Komiks Review: Prolouge and Weather-weather lang

Time for another komiks review. And I not only have one but two komiks sent in by Norby Ela of Yo! Bo! fame.

Prologue and 'Weather-weather Lang' are two of Norby's recent works. At first glance they are almost polar opposites of each other: Prologue being a silent komik while  'Weather-weather Lang' is driven by dialogue. What seems to bind them together is Norby's trademark 'sensitivity' which he puts into his works.

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

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!

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.

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: Umlauts and Atom Bombs

Umlauts and Atom Bombs is yet another indie from creator extraordinaire Gerry Alanguilan. The title is reminiscent of a new wave staple but that's how far the statement goes. Like most of his indies from way back, Umlauts is presented in a photocopied mini-comic format and in this particular case contains 2 short stories. First is 'Mitch and Mischa' written by Gerry and illustrated by Marivi Hilos-Nepomuceno who contributed drawings for 'Wasted' and is an accomplished komiks artist herself having worked for GASI for a period of time. 'Mitch and Mischa' is a well thought out slice-of-life story  about letting go,told in a very unconventional way. The play of emotions is very subtle in this tale and yet it evokes a certain bitter sweetness not quite seen in romance or drama komiks. Indeed it is something that's worthy of being made into a TV special or short film.

The second story is 'July 16', a story from Gerry's 2-issue 'Dead Hearts Stories' from 1996. I had the original book but have lost it since from a friend who borrowed and never returned it, but I must say that through the years 'July 16' remains as one of the most touching stories Gerry has ever created. Set in the back drop of the July 16,1990 earthquake (hence the title), it is the tale of love gained and lost amidst the disaster. A true worthy follow-up or perhaps more appropriately, an aftermath of 'Wasted'.

Umlauts and Atom bombs is worth getting, by virtue of 'July 16' alone seeing light after more than a decade. Here's hoping for another serving of Umlauts in the near future. 

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.