami sa kanya ng taho. Kahit araw-araw, 'di kami nagsasawa. Hindi ko na rin maalala kung magkano ang taho noon, pero ang isang portion ay katumbas ng isang malaking "tumbler," 'di tulad ngayon na limang piso isang lagok lang. Napaghahalata ang edad ko, 'no?

Pumasok lang recently sa utak ko si Mang Lando, na kahit papaano'y naging bahagi ng aking kabataan, at nakapagbigay saya rin siya sa akin at sa aking mga kalaro.

Lumipas ang panahon, at lumalaki na rin kaming mga bata. Nang tumuntong ng High School, 'di na mnasyadong tumatambay sa labas. Pero si Mang Lando, patloy pa rin sa paglalako. Hindi na ako araw-araw bumibili ng taho, pero paminsan-minsan, bumibili pa rin.

Isang araw, may kasama siyang binatilyo. Ang hawak nito'y basket ng lumpia. Napag-alaman namin na anak siya ni Mang Lando. Doon ko lamang napuna, medyo pumuputi na nga ang buhok ni Mang Lando. At mukhang nagba-branch out na siya sa pagtitinda ng taho. Pati pagbebenta ng lumpia, pinasok na rin niya.

Lumipas na naman ang panahon. Kaka-graduate ko lang mula kolehiyo nang may nakasabay akong lalaki sa dyip. Pamilyar ang mukha niya, at pagkatapos kong makapag-isip-isip ng kaunti, nakilala ko rin siya bilang anak ni Mang Lando. Dala pa rin niya ang basket ng lumpia. Kinumusta ko siya. Sabi ko mula nung maliit pa ako'y bumibili na ako ng taho sa tatay niya. Kinumusta ko si Mang Lando. Sabi niya'y medyo matanda na, at 'di na kayang magbuhat ng taho. May mga ilan-ilang sakit na rin dulot ng katandaan.

Tinamaan ako ng lungkot nang malaman ko iyon. Ang naaalala ko pa rin kasi sa balintataw ko ay ang matipunong lalaking araw-araw na nagbubuhat ng mabigat na taho, na laging nakangiti kapag nakikita niyang masaya kaming kumakain ng tinda niya.

Bago kami maghiwalay sa dyip, bumili ako ng lumpia. 'Di siya katulad ng taho, pero nagbigay saya pa rin siya sa kumakalam kong sikmura.

Saan man po kayo, Mang Lando... maraming salamat.

Now that I can blog again, I don't have anything that I really want to blog about. Hnfh. Anyway, here's a blog filler to tide you over 'til inspiration hits me...

BLOG FILLER #7!

Ganito magbigay ng masamang balita:

KUMIRIRING ang telepono nang madaling araw...

"Hello, Master Carlos? Si Arnaldo po ito, 'yung katiwala niyo sa bahay-bakasyunan niyo."

"O, Mr. Arnaldo, ikaw pala. Ano't napatawag ka? May problema ba?"

"Um, napatawag lang po ako para abisuhan kayo na namatay ang alaga niyong parrot."

"'Yung parrot kong si Pikoy, patay? 'Yung nanalo sa bird show?"

"Opo, Master Carlos, 'yun na nga po."

"Putris ... sayang! Ang laki pa naman ng nagastos ko sa ibong 'yon. Hay, buhay! Teka, ano nga ba ang ikinamatay niya?"

"E, kumain po kasi ng bulok na karne...."

"Bulok na karne? At sino namang salbaheng tao ang nagpakain sa kanya ng bulok na karne?"

"W-Wala po. Nanginain po siya ng karne ng isang patay na kabayo."

"Patay na kabayo? Anong patay na kabayo, Mr Arnaldo?"

"E, 'yun pung mga thoroughbred horses niyo, Sir. Namatay po kasi lahat sila sa pagod, kahihila ng kariton ng tubig."

"Nasisiraan ka na ba ng bait? Anong kariton ng tubbbiiiiggggg?"

