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Sep

4

A Wild Idea

Filed Under Filipino Artists, Philippine Comics | 48 Comments

Yes, I agree with the many who pointed it out to me like Garro, Andrew and several others, that there shouldn’t be a distinction between comics and komiks. As I mentioned, for that particular post, I just made a distinction for the purpose of discussion within that post. But yes, from now on, I will no longer make that distinction. Every Filipino made comics shall be komiks/comics.

That said, The Philippine Daily Inquirer began running an almost half page serial comic strip by Carlo J. Caparas and Arnel A. Avetria entitled “To Have And To Hold” which will run 6 days a week beginning yesterday, September 3. The strip above is the 2nd installment from today, September 4.

In this Inquirer Article by Constantino Tejero, Inquirer calls this “A wild idea”. To quote:

“The Inquirer also struck on a wild idea: To bring back readership and get a broader mass base, why not run komiks stories in the paper? What’s more, the two mass mediums would be helping each other.”

I find this assertion very strange, because as far as I know, the Inquirer has been running daily serial strips on its pages since the 1980′s. The strip I remember most was “Cedric: Photo Journalist”, but it was only one is what must be hundreds of comics serials that has appeared in Philippine newspapers well into the 90′s and 2000′s when komiks were supposed to have subsided. I remember seeing serials recently on local tabloids.

This is hardly a “WILD” idea.

I find it stranger for Inquirer to make this assertion as it has systematically chopped down it’s komiks pages slowly throughout the years. I still remember pages of komiks on it’s pages, comics serials and strips that were bursting with creativity and vitality that are now long gone except for a handful. I haven’t even mentioned Pol Medina yet, undoubtedly the most popular Filipino cartoonist of recent times, who has been taking advantage of this “WILD” idea right inside the Inquirer for quite some time.

Stranger still, didn’t Inquirer have a full color comics section in the last few years where komiks serials created by Filipinos appeared on a weekly basis? They’ve since closed that section of their paper.

Additionally, for the article to claim that “After all, the komiks has not really died. It was just in a three-year coma.” is even more surprising. In a coma? I have a collection of articles clipped from Inquirer stretching back from the early 90′s where they have covered the existence of Philippine comics, interviewed it’s many creators, covered their comic books, even during the period wherein komiks was supposedly been “in a coma.” If it’s true that komiks was in a “coma”, there’s plenty of printed evidence right in the archives of Inquirer itself that completely debunks this assertion.

Komiks never died. Just look at the work of Arnold Arre, Carlo Vergara, Budjette Tan, David Hontiveros, Gilbert Monsanto, Reno Maniquiz, Oliver Pulumbarit (himself a writer for the Inquirer), Dean Alfar, Vincent Simbulan, Melvin Calingo, Ryan Orosco, Marco Dimaano, and a lot LOT more.

I’m really hoping that Carlo J. Caparas has managed to knock some sense into Inquirer and made them realize that komiks is an essential part of the daily readership of Filipinos.

***************

Speaking of this particular strip by Carlo J, I sincerely hope that this is not an indication of the characteristics of story and art that we will be expecting from the revival of “masa” komiks.

First of all, “A diario novela by CARLO J. CAPARAS” is a crediting practice that we should start doing away with. The proper way to credit this story would be:

“A Diario Novela by CARLO J. CAPARAS and ARNEL A. AVETRIA”.

I know that Carlo J believes that komiks is a collaborative medium. He himself has asserted this fact during his talks. It’s good that he believes this, but it’s much better to see it manifested in the komiks themselves. Practice what you preach, and all that.

Additionally, and I will never tire saying this, credit must not only in words, but in financial compensation. I’m not talking about compensation in the page rates. I’m sure that Carlo J could possibly earn higher page rates than artists simply because he is much more popular. And that would just be allright.

But when “To Love and To Hold” is bought by ABS-CBN for instance or GMA 7, the compensation for that should be split evenly between Carlo J and Arnel Avetria. This should be the case if Arnel is the creating artist for this series, meaning he is the artist tasked to create the visual look of the characters and environment. Arnel has this privilege because he earned this right when he created this series with Carlo J. However, this same privilege will not transfer to another artist in case another artist other than Arnel continues it after him.

Arnel, if you are reading this, this is something you can insist on. This is a new comics industry, and we as artists are now more aware of our rights now than ever before. If this industry is to be revived, then I hope that it is revived properly. And to do that would require that artists be treated much more fairly, and with more respect than they have been for many decades.

