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...
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Monday, January 23, 2006
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! =)
"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! =)
Thursday, January 19, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, January 16, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
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!
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!
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
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. =)
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. =)
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Hello all! Been away from the blogosphere for a while, mainly because I've been away from the computer most of that time.
The WWE is coming to the Philippines! Yep, they'll be here on February 24 at the Araneta Coliseum. It's the RAW roster, so sadly no Batista (who has Pinoy blood coursing through his veins). That's a bit of a disappointment, but you can be sure I'll be there. Shawn Michaels is coming! HBK! HBK! HBK!
>ahem<
Here's the card...
3 Way WWE Championship Match with Mick Foley as the Special Referee
John Cena vs. Kurt Angle vs. Triple H
Tag Team Special
Shawn Michaels & Ric Flair vs. Edge (Lita) & “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters
Tag Championship Match
Big Show & Kane vs. Tyson Tomko & Snitsky
Shelton Benjamin vs.Carlito
Chavo Guerrero vs.Trevor Murdoch
Woman’s Championship Match
Trish vs. Torrie Wilson
Viscera vs.Lance Cade
Of course, the lineup is subject to change. Ticket info at Ticketnet.
The WWE is coming to the Philippines! Yep, they'll be here on February 24 at the Araneta Coliseum. It's the RAW roster, so sadly no Batista (who has Pinoy blood coursing through his veins). That's a bit of a disappointment, but you can be sure I'll be there. Shawn Michaels is coming! HBK! HBK! HBK!
>ahem<
Here's the card...
3 Way WWE Championship Match with Mick Foley as the Special Referee
John Cena vs. Kurt Angle vs. Triple H
Tag Team Special
Shawn Michaels & Ric Flair vs. Edge (Lita) & “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters
Tag Championship Match
Big Show & Kane vs. Tyson Tomko & Snitsky
Shelton Benjamin vs.Carlito
Chavo Guerrero vs.Trevor Murdoch
Woman’s Championship Match
Trish vs. Torrie Wilson
Viscera vs.Lance Cade
Of course, the lineup is subject to change. Ticket info at Ticketnet.
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