Gerry Alanguilan's Blog, page 9

Filipino Artist Dante Perez, 1956-2013

With Dante Perez at the 2008 FoEM Art Exhibit at the Art Center in SM Megamall.

Cartoonist/Multi-media artist Tence Ruiz sent me an email informing me of the the death of his friend and co-artist Dante Perez. Ruiz describes Perez as a “comics artist, painter, sculptor, production designer and budding video director”. Perez died on the evening of May 28, 2013 at the Lung Center of the Philippines due to an apparent heart attack. He was 56.

I remember Dante Perez most for the work he did in komiks, which I would describe to be beautifully grotesque and wildly playful. It was nothing like anything seen in Philippine komiks before or since. Here are a few samples of those komiks works:

Artworks from ARGH #11, Compass Comics Group, 1989

DANTE PEREZ’s THE CURSED (Full Story)

http://alanguilan.com/museum/danteperezcursed.html

“Kiss and Tell”, painting by Dante Perez, 2008

Dante Perez with Jun Sabayton

http://junsabayton.tumblr.com/post/827487196/with-the-great-dante-perez-dantes-klasik-komiks

Dante Perez, Artist, 56

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/310555/lifestyle/people/dante-perez-artist-56

Dante Perez on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/dante.perez.528?fref=ts

Apparently, the Perez family is having difficulty covering medical and funeral expenses. Donations can be made to Dante’s daughter Sidd.

*************

Dearest all,

Our dearest friend, Sidd Perez, lost her dad, artist-filmmaker-actor-production designer, Dante Perez, Tuesday night May 28, 2013 due to a heart attack from worsening complications of pneumonia. We are personally appealing for donations to cover his medical and funeral expenses. You are welcome to send money directly by way of bank deposit to:

Siddharta B. Perez

Bank of Philippine Islands Savings Account

4339- 2838-13

Thank you so much for taking time to read this and for your kind consideration. His family will be deeply grateful for any assistance that you can extend.

Please feel free to send out this message to your contacts. Deepest thanks

***************

I wish to offer my condolences to his friends and family.

Rod Espinosa and Andrew Villar Signing (UPDATED!)

The signing has been updated with a new venue with another artist added!

Eisner Award nominated comics creator Rod Espinosa of Courageous Princess and Snow White, along with Ambush creator Andrew Villar and Peejay Catacutan (Xenoglyphs) will have a signing at Castle Geek, 3F Unit 350 Neutral Grounds, New Glorietta Wing, Gloriatta 2, Makati, on June 1, 2013, beginning 1pm. They will be signing and sketching on blank covers.

Rod Espinosa Website

http://www.courageousprincess.com/

Andrew Villar/Ambush Comics on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/ambushbyanvil

Peejay Catacutan on DeviantArt

http://peejaycatacutan.deviantart.com/

Rod Espinosa and Andrew Villar Signing

Eisner Award nominated comics creator Rod Espinosa of Courageous Princess and Snow White, along with Ambush creator Andrew Villar will have a signing at Comicxhub, 3F Bloomingdale Plaza, Shaw Blvd. Barangay Kapitolyo in Pasig on June 1, 2013, beginning 10am. They will be singing and sketching on blank covers.

Rod Espinosa Website

http://www.courageousprincess.com/

Andrew Villar/Ambush Comics on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/ambushbyanvil

A Look Into Black Ink Comics

It was last year when I first heard the rumblings of what is now known as Black Ink Comics. It was quite a big surprise when the publisher was revealed to be Precious Hearts Corporation, the same publisher of the popular and commercially successful Precious Hearts Romance pocketbooks. Immediately, the significance of this was apparent: a major publisher of popular entertainment is about to enter comics publication and enter it in a big way. The last time anything this big was attempted was in 2007 by Sterling Paper. I thought this was kind of a big deal. If they are able to translate their success to comics the way they did romance pocket books, it could mean great things for the Philippine Komiks Industry. I for one am full of optimism.

I got in touch with a few creative people as well as editorial at Black Ink and I asked them a series of similar questions.

GILBERT MONSANTO

1. Can you tell me something about yourself as a comic book creator? What were the highlights of your work in comics?

I have been a freelance comic book artist for more than twenty years locally. I’ve done some independent titles here and abroad. I was the chief instructor for Whilce Portacio’s comic school for three years here in Manila before. Titles like Biotrog, Hellcop, and Bayan Knights are just a few of my familiar works.

