L/R Customs bags a win!

Our crew bagged 3rd place at Figure Realm's 2012 Swimsuit Competition.

Jump on the next page to see our winning entry!

(Very Late) Phil. TOYCON 2012 Report

I've been out of the loop in terms of attending the Philippine Toys and Hobbies Convention, more affectionately known as TOYCON. I think it's been 5 years since I last attended.

I was actually overwhelmed by the most recent one. TOYCON 2012 was HUGE. It ran for 3 days beginning June 15 up until June 17 2012 and was held on not one but three (!!!) convention halls inside SM Megamall. In its earlier incarnations, TOYCON was just a one day affair but time has it evolved into a monster geek event it deserves to be.

SUMMER KOMIKON 2012

Now for something that I've missed for a long time: SUMMER KOMIKON!

Summer Komikon 2012 was AWESOME! I was absent from it for almost a couple of years and that was the first time I went to the new venue. Suffice to say, it's a lot more comfortable there with full centralized air-conditioning and lotsa space for everyone. 

I had the chance to station myself at Jonas Diego's booth where I had some of my kits and minis displayed. Later through the day, I managed to get a lot of komiks/comics that I'm not quite done reading them all yet as of now. 

The 'Kon had a lot of surprises. First up was when local film and TV actor appeared onstage to pomote their new comic and digital movie called 'Tiiktik: The Aswang Chronicles'. 

Yours truly, peddling funny book pr0n

With Starchild and Jaganath creator Kevin Valentino 

Surprise #2 was a short film tribute to komiks legend Tony De Zuñiga who passed away not too long ago.One of sis numerable works include Jonah Hex which was turned to a film quite recently.

Event: Free Comic Book Day 2012

Some will say I'm late but I'd say otherwise. Here's Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) in my standpoint.

Obligatory crowd pics

Deviant Feature: Mecha-Master

Today's Deviant Feature is extra special. We've had some exceptional deviants with their equally uncanny works posted on this humble blog. But now, exclusively on Rai's Garage is the super dimensional mecha artist Mecha-Master/David A. White in real life. Among Mr. White's claim to fame are his works for the new Mechwarrior/Battletech universe as well as other high profile stuff ranging from official works on Voltron and Transformers. Heck, we'll let the man speak for himself!

Mr. White at the 2010 NY Anime Fest and Comic Con

Rai's Garage: First off, what’s your real name? Can you tell us that or would you stick to your DA persona?

Mecha-Master: Hi! Outside of deviantArt, I go by my real name of David A White. I have to use the “A” because there are a lot people with the name David White. I’m always a little embarrassed by my DA handle of Mecha-Master. I definitely don’t think I am the best mecha artist nor am I really a master of anything. I just like drawing mechs and try to do my best every time I draw something new. I don’t know what I was thinking when I came up with that name!

Deviant Feature:humawinghangin

JIm's  excellent 'Darna' sculpt

Jim's Cobra Commander 

Today's DeviantArtist feature is one of the premier comics scupltors around; Jim Faustino a.k.a. 'humawinghangin'. Jim primarily works on custom comics figures and statues and one of the few out there who focuses on local komiks characters. Let's hear what he has to say for himself and his work: 

Rai's Garage: First off, what’s your real name? Can you tell us that or would you stick to your DA persona?

humawinghangin: Jim Faustino.

Rai's Garage: Tell us something about yourself:  age, occupation, country of origin, other hobbies/interests beyond DA etc.

humawinghangin: I’m old enough. :D/ currently working as offshore illustrator for web consumption(Philippine based).My interests include sculpting, painting, drawing, customizing toys, collecting toys, comics and  sci-fi movies

Deviant Feature: PoisonRemedy

Alright so starting today, Rai's Garage will be featuring artists (more commonly known as 'deviants')from DeviantArt.com showcasing their works and links to their blogs and DA galleries. we'll start with the deviant known as PoisonRemedy.

