Updated CAPSULEZONE website!

A happy, safe and peaceful new year to all! It'll be 2009 in a few hours, so I thought I'd update my old CapsuleZone website to make it easier to use (for me, at least. Hehehe). It's now parked at capsulezone.wordpress.com, but the www.capsulezone.tk address still works. I won't be updating the old geocities site anymore (Lord knows I haven't updated it for more than a year), but I won't be shutting it down, either. It can still be accessed, but I'll be putting up all the content there to the new site pretty soon.

Much of my old and current comics work will be available for viewing at the new website, so please do visit from time to time. :)

Sick and twisted: Mayor beats up 56-year old man and 14-year old kid

Read here for the story. Please spread the word so that people like these won't get away with doing acts like this.

GMA 7 and ABS-CBN have also reported on this incident. Click on the respective links...

GMA news

ABS-CBN news

He's a government peace negotiatior. It would be kinda funny if it wasn't so tragic.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYBODY!

I'm greeting everyone this early because I might not get to blog by the time Christmas vacation comes around.

Anyway, I'll just blog away about some random stuff...

First off, my good friend, writer, and editor at Twenty To Six, Anthony Garcia, has put up some pages for what he's been dubbing our "mystery project." So as not to spoil things, I'll just re-post a couple of pages here for everyone's perusal.

Wall of Angels is still available. Buy it. Now.

Next, here are a couple of pages from a short story I did for writer Robert Heske's COLDBLOODED CHILLERS. It's slated to come out in issue no.3, hopefully available this December or early next year. And if you like what you see here, why not purchase issues 1 and 2, too? You won't be disappointed.

There are a bit more stuff lined up for me in the coming year. I have another project with Robert coming up, another gig for GRAPHIC CLASSICS, in which I'll be working on a script by David Hontiveros. It's a bit amusing that it took a US publisher to enable me and Dave to work on something together, considering we've been acquainted with each other for a long time here in the Philippines. And since we're on the subject, why not get a copy of GRAPHIC CLASSICS: AMBROSE BIERCE. Only $10! Or if you're in Manila, contact me and I can sell some of my copies directly to you. :)

And there's another thingie that's not final yet, but I hope it comes to fruition. I'm very excited by this "thingie," so I'm reaaalllly crossing my fingers on this one.

And on a completely unrelated topic, I just saw ZORRO, THE GAY BLADE recently. I caught a glimpse of this movie on TV back when I was a kid, and remembered the gaudy gold outfit that Zorro wore. After so many years, I finally got the chance to watch the full movie. And I have to say, it was hilarious! George Hamilton was perfect for this role.

To sum it up, Don Diego Vega (I'm assuming it's Diego Vega Jr.,) is requested to come home to California. His father died recently, and the town is taken over by his childhood pal Captain Esteban, now a tyrant. A coffin-like box is sent to Diego, and he discovers his dad was the original Zorro. Either he or his twin brother, Ramon, would have to take up the mantle. After his first outing as Zorro, he sprains his ankle. As fate would have it, his twin brother comes home, now calling himself Bunny Wigglesworth. He takes over the mantle of Zorro while Diego recuperates, but uses a whip and instead of the usual black costume he wears different, gaudily-colored variations of the outfit. Hilarity ensues.

But no, not really. The hilarity began even before Bunny came onto the scene. I was surprised to find myself laughing more at the antics of Diego rather than those by Bunny. Plus, rather than really despise Captain Esteban for the evil man that he is, you end up laughing at the poor sap.

Some Zorro fans have decried this movie (including Howard Chaykin in his introduction to the collected Zorro works by Alex Toth), but this Zorro fan simply loved it. As much as I love Tyrone Power and Guy Williams (okay, even Antonio Banderas), there's a place in the Zorro legacy for George Hamilton.

Now, can anyone tell me where I can get a copy of the 1920 film starring Douglas Fairbanks? :)

IT'S KOMIKON TODAY!

As I type this, the 4th KOMIKON Philippines Komiks Convention is currently underway at U.P. Diliman. It's also the first time I won't be able to attend, since we're moving to a brand new house of our own, and everything has to be packed and moved before the month ends. I'm a bit disappointed that I won't be going, but that's okay since I'm also excited about moving into our new home. So to all the guys out there attending the Komikon, enjoy and I'm sure a lot of you will be having a blast! I'll just be browsing some of the other blogs in the next few days to see what happened.

One other stuff I wanted to blog about is to promote the comic book COLD BLOODED CHILLERS, written and published by a very talented gentleman who goes by the name of Robert Heske.  Issues 1 and 2 are now available through IndyPlanet. And I've illustrated a short story in issue 3 (probably out in December). I hope you guys check it out.

You can also read reviews on the book here and here.

Okay, gotta get back to my packing. Plus I'll have two pages to finish for the next issue of Wall of Angels. Big stuff will be happening for Wall of Angels, writer Anthony Garcia has some stuff cooking. I'm really excited for the book, actually. Watch this space for more announcements! I'd be remiss if I didn't put a link to where you can purchase the book. Click here to order online!

From E-Dispatches from the Great White North... a review of Wall of Angels #5...

