Flipside Publishing has partnered up with the 2012 Summer Komikon to hold a 24-Hour Comic Creation contest, with three winners receiving publishing contracts with Flipside Publishing, for digital releases of their comics. Registration will take place on April 25, 2012 to May 16, 2012. Komixathon itself will be held between noon of May 19, 2012 to noon of May 20, 2012. Registered users will receive a username and password which will allow them to upload their comics to Flipside’s servers during those two days. Interested participants can email adam@flipside.ph to register. You can read more details here.
Komikon-Flipreads 24 Hour Komixathon
On April - 26 - 2012
Flipside Interviews David Hontiveros
On March - 27 - 2012
Flipside Digital has an interview with David Hontiveros, one of our fine contributors for “Alternative Alamat“, highlighting his komiks work, particularly on “Bathala: Apokalypsis”. Here’s an excerpt:
For those unfamiliar with your work, could you tell us more about Bathala: Apokalypsis?
The comic stems from a pitch Gerry Alanguilan threw at me during a phone conversation about a decade and a half ago: “What if Superman had to deal with the Apocalypse?”
Gerry asked if I was willing to write the story behind that idea and I was only too glad, so I wrote the 7-issue story, but ultimately, it went into lengthy stasis when Gerry proved unable to handle the art chores. But the comic was revived when Ace Enriquez said he’d be willing to take on the 200+ page project, and here we are.
Bathala: Apokalypsis is basically that pitch told over 7 issues, with Bathala, a Filipino superhero in the mold of the Superman archetype, being the only superpowered individual in the world, having to face the catastrophic effects of an unfolding End of Days.
You can read the rest of the interview here.
Buhay Indie: The Life of Filipino Indie Komiks Creators
On February - 6 - 2012
“Buhay Indie” is a new blog that ill be featuring journal posts from different Filipino komiks creators, with the aim of giving the reader insight into their lives and artistic process. The first entry is by Dr. Carlo Jose San Juan, creator of Callous. Here’s the description of the blog from the very first post:
This is a journal about our life as comic creators and the stories behind the production of independent comic titles we enjoy reading. Making comics is never easy. Most of us manage our time, balancing everything to make one issue in time for an event. More often than not, we encounter a lot of problems while making the pages, and it takes extra effort to get the job done. And we each have our own stories to tell. Each entry will be made by a different comic creator, featuring their comic projects and updates about their comic production… in a form of a diary. The contributors for this blog are the members of Indie Comic Manila, a Facebook group composed of independent comic illustrators and writers from different comic circles. It’s also the same group behind the 100 Araw ng Komiks campaign. It’s tough being an indie creator. But we love making comics, so we do it anyway… Now we’re sharing our stories with you.
High Society News: Giveaway, Komikon, iTunes, Reviews
On November - 15 - 2011
Bonus Art from "High Society" artist Hannah Buena
Some news on the High Society front: first off, the comic is part of the Kindle Komix Krazy giveaway of Flipreads. You can click the link for more detailed instructions, but basically all you need to do is send in a picture of yourself using a Kindle or a Kindle App, write a bit about your love of local comics, and you’ll get High Society on the Kindle for free. If you’d rather pay for your copy–and hey, I certainly wouldn’t turn that down–High Society is also currently going for a reduced price of $0.99 (US price) for a limited time.
Edit: If you’re reading this before November 18, Tina is also giving out a free Kindle copy of High Society to someone who comments on her review of the comic.
If you’d rather get your copies from the iTunes store,you can get your copy here. As I also mentioned yesterday, you can also get an ePub or PDF copy from Flipreads, the new Philippine digital bookstore, here.
Of course, there are also readers who’d prefer a physical copy of High Society (whether instead of or in addition to the digital one), and if so, do pass by the Flipside table at this Saturday’s (November 19) annual Komikon, at the Bayanihan Center in Pasig. We’ll be selling a limited number of photocopied versions of High Society, and Hannah and I should both be at the table at some point (probably not for the whole day) for anyone who wants signed copies. And hey, you know what? If you bring your digital copy of High Society on your ereading device (Kindle, iDevice, Android, Laptop, etc.) I’ll sell you the physical copy at a discounted price.