2. How did you get involved in Black Ink, and what titles are you working on?

I think I came in almost late, but still lucky to be part of the first batch of books to be released. My writer, Jeffrey Marcelino Ong, contacted me via Facebook about his book and his plans with this new and exciting company. As always, I am open but cautious to be working with a company that I’ve never worked on before. Since Jeff told me about the good plans they have for us and the local comics industry, I agreed and went to the meeting to meet the team. We are assigned to do Hands of the Dragon. I think it was a good decision on my part.

3. How do you feel about the Precious Pages Corporation entering the local komiks industry in such a big way?

I think it is about time that a big company would try komiks again. I think their Graphic Novel format is just right for this time and age. I would say, so far so good. Black Ink Comics is a refreshing new chapter in our world of komiks.

4. As a comic book publisher, writer and artist yourself, how does it feel to be part of a company like this? Do you have any limitations or can you draw however you want? How different is it working on your own Bayan Knights books compared to the work you do for Black Ink?

For one, as a self publishing creator. their resources and distribution can never be compared to my very small own. As for limitations in terms of the actual books, they trust us to deliver. We have almost free reign over our art. They would edit the scripts and also do the proofreading and all the other stuff and because they are well organized, I think we and our books are blessed that way. I haven’t explored creator-owned projects with them yet, but I believe I will in the future.

5. What kind of impact would you like Black Ink to have in the current komiks industry?

My hopes might differ from theirs and I would want to say too much but aside from gaining more trust and popularity for the local graphic story medium or comics. I would say, I hope that they will come up with the right or perfect deals for the creative people behind ever book they produce. A more reasonable and ideal terms that will be both beneficial to us all.

RANDY VALIENTE

1. Can you tell me something about yourself as a comic book creator? What were the highlights of your work in comics?

I started working in komiks, officially, in 1989 after a year of study from Joseph Christian and Hal Santiago’s Komiks Illustration Workshop. I was very young at that time and still in high school but I regularly visit GASI to ask for work.

Because komiks publications were sinking in the 90s, and I admittedly not very good in my drawing at that time, I became a fullt-time writer in 2005, started writing komiks script, then pocketbooks, newspaper and magazine articles.

I got bored, or maybe got tired of writing, in the late 1990s and early 2000, so I decided to go back to visual arts in 2000. Unfortunately, if I want to still draw comics, I have no choice but to work abroad through internet. So I did.

2. How did you get involved in Black Ink, and what titles are you working on?

Although I am working not just in comics but in animation, films, and game productions, I am very much inclined with comics community. I am active with the activities from Komikons to online chatrooms. One time, writer Ron Mendoza contacted me if I want to do local komiks again. I got very interested right away, maybe because I felt ‘at home’ with the people when I learned that some of the writers and artists were from GASI and Atlas. I missed these guys, you know, I’ve been away from local komiks publications for more than a decade.

My Midnight and Animen by Ron Mendoza offered to me because, honestly, I am the only artist in the group when we had our fist meetings last year. We invited other artists to work with us but they were not interested at that time. I don’t know, maybe they were not convinced that this newly-formed komiks group will push through.

I am also writing ‘Fairies Wheel’ with different artists on the line up.

3. How do you feel about the Precious Pages Corporation entering the local komiks industry in such a big way?

Precious Pages is not new to komiks world, actually. The owner Jun Matias is a very huge-huge fan of Filipino komiks especially in the 70s and 80s. He could name almost all the famous writers of the industry–from Pablo Gomez to Elena Patron to Gilda Olvidado and could tell their famous novels. Sir Jun is also a writer himself before PHR company was born and used to visit GASI in the 80s. He could also tell the artists area where he always sees illustrators doing their deadlines.

Sir Jun is also a friend of komiks writer-artist Vincent Kua Jr., which the latter designed the now-famous logo of Precious Hearts Romances.

One time, I brought illustrator Louie Celerio to one of our meetings, and Sir Jun got excited and told his staff that he is a big fan of Mang Louie.

4. Can you describe your working relationship with your writer? Do you have any limitations as far as drawing goes, or are you free to draw however you want?

I feel at home with ‘Filipino-style’ komiks script. Working in foreign comics for almost a decade now, I think we are the only one the uses ‘bahala ka na’ (up to you) for the illustrations guide. You just have to understand the story. I felt more freedom with this since American script are more detailed and specific.