"'Yun pong pinampatay namin ng sunog."

"Diyos ko po! Anong sunog naman 'yang pinagsasasabi mo?"

"'Yun pong halos tumupok sa bahay niyo.... Tumumba po 'yung isang nakasinding kandila, tapos nagliyab 'yung kurtina at mabilis na kumalat ang apoy...."

"Ano? Puuut.... E, may kuryente naman diyan sa bahay-bakasyunan, a. Para saan 'yung kandila?"

"Para sa burol po."

"Ano? Kaninong burol?"

"Sa nanay n'yo po, Sir. Bigla kasi siya dumating dito nu'ng isang gabi, walang kaabi-abiso. Lampas hatinggabi na. Akala ko po magnanakaw. Binaril ko."

Just saw this cool Maskarado piece from Edgar Tadeo's site...



Hey Ed! Your love for Maskarado makes me blush like a little girl. hehe. If you have a story in mind, I'd be glad to publish it for you in a future ish of Maskarado!

Awesome!

I'M BAAAAAACK! YEESSS!!!

Yep. Not dead yet. Just couldn't blog because of a firewall setup. But that's all OK now.

Hmmm... now what?

Some people have been asking me about the EXODUS comic project for some time now. Well, sad to say, i won't be involved in that project anymore. Let's just say there were some... differences between me and the publisher. But just to set things straight, I don't have any ill feelings towards them. I DO hope that they'll push through with the project, even if it involves a new creative team. And of course, their TALES FROM THE ENCHANTED KINGDOM comic now has issue three in stores, so go buy 'em! I'll try to see if I can post some of the finished pages here or at my website (www.capsulezone.tk). There are about five or six pages done, and some unfinished pencils and character designs.

On the Captain Barbell front, I'll be posting my designs and illustrations soon on my website (www.capsulezone.tk, again). It's great to hear that the GMA TV show is doing well ratings-wise. My main gripe is that they don't show Richard Gutierrez in costume often enough.

Elbert Or has asked me to draw a story for their upcoming PROJECT:HERO volume 2. I think they're targeting a release date later this year, so hopefully 2006 won't end without me getting some new comics work out. I hope I can meet the deadline! (Fingers crossed)

Hopefully I can release TABLOID KOMIKS issue 5 at this year's KOMIKON. Haven't decided yet whether to get a table, since I don't have any new stuff to sell, anyway. But Gerry Alanguilan offered me a bit of space at his table, so I might take him up on that offer. hee hee...

A few plugs for some friends and acquaintances...

Visit Gio Paredes' blog, he may be Maskarado's biggest fan, and I'm flattered by that. He's got some cool characters that he plans to self-publish someday. Here's hoping that day comes soon, Gio!

Bong Leal has some cool art at his blog, he also helped me out with Exodus, doing backgrounds and colors for me. He also designed new, official looks for Darna and Lastikman.

Read Dodo Dayao's thoughts here, he's a budding director, and also the writer of the new Captain Barbell komiks. So, where's the script, Dodo? Pressure! Haha.

And lastly, check out my arm-wrestling match with Troy Montero. Guess who won? (Hint: halos sumuka ako ng dugo.)

When you work in an office environment, there are officemates who smoke. And throughout most of the day, they get to have "yosi breaks," which may be at an average of around 5 times a day.

I think this is unfair to those who don't smoke. Smokers take these breaks at around 5-10 minutes each, so everyday they get more minutes NOT WORKING than those who do not smoke.

Kuki and I were discussing this some time ago, and she's also had this discussion with her friend, Erwin. They suggested that maybe non-smokers should have "Chippy breaks," wherein you can have a break from working and just eat Chippy for 5-10 minutes. Hey, it doesn't have to be Chippy. If Chiz Curls is more your thing (or anything else for that matter), then go for it.

I guess that would make it fair for everyone.

BLOG FILLER #6!

Lessons on Life

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no, it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.