"Anthony Garcia's writing is superb with great story-telling and excellent dialogue that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The story is equally matched by Reno Maniquis' stunning artwork that not only is a delight to look at but also is top notch in its visual presentation of the story. This is a good, nope, scratch that, great read, folks. It's fun, fast paced, tightly written and everything else you could hope for in a comic."

Read the rest of the review here.

Thanks to Mr. Jonathan A. Gilbert!

IT'S MY TURN!

My turn to be interviewed, that is. JAZMA ONLINE also interviewed me about my work for WALL OF ANGELS, and also some other stuff about me.

Click here to read the interview.

Thanks to Allen Klingelhoets for the interview!

WALL OF ANGELS publisher, writer and editor Anthony Garcia has an interview up at JAZMA ONLINE.



Click here to read the interview.

FOR THOSE WHO CAME IN LATE...



I really, really like the Phantom. I think he's the most durable character in comics, right? He pre-dated Batman and even Superman. Plus, he still has new comic strips going. Tarzan and Flash Gordon only come out in reprints nowadays. He's matched in that aspect only by Prince Valiant, but then again Prince Valiant only comes out in Sunday strips, while the Phantom has Sunday strips and daily strips, all drawn by the wonderful Paul Ryan.

My first Phantom comic book was a reprint from Alemar's bookstore some years back. I wasn't impressed by it then, since the art was not really spectacular (this being the Gold Key or Dell productions, I think). I would see him in the newspapers, but still didn't follow his adventures much, since I don't read the newspaper everyday when I was a kid. All that changed when I started buying the Phantom comic from DC Comics during the 80s. Mark Verheiden's stories really impressed me, As did Luke McDonnell's art (who I didn't like during his JLA tenure, but he was a perfect fit for the Phantom). From that moment on, I was hooked. I was looking for any Phantom comic I could find. I discovered and tracked down the late, great Don Newton Charlton drawn books. I started clipping out the strips drawn by Sy Barry. I even watched the not-so-spectacular movie starring Billy Zane (and bought the DVD).

I guess what I'm trying to do here is actively lobby for an opportunity to draw the Phantom. So if in the most unlikely chance that any of the Phantom's publishers come across this blog, I am ready, willing and able to draw the Phantom for you. Moonstone Books, Egmont, Frew Publications, even King Features Syndicate (on the slight chance that Paul Ryan leaves the strip)... I BEG you to give me a chance. Oh, and Dynamite Entertainment... I hear you're coming up with your own Phantom title. If you don't have an artist yet, I'm your man!

Hey, Billy Zane lobbied for the role, and he got it, right? So maybe it'll work for me, too.

Oh, the pencils above were' done by me. I'll ink it and post the finished art here sometime in the future.

WALL OF ANGELS no. 6 is now available on WOWIO! Click the link below...



It's free to read online, or download a pdf file for only $0.99. As of this writing, it has been viewed 535 times. That's a lot, right? :)

Also, Graphic Classics Volume 6: Ambrose Bierce - 2nd Edition is available. I've worked on an adaptation of "The Damned Thing" with writer Rod Lott. Also features work from fellow Filipino Carlo Vergara.

And check out Cold Blooded Chillers issue 1. I'll be doing a short story for them in the future. Check out their site at www.coldbloodedchillers.com.

Thanks for your support!

UPDATE: Wall of Angels #6 is now available for purchase at www.indyplanet.com! Click here to order online.

I was on my way to work this morning, as usual catching the train to work. In my zeal to board the train before the doors close, I bumped a couple of people.

The woman that I bumped let loose an angry tirade of words, and I responded in kind. The man I bumped jumped to her defense, saying I bumped him, too. Hotheadedness prevailed and I let loose a few angry words at him, too. Then I told them it was over and done with and shut my mouth for the duration of the ride.

As I was standing there during the ride steaming, I had the chance to cool off and think about things. I realized that I was the guilty party here. My conscience wouldn't let it go.

As my stop came closer, I approached both the man and the woman and told them I was sorry. They both nodded in response. As I got off the train, I felt as if a huge burden was lifted off my shoulders.

Why am I sharing this? It's just to let anyone who reads this that it's always better to have a cool head. it's also better to admit when you are wrong. And it's best to say "sorry" when you are.


Image from www.boardgamecapital.com

I've added a link to BAYAN KNIGHTS right there on my link list. I hope you guys can check it out. :)

Here's the teaser trailer...

REALLY not meant to be...



As you can see, White Wolf and Maskarado are still up there, though the character who's different is VAMPIOLO by Garro. It was decided to move around the characters, so Sandata and Sanduguan got moved to a strictly superhero title with some of Gilbert Monsanto's characters. The comic that was supposed to feature Maskarado and White Wolf became a dark, noir-ish title, so Vampiolo was added. That's why you can see the lighting in the art above has a bit more shadows.

Well, the plans went kaput! and that was that.

Anyway, this new BAYAN KNIGHTS project that Gilbert and Gio Paredes have cooked up got me excited. Maskarado will be part of the group, although I won't be taking an active part in the creation of the book itself. Oh, and Sandata and Sanduguan will be there, too. Good luck, guys!

Not meant to be...