Black Ink, in terms of illustration style, is very open. The editorial group is actually inviting artists to submit samples for review. It’s just that the first titles were more of a ‘traditional look’ because, as I said, when we started the meetings, we had a hard time finding artists to work with us.

But now, when we first launch our books last year at Komikon, we gained attention from indie and international artists and some of them are working with us.

We now have two manga titles. I am very happy working with the publisher and the editorial team because they are very open for what I would like to do, but of course, they also look for the saleability of the title. Our regular meetings actually were about this– the titles, the marketing, the readers, the future plans.

PHR is the biggest publisher of romance stories in the country, and the owner of several bookstores, so marketing is also they should look through the titles.

5. What kind of impact would you like Black Ink to have in the current komiks industry?

In just a short span of time, we already have almost 20 titles that are now available in bookstores nationwide. This made a huge impact to comics community and publishers, because couple of interested publishers were already messaged me about Black Ink. They are just monitoring us and I could assure that in no time, more publishers will venture with komiks again.

The reason Black Ink was formed because the publisher wants to pursue the ‘komiks line’ independently instead of just a side project of Precious Hearts. He envisioned that more local komiks will be displayed, and have their own racks in all bookstores. Imagine romance pocketbooks when they were just starting in the 90s, you could only saw it being displayed in a small portion of a rack in bookstores, but visit National Bookstores now and you could see Filipino romance books with their own section with hundreds and hundreds of titles.

I also see Black Ink could become a blueprint for commercial and mainstream komiks that new publishers could study as well. You know, there are several publishers (and big as well) but PHR (Black Ink) was brave enought to give an all-out support to publish many komiks titles that other publishers cannot do at the moment.

JEFFREY MARCELINO ONG

1. Can you tell me something about yourself as a comic book creator? What were the highlights of your work in comics?

I started as a comics writer at the age of 16, that’s way back 1992 in GASI. I applied as an illustrator; kaso sabi ng editor mas interesting daw ang script ko kesa sa drawing. So I decided to be a writer for good. For 2 years, I wrote hundreds of short stories; until one of my editors recommended me to Sir Ollie Roble Samaniego (GASI Editor-in Chief) to write a series entitled HARIBON, it’s an environmental superhero themed concept. Then I was given another series, its LASTIKDOG (yup, ang alagang aso ni Lastikman). Haribon and Lastikdog both ran in the pages of Aliwan Komiks for 2 years, then I was given a break to write a novel. I created WOLFGANG a year before the two giant comics publishers collapsed.

Desperate to revive the local mainstream comics, me and my GASI friends (Galo Ador Jr., Ron Mendoza, Ronald Tabuzo, Arman Francisco, Lito Tanseco and Mars Alvir) tried to publish our own comics. We pushed too hard to produce DARK PAGES but we fell short. Then after several years, Black Ink Comics came to life…

2. How did you get involved in Black Ink, and what titles are you working on?

My good friend Ron Mendoza, a resident writer for Precious Pages asked me to join this project together with other Dark Pages creators. Black Ink Comics is a year in the making, we started with regular meetings and brainstorming with publisher Jun Matias and with Precious Pages co-owner Richard Reynante (who happens to be one of my bosses in ABS-CBN).

I was assigned to handle the 12-part-series HANDS OF THE DRAGON (illustrated by Gilbert Monsanto), then I proposed my very own concept KALASAG (illustrated by Meng Fabian). I have other titles that are still in the process of writing; THE RED JOURNAL (illustrated by Arnel Coronel) and ANG MASON (illustrated by HARVEY TOLIBAO).

3. How do you feel about the Precious Pages Corporation entering the local komiks industry in such a big way?

At first, parang nalula ako kasi malawak talaga ang plano ng publisher. Natakot na baka mag-fail kami. Off course, para sa isang comics creator na tulad ko na nasaksihan at bahagi pa ng “pagbagsak” ng local comics, nakaka-depress makaranas ng isa pang set back pagdating sa industriyang mahal na mahal natin.