PoisonRemedy plamo works include hard-to-find and little known mecha plamo. He usually works with grunt units from the Gundam franchise particularly in the Universal Century timeline though he has other works from the more recent timelines and other mecha franchises as well. He has a distinct style that blends old and new school painting and modeling techniques not quite seen in other modelers. Checkout some of his works below:

Rem's Den'an Zan from Gundam F91

Rem's Hardygun also from F91

Komiks Review: Quarterly Bathroom Companion Comics Compendium

I can describe the Quarterly Bathroom Companion Comics Compendium (QBCCC from this point on, the full name is quite a mouthful) as the 'big,bad wolf' of local anthology indies. 'Big' because what was supposed to be a 50 page volume turned into a 100+ pager, split volume due to the number of contributions. 'Bad' is mostly self-explanatory. The QBCCC is intended for mature audiences as it contains a lot of adult situations, nudity and sex, profanity (a whole story revolved around it!) and other themes not suitable for minors. And like a 'wolf' because it grabs the reader by the jaw and never lets go up until he/she finished the whole thing.

Volume 1's covers were done by the amazing Mervin Malonzo (of Tabi Po fame) both of which are (Alex) Niñoesque portraits that only he can deliver. As mentioned earlier, the volume is split into 2 because of physical limits and comes with a special pink bookmark with the QBCCC logo printed on it. Although the anthology is photocopied, the quality is top notch with each page coming crisp and mostly error-free.

As for the contributors, the line-up is stellar: Josel Nicolas, D.J. Legaspi, the aforementioned Mervin Malonzo, Adam David, Apols Sta. Maria, Hub Pacheco, Teddy Pavon, Jobert Cruz, Jim Faustino, Noel Pascual, Bugsy Garcia, Tilde Acuña, AJ Bernando, Pleasebury Doughboy, Ammathorn Norby Ela and the enigmatic 'Rex' are all in there.

QBCCC Vol.1 has that flavor akin to Heavy Metal (the adult magazine), MAD and Fangoria placed in a blender. A good mix of satire, toilet humor, gore, sex, weirdness and other unconventional genres go together. An unholy matrimony of the immaculate and foul, like shit in a sparkling clean toilet bowl as the authors would like to commonly represent the anthology. And that might be the what they are aiming for: a great read that's hard to put down and can be taken anywhere especially in the john. 

This one's a solid read no doubt. QBCCC's mature content may put off a lot of readers but then again, it is not for everyone in the first place. And the price might be a bit daunting for most buyers but it is reasonable: no other anthology has this much excellent content and suffice to say the covers and the bookmark are worth the purchase already.   

The QBCCC is coming up with a 2nd volume and promises to bring more than what they had from the first volume. You can follow the activities and hijinks of the gang through their official Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/qbccc.

Aftermath: Free Comic Book Day 2011

As always, Free Comic Book Day was a blast and this year is the best yet.

I've been attending FCBD for the past 3 years and it just keeps getting better and better. In the early years, FCBD goers were just given the event comics and other stuff, which in itself is already a good thing. Comic Odyssey in particular, the local chain that pioneered the said event in the country went steps ahead by giving away non-FCBD comics much to the delight of (us) comics fans.

So, as any FCBD goes, me and my buddies went into the mall about a couple hours early to get ahead of the line. We ended up somewhere in the middle,with me landing #83 in it. We didn't wait in the line for long though, just about an hour in it saw us receiving the comics along with some other cool stuff. What caught me off guard though was the in-store grab bag; instead of having just about 10 old comics there were 50 or so inside it. It was mostly 90's Image, DC and Marvel stuff much to my satisfaction. One of my buddies cherry picked his share and gave me the rest so I ended up with about a hundred or so comics to take home. Around 3-4 kilograms in my estimate.

The pile (I like to call it 'Godzilla'). 1/144 Astray Red Frame shown to scale.

The event was far from over after everyone has gotten their comics. The local comics and indie creators showed up to meet, greet and sign autographs for their fans. So we not only got free comics, it turned out to be one big meet up all in all.

So, here's a round up of what I got:
1. Green Lantern/Flashpoint preview FCBD edition
2. Star Wars/ Avatar Darkhorse flipbook
3. The Magic: The Gathering comic
4. A handful of local indies
5. Tons of 90's comics!
6. Lots of neat little extras like a DC poster from Ivan Reis, a bookmark and a lolipop!

The mayhem explained, in my FCBD aftermath video:

More pics of the event:

The comics creators tables amidst the line.

Komikon peeps chillin'

THE MOTHERLOAD!

Guess who the skin head guy is?