Good Luck!

PS. Arnel, I’ve seen your art before. I know you can do better than this. I’m sure you can. The Philippine Daily Inquirer is read all over the Philippines. A lot of people are looking at your work and a lot of them are thinking… “Is this it? Is this all you can do?” Blow our minds man. This is your opportunity to show us what a great artist you are.

10:00PM Update.

Azrael Coladilla is reporting in his BLOG, that the entry of To Love and To Hold at the PDI has displaced SEVEN existing comic strips including Divine Comedy by Steven Pabalinas, Mikrokosmos by Jomike Tejido, and Love Knots by Elizabeth Chionglo.

Yeah, let’s all revive komiks by cancelling some and throwing some cartoonists out of the job, and better yet, ignore and forget the many comics that have been published in the last 15 years because hey, comics was supposed to have been DEAD, right?

Comments

48 Responses to “A Wild Idea”

  1. Nerp on September 4th, 2007 1:31 pm

    so it has started. my questions is what happened to the comics strips that were displaced by this?

  2. Reno on September 4th, 2007 2:42 pm

    You’re right, Ner. So many other comic strips were bulldozed just to accomodate this. It shouldn’t even be this big. Heck, it could be printed the same size as the one Gerry posted above and it would still be read by some people. No need to remove the other strips just to accomodate it. Makes me wonder what kind of deal Carlo J. Caparas made with the Inquirer. Some of the other strips were by long-time comic strip cartoonists. Nagtataka ako at andaming nagpaalam na comic strips last week. Ito pala ang dahilan.

    And I agree wih most of what Gerry said. Artists, it’s time to assert yourselves. I hope Arnel or someone who knows him reads this blog and tells him he has a stake in all of this.

    Plus, echoing Gerry sentiments, Mr. Avetria can do better than this. I even liked his more experimental, “scratchy” style during the late 80s better.

  3. Ed on September 4th, 2007 2:59 pm

    Classic na classic ang style. I agree na dapat nga pagbutihin pa ni Arnel para ipakita talaga nating mga Pinoy komikero ang galing natin.

    -ed

  4. Robby Villabona on September 4th, 2007 4:58 pm

    Siguro mababa ang bayad kaya simple lang drawing. Bakit ka naman magpapagod pagandahin kung di ka binabayaran ng maganda, diba?

    Siguro accurate na analogy yung “coma” — hindi naman siya patay, pero obviously naghihingalo. Close to death.

  5. Apo ni Kapre on September 4th, 2007 11:36 pm

    Itong komiks sa diyaryo ay matagal na ito. Ako at si Joel Magpayo ay parehong gumagawa ng serials komiks sa diyaryong Taliba nuon mga 1971-72 bago mag martial law.

  6. jose mari Lee on September 5th, 2007 4:41 am

    Robby V:

    “Siguro accurate na analogy yung “coma” — hindi naman siya patay, pero obviously naghihingalo. Close to death.”

    Personification uli, ha, Robby V!

    Just kidding!

    Guys, that only shows you that someone is trying to live up to his reputation: Massacre King.

    Whatever minuscule respect I had for the king (and I ain’t talking about Elvis the Pelvis nor Mars Ravelo: both are kings btw) – seemed to have been eroded by now… not of course if he looks back to his past and realized that once upon a time he was stepped on as well by those who thought that they were DEMIGODS. Now, he himself is acting like one. It’s time to pause and reflect and to not do what was done by others to him when he was just a struggling individual.

    Talking of demigods, Coppola’s Apocalypse Now had one, and no matter how hard I tried to connect it to the heart of Darkness as he claimed, just didn’t seem to make sense. Then it dawned on me that an old film shot in the Philippines by JOHN DEREK, made the connection. It was damned stark. ONCE BEFORE I DIE is a must see, guys. Find the dvd and watch it. This was done before Apocalypse Now and you’ll be surpeised. John Derek was not only a very good actor. He was also a brilliant director. No, he didn’t do any massacre films.

  7. Jonathan on September 5th, 2007 7:27 am

    Can’t they just adjust the size of Caparas’ “komiks novela” (who comes with these terms anyway?) so they don’t have to bump out the other 7 comic strips. Love Knots have been on the pages of Inquirer ever since they started. I think half a page is too much.