But I proved myself wrong nang nagpatuloy lang kami sa pagbuo ng mga comics kahit inabot pa ng isang taon bago mailabas. I really admire our publisher’s passion to make this project into reality, grabe ang enthusiasm niya, nakakahawa. Kaya naman kaming mga creators ay hindi rin nag-give up. Ang nakaka-bilib, hindi lang sampung titles ang binuo naming. Marami, as in. So in the future, marami pang aabangan ang mga comics lover. We hope na makapag-inspire ito sa mga komikero, lalo na sa mga indie creators. We’re actually hunting talents na puwede sa Black Ink. Ilan na sa kanila ang nakausap ko at patuloy na ini-encourage na mag-drawing sa Black Ink. I am very enthusiastic na magtutuloy-tuloy ito and hoping na makatulong nang husto para mapasigla pa ang komiks ng mga Pinoy.

4. Did you get a directive from the editors/publishers about the kind of stories that you can write? Or were you free to write any story that you liked? Any limitations?

May mga concepts ang publishers–specially Sir Richard Reynante–na ini-a-assign sa’min. We’re also allowed to pitch our own concept. Dini-discuss namin ang lahat sa regular meeting, binubusisi. Gusto talaga naming makapagbigay ng mga bagong putahe sa mga readers. We are free to write about anything, self-censorship na lang, malinaw naman sa amin ang mga limitations like religion biases, extremely graphic content saka explicit languages. Subject for approval naman ang lahat ng script, anyway.

5. What kind of impact would you like Black Ink to have in the current komiks industry?

We’re very happy with the success of the indie comics industry, bilang isa sa mga bahagi ng natulog na “bangketa komiks” ay nakakatuwang tingnan ang mga mga bagong mukha na very passionate sa paglikha ng komiks. Very heartwarming din ang nakikitang pagsuporta ng mga beterano lalo na kapag may mga KOMIKON events. Black Ink Comics is a team of veteran comics creators, we’re here to inspire the new generation, to give our full support to the independents, to pull their hands to also experience mainstream…and to encourage them to continue with their independent titles.

Black Ink Comics is here to stay…for all the Komikeros!

BLANK INK EDITORIAL c/o Melanie Esguerra

1. Precious Pages is well known for publishing “Precious Hearts Romances,” a very popular and very successful line of Tagalog romance pocketbooks. What made them decide to enter comics, which admittedly can be a very risky business nowadays for big publishers?

Precious Pages Corporation has been involved in the field of promoting reading advocacy for over twenty years. It does not only publish Tagalog romance novels. It also publishes children’s books, cookbooks, licensed graphic novels, and puzzles. It is not really a big decision for the company to join the comics industry. We noticed the numerous attempts of other publishers and self-published authors and illustrators to revive the comics industry, so, why not take part in it?

Twenty-two years ago, the publisher (Segundo Matias, Jr.) also took risk in publishing Tagalog romance novels with more than twenty other publishers as competitors, so why not publish something that he had loved and missed so much. After all, he belongs to the generation of the golden age of komiks and it saddened him when komiks gradually disappeared from the newsstands.

2. Black Ink presents a departure from the traditional format of mainsteam Pinoy komiks of anthologies with different writers and artists in one issue. You decided to use a more compact format, which may be considered as the graphic novel format with a single team of creators for either one book or series of books. What made you decide to use this format?

We did not intend to use a specific format. It just so happened that the first releases were in the graphic novel format. Our concern is more on the content.

3. What were your considerations in choosing the writers and artists for your books?

As long as the story—be it short, serialized, or a sixty-page novel—is worth publishing, from a new or veteran comic’s writers, then Black Ink will publish it. With regards to the illustrators, we believe that Filipinos are good comic’s illustrators so we welcome illustrators who are willing to work for us and find an outlet for their talents. The illustrators come to us based on recommendations; others answer our announcements. Once we give a project to an illustrator, they have to give studies of the characters in the approved stories for approval.

4. Is there a preference for any specific genre or stories or do you allow your creators to explore any genre they wish be it fantasy, sci fi, drama, crime, etc?

Black Ink wishes to present stories in a wide variety of genres, including romance, horror, superheroes, fantasy, comedy, fairy tales, historical, adventure, etc.

5. What do you hope the impact of Black Ink will have in the current komiks industry?

We are aware how the industry decades ago are different from the industry today, yet we still hope to make a contribution, in our own way, to help revive the industry. But Black Ink cannot do it alone. It is a collective effort.

