2nd KOMIKON

KOMIKON, the second Philippine Comicbook convention was successfully held last week at Bahay Alumni, UP- Diliman. It was attended by many "komiks" creators, both pros and indies alike who sell and displays their works. Some are even legends on the local komiks industry during its heyday, and some are very successful artists who are now working on DC and Marvel publishing and doing titles like Superman, Batman, Hulk, etc.

I was so tempted to go, because personally I wanted to meet these guys whose works I've grown to admire so much, and inspired me to be one myself; and also meet fellow young comicbook creators whom I've grown to be friends with in the internet for sometime now and buy as much komiks as I can. Too bad having a dayjob, and being in other country as that, sneaking to the komikon is just not possible. Ultimately, I was only there by heart, and is saying a silent prayer and a wish that hopefully someday I'll be with these guys in the next Komikons to come.

Here's a hand for the revival of our very own komiks!!!

Below is a video coverage of the Komikon by creator and pal Gerry Alanguilan.

Corrective Measures #2 published

The second US-based comicbook I drew is now available at INDYPLANET for US$3.50 a copy. It is written by Grant Chastain, 24 pages. I drew only 50% of this book as I share art chores with another great artist, Marco Rudy. Colours by Andrew Chan and lettered by Mike Storniolo. This book is also under Ronin Studios.

Below is the cover with the billing, and the Indyplanet press release HERE.

Bad Day

It's time like these that I wish I had the strength of Hercules, cunning of Ulysses and bravery of Achilles. There are just too many deadlines I'm facing in my work and I have to deliver. Problem is, I'm running out of time and I don't feel 100% both in my health and my abilities. We all have it. It's a common thing. Professional athletes whose sporting talents seem to be summoned from the gods suddenly ran dry. Writers of Shakespearean caliber search their minds for a better lyrical prose and find it empty. Stage comedians flushed by the thought that their humour seem to become more predictable and panicked for better punch lines to say.

Slump. Droop. Slouch of ability. Whatever you call it, IT surely got into me--BIG TIME. I can't think of a better design in my mind and I hate whatever I made up today I just have to throw it in the trash. I've wasted enough paper and pencil leads to care counting. And to think I have a bloody presentation on Friday. The spirits of creativeness seem to have been demonized by the fact that I am suffering from colds and a bit of cough and flu. Damn that haze from Indonesia whose been blowing this side for weeks now. Even Fergus got sick out of it. PSI levels are dangerously at the 100± level. Do something about it for cryin' ou loud!!!

I told Jean my creative bank is bankrupt today but shrugged off the idea, saying that it's just because of the discomfort in my nose and larynx and does not have to do anything with having a talent slump.

If Jean were Freudian I'd swear she'd just called me paranoid.

Good Days are Here again

After all the hussles of moving in to a new place, we have finally lived again like we used to after around two weeks of "new abode syndrome". After days like being chained like Atlas at mt. Olympus' bottom, things finally gor better as if Prometheus finally gave us the gift of fire.

Yeah, things are finally back into normal. This is because:
1. The damn cable has been finally transferred. I got my football shows back and Jean got her teleserye back. She still makes noise for missing the ending week of Sarah Geronimo's soap.

2. Land telephone line has been connected too. Haven't called our folks in the Philippines during the whole moving process.

3. The big side-by-side ref has been delivered. So now the small ref is back at my own disposal. Jean stuffed it with meat and fish and poultry for the past two weeks that my beer smell liked something from the wet market.

4. Just like the ref, my bedroom tv in the last house was owned by the flat owner so we don't have anything in the bedroom for my xbox games and Fergus' cartoon dvds (The big TV in the living room is for TV viewing only(as of Jean's imposed laws)... Finally got the sideline paycheck so I splashed it out on a new 32" LCD tv, much to Jean's budget horrors.