  8. jose mari Lee on September 5th, 2007 8:37 am

    Looking at Avertria’s art here, I have concluded that his style here was similar to Rudy Nebres’ during the time of BABAING BAKULAW serial.

  9. gilbert monsanto on September 5th, 2007 12:00 pm

    Here’s one WILD IDEA, Let us stop making comics until we can finally set a guideline for us all. Asserting oneself kasi is not really realistic to me. Mr. Avetria saying to Mr. Caparas to include him as co-CREATOR? Mr. Caparas will just laugh. ” ayaw mo ng trabaho? kayang kaya ko ibigay to sa iba.” Hala di ba? I think if there are rules/law on these, things would be easier to assert our god given rights.

    May tanong ako guys, If you made a cover for a book, should you have royalties for every reprints? Paano ba sa states?

    Yun lang muna,
    Gilbert

  10. Robby Villabona on September 5th, 2007 12:25 pm

    I think the ‘wild idea’ being referred to is expanding the daily comics serial to a larger area(more panels) to attract the non-traditional Inquirer readership. I’m not sure that’s been done before. That’s at the expense of 7 other strips as you noted, but you should be complaining about the Inquirer editors — that’s their decision, not CJC’s.

  11. Rod Samonte on September 5th, 2007 1:07 pm

    Jose Mari, Gerry,
    Agree ako na Avetria’s art looks like Rudy Nebres, but very early Rudy Nebres and possibly a cross with Amado Castrillo also. If this artist is a young fella and just starting, I think he’s off to a good start. Hopefully, he’ll get better and better. It’s my first time to see his work.
    Rod

  12. miel on September 5th, 2007 1:29 pm

    arnel avetria’s work reminds me of a younger rico rival–unless of course, rico rival doesn’t want to get associated with Caparas and draws under a, uhm,’pen name’.

  13. Gerry Alanguilan on September 5th, 2007 1:37 pm

    Gilbert…

    Guidelines na parang sa APEPCOM? Kung may gagawa nito, at may power syang ipatupad ito, edi maganda. Para lahat sumunod. Sino ang gagawa nito?

    Magandang idea ito. May nakikita nga lang akong maging posibleng hadlang. Susunod nga kaya ang mga tao dito? Kung ang APEPCOM pinaiuktan lang ng nagkomiks noon, pano pa kaya ito?

    Pero patigilin muna ang pag gawa ng komiks habang hinihintay natin na may gumawa ng guideliness at ipatupad ito? Sa tingin mo mapipigilan pa ba ang Sterling na ilabas ang komiks nila? At sino ang may power para pigilan ang isang private venture na ilabas ang produkto nila?

    Sa tingin mo gaano katagal para gumawa ng ganitong guidelines? Syempre kelangang i-organize yan. Kelangang may mga taong may karapatan sa industriya ang sumali sa committee. Sino ang pipili sa kanila? Ano ang magiging hakbang para gawin ito? Ilang meetings sa MAX ang kelangang dausin para lamang ma elect kung sino ang magiging presidente at mga officers nito?

    Challenging, pero posible. Maulit ko lang. SINO ANG KIKILOS PARA GAWIN ITO?

    In the meantime, wala tayong komiks, at kung meron man, tuloy ang pagsamantala sa mga artist natin, tuloy ang takutan, tuloy ang isahan, tuloy ang sulutan, habang tayo ay naghihintay na may mangyari sa guidelines na ito.

    Sa tingin mo ba na pag may guidelines na titigil na ang takutan, isahan, sulutan at pangsasamantala?

    Ang problema kasi sa “BATAS”, pinupwersa mo ang mga tao na kumilos. Kelangan ang kagustuhan natin na pagandahin natin ang industriya ay manggaling sa atin mismo, at hindi galing sa isang BATAS o guidelines na kelangan sundin. Kasi kung ganun, gagawin mo lang ito kasi batas e… hindi dahil ito ang gusto mo.

    Tatanda tayo sa kahihintay na may kikilos para sa atin.

    Paano tayo pwedeng kumilos NGAYON, itong araw na ito, September 5, 2007?

    Pag tinawanan tayo ni Caparas, edi tawa din tayo. Pag tinakot ang isang artist na isa iba bibigay ang trabaho, edi ibigay sa iba! Yung artist naman na yun ang kausapin natin. Pag ibinigay sa iba, sya naman ang kausapin natin.