For prospective readers still on the fence about whether or not High Society is for them, you can check out reviews from some of the country’s most popular komiks review sites: Flipgeeks has comments from Norby Ela and Earl Maghirang; Mark Rosario, on the other hand, reviews High Society at Planet Markus.
Edit: We’ve also begun to receive reviews from intrepid book bloggers, such as Tina over at One More Page, one of the few readers who’ve seen both the old and new versions of “High Society”–lucky for us, she liked both versions.
Supermaker: Andrew Drilon Interview
On October - 17 - 2011
Andrew Drilon (“Pericos Tao“) is one of the most respected komiks creators in the country today. His latest mini-comic, “Supermaker” has garnered praise from creators such as Chris Roberson and Jeff Lemire. He talks about the inspiration for the comic here, but I still wanted to know more. I asked the always busy Andrew if he’d be willing to answer a few questions about “Supermaker” and he graciously agreed:
So… I take it you come from the “characters have a life of their own” school of thought?
Sometimes. Well, really, they’re all fictional constructs, but my feeling is that the act of creation is really a conversation with oneself, so some of the creator’s internal logic bleeds into the characters. You can play around with archetypes or create well-rounded personalities, but with each line/panel/image you set down, you’re building rules for them which have to be followed (or subverted with good reason).
So yeah, I feel that once that “rule set” is established, you can extend it forwards and backwards with your imagination, giving the impression of a life outside the actual story, which allows for things like sequels and fan fiction. However I do like the thought that they exist somewhere in the second dimension, living lives outside our purview. It’s a romantic idea that I tend to obsess over.
You mentioned in your journal entry that “Supermaker” was originally a longer work, but you decided to make it shorter. How long was it, originally? What sort of cuts did you make?
It was originally designed to run in monthly 8-page installments for three years. The first “season” would have been a year, clocking in at around 96 pages, with the whole thing running to almost 300 pages. I had a ton of ideas for it–the overall stylistic theme being rampant references to (and reflections on) all the superhero comics I grew up reading—all anchored in this “real” cartoonist’s story. I wanted to do a “Supreme” or “End League”-style work, which usually starts out being derivative of other stories but evolves into own thing. I love Barth and Borges and Burroughs, and I think there are lots of ways to do metafiction comics that we haven’t seen before. In the end, though, I decided to just cut out the body and leave the heart of it–that sentiment expressed in those 8 pages, which I think is the most important aspect of the story.
“High Society” Philippine Steampunk Comic – Now on Amazon
On October - 14 - 2011
The mysterious steampunk comic book collaboration between myself and the wonderful Hannah Buena has now been released! Flipside Komix has published “High Society” (formerly “Kataastaasan“) on Amazon as a Kindle comic. It’s an alternative history story that mixes automata, Philippine folklore, and the British invasion of Manila in the 1760s. It’s also the first comic book story set in the world of the “Wooden War”, which was also the setting of my story in Philippine Speculative Fiction 6.
There’s not a lot of Philippine steampunk stories out there (I’m eagerly awaiting “The Marvelous Adventures of the Amazing Doctor Rizal”), and none that mix it up with Philippine mythology quite the way that Hannah and I do here, so if that interests you, please do buy a copy and help spread the word. If not for me, then for Hannah’s amazing art. Maybe some preview pages/panels will seal the deal?
Book Launch: Elmer, Second Edition
On October - 12 - 2011
Convention-going komiks fans have known about Gerry Alanguilan’s Elmer for years, but now it’s set to reach a wider audience through a second edition published by National Book Store itself. The second edition will be launched this Saturday, October 15, 2011 at Bestsellers, 4th Floor Robinson’s Galleria, Ortigas at 5pm.
According to Gerry: “This edition will be virtually the same as the previous Komikero Publishing edition, although it would have a new afterword, a sample of the script, and drawings previously available in the Elmer Limited Edition Box Sets. Because of my agreement with my publishers abroad, this edition will only be made available here in the Philippines.”
If you don’t have a copy of Elmer–or, heck, even if you do–this would be a perfect time to pick up what is, to date, probably the most critically renowned Philippine graphic novel. It’s won the 2011 Prix Asie-ACBD Award, been included in a list of essential reading by the Association of Critics and Journalists Love, and been nominated for best comic book of the year award by two French festivals, and the “Best Graphic Album-New” in the Eisner Awards.