Philippine Elections 2013: Making The Right Choice

For some reason, I’m more invested now in elections than I ever was before. It’s probably because I am older, and I can see the big picture more clearly. And from this vantage point, I can see and understand just how powerful our vote is in determining our fate and our future in this country.

During the course of the last couple of years I was driven into rage whenever I hear questionable laws that come to pass, laws like the deeply flawed and abusive Anti Cybercrime Law of 2012. They came to pass because Senators and Congressmen made it happen. And who was responsible for putting those people there? US. It was US. That was just one in the many such incidents that made me think about who to vote for in the upcoming elections.

As an artist, an abusive and oppressive law like the Anti Crime Law is something I’m deeply invested in. It’s an issue I care about because of the work I do. So, you senators who have authored and supported this Anti CyberCrime law, don’t think I have forgotten you. Your names are listed in many sites online and are easy to remember. I will not be voting for you.

YOU however, whoever you are reading this, you would have to learn what issues you care about, and it is your responsibility to find out which senators support or don’t support your issues, and vote accordingly. Just google it, you know? A lot of information can be found online on what issues these people stand for.

As for me, as I mentioned, I am always against any law that suppresses my freedom and my rights as an artist. That encompasses a lot of different laws including the Intellectual Property Law, which a lot of political hopefuls in the coming election so gleefully violate with their illegally used music for their campaign jingles. If you have used music illegally to prop up your own campaign, I WILL NOT VOTE FOR YOU. Using music by artists like Psy or Adele or Village People may seem to you like it’s not a big deal, but that is a violation of the intellectual property rights of an artist.

What is intellectual property? They are simply ideas. As artists, we can came up with ideas that will benefit us as individuals. These are ideas that non-artists would be unable to or would have difficulty to come up with. That’s because it comes from our talent, and the years of hard work developing that talent. If you use those ideas without our permission and without compensation, you are practically stealing money from us. That’s the simplest way I can put it. It’s like you came up to me and grabbed my wallet.

These candidates using the music of Psy, Adele, Village People etc…? These candidates are grabbing these artists’ wallets. And to me, and according to the law, this is a CRIME.

The COMELEC also released a set of guidelines that candidates must follow. A lot of these are pretty simple. Candidates have an allowed period of time when they can campaign, and they aren’t allowed to post campaign posters on trees, electric posts, overpasses, etc. But we all know almost all candidates have violated this. That made my job of selecting my choices much easier because if you violated those COMELEC guidelines, again, I WILL NOT VOTE FOR YOU. You are a lawbreaker and to me that makes you a criminal. I don’t vote for criminals.

On a more personal note, I am for gay marriage rights, and I am for The Reproductive Health Bill. Any sentatoriable who opposes those will not get my vote. It’s really as simple as that.

But as I said, please remember that this is purely a personal issue. You vote for whoever you want, just as long as you really thought about it, and you feel that these people will support the issues that you support.

However…

DO NOT vote simply because you think their smile is pretty, or they look nice, or they were a popular actor once, or they come from a political family and their name is familiar to you, or they refuse to debate publicly or if your parents told you. You know any decision based on that would be pretty stupid. And yes, you would be pretty stupid to vote simply based on that.

Here’s a couple of videos where Johnny Danganan and I eleborate more on our favorite issues:

THere you go! Use your vote wisely guys! Our future is in our hands!

Filipino Komiks Illustrator Jesse Santos Passes Away

Tomador, Pioneer Komiks, 1968

Veteran and pioneer Filipino Komiks illustrator Jesse Santos passed away last Aoril 27, 2013 according to his grandson Geoffrey De Vera. He passed away just shy of 84 at his residence in San Fernando Valley in California.

Jesse began working in comics for the very first Philippine serialized comic book “Halakhak” in 1946 on a title called “Kidlat”. It was his the start of a collaboration with Damy Velasquez which would continue on the popular series “DI-13″ which lasted many years.

Moving to the US in the late 60′s, Jesse found success drawing comics such as Dagar, Doctor Spektor and Tragg. He was also a very successful portrait artist, depicting popular popular political figures and celebrities.

Jesse Santos Art Gallery

http://alanguilan.com/museum/jessesantos.html

Jesse Santos Photos

http://gerry.alanguilan.com/archives/494

My favorite Jesse Santos photo.