    Biruin mo, pag naubusan sila ang artist na tatakutin, wala silang choice kundi ibigay ang nararapat. Sa huli, LAHAT makikinabang at hindi lang pailan ilan ang yumayaman.

    Sa bawat pagkakataon kelangan natin panindigan ang sarili natin bilang artist. Hindi tayo mga etsapwerang tao. Hindi tayo basta basta. Hindi tayo tauhan, piyon, utusan. Sa tingin ko oras na, ngayon, dito bago mabuhay muli ang komiks sa bansa, para sabihin natin sa sarili natin at sa iba dapat MAGBAGO NA. Hindi na pwede at di na uubra ang mga lumang padale.

    AYOKO NA MAGHINTAY. Kung may gustong gumawa ng Guidelines, edi maganda. Gawin na nila. IN the meantime, gagawin ko kung ano ang kaya ko para bumuti ang kalagayan NGAYON.

  14. Reno on September 5th, 2007 3:23 pm

    Rod, Miel… matagal na din nagkokomiks itong si Arnel Avetria. Medyo iba ang style niya noon. If you’re familiar with Charlie Baldorado, parang ganoon ang rendering style niya.

    Gerry, naalala ko yung blog mo noon tungkol doon sa publisher ng Seven Seas. Yung na-realize niya na hindi tama na makihati siya sa ownership ng creation ng kanyang contributors, kaya nag-amend siya ng kontrata granting the creators full ownership of their work.

    Sana naman katulad noon, as fellow creators, yung mga writers dito na nakagisnan na yung lumang pamamaraan noon ay ma-realize na hindi lang hired hand ang artist kundi co-creator.

  15. Garro on September 5th, 2007 3:24 pm

    Challenging, pero posible. Maulit ko lang. SINO ANG KIKILOS PARA GAWIN ITO?

    Sir Gerry,

    oo, kelangan nga may standard para ma-enforce ang rights. sa ibang industriya that kind of movement would be called a union, or a formal association.

    Would it be possible for this issue to be discussed at the upcoming KOMIKON? at a forum or panel kind of thing? malamang kasi pupunta dun ang maraming Komikero. since andun na rin tayong lahat, e di mag-usap-usap na.

    ang tanong lang ay kung masyadong late na yun, at kung mapagkakasya sa isang araw ang lahat ng kailangang talakayan.

    would there be any possible alternate venues? like sa CSB? UST? **wink wink** hehehehe. I’ll try to find a place, but I can’t really promise anything at the moment.

  16. mojacko on September 5th, 2007 4:07 pm

    di ko ma-access yung blog ni azrael. i agree with you na di dapat ma-displace ang napakadaming cartoonists to make way for one massacre king. by the way, meron pa ring sunday comics ang inquirer pero nag-merge na sya with junior inquirer so 3 pages na lang sya of local and foreign strips.

  17. Henry on September 5th, 2007 4:41 pm

    sayang nmn at tinangal pa nila ung ibang regular strips… bale ina-abangan na nga lagi ng mga readers ng inquirer ung regular na mga strips na un… at baka sa sunday edition na lang sila ilalabas…
    —
    naalala ko dati when nagrereview ako sa cebu (2002)n meron mga komiks ung local papers nila na tulad ng kina Caparas at Avetria na bisaya ung language at ung iba colored pa… magaganda din at d tulad nung nakikita sa mga tabloid na bastusisn na basta2 lang ang pagkakagawa… ewan ko if meron pa nag-e-exist na ganun sa local papers nila sa cebu…

  18. Anna n on September 5th, 2007 5:17 pm

    I think we should send an email to the editors of the Inquirer to let them know what we think of this komiks. Their email address is on top of the page arts@inquirer.com.ph

  19. Rey on September 5th, 2007 6:01 pm

    Kailangan ba talagang ilagay na “Diario novela”? Parang sanggol pa si Sabel sa mga term na ito at talagang passe’ na. Kung re-birth talaga ng komiks ang layon, bakit hindi sila mang-gulat ng mga gawa nila. Parang re-cycle pa rin ng mga early 90′s na komiks.

