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: Kapitan Tog and Crack!

I'm going to make this review short and sweet like the indies themselves. Simply put, Kapitan Tog and Crack are hilarious indies from creator Freely Abrigo (you also might know him as the creator of  Kulas from Manila Bulletin). First off, the quality of the books are excellent with Kapitan Tog having a  glossy cover and Crack in the more affordable mini-comic format.Kapitan Tog is about the adventures of a bumbling superhero who manages to work it out at the end of the day while Crack is a collection of funny vignettes in mini-comics form (an emerging trend these days). Both work on the ethos of 'less words, more action and hilarity', a great combination rarely seen in indies today. Crack even has a disclaimer: "For those who are too lazy to read" which actually fits both indies as well.
 
I'd recommend Kapitan Tog and Crack to readers who are looking for a quick, good laugh.

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!

The Unspoken Laws of Monster Hunter!

Capcom's creature slaying action game  Monster Hunter is not everyone's game. But a lot of people play and love it simply because of its social aspects and skill intensive learning curve. But there are things that Capcom does not reveal about Monsther Hunter and based on hours upon hours of hunting I bring you:

The Unspoken Laws of Monster Hunter!


1. The Law of Need or "I need that monster material for my armor/weapon but I'm NOT getting it ANYWHERE!" - MH rewards its players with materials from slain/trapped monster for them to forge into weapons and armor. Low level items usually take a run or to with the same monster to build a particular item but as the game progresses, the rarity of materials go up and eventually will end up in " I want this X scale/plate/jewel/ruby but the game won't let me have it" rant.

The trick here is to be patient and hunt, hunt,hunt! After all, hunting IS the point of the game amirite?

Team work is also key!

2. The Law of Evasion or "the dodge or die law" - Many players are often complacent of high defense armor ratings and think that armor can soak up anything. Guess what. Your armor is just there to prevent damage not soak it up. Unlike MMORPGs, MH armor will still let in some monster damage into your health no matter how tough it is. Getting hit will leave you vulnerable for another attack. Dodging on the other hand not only let you take 0 damage, it places you into position for a counter-attack.

So which is better then? Take the damage and fall on your back or time your dodge and counter-attack? Choose!

3. The Law of Character Control or "Why is my character is so clunky'- it's because of one reason: it is intentional. Capcom had the control scheme mapped out and planned from the start and 'clunky' controls are meant to add thrill and excitement into the game. It also forces players to learn the controls and turn it into instinct. Just look at Resident Evil. You'll know what I mean.

4. The Law of Money and Materials or " a mound of money means nothing if you don't have the materials" typically in any common video game, money talks. Get more money from slaying enemies and you'll get an uber powerful item that will break the game.Or at least the boss. In MH, materials from monsters are as essential as money and the only way to get materials is to hunt. Which brings us back to the basic premise of the game: hunt, hunt, hunt!

5. The Law of Effort or "can't I slay that monster with a single blow?" - The answer is no. In a way MH is a simulation of a hunt. Looking at ancient and modern (real-life) hunters alike, their prey are not slain with a single blow. More often than not hunters rely on traps and weapons to catch their prey. Same with MH. Effort teaches patience and patience results to better hunts!

6. The Law of Strategy or "Why can't I hit/damage that monster?"- MH is an action game but it doesn't mean that all you have to do is to memorize how your weapons work. No it is more than that. Each monster has their own patterns, attacks and weaknesses similar to how a real creature might do at a certain situation. The more you know about your enemy, the easier it is to subdue. Is the monster fast? Match its speed by moving around and anticipate its movements. Is the monster big and clumsy? Look for a blind spot and capitalize on it. Is the monster vulnerable to an element type? Set up your weapon and armor to exploit that fact.

O Hai thar! I are harmlezz!

So now that you've finished reading go out there and hunt hunt HUUUUUUNT!

Event: Komikstrip 2011

(From last year's Komikstrip)

I'm excited about February's Komikstrip 2011 to be held at my alma mater UP Los Baños.