Free Comic Book Day 2013

Blown away by how many people showed up at Comic Odyssey and Fully Booked’s Free Comic Book Day celebration at Bonifacio High Street! I arrived around 8:30am and there was already a huge line snaking around the Fully Booked building. I’m told by pal Johnny Danganan that the earliest people in line were actually there as early as 5:00am. Amazing.

Check out this video by fellow artist Jon Zamar, showing the opening of the Fully Booked doors to let FCBD customers in!

What’s pleasantly surprising is the amount of really young kids that showed up. I figure they were anywhere between 5 and 10 years old, boys and girls. It’s so nice being part of something that helps nurture more new readers into comics! I think comics should be part of young children’s lives, as it has been a large part of mine. My comic book experience as a child is one of the best memories I’ve had growing up, and it’s something I wish a lot more children would have.

I’m very happy at being asked to do the cover to this year’s FCBD comic book. For those curious, that’s actually an image from The Marvelous Adventures of the Amazing Doctor Rizal. I wish I could have asked them to indicate it in the credits page, but nevertheless, this is the first image ever of this project to see print and publication. It’s actually an interior page that I’ve since scrapped, but I thought I could re-purpose it for this cover.

That’s Johnny and me, who forgot to take his glasses off when the photo was taken. I usually need reading glasses now to draw and write, but I can still see fine people in front of me. It’s helpful having glasses because my eyesight is clear again, but not having glasses my entire life, I’m just not used to it. It can get frustrating at times. Well, who am I to talk, when people I know have been wearing them all their life, and can’t take them off or they’ll be practically blind.

I took the opportunity to do a quick “Kwentong Tambay” video with Johnny on the subject of Free Comic Book Day!

That’s Edgar Tadeo in the foreground drawing Weapon X on a blank cover, which is kind of a thing now. Publishers Marvel and DC actually do publish comic books that are blank. Yes, there’s nothing on them, so that artists can draw on them. It’s actually kind of a really cool idea. Other guys doing the drawings in the pic are (from right), Kai Castillo (Patintero), Aaron Felizmenio (Gwapoman 2000) and Wan Mañanita (Ang Morion).

Aside from the Kwentong Tambay video, I also did another FCBD video, one of the quick ones I’ve come to like doing recently. I think it presents a portion of my Free Comic Book Day experience concisely and quickly.

Breaking for lunch at 11:45 am, I was amazed to see that the line still snaked around the building, which made me feel bad for the guys and girls on the line because these summer days lately have been absolute murder. I think they must have cut the line soon after because Sandy of Comic Odyssey reports that all the free comics have gone by noon. I wish everyone had a chance to get their free comics.

I’m pretty impressed by FCBD and how it is celebrated in the Philippines has grown into really full scale events that rival almost the Komikon events. Sandy tells me they must have given out at least 10,000 free comics, and that’s really mind boggling. Add the success of this Comic Odyssey/Fully Booked event and the concurrent FCBD festivities held by National Book Store/Comicxhub at NBS Quezon Avenue, it really may well be as big as Komikon, which is saying something. By all indications, FCBD next year will be even bigger. And I think that’s exciting!

Here’s another video of the event from the Frances Luna III Illustration Firm:

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I’ve already got several articles lined up for this blog, including one big write up of Black Ink Comics, as well as an opinion piece on the evolution of the Philippine komiks indie. Stay tuned!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY EVENTS! (UPDATED!)

After Summer Komikon, it’s FREE COMIC BOOK DAY (FCBD) on May 4! Just as the title of the event says, if you attend this event, you’ll get FREE comics! Specially if you come early. And just like Komikon, FCBD in the Philippines has slowly become bigger and bigger.

As far as I know, there are at least two large events that celebrates FCBD in Manila. One is by Comic Odyssey/Fully Booked, and the other is by National Book Store/Castle Geek/Neutral Grounds. It’s kind of put me in a pickle because I have loyalty to both Comic Odyssey and National Book Store (who publishes ELMER 2nd Edition). But I made my first commitment to Comic Odyssey and so there I will be.

Above is the my Amazing Doctor RizaL cover art to Comic Odyssey’s FCBD comic book giveway, which features short stories from many local comic book creators like Ed Tadeo, Aaron Felizmenio, JP Palabon, Freely Abrigo, Manix Abrera, Macoy, Melvin Calingo, Michael David, Omeng Estanislao, Joanah Tinio-Calingo and many more. It will also feature a 2 page “Story of Wasted” short from me.