    I don’t think Mr. Avetria is ayoung lad, seeing his works before in the 80′s. He did remind me of Rico Rival and Nestor Malgapo, though notches lower(not to take anything from him) since this work is really rushed and very tight yung panels. Nasanay na yata talaga sa ganitong style, at like what Robby said, siguro maliit ang bayad talaga. Pwede namang hindi masyadong malaki ang texts di ba?

  20. Cev Ruiz on September 5th, 2007 7:54 pm

    sa tingin ko lang mali ung ginawa ng inquirer. pati ung format ng comic strips nila sobrang nasira. ang pangit na tuloy mag basa ng comics. mabuting pang magsudoku.

    sa kabilang banda, napagisipan ko na rin na sa paglabas ng “cheap” comics…teka wag naman “cheap”…”affordable” na lang…di na mapipigil ito. mabuti na rin siya at magkakaroon ng comics ulit sa bawat sulok ng Pilipinas na maaabot ng distributorship na gagamitin ng Sterling. so sa isang banda meron tayong affordable komiks, sa kabila meron tayong self-publsihed indies, at sa kabila pa ulit mga mid level comics tulad ng inilalabas ng Nautilus at Psicom (i’m sure marami pang ibang “banda”…pero in general un ung nakikita ko…)

    ang point ko lang, siguro hindi naman kailangan maging P 10 “affordable” ang mga komiks. tamang tama siguro na maglabas ng affordable komiks in the P 40 to P 60 range na may dekalidad na pagkwento at lalim sa panunulat at mga pagguhit na sumasalamin sa kinamulatang kultura ng mga pilipino. alam ko may “house style” din tayo sa pagguhit pero dapat patuloy pa rin sa pageksperimento at pagsulong ng mga panibagong istilo.

    yun lang. feeling ko talaga kailangan magkaroon ng third option. the third alternative. if the komiks appearing in the inquirer is any indication at all of the quality both in writing and in art of the “affordable” komiks that will be appearing soon, i highly doubt its success in the long run. pero sana makuha niyang mag evolve in time para mag tuloy tuloy ang success niya.

  21. Gerry Alanguilan on September 5th, 2007 9:09 pm

    Garro, dapat sa Komiks Congress ito pagusapan. Kung gusto nila pagusapan. Last time ayaw nila pagusapan kahit ano except election e. Pero sana mapagusapan ito dun sa pangalawang congress.

    Personally, sa tingin ko hindi kayang unionize ang mga artist sa comics. Kahit sa US in-attempt nila yan pero walang nangyari.

    Masyadong maraming butas kasi kung saan pwedeng lumusot ang mga artist na ayaw sumunod. Maraming artist na ganyan, sinasabi ko sayo.

    Kelangan pasunirin ang artist at publisher. Pero napatunayan na rito na sa ngalan ng “BUSINESS”, kahit ano pwedeng magawa ng publisher, kasama na dyan ang pag undermine ng union by hiring people na hindi susunod dito.

    Pero kung may gagawa nito, edi sa tingin ko OK lang. Para masubukan.

    Pero naniniwala pa rin ako na kelangan i-pulis natin ang sarili natin. Pag lumapit sa atin, sabihin natin ang terms natin. Rights, compensation, etc. Walang urungan.

    Kelangan lang AWARENESS. Kelangan gumawa ng INGAY. Mag ingay sa blog, magingay sa mga interview, magingay sa mga message board, magcomment sa mga newsreport, sulatan ng deretso ang mga taong involved. Sa tingin ko kung may magoorganize ng forum o sige, union na nga, kasama na rin sa ingay ito.

    Kelangan kasi iparating natin na iniisip na ng mga artist ngayon ang mga bagay na ganito, at mahalaga sa atin ito.

  22. gilbert monsanto on September 5th, 2007 10:52 pm

    Then maybe, we should start with the basics right? Tulad ng rights nga.