Ever since I've been exposed to the indie komiks scene way back in my college years, I've always been looking forward to a komiks event to come in at Los Baños. Years after I graduated (and worked) KomiksTrip came about their first foray last year attended by some of the country's best indie komiks makers such as Budjette Tan (Trese), Carlo Vergara (Zsa Zsa Zaturnah), Gerry Alanguilan (Elmer), Manix Abrera (Kikomachine), Memer and Michael David of Culture Crash, The Punxxx Komks Crew, Hazel Manzano (Callwork) etc.

(From last year's Komikstrip)

I've heard from the organizers that they'll be bringing in roughly the same peole from last year and more. And that's a good thing since events like KomiksTrip don't come around often in Los Baños, more so in Laguna. So there's gonna be more komiks, autographs, pictures and other stuff for us this year.

I'm particularly excited about Rommel Estanislao's confirmation in the event. Rommel, also known as Omeng and ~dinuguan on deviantart.com is what shobiz calls a triple threat: he draws, he does graphic design and sculpts clay figures of komiks characters. Check out his deviations here. Silent Sanctum Manga is also a draw for me this year. I am yet to have a copy of their works which, based from their website and reviews of their works from other komiks artists, are fun to read. I've also heard that Andrew Villar will be there bringing along his 'Hari' komiks in print form.

(From last year's Komikstrip)

And yes, there will be even more as the organizers say, so I'm really looking forward to this. Visit the event's blog, their website and like them on Facebook and Twitter. And as with this kind of event, expect a number of reviews on komiks and stuff that I'll be acquiring so see you around.

The Redemption of Panty And Stocking

Panty to the left and Stocking to the right

If you have not heard of or seen Gainax' Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, you better do so.

I'd call it a shock show, and even then that term seems to be an understatement. Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt (let's call it PASWG from now on) feels like a Gendy Tartakovzky cartoon on crack. It follows the adventures of Panty and Stocking (sic), an angelic pair of sisters who fell from Heaven's grace and who must now redeem themselves in order to go back. Aided by Garterbelt (a black priest with a huge afro), who has a storied past himself, they cleanse Daten City of nefarious beings known as Ghosts.

Sounds fluffy? Not actually.

the main cast (clockwise) Garterbelt, Panty, Chuck and Stocking

You see, Panty and Stocking are a dysfunctional pair with Garterbelt and the rest of the cast adding in the chaos. The sisters slack, bicker and bitch their way through each and every episode laced with Gainax' trademark twisted humor. That is the meat of the show and revolves quite a bit around how many guys Panty romped with and how much sweets Stocking devours in each 15-minute segment. Garterbelt on the other hand tries each and every time to be the moral anchor of the sisters though his own flaws tie him up.

Ghosts were mentioned a while ago, them being the main antagonists of the show. Each one is dealt with by Panty and Stocking in a brutal way. The sisters do this for 'heaven coins' which are tokens they collect for them to return to Heaven. Most of the time, Panty and Stocking are shown to be discontented with their rewards and in a way represents how things go about in Daten City.

Scanty and Kneesocks

Midway through the show, it was revealed that the Ghosts are merely puppets of the Mayor of Daten City, Corset with the demon sisters Scanty and Kneesocks as his subordinates. Corset is determined to open the gates of Hell contained within Daten City and like Garterbelt, orders the demon sisters around to do his deeds for him. Scanty and Kneesocks on the other hand are not mere palette swaps of Panty and Stocking. Scanty is nefarious but pompous while Kneesocks is the more aggressive of the pair but both are obsessed with 'rules' and are surprisingly polite and proper despite being tagged as demons. 

So we've got all those things happening on the show and more. Each and every episode is different and may seem to be incoherent or unrelated to each other but truth is, the whole show stitches itself together as it nears the end. And in a way, despite the characters and situations being brash, uncultured, rude and explicit (there's sex in it, go figure) PASWG manages to be an entertaining and heartfelt show like any other Gainax offering made thus far.

So don't let all the crass and crudeness hinder you from watching this. No not even if the characters are named after underwear. Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt like Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Aim for the top before it is true to the Gainax mold of bringing the unconventional to the otherwise mundane world we live in.

