Rocket Kapre – Fantastic Filipino Speculative Fiction

Over at his Oblique Strategies website (if you go surfing the rest of the site, note that some posts are NSFW), Adam David is conducting a survey to learn more about the local female comic book reader and her relation to komiks culture. Head on over and comment if you’re a graphic novel geek of the girl kind. Here are the questions, but comment over at Adam’s post:

In the spirit of Hope Larson’s own survey on (American) girls’ comic book reading habits, I’m planning on embarking on a new komix writing thing – criticism and creative – and I wanted to ask a few questions specifically for the girls in the audience (if there are any), but if any of you girly guys want to answer the questions, I’d see it as a great kindness. Feel free to pass these questions around, as long as we get the feedback from it.

1) What comic books do you read, both local and foreign?

2) Do you enjoy reading these comic books? Why exactly do you enjoy reading them?

3) Do you read any comic books that you think are specifically targeted to girls? Which books are they? Why do/don’t you like them?

3) Who are your favourite comic book creators, both local and foreign, both male and female?

4) Why do you like them? Which of their books are your favourites, and why?

5) As a girl, would/could you say that the current system of local komix production – the books, the creators, the stores, the conventions – is friendly towards females? Why/Why not?

6) As a girl, do you want to make your own komix? Would/Could you make it specifically for girls? How would/could you go about doing that?

7) Would you like to see more local komix focussed primarily for girls?

What else would you like to see more of in local komix?

9) What would you like to see less of in local komix?

10) Where do you think the current local komix production is heading re: komix for girls?

Master scribe of all things geek related, Carljoe Javier (author of “And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth”), is set to launch his new book – The Kobayashi Maru of Love – on September 6, 2010. 8 pm @ Ilyong’s. Project 4. Kalantiaw St., Cubao, Q.C. For those who don’t recognize the Star Trek reference (and yes, there are geeks who don’t know their Trek, like me), here’s s link to an explanation of what Kobayashi Maru usually refers to.

After some thought, I’ve decided to extend the period of submission for Alternative Alamat by a little over two weeks – the new deadline is September 15. If you were interested in submitting, but felt like you didn’t have enough time to finish/polish a story, I hope that the new deadline will entice you to submit. Helping me spread the word would be much appreciated.

Also, be sure to read the guidelines. I’ve had to reject a few stories out of hand for failure to adhere to the guidelines. Please not the minumum and maximum wordcounts, as well as the fact that I’m looking for re-imagining of the old myths and legends, pre-Hispanic tales, or venerable legends such as the Bernardo Carpio story, etc.

If you have questions, please leave a comment here or at the original announcement and I’ll get back to you.

Karl de Mesa is a horrible man – and by that I mean he’s one of the more prolific purveyors of horror at the moment, coming fresh from his co-editing stint for Estranghero Press’ “Demons of the New Year” anthology, he’s all set to launch his collection of horror novellas, “News of the Shaman” at the Bookay Ukay bookstore, on August 28.

He also spoke at the recent “Literature From Shakespeare to Bob Ong: Bridging the Divide Between the Popular And the Canonical” conference, held at the UST on August 18, 2010. Here’s the video of the talk. (The Q and A will be uploaded in another post)

Parts 2 and 3 under the cut.

Read the rest of this entry »

The 2nd annual Metro Comic Con was held last weekend at the SM Megamall, and by most accounts it seems to have improved on its predecessor, the smaller venue leading to a better organized layout, with the komiks creators front and center, as they should be.

Flickr is giving me some issues trying to share individual images, so have a slideshow instead!