Colors by Ner Pedrina

This was supposed to be a monthly anthology, with three continuing stories. After plenty of talks and some starts and stops, it got stopped permanently. It actually evolved into another thing, but that, too, didn't push through. I'll show what it evolved into on my next post.

I won't go into details on how or why the project didn't materialize. I just wanted to show the effort put into this so the artwork won't go to waste.

Sandata created by Ner Pedrina, White Wolf created by Leonard Banaag and Jomar Bulda.

MOONTRACKER



The above piece of art was done for Dario Carrasco Jr. I was supposed to do the book for him, but some other stuff prevented me from doing so.

Moontracker is written by C.W. Russette and illustrated by Dario Carrasco Jr. Coming soon from Arcana Studio!

As far as food products go, I have to give kudos to this kani crab manufacturer for their honesty...



The brand name says it all... ROBO CRAB. Yep, you can't make fake crab any faker than that. :)

Aaarrghh! Just got tagged by Gilbert.
Oh well, just to prove how boring a person I am, here are my answers...

1. What do you want for your birthday?
- Nothing really. Just to get to spend some time to relax.

2. Who will be your next kiss?
-I guess it would either be Jade or Kuki. Most definitely a hug will come with the kiss if it's from Jade.

3. When was the last time you went to the mall?
- Yesterday morning, at SM Megamall. Had to go to Megaclinic for some physical therapy for my right shoulder.

4. Are you wearing socks right now?
- Yep. Bought them for 20 pesos a pair from a sidewalk vendor. They're very comfy.

5. How did you spend your summer?
- We went to Boracay, stayed at Discovery Shores. If you can afford it, I highly recommend it. And I'm not saying that just because Kuki works there.

6. Have you been to the cinema in the last 5 days?
- Nope. I rarely get to go to the movies nowadays. I saw Dark Knight with Kuki, though. Very good movie, although it left me with a "heavy" feeling afterwards.

7. What was the last thing you had to drink?
- Nai Cha milk tea, then water with Clusivol.

8. What are you wearing right now?
-Black DX t-shirt, Bench low-rise jeans, the aforementioned socks, and Adidas Adizero rubber shoes. Great for running! (Ayos ba? merong mga links, ha? Kunin niyo naman akong endorser! hehe)

9. What was your last purchase?
- A back issue of SFX magazine from Booksale.

10. What was the last food you ate?
- Ham, half a hotdog, and rice.

11. Who would be the person you would call if you were up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep?
- I'd call nobody. The person I'd most like to talk to would be lying next to me. :)

12. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?-
- Nope.

13. Do you have a pet?
- None whatsoever.

14. What made you laugh in the last 5 days?
- My family. Really, they're hilarious.

15. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?
- In front of the computer. Except it ould be at home, and not at the office. Hehe.

16. What is the last thing you purchased online?
- I don't buy stuff online. Yeah, I'm kinda ancient like that.

17. One thing you hate about yourself?
- My damn shoulder impingement. It's getting hard to draw, or do anything with my right hand, for that matter.

18. Do you miss anyone?
- I miss my bestest friend, Archie. I love youuuuuuu!!!!!!!

19. What are your plans for the day?
- To finish this damn questionnaire and get back to work so I can go home on time.

20. Last person you msg’d?
- Oh, I wouldn't throw msg in anybody's face. That would be wrong. I'd eat it though. MSG IS NOT HARMFUL!!!

21. Ever went to a camp?
- I remember going to Camp Suki once. I had to rent a costume.

22. Are you a good student in school?
- I didn't get high grades, just good enough. Though I remember being well-behaved. Or maybe I just didn't get caught. Oh wait. I was caught cheating on a test once. My bad.

23. What do you know about the (your) future?
- I do know that I'll be able to finish answering this.

24. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne?
- Nope.

25. Where is/are your best friend/s right now?
- The aforementioned Archie is in Canada right now. I miss you man. I love yoouuuuuuu!!!!

That's it? That's the end? Thank goodness. Now, my turn to inflict the pain on someone else...

I tag Gio, Ariel, Annie and Dodo. Bwahahahaha!

San Diego Comic Con 2008....




My first and only trip to SDCC was in 1998. In fact, I think that was my last trip to the USA. Who'd have thought 10 years later, my artwork would be displayed in its hallowed walls of geekdom? :)

My publisher, TwentyToSix Books, was an exhibitor there, and writer/editor/publisher Anthony Garcia sent me these pics. Form what he told me, a great time was had by all, even though it was exhausting.

A couple of comic pros liked the work I did for Wall of Angels, namely Shannon Wheeler (of Too Much Coffee Man fame), who, according to Anthony, thought the art was awesome. And even painter extraordinaire Dave Dorman said it was a solid product. To which I can only say thank you for the kind words, and rest assured we'll be doing much better in the coming issues.

Oh, and lest I forget, GRAPHIC CLASSICS: AMBROSE BIERCE 2nd Edition should be out this August, in which I drew the short story "The Damned Thing", scripted by Rod Lott. Check out the Graphic Classics website here.

Teka, napansin ko... Kamukha ni John Becaro yung naka-Superman costume, ah. Ikaw ba 'yan, John? :P

Here's Jade's absolutlest, mostest favorite song (at least for the moment)...



"Mercy" by Duffy.