FCBD 2011 sure was a blast! Thanks to Comic Odyssey for the comics and stuff! Also to all the comics creators and fans who attended the event.  See you all in next year's Free Comic Book Day!

Free Comic Book Day 2011

Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is upon us again!

It became a sort of tradition for me and my (Komikero) buddies to attend Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) at a local mall, which falls at the first Saturday of May each year. This is a worldwide event and tons of free comics from the big companies Marvel, DC, Darkhorse etc. with some local indie makers participating too. Check out my last year's stash.

This year is FCBD's 10th year run and the organizers are planning something big. And as with any other FCBD, local komiks creators will be at the event venues to meet and greet with their fans

Check out the list of local participants:
1. DRUID'S KEEP-2002 LEVERIZA ST PASAY CITY PHILIPPINES 1300 Phone:632-8545332

2.FILBARS - GREENBELT -GROUND FLOOR, GREENBELT 1 MAKATI CITY PHILIPPINES

Phone:632 816 3845

3.COMIC ODYSSEY - ROBINSONS GALLERIA SPACE 20, LEVEL 3 QUEZON CITY PHILIPPINES Phone:632-9140040

4. PLANET X-M 2, SPACE 2140E TRINOMA QUEZON CITY PHILIPPINES Phone:632-915-2744

I'm planning to do a bit of coverage of the event so stay tuned! See you all there!

Komiks Review: Starchild and Jaganath

(OK, back to komiks reviews)

First, I have to say that there aren't many local indies that focus solely on science fiction. I'm excluding superhero books for now as they have a varied skew on the genre.

I stumbled upon Kevin Ray Valentino's Starchild and Jaganath at this year's Komikstrip 2011 and it just stands out amongst its contemporaries. Most of the indies I encountered were either humorous or of the superheroic kind. Don''t get me wrong, I love all kinds of indies but I always look around for something radical, something unhinged.

That's where Starchild and Jaganath comes in. To surmise, it's a fun S/F romp involving a super genius kid and his trusty satellite super weapon/companion running around doing scrupulous deeds around the universe. Though the art may not carry the sense of action from panel to panel, Starchild and Jaganath still delivers as it is simply well written. Its heavy with SF elements that could've come from a British work like Dr. Who or something from Morrison perhaps but Starchild and Jaganath still stands on its own.  Take for example how the protagonist retains his connection to the reader by still being human despite having such power at his disposal. There's a definite connection to the reader, and a good one at that.

Starchild and Jaganath is my favorite of the bunch, and I'm looking forward for more. It may not be for everyone though given the heavy SF elements but somehow if any typical reader can get through it all, it is an exciting and enjoyable read.

Rommel Estanislao creations

Aaaaaaaand back, with something different yet familiar for you all.

I'm going to take a little break from komiks reviews to give way to a toy review, the first in this blog anyway.

The following pieces are made by triple threat creator Rommel Estanislao, a.k.a ~dinuguan over at deviantart.com. Rommel or 'Omeng' is a triple threat: he can draw, sculpt and design making him one of the more versatile komiks artists these days. I'd review his indies but I'll reserve that for another time. We'll be looking at his superb handiwork mainly the toys and accessories that he makes.

What I've picked up from this year's Komikstrip was his Mjolnir pendant made up of Sculpey Clay. What Omeng did was to sculpt it 'chibi-style' with it having an exaggerated head and puny handle. The grey/orange scheme works and reflects what Thor had in the comics. It's simply adorable, just the right way I like it to be.

Now Omeng also works on a lot of products that range from comics, anime and pop culture by request most of the time. He does have some signature lines like his 'Tupang Itim', 'Broken hearts' and 'Katas ng Saging' series notable for their cartoony look and cheerful colors. The creatures in 'Katas ng Saging' for example are sort of mini busts/pendants set in cola caps. Genius eh? And this seems appropriate as he ties up most of his products with his komiks. He prices his works reasonably too so 'kon goers (like yours truly) can get a piece or two and still get indies from all the other artists around. 

I couldn't recommend Omeng's handiwork enough so the next time you go to a 'kon, look for a man with glasses hawking odds and ends. That''ll be Omeng and he will bring little clay joy to your life.