    Para lang sa awareness for artists:
    1.) Original art ay OWNED ng ARTIST, yung image lang ang pinapagamit mo.
    2.) Kapag ikaw ang designer ng character sa story, co-creator ka. Tulad sa ALAGAD INC., co-creator ko si Kriss Sison. Maaari mas kilala ko ang mga characters pero, pinauubaya ko sa kanya ang 80 to 90% aspect ng pagdedesign.
    3.) Royalties, sana ay maging SOP na. Hindi importante dito kung malaki o maliit. Importante ay lasting ang relationship ng creators sa mga nacreate nila. Walang pinagaiba ito sa mga recording artist na nakakuha ng porsiyento sa bawat unit na nebebenta sa record store.
    –Paki dagdagan na lang po :)

    Gilbert

  23. Garro on September 5th, 2007 10:56 pm

    Garro, dapat sa Komiks Congress ito pagusapan. Kung gusto nila pagusapan. Last time ayaw nila pagusapan kahit ano except election e. Pero sana mapagusapan ito dun sa pangalawang congress.

    sabi ni Martin sa meeting last Friday na “Dalhin ninyo lahat ng daing ninyo sa darating na Kongress, pakikinggan namin.” :D Si Martin ang nagsabi nun, so that should be, at the least, more reassuring.

  24. Apo ni Kapre on September 6th, 2007 1:59 am

    Kailangan ang healthy competition at saka CLASH OF IDEAS sa komiks.

    Si Caparas ang parang lumalabas na standard bearer ng mga matatanda, PAATRAS at PREDICTABLE ang kadalasan idea ng mga matatanda.

    Kayong naman mga bata ay dapat bumuo ng grupo para gumawa ng komiks na PAABANTE ang idea. Gumawa kayo ng mga komiks na ang mga idea ay PANYANIG.

    Susulong lang ang komiks sa Pilipinas kung healthy ang competition at meron clash of ideas, at MATIRA ANG MATIBAY.

  25. auggie on September 6th, 2007 8:06 am

    Makualpug ni Kapre,

    From all indications, meron talagang GENERATION GAP ano ?

  26. Fermin Salvador on September 6th, 2007 8:46 am

    Maybe next time there’ll be a komiks serial in the form of a GIANT BILLBOARD to be updated weekly. Or something like a komiks novel serialized by being painted in a wall of an entire building and can be seen by thousands of motorists like any ordinary similar ads. (Anyway, presumably this will be approved by Chairman Fernando with just a phone call from President Arroyo.) This will surely be a FULL-TIME JOB to whoever will be the artist.

    This reminds us of the heydays of the Chicago Bulls dynasty when there was in Chicago a giant billboard containing the picture of the team which was being updated everytime Dennis Rodman change the color of his hair.

    I remember what Scarlet Johannson exclaimed when she saw her picture in a giant billboard: “My boobs could suckle a brontosaurus!”

  27. Fermin Salvador on September 6th, 2007 9:15 am

    did anyone notice: the title of Capural’s novel is res ipsa loquitur (the thing speaks for itself)? To Have and to Hold.

  28. Rod Samonte on September 6th, 2007 10:02 am

    Apo ni Kapre,
    Ano ba ang tunay mong pangalan. Kami ni Joel Magpayo ay magkasama noon. Baka magkakilala pa tayo.
    Rodolfo Samonte,(buong pangalan ko), Rudy sa mga close friends and relatives, Rod na dito sa America.
    Eto email ko rsamonte1@sbcglobal.net.
    Rod

  29. Azrael on September 6th, 2007 10:25 am

    marami salamat sa mga nakabasa sa post ko ng news na ito sa blog, nabasa ko ito sa ml namin sa artists den, kung saan andun karamihan ang mga cartoonist at comic strip artist, ayun at naglalabasan na sila ng sama ng loob dahil sa action na ito ng PDI.

    pasensya na sa hirap ng pag load ng site ko, heavy graphics kasi yung latest post ko, kaya pag di ka naka dsl mahirap talaga mabuksan.

    pero yung report ko andito sa mirror blog ko sa multiply. may mga reactions na din nakapost dyan.
    dun sa ML namin nagsalita na yung isa sa mga natanggal, binigayan lang daw sya ng 10 days notice about sa pag alis ng strips nya.so ginawsa nya yung last 10 strips fit for that 10 days.

    http://popazrael.multiply.com/journal/item/880/Carlo_J._Caparas_replaces_7_comic_strips_in_PDI

  30. Nerp on September 6th, 2007 11:22 am

    hindi na actually healthy ang competition lalu n ng marinig ko yung sinabi ni cjc regarding distribution. di ko na sasabihin dito yung sinabi niya, monopoly pa rin ang target nila. cguro naman di lang ako nag nakarinig nun nung pumunta ako. ako rin yung nagtanong regarding sa mango comics.

  31. Cev Ruiz on September 6th, 2007 11:47 am

    matira ang malalim ang bulsa?

