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Thursday, January 26, 2006

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...

10 comments:

Dennis Villegas said...

Well written, Reno.... I hope Mr.(or Miss?)Pinoy Komix Biz gets your point (see I didn't even know if he's/she's a he or she..hehe..confusing).
I'm also a regular reader of Pinoy Komix Biz and even placed its link in my blog to make me remember to read it always. It is very informative and intelligent blog, no doubt about that.
So Mr/Ms. Pinoy Komix Biz, sorry if I just place my comments here.I value your ideas very much and I think yours is one of the most interesting blogs on the net.
I learn many things from you.
But then I can just agree on the points made by Reno.
I hope sir/ma'am, that you will find my comment sincere. Please write more :)

Reno said...

Thanks, Dennis!

Gerry Alanguilan said...

Who says we're doing it to revive the comic book industry? As soon as people take that unrealistic expectation out of their minds the better off we'll be.

I'm doing it for the LOVE of it. *Not* to revive the industry. If the latter was my objective, then I'm the most audacious man alive.

But if doing it for the love of it helps out the industry for a little bit, then that's GREAT! But that is *not* my primary objective. I strive to create good comics. That's all it is. No matter how long it takes.

What many people don't seem to get is that comic book creators today work with a different set of sensibilities to creators of yesteryear.

It's not like before when you had to hack out pages week after week trying to meet weekly deadlines.

Today it's more about the complete work, available in one volume. Many of these things take long to create.

As soon as people stop judging us according to yesterday's realities, realities that we *never* set out to meet, the more they can understand us.

It is such a shame that someone who espouses "unshackling of the mind" in his "name" refuses to practice the same when it comes to us.

monsanto said...

Wait! Hindi ba naglabas dito siya ng Comic Magazine na di na lumalabas ngayon? so Kasama ba siya sa sinasabihan niyang lulubog lilitaw?

Just an observation?

Reno said...

Wag na tayong magpatumpik-tumpik. Si Lawrence Mijares ang sinususpetsa ng karamihan, ang naglabas ng SIKLAB. Ayaw ito i-confirm ni Aklas Isip. Pero Mr. Mijares, kung hindi ikaw si Aklas Isip, mas maigi siguro kung sabihin mo agad na hindi ikaw yun, dahil baka masira ang pangalan mo sa ilan sa mga nagkokomiks.

Pero kung siya nga yun, eh di pinatatamaan pala niya sarili niya. Ipokrito ang maitatawag sa ganitong tao.

Dennis Villegas said...

Hehe. Yung Siklab Magazine, naging upos na lang yata ano? Joke...hehe. Anyways, sana sasagutin ko yung article dun entitled "What Killed the Filipino Komiks Industry", kaso pointless lang, kasi isinusulat ko na naman sa blog ko ang mga talagang naging dahilan ng pagkamatay ng industriya.
Sana lang nag-research siya ng kaunti para nalaman niya yung talagang dahilan. At sana nag-interbyu na rin ng mga talagang kabilang sa industriya noon. Isinisi niya yung pagkamatay ng komiks sa monopolyo ni Don Ramon Roces. Di ba niya alam na si Don Ramon(at si Tony Velasquez) ang nagtatag at nagpalaganap ng industrya ng komiks sa Pilipinas?
Wala ding monoployo na naganap dahil matindi ang kompetisyon ng komiks noon tulad ng sa CRAF, PSG, GMS, Philppine Book Company, Bulaklak, at marami pang iba. Maaaring number#1 ang GASI in terms of readership but they never had a monopoly.

Reno said...

maraming factors ang nag-contribute sa pagbagsak ng komiks. ang naikuwento ng ama ko ay dahil ang mga heirs ng roces ay wala nang interes sa pagkokomiks, kaya binenta nila lahat ng shares ng mga kumpanya. di ko kumpirmado yun. yun lang ang naikuwento sa akin.

Anonymous said...

Art G here.

I think aklas isip may be several people insted of just one. You know, a collaborative effort? What do you think?

Aklas Isip

Anonymous said...

Francine L.

BAKA PA NGA MORE THAN 4, MANG ART.

Aklas Isip 2

Reno said...

Art G is Art Geroche? What an honor, sir, to have you read my blog.

It may be possible that Aklas Isip si several people, and I wouldn't be surprised, given the amount of research being done on his/her/their articles. And I continue to read Pinoy Komix Biz, because a lot can be learned there. Imay not like some of the things he/she/they say, but they'r entitled to voice out their opinions, just like I'm entitled to voice out mine.