Jade was singing one day, and the lyrics went "I was begging you for mercy, mercy... why won't you release me." Me and Kuki were intrigued, since we haven't heard a song like that before. Jade said she heard it playing on her school bus' radio.

A quick Google of the lyrics later, I found the song, downloaded it, and now Jade listens to it on her iPod shuffle repeatedly. What can I say? The kid has good taste in music. :)

Anyone reading this blog going to the San Diego Comic Con?

If you are, please take the time to visit the TwentyToSix and say hi to my publisher/writer Anthony Garcia. While you're at it, pick up a few of their titles, especially Wall of Angels. Issue 5 is the latest, and I think preview copies of issue 6 will also be available.

Here's the colored cover of Wall of Angels #6, colors by HiFi Design...

Random art posting...



This was originally supposed to accompany an article about Filipino Komiks characters, but I think the publisher decided not to run the story.

Included in the pic are: Palos, Zuma, The Hands, Darna, Panday, Hagibis (or is it Gat Sibasib? Can't remember), One Day Isang Diwa, Angel Ace, God Machine X, Kubori Kikiam, Wasted, Batch 72, and Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah.

Here are some pics of my niece, Kristine Angela Tolentino, also known as Kitten or Kit to her friends and family...





Why am I posting these? Well, I just wanted to embarrass her. Hehe.

Remember my post about the death of Martian Manhunter?

Well, after reading FINAL CRISIS: REQUIEM, I have to thank Peter Tomasi, Doug Mahnke and Chritstian Alamy & Rodney Ramos for giving back some dignity to J'onn. The last page with Batman placing an Oreo on J'onn's coffin had me all choked up. I remember reading an old JLI issue where Batman, being the loner that he is, really considers J'onn to be among his closest friends. In that particular issue, he even smiled when J'onn appeared to help him on a case. I guess so many comic fans became familiar with the Martian Manhunter during the JLI days, and it also showed a more "human" side to him.



I have this theory, though. J'onn's funeral was on Mars. And, Grant Morrison, who first wrote about his death, was the grand architect of the miniseries DC ONE MILLION some years back. And I remember J'onn being alive in the year one million, he had merged with the planet Mars itself. If ever there were plans to resurrect J'onn, I can see this becoming a very plausible explanation for his return.

Anyway, for all J'onn J'onzz fans out there, pick up FINAL CRISIS: REQUIEM. It's a good enough sendoff to one of the big 7 of the Justice League.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS!



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Thanks to Budjette, here's Invincible Iron Man writer Matt Fraction's reaction to comments about the Triumph Division...

(Taken from the Jinxworld Forums)

SPOILERS, for people that haven't read the issue,and might want to avoid a small spoiler for IIM #4:

Respectfully, I disagree. It wasn't poorly researched; I promise-- but it was written for a predominantly American comics audience, which resulted in me making some choices for ease-of-reading rather than absolute cultural accuracy. I made that call because I felt if I had to explain and contextualize things for every reader, it would've slowed the story to a halt. Were I writing a Filipino team for a Filipino audience it would have been different.

I know Mongoose aren't indiginous to the Philippines, but they ARE there, and had i time and space to talk about the character, I would've and i think it would've made sense (it's a reference to his kung fu fighting style, but how do you casually bring that up at a ceremony like that?). St. George I disagree with-- as a judeo-christian and catholic icon, I think that's an appropropriate name, especially for the religious makeup of the country.

And as I said elsewhere upthread, I'm introducing the team twice-- read the whole story before you condemn me for creating a team just to kill them off.

I know there's been issue with the use of the faux-Buddhist/Krishna-ish monks in the scene, but as the Philippines is mostly Roman-Catholic, I wanted to pick a visual signifier for a religion and a religous group and its practitioners that, in both countries (the US and the Philippines), indicated a signifigantly small minority. To dress the bombers in a way that immediately suggested a devout religious group, and a somewhat.... not necessarily mysterious, but an exotic one. they were SUPPOSED to a startling and rare group of people, which is exactly what they were.

(this issue saw the first real editorial content note I've ever received: in the inital drafts of the script, the monks were children. the bombers were supposed to be nearly a-religious...)

I talked to a couple Pinoy friends, both here and in the Philippines (at one point even toyed with doing the whole scene in Tagalog) about the characters and the scene and felt comfortable with the way it ran. The mongoose was the one issue that came up and it was one that I chose to make (ultimately, it's a name, and just struck me as-- well, a name. Is "Green Lantern" too American a name? Etc. etc.). The rest I'd argue with similar to how I have here on the basis factual or artistic decisions.

-------------------------------------------------------------

What I have to say...

If that's the intent for the monks, well, okay. But the intent wasn't clear in the comic itself, and it doesn't have to be explained in an online forum so that Pinoy readers would "get" it, right? For me, the monks still seemed out of place.

As for the heroes not being "Filipin-ized," I really don't have a problem with that. I don't know why some folks insist that Pinoy superheroes should have a Pinoy flavor in their names or appearances. Is Captain Barbell a Pinoy name? Nope. Likewise, is Batman an American-sounding name? Not really.

Anyway... Immortal Iron Fist ROCKS. Hey, that got me to thinking... are the Chinese cultural references there accurate? Just wondering...