  32. Lei on September 6th, 2007 11:55 am

    Update lang po, Syeri confirmed with Ms Elizabeth Chionglo that Love Knots will resume printing next week. Sana lang yung iba rin di ba? They really should have just added a new page, or insert or whatever for the “new comics”, instead of removing the others to make space.

    Voice out your opinions to Philippine Daily Inquirer.

    For those who can’t access Az’s blog, it’s actually a reprint from here: Carlo J Caparas in Philippine Daily Inquirer

  33. Gerry Alanguilan on September 6th, 2007 12:24 pm

    CEV… sa tingin ko kung sino ang matitira ay yung may tunay na pagmamahal sa komiks, may pera man o wala.

    FERMIN… actually OK yang BILLBOARD KOMIKS na idea mo. Sa tingin ko hindi ganun kahirap yun kasi hindi naman full scale gagawa ang artist. Kahit maliit lang… kasing liit ng 11X17 na pahiga, tapos scan ng high res at pa print ng malaki sa tarpaulin.

    In many ways, dying art yung pag gawa ng artwork ng full size sa billboard. Tanda ko pa yung ang babagsik na FPJ na pelikula na may painted billobards. Ang dami na sa kanila ang nawawalan ng trabaho o kaya nag aadapt na sila sa tarpaulin.

  34. Robby Villabona on September 6th, 2007 4:12 pm

    Fermin,

    Yung comics ng Sterling may ad na napakalaking billboard sa EDSA. Kukunan ko sana ng letrato kaya lang nagmamaneho ako nung nakita ko. Makikita mo siya nakapaskil sa mataas na gusali pag nasa north-bound lane ka galing sa Guadalupe.

  35. Apo ni Kapre on September 7th, 2007 9:39 am

    Rod Samonte,
    si Super Kapre ay naging si Anak ni Kapre na naging si Apo ni Kapre ngayon, hahaha, PAATRAS yata ang takbo ng edad ko.

  36. Anna n on September 8th, 2007 10:36 pm

    maiba naman
    check out http://crazyjhenny.blogspot.com for a few laughs.

  37. syeri on September 10th, 2007 12:39 pm

    The space he took was so big you could read it 2 feet away! Ifthey took that much space at least have more than just 4 panels in it!!! it’s a waste of space. They could have just made it into like those serialized comic strips like before. It is just disappointing.
    It’s hard enough for a filipino to have his/her strip published in the newspapers because they choose foreign syndicated strips over them. Now they take out local strips for the one who says he’s going to save the comics industry??!!! it really is an outrage.

  38. Arnold on September 10th, 2007 3:18 pm

    Hey guys,
    The latest I saw of ‘To Have’ was in last Saturday’s Inquirer. There seems to be very little logic to Carlo J’s writing. If you haven’t seen it, the scene goes like this:

    Arv and girl are seen in what seems to be a forest. Arv says that he wants her to be his wife, to which the girl replies: “pero hindi papayag ang parents ko”. Arv, in a very odd and inapropriate manner responds with “Love, omnipresent with might, you sway even the realm of son and sire…” which results in the two of them entwined in a romantic embrace with flowers floating in the foreground.

    Huh?

    I feel doubly bad that something as dumb as this could occupy half of the page. I hope this is not the ‘future’ of Komiks/comics.

    Arnold

  39. Robby Villabona on September 11th, 2007 2:46 pm

    Arnold,

    Baka yung babae na tu-turn on sa foreign language. Parang yung character ni Jamie Lee Curtis sa A FISH CALLED WANDA.

  40. auggie on September 11th, 2007 3:53 pm

    Rob,

    Yun ba yung nandoon si DR. J ng Philadelphia 76ers ?

  41. Robby Villabona on September 12th, 2007 2:08 am

    Dr. J wasn’t in that movie. The cast also included John Cleese, Kevin Kline, and Michael Palin. I think you’re referring to THE FISH THAT SAVED PITTSBURGH.