Young adult novels these days are less books that don’t quite reach the level of craft and sophistication of “adult” novels, and more an indication of the ages of the lead characters. Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games novels are some of the very best to come out in recent years, and I’m happy that Scholastic has really been pushing the series. Fans of the series know that the final book in the trilogy, “Mockingjay”, will be released on August 25, and Scholastic, together with National Book Store, with help from the New Worlds Alliance and Flips Flipping Pages will be holding a launch event a few days after, on August 29, 2010, at 1:00p.m. at the National Book Store Bestsellers branch at the Robinson’s Galleria. There are a host of activities lined up for fans during the event, and I’ll be taking part in one of them:

• Hunger Games Discussion Panel: Yep, I’ll be part of the discussion panel (to be moderated by Meann of New Worlds and SumintheBlue) at the event, which will cover the first two books of the series, so no need to be afraid to take part just because you haven’t bought/finished the third yet. Bea Tejano will also be on the panel, along with two other panelists.
• “Catching Fire” Quarter Quell LARP: New Worlds Alliance will also be reprising their live action contest/RP – they’re looking for two more teams of 2 members to participate. You can sign up here or see how the last iteration of this contest went down here.
• Cinna’s Corner: This is where participants can get temporary tattoos for free.
• Haymitch’s Bar: A refreshment/snack/beverage station, but probably not one that Haymitch would frequent (I doubt they’ll serve alcohol).

There will also be a photo booth, and a viewing of the book trailer, so if you’re a Hunger Games fan, or just in the Robinson’s area on the 29th, make sure to drop by!

[Base slider image from Mockingjay.net]

The Metro Comic Con is taking place this weekend (August 21-22) at the Megatrade Hall 2 of SM Megamall. Here’s some information and a few links to get everyone ready for the event.

• Schedule of Activities – Saturday seems to have most of the panels (Game Developers, Kartunistas, Veterans) plus the Lifetime Achievement Awards, while the other contests/announcements of winners are on Sunday, along with the voice acting panel. Cosplay is encouraged for both days, but the cosplay contest is on Sunday.
• Guest Artists - There’s also a breakdown of which artists will be available for sketches and signing here.

As far as what komiks will be available/groups will be present at the convention, here’s a partial list, with links.

NON-INDIE TABLES/ EXHIBITORS:

• Bayan Knights Group – List of New Releases: Codename: Bathala #1/2 ; Gwapoman #1 variant and #2; Ang Astiging Boy Ipis #2; Ang Morion #3; Unos Mundos #4; Pag-Asa#4; Sanduguan #7; Kalayaan # 10
• Komikon Table: Will host, amongst others, Point Zero (Kubori Kikiam, Digmaang Salinlahi, Pasig: Epilogue, Cresci Prophecies: Book of Arcen Vol. 1 and 2) and Macoy Tang (School Run, Ang Maskot – I reviewed the latter here.)
• Gerry Alanguilan will be there on Saturday with copies of “Umlauts and Atom Bombs” and “Where Bold Stars Go To Die“.
• Given that he’s one of the organizers, it’s a fair bet that Heubert Khan Michael (Unstoppable) will have a booth as well. Chances are also pretty high that the guest artists like Manix Abrera and Elbert Or will have books for sale as well.
• “A special preview editon of TRESE: Cadena de Amor” will be available at the Metro Comic Con” – from Budjette Tan’s twitter feed
• NEW: Budjette has a list of titles available at the Visprint booth that will be available at the Metro Comic Con: TRESE: CADENA DE AMOR, SONGS OF THE LEWENRI, BATHALA APOKALYPSIS #1

INDIE PARTICIPANTS:

1. Carlo Jose San Juan MD (Callous)
2. Freely Abrigo (Kulas; Kapitan Tog – here’s my review of issue 1)
3. Gio Paredes (Kalayaan)
4. Lady Storykeeper (Realm of Dreams; Dragon Kid – here’s my review of issue 1)
5. Meganon Comics (MAKTAN 1521)
6. Omeng Estanislao (Lipad)
7. Silent Sanctum Manga
8. Atomic Underground
9. Jerrico Barrios (Estrella)
10. Scratch Comics (Zombies in Manila – here’s my review of Issues 1 and 2)
11. Studio KAKOMIKS (Here’s my review of Supervillains, one of their offerings.)
12. Carlo Valenzuela
13. Kai Castillo (Patintero)
14. Greepo Comics Group (Curfew) (Here’s a feature on Gerald “Majic” Asbucan by Macoy Tang)
15. Ghetto Libretto Group
16. CORE Studios (No Parking Comics, Magiting – Raipo reviews both of these at his blog)
17. Decaf Club (Butter Sweet)
18. Kickbackers Group (Prageh Manga Anthology)
19. iNorth (Here’s my review of issues 1-3 of Samurai Scribe, one of the works of the group.)
20. Hazel Manzano (Callwork; Dra. Yap – Raipio has a review of the latter on his blog.)
21. Yo Bo! Komiks
22. MadGear Project
23. Wan Mananita (Ang Morion, Unos Mundos)
24. Rhoseller Quilantang (Goodbye Rubbit, Manila Man)
25. Project Chimera