Komiks Review: Maktan #1

Maktan by Teppai Pascual (under Meganon Comics) belongs to a rare breed of indies that explores Philippine history,particularly the Battle of Maktan. Presented in ashcan format with a superbly done black and white cover, Maktan delivers visually. I can describe Teppai Pascual's art as a hybrid of traditional Filipino and manga art,quite a common mix but I dare say that it does not really follow the 'generic' mold that is so prevalent these days .

Around 70% of the Maktan's first issue is told visually, with the dialogue scattered sparingly through out the book. The last few pages in particular, mainly a discussion between Datu Lapu-lapu and a Spanish envoy became the narrative foci of the book. That paved way for the plot and while the first book ended in a major cliffhanger, it got the whole story rolling.

I believe in presenting our local history in komiks form with a few adulterations as possible, or none at all. I am yet to read the rest of Maktan and see if it will stick to the historical formula. Overall a good read and here's hoping that the rest of the story would be finished.

Komiks Review: Kubori Kikiam 'I *heart* Short Shorts'

Who doesn't *heart* short shorts?

A short dossier on Kubori Kikiam first. The series follow the misadventures of a  trio of mutated humanoid kikiams (fish rolls, yes they are mutant food!) as they battle the evil fishballs (more mutated food!) while trying to discover who or what created them in the first place. The main story line was serialized in mini-comics (called 'guinea pigs' by the creators) before being included in the (now-defunct) manga anthology Culture Crash. Since then, the main Kubori Kikiam plot has been 'suspended' but a number of spin-off strips have been made to fill in the gap.

Apparently, the third Kubori Kikiam strip compilation starts with the first statement above and leads from one thing to another as creator Michael David a.k.a 'Taga-Kanal' could only offer. As with the two previous two compilations, Kubori Kikiam 'I *heart* Short Shorts' is presented in a short book format with colored front and back covers but what makes it different is that it has an Easter Egg in it that you have to see or rather 'feel' for yourselves.

If 'Kubori Strips for the Soul' is the PG-rated one in the series and 'Best Things in Life' is R-rated, then Kubori Kikiam 'I *heart* Short Shorts' gets the X-rating in the bunch. David ups the ante by introducing more raunchy jokes and scenes than ever before. The kikiams are back in action with more porn, toilet humor and anatomy references than you can ever fit in a book, and we all know what that means. In a way, Kubori Kikiam 'I *heart* Short Shorts'takes the guilty out of 'guilty pleasure'. There are even throwback scenes from Culture Crash, an added bonus to the older fans. And with the way things are going with the current story arc, ('The Melancholy of Edward Cordero', can be read in the website) things could get a bit more extreme than this one.

Kubori Kikiam 'I *heart* Short Shorts' is not for everybody though due to its adult-oriented content and it was a wise decision on the authors part to put a warning not to sell it to minors. Still, Kubori Kikiam 'I *heart* Short Shorts' is a must have in any one's indie collection. 

 

Komiks Review: 24-hour Comics and Beyond

24-hour Comics and Beyond is from Komikon best indie three-peater Mel Casipit known also for his works such as Baboy, Mukat and Dogstyle komiks.

24-hour Comics and Beyond was spawned from Mel's entry in last year's Philippine 24-hour Komiks challenge and was originally entitled 'Astigin', a play on the theme of the contest 'Bakit Astig ang Pinoy' (Why are Pinoys awesome?). The author was not able to finish his comics within the time limit for the competition but he opted to continue 'Astigin' and release it as a stand-alone indie.

The indie came in a green cover with standard photocopied insides. The art is standard Mel fare with homages from a number of art styles ranging from classic Pinoy to cartoonish to manga. The original 4 pages seen in the Philippine 24-hour Komiks challenge website were enhanced and the remaining 20-pages were completed by the author, telling the tale of a Pinoy warrior in an international gladiatorial match that will determine who's the best in the world. The Pinoy warrior is pitted in the finals with America's representative with whom he had an tumultuous but otherwise successful battle with. Thus, the author was able to stick to the theme and give a very gripping and dynamic story at the same time with the action never letting down up until the very end of the story.

I have to say that if Mel Casipit could have finished his story in the 24 hour contest, he could have earned a spot in the top ten. Nevertheless, he was generous enough to share 'Astigin' in the form of 24-hour Comics and Beyond, an act that truly worthy of merit among komiks creators here in the Philippines.