The death of J'onn J'onzz... what a waste, eh?

Anyone who's read Final Crisis will know what I'm talking about. Here's a scan of the death scene...



Man, such an ignoble way to die. Hunted down and slaughtered just like that. Who'd have thought it would be so easy?

Wait a minute... it shouldn't be so easy. since Martian Manhunter is almost at the same power class as Superman, and has been at the hero game since the 1950s. You'd think he would have been in worse situations than that.

But no... his death was shameful. No self-sacrificing death. No heroic demise. Just plain pffffffffttt. Heck, even C-list GL Corpsman Arkis Chummuck died saving his fellow Green Lanterns.

I'll just comfort myself in the fact that it was a Skrull impersonator who died. Really, have you seen the chin J'onn was sporting before his death?

So, Mr. Michael Netzer, I hope DC takes you up on your offer after Final Crisis is done.

Ooookaayyy... can someone explain this to me?

In the latest issue of Invincible Iron Man (#2, to be exact), a super-team from the Philippines is introduced called the Triumph Division...



A bunch of cool-looking heroes, right? What's got me confused is this...



What the heck are Buddhist monks doing in Manila??!?! The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country, and we also have a sizeable amount of Muslims, too. Where did these Buddhists come from? Did they confuse Thailand for the Philippines?

Would it kill Marvel to actually do some research? Couldn't they have just asked Leinil Yu about the Philippines?

Seriously, WTF?!?!

One thing they got right... pot-bellied policemen guarding the whole shebang. :P

Just a little teaser...

It was Free Comic Book Day yesterday, and for the first time I missed it. I was at a business meeting the whole morning until about 1:00 in the afternoon that I was just so doggone tired and just wanted to go home. Plus, I missed Kuki and Jade that I decided just to forego FCBD and stay with my family. My only regret was that I wasn't able to get a copy of the free comic from Graphic Classics.

Well, I guess I'll just read all about FCBD from other people's blogs. :)


Image from blog.beliefnet.com

Anyway, I just watched Beowulf on DVD this morning, and decided to write my opinion about it. I'm assuming everyone has seen it by this time, so suffice to say there may be spoilers ahead. But really, weren't we all required to read this during grade school? I guess everyone knows the basic story by now.

The one thing that really struck me about this version is that from the get-go, none of the characters are particularly likeable. It's hard to muster any sympathy for most of the lead characters, with the exception of Beowulf's right hand man Wiglaf and the the queen Wealthow. Beowulf himself is a pretty annoying braggart. Throughout the movie, I didn't particularly care what happens to most of the cast. I found myself being more sympathetic to Grendel's plight, since the monster is portrayed as a dejected son (impled to ne King Hrothgar's, actually).

But I guess maybe what director Robert Zemeckis and co. are trying to say is that men can easily fall prey to our own failings and to temptation, as personified by Grendel's mother, who is the master manipulator behind all the bad things happening in this movie. She has no particular motivation, actually, other than enjoying playing around with the humans around her. Even manipulating her sons to do her work. Sons? Yep, she bedded Beowulf and they had a son, the dragon, who in the film's finale seeks revenge against his negligent father.

In the end, Beowulf realizes the mistakes he made, but it comes a little bit too late. All throughout the majority of the movie he has been unlikeable, so when he finally finds redemption in the end, I found myself hard-pressed to even care. In the end, he gets a burial at sea, and Grendel's mother reappears, now setting her sights on tempting Wiglaf, who is now king. It all ends there, leaving it to the audience to conclude if Wiglaf falls prey to her advances or not. All throughout the film I found Wiglaf to be a man of very strong character, and as someone who is very fiercely loyal to Beowulf. I'd like to think that everything ends on a good note.

What else? Man, I found the animation to be very stiff. I don't know why they couldn't have made this in live-action instead of "realistic" (and I use that term very loosely) CGI. I think it would have worked better.

I have to admit, though, that the final battle with the dragon was spectacular, but again, like Beowulf's redemption, it comes a little bit too late. I guess this DVD will be going to my "for sale" bin.

Could this be the next big budget blockbuster movie!!?!?!



Well, one can only dream. right? :)

I was just fooling around during my lunch break and quickly cobbled up this faux movie poster with some images I got off the internet (so please don't sue me!). Rhian Ramos was the first actress who popped in my head when I was thinking of a lead actress so there she is. And, yes, that's me in the Maskarado costume. I had one made a while back. Complete with foam muscle suit underneath. That costume is HOT! I think it needs a little bit more streamlining, but that will come when I have the budget to pay for it again. I still need to get some white boots. :P

Anyone out there interested in making this movie? Or a teleseries, maybe? GMA? ABS-CBN? ABC 5? Maybe IBC 13? :)

Hey, who would you like to see play the role of Maskarado? I'm thinking Alfred Vargas (since Kuki likes him), or maybe Will Devaughn? Who else would be good for the role?