Mervin Malonzo (Tabi Po) and DJ Legaspi (Baro Investigations) will also be roaming the Metro Comic Con giving away these stickers (in pink) to help promote the Quarterly Bathroom Companion Comics Compendium.

Here’s the Horror Panel (featuring Budjette Tan (Trese), David Hontiveros (Penumbra novellas, Pelicula), Bart (G. M.) Coronel (Tragic Theater)) from the “Literature From Shakespeare to Bob Ong: Bridging the Divide Between the Popular And the Canonical” conference, held at the UST on August 18, 2010. (The Q and A will be uploaded in another post)

The first question, which I didn’t capture on video, is “What are you most afraid of?”

Part 2 and 3 under the cut.

Read the rest of this entry »

Do you like comics? Do you like steampunk? Do you like alternate history? Do you like mythological creatures? Well, you might be interested in my upcoming comic book project with the ridiculously talented Hannah Buena, to be published this year by Espresso Comics. It’s called “Kataastaasan” and here’s a little something to whet your appetites:

Oh, hey, look whose turn it is on the other end of the (figurative) microphone? Fantastic Filipina writer Rochita Loenen-Ruiz ( who is currently guest blogging at Ecstatic Days)  interviewed me, and Lavie Tidhar posted the conversation over at the World SF News Blog. Here’s an excerpt:

Q: What do you think are the obstacles or challenges that we face as Filipinos writing in a field that’s dominated by the West?

The first challenge is that, as I touched upon a little earlier, most of us Filipino speculative fiction writers are ourselves products of that domination. The books we read in our youth gave us many of the tools and techniques that enable us to be writers, but which, at the same time, might not be right for the kind of stories we now want to tell–at least not without some adaptation. Even the language many of us write in, which approximates American English, while serving as the basic tool of our profession, seems to add a layer of alienation any time we choose to write certain types of stories. You see that a lot in the komiks scene here, particularly the local superhero scene, where you can see creators struggling to decide when to use English, or when to use Filipino, or how to translate a concept or experience from one context/language to another.

There was a recent discussion with regard to the viability of the classic superhero in the Philippines–the type who only focuses on halting crime rather than effecting any social change–given that the scale of problems such as poverty and corruption here. And yet, classic superheroes are exactly what many of the creators grew up wanting to do. In the same way, I grew up wanting to write The Belgariad, or the Wheel of Time, but now that I’ve realized I want to write stories influenced by the historical Philippines rather than historical Europe, I find that there is no great body of fiction that I can turn to and build upon. (Which is one of the reasons I’m all for discovering Philippine myths and legends.) It’s a blank slate, and for a writer that is both exciting and terrifying.

The other challenges are more practical in nature, and apply more specifically to Filipinos who live in the Philippines and want to publish novels.  While the short story market is becoming more and more accessible to writers from across the globe, it’s still difficult for someone who doesn’t live in the West to get a book published in the West, even when we just factor in logistical matters, such as the fact that a writer who lives in the Philippines is less likely to be able to network at a convention, or attend a writing workshop like Clarion. The sad thing is, it’s not any easier for a Filipino writer to get a spec fic novel published here in the Philippines. Most publishers don’t appear interested in spec fic in general, and spec fic novels in particular. There are no literary agents here, nor conventions where an aspiring writer can approach an editor or publisher. That’s one reason why I believe that many authors in the future will take the self-publishing route–they simply don’t have a way to get the attention of publishers. I hope that Rocket Kapre can help change that in the future.

You can read the rest of the interview here.

Thanks to Rochita for taking time from her writing to interview me, and thanks to Lavie for sharing the interview.