Moral:

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don't judge life by one difficult season.

Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

Ang Mundo ni ANDONG AGIMAT



This is a completely different book from what we've gotten from Arnold Arre in the past. None of the sentimentality which was prevalent in books like AFTER EDEN or TRIP TO TAGAYTAY, heck, even MYTHOLOGY CLASS. Okay, okay, maybe a little between Ando and Silang, but not much. This book is grim, gritty, and dark.

Which makes it GOOD.

Arnold Arre has stepped up his storyteling skills here, and paces each scene just right. Even the long, un-dialogued, all-women fight sequence didn't seem drawn-out. The only scene where I got confused was the flashback sequence of how Ando got to be the "protector." I didn't immediately get (is that correct grammar??!?!) that he was supposed to be the young criminal shown at first.

That said, what I've always admired about his art is that every individual character is distinctly recognizable the way Arnold draws them. That's also the case here. And the way he portrays the cast is very appropriate. The villains are creepy and col-looking, while the heroes look very much like ordinary people.

This may be his most detailed work yet. While the art is rough in some places, that same roughness only adds to the tone of the story, not detracts from it.

The story is just kick-@$$. The pace just keeps you want to turn the page until you get to the very end. I also liked the ending, which is a bit different where (SPOILER!) the hero isn't necessarily there when everything comes together.

It seems this is not the last we've seen of ANDONG AGIMAT, and I, for one, look forward to joining him and Arnold Arre on their further adventures.

SWAMPED THING...

I'm swamped. Swamped with so much stuff to do. Work... comics... family... too much stuff to juggle. Medyo nagbe-break nga lang ako sa pag-blog ko ngayon. Sorry to everyone who's been missing the MASKARADO feature in this blog during THURSDAY COMIC WEBRING. I guess this is my opportunity to announce that it's gonna be on hiatus for a while, much like the MASKARADO comic book and TABLOID KOMIKS, though for TABLOID I'm planning on releasing an issue for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (kelan na nga ba yun?).

Gah. Back to work...

Wow! It's been a month since I last blogged. Maybe some folks thought I was dead or something. Obviously, I'm not. Two reasons why I haven't blogged in a while...

1) I went on a two-week vacation, and I don't have internet at home. Yeah, yeah... I live in a cave.
2) The office (where I blog) has firewalled blogger. Which I don't understand why. I can't even leave comments in other people's blogs.

How can I blog now, you ask? Well, our server was down today, and they had to fix it. It looks like our tech guy forgot to block the websites normally blocked here, so I'm using this once-in-a-lifetime chance to blog. Man, I've had blogging withdrawals for the past month. Blogger may be gone tomorrow (at least here in the office) for all I know.

Ho-kay... let me plug a few things. First up, Mars Ravelo shirts. They're available now at all BRANDED stores (or would that be kiosks). SM malls usually have them. There's one in Megamall, and I know there's another one in SM Southmall. The Megamall branch is situated at the third floor, Bldg. A, near the cinemas. Lastikman and Darna are shirts designed by Bong Leal, And Captain Barbell shirts designed by yours truly. Below is the design for the Captain Barbell shirt...



Second... EXODUS THE OFFICIAL MOVIE ADAPTATION! Yup, I'm now hard at work at adapting the movie into comic format. This won't be a simple retelling of the movie, however, since we'll be tweaking some things a bit and will establish the characters' backgrounds and personalities more. This will be a much deeper story (I hope). It's going to be published by The Enchanted Kingdom. Check out their comic, TALES FROM THE ENCHANTED KINGDOM, the second issue should be out by now. It features a print ad for the Exodus comic. See image below...



That's not the final image in the print ad, though. The editor asked me to tweak the face a bit so it looks more like Bong Revilla (who starred in the movie version). But all in all, I'm pretty psyched about this. It's my biggest project for komiks in recent years, and I hope it does well.

I guess that's it for now. I really hope they drop the firewall on blogger here in the office. it's really a bummer.