As a regular MRT rider, I couldn't help but notice the small stickers plastered on the train walls with the title of KFC Cruelty. Upon inspection of their website, it looks like a PETA-backed campaign which encourages everyone to boycott KFC, since they (according to PETA) subject their chickens to physical abuse. To quote the site:

"KFC suppliers cram birds into huge waste-filled factories, breed and drug them to grow so large that they can’t even walk, and often break their wings and legs. At slaughter, the birds’ throats are slit and they are dropped into tanks of scalding-hot water—often while they are still conscious. It would be illegal for KFC to abuse dogs, cats, pigs, or cows in these ways."

Which got me to remembering this article I once read when I was in high school about one of the provinces in our country (I can't remember which one) where they first beat up the chicken (while it's still alive) before it's cooked. The reason for this is the beat-up chicken releases adrenalin through its skin, making it tastier when cooked. I don't know if this is still practiced up to this day (chances are it still is).

Where do I stand on all this? I honestly don't know. Part of me says "They're just chickens! They're food to us!" But still another part of me would hate for that to happen to my pet (if I had one). What I do know is I hardly eat at KFC anymore. After years of eating there, I seem to have developed a sort of taste fatigue for their chicken. Same goes for Jollibee's Chickenjoy.

Anyway, here's hoping PETA will do the campaign below for the Philippines:


(image from tygerland.net)

Would something like that convince you? ;P

Newsarama review for Sequential Suicide 2008 TPB: Slop...



Writer(s): A heap of ‘em
Artist(s): A mass of ‘em
From: 803 Studios
Review By: Jeff

I’m not a fan of anthologies. I find them to be as aggravatingly similar to buying music on CD: you get one or two tracks of brilliance, and then thirteen more of space-filling caterwauling. They are the epitome of Forrest’s box of chocolates analogy (anthologies, not the CDs) and even though I’ve been burned over and over again, I still pick them up after a quick breeze through. I want to believe not only that it’s possible to put out a quality tome of shorts surrounding a central theme and told from multiple perspectives, but that one can create such a creature that doesn’t require a doctorate in metaphysics or existentialism in order to understand (Flight for example).

That’s how I came to Slop. Created by 803 Studios to showcase writers and artists that the rest of the comic book community would choose to ignore, the premise for this anthology (which I believe is their second outing) is Remus Filch, pig-farmer by day, serial killer of prostitutes by night. Connect the dots and you can quickly suss out how Remus’s blue-ribbon winning sows get their High-Pro glow. Lest you think this is ridiculous (or even derivative of Gerald Grice from Watchmen infamy), allow me to introduce you to Robert Pickton, the Canadian real-life inspiration for Remus who might be responsible for sixty or more murders. Having followed several serial-killer cases and Pickton’s in particular, I had to read this book.

And what a gem it is.

There are fourteen stories here, each one with a different artist and writer team (one is even penned by Newsarama’s own Steven Ekstrom) trying to get into the head of a truly evil and unhinged individual and scratch the surface of what makes him tick so terrifyingly out of time with the world around him. Well, most of them, anyway: Mr. Ekstrom’s “Breakfast” takes a more law-enforcement-centric approach; “In A Pig’s Eye” by Anthony Hightower posits the possibility that the pigs might be aware that they are accessories to the crime; “The Dancer” by Steven Prouse takes a Korean horror movie inflection to examine the results of a Fourth of July pig roast; and “Hunger” by Patrick Tkaczynski is really so far off the reservation that it’s almost into another genre (terrific, I need to state, but an odd inclusion to this book).

Having taken Andy Schmidt’s “Writing For Comics” introductory course (www.ComicsExperience.com) I can appreciate the difficulty in trying to tell a story within the confines of five to eight pages. Surprisingly, the majority of this lot perform admirably, telling tales of creepiness that echo of the good old days from EC and Warren Comics. For sure, “Sacrament” by Travis Legge is the most shuddersome of the lot. The violence and gore is mostly confined off-panel, which I feel is better storytelling and the only time weakness really appears is in some conclusions, when the stories feel as if they have been guillotined into truncation so as to fit the allotted space. I would have liked a few more pages on some of them of the offerings, just as I would have liked a couple more stories told from the law enforcement’s point of view as they hunt and try to catch this psychopath.

Where this anthology really shines, though, is in its artwork. I have never heard of these artists, but why they don’t currently have regular work is as mystifying to me as why the world drinks Coke Zero. Reno Maniquis (team-mate of the aforementioned Mr. Tkaczynski), why aren’t you drawing New Avengers? And Daniele Serra, I’ll take your art over Ben Templesmith’s any day of the week. Making the book in black and white may have been a publishing choice in order to reign in costs, but as a horror book it is imperative. There is such diversity amongst the artists that it’s a smorgasbord of visual delight, much more solid than any anthology I have read in the past several years.

That a book this entertaining hails from a small publisher is impressive. It far outshines similar fare from its bigger peers and has a quality to it that every small publisher should take notes from. For fans of horror, crime, and the odd, this book is certainly a must have.
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Woo-hoo! Thanks for the special mention, Newsarama! Now, if only I can get Marvel Comics to look at this book...

Although, I do drink Coke Zero. But I prefer Pepsi Max. :)

The "T" IN TITANS...


Image from en.dcdatabaseproject.com

Jade was watching TEEN TITANS on TV this morning, and she asked me "Why do the Titans live in a T?"