This event happens at Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street and begins at 10am. I’ll probably be around there sometime after lunch to sign you comic books.

Comic Odyssey/Fully Booked FCBD Facebook Event Page

http://www.facebook.com/events/428017033941625/?fref=ts

Some of you might be worried about the accessibility of Comic Odyssey at Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street. It was my concern to for a long time but FEAR NOT! Below is a graphic that will explain how to easily get to the venue from EDSA if you’re commuting. I myself was surprised at how easy it was.

A quick note about sketches. I apologize if I decline doing any sketches at events. In spite of the fact that I work for Marvel or DC, I find it hard sketching in front of people these Marvel and DC characters. I feel self conscious and It actually takes a lot from me. Here at home, I can’t do it as well because I’m too busy working on my own stuff. However, if you ask me to do quick sketches of my own characters from Elmer or Wasted, I’ll gladly do that. It’s easier because I know these characters very well. And as a creator, it makes me feel good because you’re asking me to draw something I created, and not something created by others.

In the future, I’ll probably start accepting commissions (my characters and others) when I’ve organized my time enough to accommodate them. I’ll talk about it here on this blog when the time comes.

Above is the comic book giveaway (Artwork by Carlo Vergara) from the other event by National Book Store/ Castle Geek and Neutral Grounds, in an event that’s called “Free Comic Book Day: Setting The Record”. It’s called “Setting the Record” because the event hopes to set the most number of sketches on a blank cover comic. A bunch of my other friends will be at this event including Jonas Diego, Budjette Tan, Lui Antonio, etc.

Their giveaway comic book also includes a page from me where I revisit “Gerry’s Believe It Or Else!”.

This happens at the Quezon Avenue branch of National Book Store in Quezon City, and it begins at 9:00am.

National Book Store/Castle Geek/Netural Grounds FBD Event Page

http://www.facebook.com/events/326436887455830/?group_id=0

To comic book fans, this is quite a big day, and you don’t even have to be conflicted. Since both these events happen during the course of an entire day, you can attend one and then attend the other later in the day. Problem solved!

WASTED in CEBU!

The Cebu Comicon is going to be on August 16-17 at the J Centere Mall, Fortuna St, Bakilid in Mandaue, Cebu City. Although I would very much like to attend this one (I was there for the first one in 2010), I would be unable to attend this time around.

However, my newly republished comic book WASTED would be there c/o of old pal JONAS DIEGO. Right now I still don’t know how many copies to send, so if you’re in Cebu, and you will be attending this convention, please let me know in the comments if you want a copy!

Cebu Comicon Facebook Event Page

http://www.facebook.com/events/133221910198617/

If I Had A Superpower

Ever since I was really small, there was only one superpower I ever wanted. I wanted to fly. I’ve always been fascinated by the sky. As a kid I dreamed that when I rode a plane, I’d take a paper bag with me so I can capture some clouds that I can bring home and play with.

Even as I grew older I always imagined what it would be like to just take off, watch the ground recede, and join the clouds. I’d watch thunderstorms, touch the top of mountains and watch cities from hundreds of feet up in the sky.

My dreams are filled with attempts to fly. Often failing, sometimes succeeding. And when I did fly, it felt incredible.

Now that I’m 45, my dreams have changed. I realized how selfish I had been. To have the opportunity to wish for a superpower, I always wished for this thing that benefited only me and no one else. I felt kind of ashamed. It is so often said in the superhero world, in fact it is the superhero world’s biggest cliche: Great Power Comes With Great Responsibility. But it’s true. It’s very true. If you have the power to change things, you have the responsibility to use it well.

The experiences I’ve had in my life led me to wish for a superpower that I want now more desperately than I ever wanted flying.

I want the power to heal.

I want to be able to heal the sick. I want to heal people with cancer, with Aids, with the cold, with brain damage, with organ damage, those who suffered strokes and heart attacks and ulcers. I want to ease their suffering and make them feel good again.

I have seen people suffer. I have seen how debilitating illness can be, and how it wreaks havoc on a person’s body and spirit. It strikes bad people as well as good people. And if it strikes the good people and the innocent people, it’s even more heartbreaking.

And you’re sitting there and there is nothing you can do to help.

I swear, if I ever have to sacrifice whatever talent I have in writing and drawing, I’ll gladly exchange all that right now just so I can have the ability to heal.

That is the superpower I want.