E-mail from Dario Carrasco Jr.:

Hi Kabayans,
Anyone here who's interested to do a comics mini-series?

I'm looking for either a penciller or penciller/inker combined for a four issue series approved by Arcana Studio. This project is a creation by Aaron Nelson and myself called "Joe Doogan: Zombie Hunter". The scripts are written already. This is a romp about a lone Australian movie star who has a popular TV show called "Undead Zone" in Downunder and happens to hate zombies that he would hunt them around the world. He was able to get it sponsored and funded by his tv producer. This is a comedy and is very particular in its style. Check some refs here:

Digital Webbing Forums - Joe Doogan 2

If you're interested to do full series four issues of 24 pages each, and also would like a contract for back end profit sharing, let me know and I can give you more details about the project. Email me at panday@pandaystudio.com or pandayboss@yahoo.com.

Thanks.

Dario
www.pandaystudio.com

It's supposed to be Thursday Webring today, but I don't have any Maskarado strip to post. I left my un-scanned strips at home, since I had to do overnight (yes, that's right, overnight, not merely overtime) work last night. I didn't get to go home, and I'm still in the office working. Damn, am I dedicated or what? =P

Anyway, here are the other guys in the webring...



Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

It seems the whole identity of Aklas Isip has spurred a whole lot of discussion among the local komiks people, most notable Dennis Villegas' Pilipino Komiks blog and Gerry Alanguilan's Komikero Journal.

It seems to be that Aklas Isip is either Art Geroche Jr., Art Geroche, or Francine Liberia. Or it may be one or more of them. An Art G. posted here, as well as Francine. I assumed it was Art G. Sr., and it truly is an honor that an artist I admire visited here. If it was his son, then I am also glad for the visit.

Whomever Aklas Isip is, I still stand by my prevoius statements. Please don't judge us artists today, since you son't know any of us personally, let alone our motivations for doing komiks.

I myself love the "old-school" style of art, but I don't condemn the "modern" styles either. We all ahve opinions, but it's another thing to pass judgment.

Here are links to the discussions I mentioned above:

On Reviving The Filipino Komiks Industry (Dennis Villegas)
February 6, 2006 entry on Komikero Comics Journal

Mabuti naman at tinigil na ng MRT yung paghiwalay sa entrance ng mga babae at lalaki. Lalo lang gumugulo ang magulo nang sistema sa pagpasok sa MRT. Alam ko'y ito ang reaksyon nila sa mga balitang may ilan-ilang mga manyakis na kumukuha ng litrato sa pamamagitan ng kanilang cellphone sa palda ng mga kababaihan, at mga balita rin ng "pananantsing" ng iba pang manyakis.

Ngunit nung ginawa nila ang paghihiwalay na ito, lalo lang nabuwisit ang mga tao, lalo na't kapag rush hour na. Tulad halimbawa sa Ayala station, na kung saan pagkahaba-haba ng pila at ni hindi mo nga mawari kung pumipila ka sa pagpasok sa turnstile o kung dun ka nakapila sa mga bumibili pa lamang ng card.

Pipila ka ng matagal, ngunit pagdating mo na sa mga guwardiya'y haharangin ka at sasabihing "lalaki lang dito" o kaya'y "babae lang dito." Hindi ba't sadyang nakakainit ng ulo? Mabuti sana kung sa dulo ng pila ay may magsasabi sa iyo kung saan ka dapat pumila. Kaso'y hindi.

Tulad nung isang linggo na sumakay ako. Sa katabi kong pila (na panlalake lamang) ay may isang babae na ayaw nila papasukin. Pinapapila pa siya uli dun sa pila ng mga babae na pagkahaba-haba (mahaba rin naman ang pila sa lalake). Kahit anong pilit ay matigas ang ulo ng mga guwardiya. Maging ang mga lalaking nakapila ay sinasabing palusutin na ang babae at lalo lamang tumatagal. Wala naman silang pakialam kung doon pumila yung babae. Ngunit sadyang matitigas ang kukote ng mga guwardiya. "Kami ang masusunod," ang sabi pa ng isa. Ni hindi nga siguro nila alam kung bakit hiniwalay ang mga babae't lalaki, ano? Basta't sunod lang sa utos ng nakatataas. Kung sinabi siguro sa kanilang tumalon sa bangin ay gagawin nila.