I said "Because Titans start with the letter T, right?" To which she immediately replied "We should live in a P because we're people!" :)

WALL OF ANGELS #5 NOW AVAILABLE!


Cover colors by Brian Miller and HiFi Design.

Go to www.twentytosix.com for more info on how to purchase this comic book. or, if you live in the USA, it's free for download at wowio.com. Click on the icon below to go directly to the book's wowio page...



Can't wait to get my comp copy! :)

This won't be available until August, but you can pre-order it now from Amazon.com! I'm really excited about this book, since this is the most "mainstream" of the comics projects I have done for the US market to date. So, please buy it! :)



Graphic Classics Volume 6: Ambrose Bierce - 2nd Edition
by Ambrose Bierce, Mort Castle, Rod Lott, Antonella Caputo, Steven Cerio, Stanley Shaw, Carlo Vergara, Reno Maniquis, Mark A. Nelson, Annie Owens, Michael Slack, Dan Burr, Milton Knight, Roger Langridge, Dan O'Neill, Shary Flenniken, Johnny Ryan, Florence Cestac, Mark Dancey

Graphic Classics: Ambrose Bierce is revised, with 70 new pages, including new comics adaptations of "Moxon's Master", "The Damned Thing" and "The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter". Returning from the first edition are "The Stranger" and four other tales, plus a collection of 20 short fables illustrated by Dan O'Neill, Shary Flenniken, Florence Cestac, Johnny Ryan and more great artists. With a stunning cover illustration by Steven Cerio.

Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Eureka Productions; 2 edition (August 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0978791959
ISBN-13: 978-0978791957
Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.5 inches

You know that TV ad that says "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" that conveys the message that Mac is better?

Well, yeah, maybe, but certainly not in my case.

Don't get me wrong. I have been a loyal Mac user for more than a decade, but being a Mac OWNER is the pits. Kuki bought a 17" iMac G5 for me about two years ago. It was working fine until last October then a vertical line started appearing on the screen. I inquired about it at my local dealer and they said the LCD needed replacing, but the parts needed were unavailable.

Fast forward to today, and my whole screen is shot (I'm typing this at the office). Since it's an iMac, it's just in one piece, not like a PC which has a separate monitor and CPU. Well, guess what? It seems the parts are still unavailable, and it's looking bleak that Apple's going to start production on it again. Which just sucks big-time. I was forced to buy an external monitor, but to my surprise the cable I need isn't readily available here in the Philippines. It's been two weeks now and I have to wait for the cable to arrive from God-knows-where. So essentially, I haven't been able to use my computer for close to two weeks, since last week was Holy Week and the computer shop couldn't process my order.

To be fair, the local Mac dealers have been a great help, but Apple itself irritates me. I've since then learned that a lot of people have had the same problems with the same mac model, but Apple seems to be keeping mum about the whole issue. There was one guy online who had the same problem and had his Mac replaced (kids, if you're purchasing a Mac, it's advisable to purchase the extended 3-year warranty called AppleCare, although it's a bit on the expensive side, too). What happened to his new Mac? The screen started to have vertical lines, too. Meaning that THAT particular iMac model really had problems.

So, Mr. Steve Jobs, shouldn't we all get a refund or have our Macs replaced since you sold us defective products in the first place?

Yeah, like that'll happen.

So, kiddies, if you want to buy a Mac, get AppleCare, and don't buy the 17" iMac G5.

Me, I'm considering buying a PC for my personal use. At least the parts I need are available EVERYWHERE.

Crap... This thing just pisses me off.

Here's the first page of the short story I did with author Patrick Tkaczynski for the anthology Sequential Suicide: Slop...



If you want to know more, there's an interview with editor Steven Prouse right here.

I'll try to get ahold of some copies and hopefully I'll be selling some of it here in the Philippines in the near future. :)

Oh, and check out the new link I added to the links list on the right. It's a blog site called Video 48. They've got cool scans of vintage Philippine movies. I was especially surprised to learn that Victor Wood once played Batman! If you're a movie buff, I suggest you check it out. It's awesome!

TINY TONY COSTUME DESIGNS

The original Tiny Tony was created by Mars Ravelo and Jim Fernandez. I think this character, out of all the other Mars Ravelo characters, was really begging for a re-design, since he was just wearing a striped shirt, black trunks and went around barefoot. Here are some of my sketches for the new Tiny Tony design, commissioned by the Ravelos...



These are the initial designs I had. You can see what I thought about each design from my notes. The first one is in the vein of the traditional superhero tights, but even as I did it I wanted it to be not too superhero-ey. The second is more of a special forces type, since I reasoned that in his small size he could do with a bit more of protection, and also as you can see I wanted him to have gadgets, since he was a scientist in his original incarnation. On the third design, I was playing with the thought of him being an adventurer-type like Doc Savage. Although I think it went a bit too far to the other side of the spectrum and the look became too much civilian wear-ish.




Here's the final design. Ultimately, they went with the first sketch, but incorporating the idea of the second sketch wherein he will have gadgets to help him do whatever stuff he needs to do. Also, the bodysuit has become a bit more of a body armor. In all of the designs, the big "T" is ever-present, although I think in spite of it being big, it comes off as a subtle design element.