  42. Pao on September 14th, 2007 5:58 pm

    Ang init ng discussion…
    Excited ako sa paglabas ng BAGONG komiks..
    BAGO… kasi di naman kahit kelan naluma at nawala ang komiks.. karamihan nga lang ngayon e sa bookstore mo na lang makikita..
    nung marinig ko na maglalabas ng komiks si caparas kasama ang sterling namangha ako dahil may panibagong komiks na naman akong mababasa…
    Pero medyo nalungkot ako nung mabasa ko ung mga comments sa article na to…
    Hindi ako artist pero ramdam ko yung hinanakit ng mga artist na nagcomment dito..
    nararapat lang naman talaga na bigyan ng pantay na pagkilala ang mga artist sa bawat trabahong nagagawa nila..
    Napakahirap ipahayag ang isang kuwento kung itoy babasahin lang.. pero kung ito’y hahaluan mo ng visual na pamamaraan di ba’t mas nakakaengganyong basahin..
    Kahit walang istorya, walang caption, kahit di magsalita ang mga character mo sa komiks.. kahit puro drawing lang… ang komiks ay komiks parin..
    kaya sana sa mga susunod na gagawa ng komiks.. nararapat lang maging co-creator ang mga artist na ngbigay ng pagod, oras para bigyang hugis ang komiks na nababasa natin sa ngayon.. at sana ibigay ang nararapat ding kabayaran para sa kanila..
    hindi man ako comic artist sa NGAYON..(pero bukas.. sana) sa gagawin kong BLOG ipapahayag ko ang mga bagay na hindi dapat ipagsawalang bahala.. na para sa magigiting nating artist..
    salamat!..

  43. Eusebio Yu on September 14th, 2007 9:32 pm

    Well, they’re officially here…the CJK komiks that is. Can’t say too much about the production quality. Medyo manipis and the printing is mediocre at best. Contents wise, it feels pretty much like the komiks of yesteryears. Meaning, really old fashioned and cheesy. There’s even a racist slant on a particular story. Most of them are 4 pages long. Artwise, nothing spectacular, although the pieces done by Hal Santiago was nice. It looks a bit different from his earlier works though. But what really made me chuckle was the description ” written and illustrated by The Official Philippines Greatest Illustrator, Hal Santiago” What the..? There is no such thing as ” greatest illustrator” let alone official! Now, Mr. Santiago is pretty good, but I betcha most of these blog readers and fans would like to argue that point.

    Now, will I shell out another 10 pesos per copy to buy the succeeding issues? Probably. But if the quality- contents or otherwise – doesn’t improve, it’s gonna be a short ‘revival’.

  44. Gerry Alanguilan on September 15th, 2007 4:17 am

    Eusebio… that’s great! Lumabas na rin at last. I have no doubt those komiks will take a beating in the hands of many people on the Internet as our tastes have grown in leaps and bounds. But I can’t help but think that these komiks were not really meant for us.

    As for Hal’s “greatest illustrator” tag, he’s been using it for a long time, maybe even as far back as the 80′s. I think it stemmed from an award of some sort and he did receive a bit of flak from it from people and even from the press at the time.

  45. Eusebio Yu on September 15th, 2007 6:21 pm

    Gerry

    Lest I be misunderstood , like yourself I would really love for these komiks to succeed – along with any other locally produced ones. I’m sure lots of people have already formed their opinion-good or otherwise. I think we owe it to them and ourselves to give it a chance. But yeah, I think these komiks are geared towards everybody but us…

    I read something funny in the newspapers today. ” CJK komiks sold out!” Mmmm…the place where I bought mine had about 3 or 4 copies per issue. It’s possible, but how the hell would CJK
    know? Do they have an electronic database system that monitors their sales? One dealer in E. Rodriguez was quoted as having sold out all copies in an hour or so. Probably true. But hundreds of dealers across the nation?

    One other thing. I can’t help but think that Carlo’s churning out stories by the dozen and using his name as come on to hopefully sell some movie rights.

  46. Gerry Alanguilan on September 15th, 2007 10:21 pm

    Eusebio… I comment in my most recent post. :D

  47. Azrael on September 16th, 2007 5:01 pm

    add lang ako..

    finally, i just got the information on the root of this news.

    this was decided since last year according to one of the comic strip artist in PDI. and many were surprise during a comic lecture/talk in one of the university.

    and the question here were came from the students and readers, asking the same thing.

  48. Robby Villabona on September 17th, 2007 11:54 am

    Azrael,

    Medyo di ko naiintindihan yung post mo — did you mean to say that the decision to cut down on the number of cartoon strips on the Inquirer was made last year? Was the decision to replace them with CJC’s serial also made at the same time, or was it just a decision to cut the strips from the paper?