Iyan din naman ang mali sa pagsunod sa utos nang hindi man lamang ginagamit ang sarili mong utak (o kahit puso).

And since were on the subject of MRT...

Hindi ko talaga mainitindihan kung bakit ang mga tao'y nagpupumilit na tumayo sa may pintuan ng tren, gayong kapag nasa labas ka ay kitang-kita mong maluwag pa sa bandang gitna.

Kapag ako'y sumasakay, sumisiksik ako hangga't makarating ako sa maluwag na bahagi ng tren (sa gitna). Ako'y nagsasabi naman ng "excuse me," ngunit hindi mo rin naman talaga maiiwasang makabangga o makatapak ng paa ng mga taong nagsisiksikan sa may pintuan. Ang masaklap, sila pa ang galit at titingnan ka ng masama.

Aba... pasensya kayo. Kung ayaw niyong matapakan at mabangga, e di huwag kayong sumiksik sa may pinto. Mga engot.

MASKARADO #38





Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH...

(a reaction to a reaction, read it first here in Pinoy Komix Biz, entitled "Will LOVE Revive the Filipino Comics Industry?".)


You know, we COULD ask first, but then how? No comments were appearing in your blog, we don't know how to contact you... how in the world can we ask you first? I don't even know if you'll be able to read this or even approve of this comment in your blog.

Now, you said "almost every local creator" takes his time. As you recall on my blog, I asked where you got this fact. Because, as I said, all the local creators I know are not of this persuasion. And even something as vague as "almost" paints "most" local creator negatively in the eyes of your reading public.

I am not denying the fact that local works do come out infrequently. But the reason you state may or may not be true.

Yes, majority of self-published works are crap. But that's why they're self-published. There is no one to control the quality. But then again, this is true of other countries. A lot of independent crap come out in the US too. I've been to conventions. I've seen them there. I've seen them in shops there. That's a FACT. I see them here too. That too, is a FACT.

And I do agree with you. "Love" ALONE cannot revive the komiks industry. I even mentioned that I agree with you on the point that we need more entrepreneurs and not artists/writers. Komiks, to be considered an industry, has to be a thriving business. But that doesn't mean we should stop striving for excellence. Quality is still a big factor, in any business.

On my part, I was offering an explanation on why local creators (at least those who come out with quality work) are infrequent in their output, based on the people I know. That's why they come out with one-shots and graphic novels. So that there won't be a need for a follow-up issue.

Of course, there are also some who do continuing series (including myself, guilty as charged). And you're right, if you don't follow-up, your readers will leave. Culture Crash comes to mind, for example. This is a lesson I've learned in my self-publishing ventures, too. Which is why I've stopped self-publishing for a while, but I made sure that I didn't leave my readers hanging. I finished the storyline first.

I was refuting one point of your blog, not all of it.

If my train of thought is jumbled, I apologize. I'm not a writer, per se. But I do hope you get what I'm trying to say.

This would be my last word on this subject. If you want to react, fine. I'm not going to push the issue.

I will continue to read your blog, since, as I've said before, it IS informative. I just hope you lessen down the "High-and-Mightiness" tone you always seem to favor.

But if I'm wrong about that "High-and-Mightiness" thing, you can always set me straight...

MASKARADO # 37





Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

An e-mail from TABLOID KOMIKS contributor Tatum Milambiling, A.K.A. Greco M., about his new online comic. Check it out.