All in all, I have done three re-designs for the Ravelos, namely Captain Barbell, Flash Bomba and Tiny Tony.

And as an added treat, here's Tony fighting a snake (art by Jim Fernandez), image borrowed from www.internationalhero.co.uk, courtesy of Mars Ravelo fanatic Raffy Arcega...

I just saw Dennis Redondo last night, and got a pleasant surprise since he was wearing one of the Mars Ravelo shirts that I illustrated a while back. So, to anyone who wants one, just go to your nearest Branded Shirts store and procure one there!

Looking around the Branded website, there's also a new Captain Barbell shirt (also drawn by me), and a new Darna shirt (drawn by Bong Leal). There's also a Kalayaan shirt (created and drawn by Gio Paredes). Buy them all!

From my editor/writer at TwentyToSix Books, Anthony Garcia...

While we're anxiously awaiting the release of Wall Of Angels #5, issues 1 through 4 are now available as free downloads at wowio.

Here's the link: WALL OF ANGELS at WOWIO

Wowio.com is an online library getting high traffic to its comics section. Since July of this year, Wowio been growing at an incredible rate, going from a registered user base of 14K to coming up on 90K currently, and growing at a rate of 2-3K a week. Wowio has had about 900,000 downloads, and is averaging 40-50K downloads per week.

If you don't know about Wall Of Angels, it's a series of inter-related story arcs that explores the boundaries between technology and mythology, science and superstition, good and evil, angels and demons, human and inhuman. In THE FRANCHISE, a watershed moment has been reached. A mysterious figure known only as Ignacio has manipulated the CEO of a Talbot Security into finding an ancient artifact of unknown power that will change the world forever. A classic story of adventure and intrigue, of good versus evil, The Franchise is a six issue miniseries in the WALL OF ANGELS universe.

Please check it out, every free download adds to the publishing coffers here at TwentyToSix so that we can keep getting quality books to you. More than that Wall Of Angels is actually a pretty good read, and really, how can you go wrong with free?

Thank you so much!






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Unfortunately, WOWIO is for US residents only, so folks here in the Philippines can't get it. But if anyone who's from the US is reading this, I hope you do check the books out!

I have to mention that the artwork for issues 1-4 were done by fellow Filipinos Jim and Jay Jimenez, who are also successful recording artists along with their brother Joy... The J Brothers!

I'll be taking over art chores from issue #5 onwards, and below is the cover to the next issue...

803 Studios' SEQUENTIAL SUICIDE: SLOP is now available from indyplanet.com!



Written and Illustrated by Steven Prouse, Anthony Hightower, Chuck Brown, Eraklis Petmezas, Rob Hicks, John Padding, Daniele Serra, Mauricio Castro, Mark Gottlieb, Carlos Campos O., Thomas Wells, Monty, Dana Shukartsi, Corey Stokes, Chris McJunkin, Steven Ekstrom, Douglas Draper, Patrick Tkaczynski, Reno Maniquis, Travis Legge, Alexander Levita, Phil Parkerson, Chris Carroll, Andrew Gregory, Bobby Irving and Rodrigo Ramos Rodolfo

Standard Sized Trade Paperback
Black & White
Page Count: 96
$9.99

54 year old Remus Filch lives on his Pig Farm 35 miles outside Charville, a northern mid-sized city. Everyone would have described him as a quiet simple man. Except for one thing; his fetish for prostitutes. Primarily his insatiable desire to murder them. His pigs love them too... as dinner. Remus disposes of the bodies like any good psychopath would, by chopping them to bits and feeding them to his animals. This issue of Sequential Suicide collects 14 all-new stories from some incredible comics talent focusing on Remus and his victims.

Enter the suicidal world of comics. Travel with 803 Studios through their newest edition of their acclaimed anthology, Sequential Suicide! SS is a collection of new and untested comics talent centered around an annual theme. Announced in August of '06, Sequential Suicide gives 803 Studios the opportunity to continue what they were founded to do, support independent and unpublished comics talent around the globe. 803 Studios continues to build its fan library and publishing reputation by releasing this second issue of Sequential Suicide, our first ever open-submissions anthology. Thanks for supporting 803 Studios and the independent artists and writers in this year's edition of Sequential Suicide!

More pencils-to-ink pages...

Here's a short story I'm doing for GRAPHIC CLASSICS. I'm kinda excited and nervous at the same time about doing this, since I've loved the old Pendulum Press Illustrated Classics way back when I was a kid, and I guess I want the quality of my work to be up to those standards. Also, this is my highest profile gig yet in the US and I really want to do a good job on it. Plus, a lot of great artists have contributed to this series, including fellow Filipinos Gerry Alanguilan, Carlo Vergara, Arnold Arre and even Nestor Redondo.




On this page, I was contemplating if I should put some texture on the cabin walls, but thought that the overall page might look overworked. So I left it bare at first, but it looked too clean, so I just put some thin texture lines and added shadows for the figures. I think it worked out for the best since it added to the grim atmosphere of the scene.




I didn't have much indecision when inking this one. I just adjusted some of the shadows on the faces of the characters, so as to lessen the "muddiness" of the pencils.

This is for the upcoming AMBROSE BIERCE collection from Graphic Classics.