5. Sex and getting to the john in the morning feels ok now. I don't get bloody distructed by the new colour of the wall or the arrangement of the furniture anymore. Before i even sometimes wake up blank-minded and think if I'm in my own bed or am I in another man's mind(weird, but true. I sometimes forget everything including who I am in around 5 seconds before it all dawn on me).

Lost in Translation

Okay. As I promised, I'm posting the translation of my visayan poem "Daman sa Kasilag" in english. I relented the urge to write the translation in Tagalog since not all of you might understand it too, especially non-Filipino readers. Though the translation is descent, it doesn't capture all the intensity and ironic comedy that you feel if you understand the visayan poem. I didn't even match some of the phrases word-for-word since the resulting stanza is a bit diverse to the one I want to connote. But the rest are all faithful translations to the original meaning of the words. Below is the translated english poem, and though poet I am not, and is not living in an illusion that I am, nothing can prohibit me the idea that at least I can try.

"HATEFUL DREAMS"

Stirred, trance- awaken
Indeterminately walking on razor-sharp knives
Mystified and mentally un-delineated
As if the world stopped revolving,
and my sun eclipsed by pain
Now I mourn for your departure
Like a bubble vanished in darkness
Or the sun gobbled by the mythic beast

The abyss of pain I haven't foreseen
Like infinite water and oil melting in fire
Love and hate colliding like molten steel
And after all you've done I can't understand
That even with this bereaved heart
Your pretty face still echoes
Etched in this ridiculed man's mind

Cry as I want you to be
Let both tears and blood flow like river
Endlessly on those pretty pink cheeks
So you can feel the abomination
And experience the lowliness
Of the emotional beating
Caused by your atrocious betrayals

I wish your teeth would grind
Crumble from great detestation
Then feel the hard treachery
From the person you've bestowed
Your splendor and faith with...

I yearn for the world to turn upside down
Where those who flies would crawl
So in turn you yourself will cease
From your scornful taunts and devilish mirth
Then it will be your turn to weep
Waiting for absolution and mercy
For then you will be the chained slave
And me, your whip master...

...Time to dream your revenge.

Samurai 24

There's a news article on DEVIANTART that includes one of my Samurai art (above) that's been posted in my DeviantArt Site . I guess i even posted this art in this blog too, back in a time when only two readers chances upon this blog every month(lol).

You should see the other artworks. Most of them are from professionals who's been in the comicbook business since time immemorial.

The article link is here.

Nest from Above

(click photo for a biiger image)

Above is where we live now! It's amazing how you see very clearly your home in Google Earth, no? Their images has really improved a lot ever since they introduced the program 3 years ago. This place is called BEDOK. And of course, it is in Singapore. Since I don't drive in Singapore (yet, laughs), I always go to office everyday by train or by bus, which is very near to our new place.

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

My apologies to all the visitors who did not understand my previous post (well actually most of you). I just felt like posting that one since I haven't posted anything in my native dialect in this blog ever since its conception. Again, sorry everyone and I will make that up by posting a translation in the next post.

Right now i wish I have two bodies. Last week we have just moved to a new place and together with some guys we have shifted the household things. I didn't hire a mover agency since they were so damn bloody expensive. So i just called some friends and hired a lorry (that's truck for us) where we can transport the things to the new abode. Right now most of the things are still in the boxes, though the house is beginning to shape into a home now. Zero interest installment in credit cards are a blessing. I bought most of the new things using it. Fergus is still familiarizing with his new environment and is now beginning too to make friends with the kids around the area.

Office in the other hand has become another thorn in my neck. My boss has gone to Australia and will be there for two weeks so Von and I are the ones sharing the consultant's and project meeting chores my boss usually attends. I personally don't like consultants meeting. I guess I just don't like so much discussions and contradictions and hours of mumbo-jumbo talking. And, I had to admit, I'm not my best when it comes to oral communication. But no choice. Now i had to devide my time in office designing and going out on consultants meeting. Plus i'd have to wear a tie which I greatly abhor. I looked like a freakin' salesman.

Ok, time for me to go... (now, where did i put that tie...)