My 10 'To-get' Toys and Kits for 2011

2010 was a very good year for me, at least when in the latter parts where I got gunpla left and right as hand-me-downs and gifts (thank you people, you know who you are) as well as I got to own a RG 1/144 RX-78 Gundam.

So here's my 10 'To-get' Toys and Kits list for 2011, a smattering of what I missed last year and things to come this year:

3x more awesome than any 1/144

1. RG 1/144 Char's Zaku - is on top of my list since I want this paired up with my RG 1/144 RX-78 Gundam. In my humble opinion, I think this is the cooler of the 2 Real Grades released thus far, as it is the Red Comet's personal Zaku II. What can you or me want more?

See? It can do THE POSE

2. Revoltech #101 - Gunbuster - I have been waiting for a kit or figure of Gunbuster to roll out for the longest time and the last one saw light in the late '90's as is already a rare one. Now Revoltech has finally come up with this, I'm definitely going to get it. It has all the bells and whistles that any Gunbuster fan can ever wish for: combining gimmick for the 2 Buster machines, effect parts and the ability to do 'THE POSE'. And that's all in one affordable package.

Been waiting forever for this

3. Yamaguchi Revoltech #8 - Jehuty - same with Revoltech Gunbuster, I have been waiting for a kit or figure of Jehuty forever (and any Zone of the Enders fan for that matter). There was never a word of it until now. Thanks Kaiyodo.

Nendoroid Stocking is still moe' even as a prototype

4. Panty and Stocking Nendoroid - Every fan of the WTF-you're-thinking-Gainax-this-is-effin-awesome anime Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt has anticipated this. I bet no one's gonna be content with just Panty or Stocking alone. I know I'm buying a pair :D

Guess I don't have to look up the ceiling anymore for these guys

5. Alien Revoltechs - I love H.R. Geiger's xenomorphs since they appeared on-screen and I have scoured far and wide for the old Kenner toys, which I have but a couple. And now that they are part of the Revoltech line, I wouldn't have to look any further.

Now if I can also find one of those early Escaflowne plamos

6. Kotobukiya Dirfringe/Delphine - Broken/Break Blade is today's L-Gaim/Escaflowne/Dunbine, all of which I loved because of the 'ancient mecha' concept behind the said series. Dirfringe/Delphine is a must get for me then by default.

Do you remember this?

7. Bandai VF-25 Messiah - The VF-25 may not be the most original VF design to come out but I loved the modularity of the Messiah so I'm sold on this one.

Another dash of moe'

8. Hoi-hoi sans - Yeah, a break from my usual mecha acquisitions. 'To-get' for me because of sheer moe' 'nuff said.

The sword is enough reason to get this.

9. HG 1/144 Gundam 00 Qan[T] - I've heard the Gundam 00 movie was awesome, and the Gundam 00 Qan[T] more so. Definitely a must get for me, along with the other movie kits.

Where for art thou TRON figures?

10.Any TRON figure - but most importantly the ones with the animated faces, as that particular gimmick impressed me much. Never seen one on any of the local stores and as such these are going to be a hard find.

There. It's a long list but it's my job (and pleasure!) to get these by year's end. Or most of them anyway. Stay tuned!

News,reviews and photos from gunjap, TOMOPOP and Toy News International

Happy New Year!

Some people call these plastic crap. I call 'em treasure

Happy New Year Everyone! And I do hope it will be a good year for all of us.

2010 was a bad year for me for the most part, financially if I had to mention. I experienced being the 'padre de pamilya' for the household for about half a year and that said I think my paternal instincts kicked in (hehe).

Nevertheless, circumstances will never get the better of me. There were a lot of good things that happened as the year closed. I got a second job as a freelance writer yet again so I think that will at least alleviate my current financial situation. I got a slew of Gundam plastic models and related items like goods and supplies as gifts this Christmas and I am a very happy camper with all those. And I got to paint and build some of them before the year ended. I got to reconnect and reunite with some of my old friends to boot. Truly a good turn of events on my part


In a way even though things started bad, I guess the sweet stuff really happens in the end. Again Happy New Year to us all.