"Hi, ako si Greco. Isang Kartunista ng Manila Bulletin. Bisitahin niyo naman ang bagong blog ko. Isa itong blog na naglalaman ng bago kong komiks entitled Aha Hule. Una lumabas 'to sa Sunday colored comics ng MB nung Oct. 9, 2005 kaso pagkalampas ng ikalawang issue hindi na ito nai-published uli. Kaya ngayon sa blog ko na lang ilalabas yung Aha Hule Komiks.

Sana dalawin niyo! Maraming maraming salamat!

Greco M."

Sana makapag-contribute ka pa sa Tabloid! =)

This post is a reaction to the Pinoy Komix Biz article "How Do You Revive the Filipino Comics Industry?"

Or, more specifically, a reaction to this statement made in the aforementioned article:

"Look what's happening today: almost every kind of Filipino comics that came out in the stands appeared infrequently and irregularly such that we are now left with only four active comics publishers. And we're not even sure if some of them are serious in helping develop the local comics biz. Almost every local comics creator takes his precious time in creating his "work of art" because his "art reputation" and "ego" is at stake. He wants to do it himself and needs no assistants to preserve the purity of his so-called "vision". The printing facilities here in the Philippines are below par? Goodness, then we'd better go and work for the U.S., Hong Kong, Korea, or whatever country's comics industry where we'll get paid better and our work printed better. Improvise? Be resourceful? Work within the limitations? Are you kidding? And ruin my precious artistic vision? You say we're on a tight deadline to come up with a story or drawing? Hey, I know. Let's just copy those obscure American or Japanese works and put some minor alterations in there. No one will ever know. After all, you did say to be resourceful, right? Comics production should be taken as a 'fun activity' with no consideration as to cost. They are oftimes the subject of a "kiddie" school project or thesis by rich kids who lead sheltered lives. Use those slick, glossy pages, and stand-out computer coloring at all times to get that muy perfecto "work of art". We'll price it only for the few, westernized rich market segment who can afford it. Forget the mass market. They are too poor to be a market for our kind of art product anyway. Where's my friend, the vulture collector? Did he sell my original comics pages without informing me or giving me a percentage? Almost anybody can be a comics creator or artist nowadays where mediocre work is passed off as a 'work of art' because there are no objective standards in art. Everything is relative: Art, Love, Morals, so who's to judge? With that kind of passivity, with that kind of bohemian intellectual promiscuity, our local comics scene is now dominated the American and Japanese products such that almost everybody prefers them than comics that are locally produced. Its not a media war, its an "art" war. Good stories and art. These two buddies will save the day. Spare me."

Well, how quick are we to judge.

Does he think that local komiks creators (specifically "indie" creators) are Prima Donnas who take their sweet time making "art" when the whim strikes them? Wrong-O.

There may be a few who think the way he described them above, but most of the creators I know have to put food on the table. Mr. Author (he doesn't even have the balls to identify who he really is) is correct in stating that the komiks industry is dead. There are no paying jobs in komiks locally. That's why these independent creators (myself included) put out their stuff infrequently. We have other jobs that demand our immediate attention. We do komiks because we love to do komiks. Most of us don't profit from it, but by God we do it because we don't want to see local komiks die permanently.

I am of the same thought that the local komiks need businessmen. It can't be revived by artists and/or writers alone. Todd McFarlane's business became successful because he eventually stopped drawing and concentrated on the business side of things. You can't juggle both art and business. That way leads to ruin.

What the local creators are doing are sacrificing their time and money, in the hopes that somehow some risk-taking entrepreneur will take notice. That somehow the businessmen will take a crack at reviving the industry.

Mr. Author, don't be too quick to judge. I agree with some of your points, I disagree with others. But don't attack the selfsame people who want the komiks industry to be "born again," so to speak. We all want the komiks industry to thrive again (at least I hope you do).

And if I may, comments in your blog have to be approved by you first. And I don't see any comments in your blog. I have commented some time ago, but it seems you didn't approve it. Come on, have the balls to put your money where your mouth is. Don't go all high-and-mighty that other people's opinions don't matter.