Trese 4 Pre-Launch Interview: Kajo Baldisimo (with Sneak Preview)
On October - 6 - 2011
I hope everyone is excited for the Trese 4 book launch this coming Saturday, 5pm, at the National Book Store Bestsellers at Robinson’s Galleria. The book is entitled “Last Seen After Midnight”. I’ve already spoken with writer Budjette Tan–now artist and co-creator Kajo Baldisimo answers my questions about Trese. As an added bonus, we have exclusive preview pages from “Wanted: Bedspacer”, one of the new cases in Trese 4. In these pages, Trese explains to a doctor the difference between two creatures of Philippine folklore. Click on the pages for a larger version.
Do you view volume 4, “Last Seen After Midnight” as the start of a new tone for the series?
Parang yes.
The first trilogy tells the story of a hero who is still quite reluctant to accept that role. The next few volumes will show what happens when she starts facing that destiny head on.
Or not.
How different was it working on this volume, as opposed to the previous ones? Was it easier or harder to complete? I can imagine that as the anticipation increases for each new installment, the pressure on you two must also be growing…
Budj was done with the scripts years ago. As for me, I had a harder time completing this book because my focus constantly zigzaged from ‘just having fun’ to ‘living up to expectations’. The book got finished when I flushed ‘expectations’ down the toilet.
Trese 4 Pre-Launch Interview: Budjette Tan
On October - 4 - 2011
The much anticipated fourth book in the Trese series (which is popular enough to merit a Wikipedia entry) will be launched this Saturday, October 8, 5pm, at the NBS Best Sellers branch at Robinson’s Galleria. The book is entitled “Last Seen After Midnight”. I caught up with series writer Budjette Tan to ask him about the newest installment of Alexandra Trese’s ongoing adventures.
In many ways, Trese: Mass Murders (the previous volume) felt like an ending to a chapter of Alexandra’s life. Do you view volume 4 as something of a fresh start?
At one time, there was actually a possibility that the stories in Book 4 might have been part of Book 3 to begin with.
I never really envisioned Book 3 to be such a sprawling story arc. I really tried to tell the story of the Great Balete Tree in 20 –pages and was trying to tell the “secret origin” of the Kambal in the usual 20-pages as well. But as I kept writing that story, it just didn’t allow itself to be contained in 20-pages. So, it ended up becoming 113 pages long!
Book 4 is once again a collection of stand-alone stories. I like doing these types of stories. They feel more like a short jog, as compared on the long marathon that was Book 3.
We’ve actually started on Book 5. Looking at where that is planned to go, I think Book 5 will come closer to a “fresh start” for Trese. Or maybe it’ll take her down new path,s is more like it. We hope to finish Book 5 before the Summer Komikon of 2012.
So we’re seeing a return to the episodic cases then. How many pages will this volume be?
This volume will have four new cases. Each case is a stand-alone story. The stories range from 20 to 22 pages. We’ve actually released three of these cases in the past Komikons because we wanted to always have something new for the readers, just to show them that we are working on the new book. It also pressured us to finish each case for whatever was the upcoming Komikon of the quarter.
Komikon Awards 2011 Nominees (Batch One)
On August - 31 - 2011
The Komikon organizers have announced the nominees in four of the categories for the 2011 Komikon Awards (Best Comic series, Best Comic Strip Compilation, Best Graphic Novel, Best Filipino International Artist). Voting is not yet open, but feel free to go over to the Komikon website to see if your favorites have made the cut.
2011 Nominees for Best Comic Series
Ang Astiging Boy Ipis
(Paul Michael Ignacio, Gilbert Monsanto, etc., Sacred Mountain Prod.)
Bayan Knights
(Gilbert Monsanto, etc., Sacred Mountain Prod.)
Foldabots
(Jomike Tejido, KZone Philippines, Summit Media)
Love is in the Bag
(Ace Vitangcol & Jed Siroy, Studio Studio)
The New Adventures of Erek Shawn
(Digital Art Chefs, FHM Philippines, Summit Media)