Komiks Review: Gutom

Gutom (Hunger) by Norby Ela in a nutshell is a thought provoking tale of survival and moving on. While it is similar in vein with his story for the Philippine 24-hour comics challenge entitled 'Weather weather lang', (which was highly praised by Gerry Alanguilan) Gutom still manages to stand on its own.

The indie is nicely printed with the black cover already setting the mood for the story. Inside, the art might not be stellar but the human connection built up from the plot is the thing that shines in this particular tale. Everyone has experienced some sort of tragedy in a lifetime and Norby Ela captures that moment into paper and manages to evoke feelings of empathy and pity through the characters. The title itself 'Gutom' might mislead some readers, though it will only take one reading to fully appreciate what the author conveys about remembering,coping and ultimately moving on in life after a tragedy.Overall, a great read. This is actually 1 of my three favorite reads from the indies I got from Komikstrip 2011 (the other 2 would be a secret until I subject them to reviews).

Autobiographical stories are fast becoming Norby Ela's forte. And autobiographical indies do not come a-dime-a-dozen these days. So here's hoping we see more of this not only from Norby but from other creators as well.

Komiks Review: Silent Sanctum Manga #5

Well what can I say? Is this Culture Crash redux?

There are many local manga compilations out there and I can say that Silent Sanctum Manga stands out. For one, they're at their 5th issue. OK, six, because they've released an issue 5.5 (which I am yet to get).

What I procured at Komikstrip 2011 was issue 5. Once I got home, this is one of the first things I read. Though I can't help to compare this to Culture Crash, Silent Sanctum Manga (SSM) is a different animal altogether. For one, in true manga tradition, the pages are read from right to left and the cover is colored while the content is black and white. It's in anthology form so thumbs up for variety here. As far as content goes, there are the regular titles which range from a 'fight' title, a high school romance one, a sort of mystery title and a lot of gag titles thrown in especially with the strips. I particularly like 'FAQ'N bits' for its down-to-earth geeky humor. So all in all a good mix of what the komiks reading public may be looking for in a manga anthology.

My main complaint is the 'dirty' look of the pages. I don't know if this is intentional or a result of the copying process but that aspect becomes annoying as you go through the pages. I've seen komiks anthologies with better production values, though some *lack* content or just plain not pulling it off issue per issue.  Also, some grammar errors here and there from the English titles. They're forgivable and nothing like a good editor could sort out well.

Overall, Silent Sanctum Manga is an anthology worth following. The guys behind it make sure that there's something to look out for so better get yours in a con every time. Issue 5 in particular packs an enjoyable freebie (I'm not saying what it is but I tell you it is awesome so go get your copy :D ) and a komik by Michael David (Kubori Kikiam) for example, two reasons why I got hooked to SSM.

So my verdict goes: SSM is bang for the buck, and I hope the guys can make more issues in the future.

Con Report: Komikstrip 2011

Komikstrip was held last February 19,2011 at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños.

It was a small but jam-packed affair. Small in a sense that it occupied a space equivalent to about 2 lecture halls worth. But it was definitely jam-packed with komiks-loving people from all over. The convention doors opened at around 9 a.m., with visitors treated with the sight of old komiks collections displayed at the New College of Arts and Sciences building. The program though started at around past noon with several A/V presentations of the participating student orgs that made the event possible. That was followed by several presentations again by the students ranging from 'dubbed' komiks to acoustic performances.

The event was quite intimate, even if the attendees increased from last year's. The crowd had the pleasure of meeting up with (many of whom were newcomers to UPLB) Rommel Estanislao,Mel Casipit, Freely Abrigo, Norby Ela, Darco, Macoy, Manix Abrera, Gerry Alanguilan along with comic studios Silent Sanctum Manga, Meganon and the Komikon people and more.

As with any con, there were comics: foreign, indie local, old and new. The indie komiks were the stars of the con quite frankly, a showcase of raw and tempered komiks-making talent. There were merchandise available too. In particular, Rommel Estanislao's comic-inspired pendants and 'tansan trolls' (troll face pendants set in bottle caps) which became an instant hit.  

It can be said that Komikstrip is a preview of the Summer Komikon with a lot of creators announcing new works that they'll be coming up for the said event. That said, see you summer folks!

Watch out for indie reviews here too soon!