Anyone interested in reading Pinoy Komix Biz, click here.

MASKARADO #36





Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

Humpty dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty dumpty had a great fall
All the King's horses
And all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again

I find it peculiar that whenever we see Humpty Dumpty in pictures, he's a giant egg. Nowhere in the rhyme does it say that Humpty's an egg. he could very well be a robot that can't be put together again (of course he couldn't be a robot since they didn't exist then, but you get the idea).

I did some research, (yeah, yeah, who in their right mind looks up this stuff, right?) and came across something from the always reliable Wikipedia:

"There are various theories of the origin of Humpty Dumpty.

According to an insert taken from the East Anglia Tourist Board in England, Humpty Dumpty was a powerful cannon during the English Civil War. It was mounted on top of the St Mary's at the Wall Church in Colchester defending the city against siege in the summer of 1648. Although Colchester was a Parliamentarian stronghold, it had been captured by the Royalists; they held it for 11 weeks. The church tower was hit by the enemy and the top of the tower was blown off, sending "Humpty" tumbling to the ground. Naturally the King's men (the "men" would have been infantry, and "horses" the cavalry troops) tried to mend "him" but in vain. Visitors to Colchester can see the reconstructed Church tower as they reach the top of Balkerne Hill on the left hand side of the road.

In another theory, Humpty Dumpty referred to King Richard III of England, the hunchbacked monarch, whose horse was named "Wall". During the battle of Bosworth Field, he fell off of his steed and was said to have been "hacked into pieces". (However, although Shakespeare's play depicts Richard as a hunchback, other historical evidence suggests that he was not.)

Humpty Dumpty may also refer to a Roman war machine called a Testudo used to cross moats and climb over castle walls. Humpty Dumpty refers to the turtle-like look of the machine and the noise of the wheels.

Another theory has Humpty Dumpty as medieval slang for a short, clumsy person. Martin Gardner in The Annotated Mother Goose suggests this was exploited in a riddle: after the poem, the reciter asks how could such a thing happen, the answer being that Humpty Dumpty was an egg (which fact is never mentioned in the poem). Since the answer is now so well known, the question is no longer asked. In L. Frank Baum's Mother Goose in Prose, the riddle is devised by the King's daughter (having witnessed Humpty's death)."

Imagine that. Four different origins for Humpty Dumpty. See? You learn something new everyday.

Incidentally, the Wikipedia entry also wondered why Humpty Dumpty is depicted as an egg. Guess I'm not alone when it comes to thinking about stuff like that.

MASKARADO #35





Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado

Dati nag-comment si Kuki na maganda raw ang title ng blog na ito: KA-BLOG! Parang very personal ang dating. Parang Ka-puso, Ka-pamilya... ganoon daw ang dating.

Sabi ko... "Ah, ganu'n ba ang dating? Ang intention ko lang naman e parang tunog ng nahulog... KA-BLAG! E dahil blog ito, binansagan ko ng KA-BLOG!"

Pero kung iisipin mo nga, mas maganda yung definition na naisip niya.

Kaya mula ngayon, 'yun na ang ibig sabihin ng title na ito. Kung ang GMA 7 Kapuso, ang ABS-CBN Kapamilya, pati Studio 23 Ka-Barkada... ako ang inyong... KA-BLOG!

This blog has been so inactive the past few weeks. If it were a real person it would have been overweight by now.

Haven't blogged so much because we've been swamped with work in the office since January started. And it shows no signs of slowing down.

It was my birthday yesterday, and I went home at around 11pm. Heck of a way to spend one's birthday, but, hey, it pays the bills.

When I got home, Kuki was putting Jade to sleep, but then she had a sudden burst of energy when she saw me. We ended up sleeping close to 1am.

At least the day ended on a high note. =)

MASKARADO #34





Jonas Diego
Edgar Tadeo
Ariel Atienza
Jerald Dorado