If you wish to contact me for any particular reason, please click here.

Jul

14

Pagan Press, 1994

Filed Under Comics Artists, Filipino Artists, Philippine Comics | 10 Comments


Cover by Ramil Peronilo

Pagan Press Premiere is a large format comic book at almost 8″x11″. There is no exact publication date in the indicia, but one of the artworks is signed and dated February 14, 1994. At first I didn’t want to get it, because it seemed potentially controversial, with the title and the Jose Rizal imagery in the same cover. But I got it anyway because it seemed potentially controversial. heh.

The only thing that had the potential to be is a short story entitled “Worlds Apart” by Nicolo Caedo, adapted from a poem by RM Santos. It features a scene of two guys kissing. Controversial only to the very conservative, I found it kind of romantic, specially the poem it was based on. I believe it may well be the very first independently produced Filipino comic book story that was unabashedly gay. The art could use a little fixing in the storytelling department, as well as bits of anatomy fixing, but the artist, if he continued to draw, would be a very very good artist today.

Another story entitled “Painful” by Lionel Valdelleon is a dark and disturbing meditation on pain. In spite of the seemingly heavy themes of these stories, what really stood out to me was something called “Indigo Valley” written and illustrated by Ricky.

In my opinion, this delightful story was the star of the entire comic book. It came out of the blue fully formed and evolved, showing developed cartooning right off the bat, as if the creator had been doing it for a long time. It was fun, entertaining, and in it’s own small way, thought provoking.

Indigo Valley would prove to be long lived, continuing on to two issues of P-Noise (feature coming soon), and going back to back on some Alamat Comics produced Pugad Baboy books.

“Boob Tube” by RM Santos and Asa Almario has similarly light and cartoony illustrations, but has a somewhat interesting story of what happens to a small sleepy town when cable TV is introduced. It ends somewhat absurdly, when the entire town commits suicide when the Mayor, upon realizing that the town was dying because people did nothing but watch TV all day, goes to the power station and cuts the power.

But it does make you think. Without distractions, people can accomplish more. I can probably write a story that would say the same for the distraction that’s known as the Internet.

Comments

10 Responses to “Pagan Press, 1994”

  1. Jon on July 14th, 2008 11:46 am

    Of all the Alamat titles, this was the one my sister love. She loved it so much that she used Monty to introduce her thesis back at PNU.
    I like the colored ones they released with Pugad Baboy.

  2. Ed on July 14th, 2008 12:11 pm

    Ah, Indigo Valley flipped with Pugad Baboy. :D Here’s the colored version of that panel:
    http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a251/edtadeo/junx/indigo_color.jpg

    I picked up some comics at my parents and saw the digest size comics. Also Batch 72 Preview Edition, which I wonder what happened.

  3. Gerry Alanguilan on July 14th, 2008 12:36 pm

    Uy, Ayos a! :) Ikaw ba nagkulay?

    Meron din akong Batch 72 preview… full color nga rin sya. Pero ewan ko kong aabot ako dyan dito sa mga fini-feature ko kasi panay early Alamat titles lang muna. Saka na siguro. Diba nagkaroon ng 3 issues ang Batch 72 pagkatapos? Binebenta ko nga sa mga Komikon as one set.

  4. Ed on July 14th, 2008 8:14 pm

    Yep. Ako nagkulay ng Idigo Valley flipped book with PB. Ako rin nagayos ng kulay ng Pugad Baboy kasi yung colorist masyadong simple daw nagawa. Medyo nasasapawan daw.

    Ah, yes. Meron akong copies ng dalawang issues ng Batch 72. Can’t remember what issues.

    Can’t seem to find my single copy of P-Noise #2.

  5. gilbert monsanto on July 14th, 2008 9:22 pm

    manual coloring ba iyon ED? :)

  6. Budjette on July 14th, 2008 10:58 pm

    I still have copies of the full-color B72 preview book.

    Gerry, you want to sell those as well? :)

  7. Budjette on July 14th, 2008 10:59 pm

    INDIGO VALLEY had a lot of potential.
    Too bad they didn’t get to finish it.

  8. Gerry Alanguilan on July 15th, 2008 12:04 am

    Sure, Budj! Iba-bundle ko na rin with the 3 issues para complete na talaga. :D

    You know, if you have any other old Alamat titles lying around, I’ll help you sell them as well. I’m planning on getting two tables at this year’s Komikon.

  9. Ed on July 15th, 2008 1:16 am

    Gilbert, yes, watercolor…waaaaay back 1996. There were two printings of Indigo/PB digest, the first was printed on bookpaper pages, yung 2nd printing was glossy.

    I like the bookpaper version, although medyo dark yata printing. Yung glossy masyadong manipis and medyo maputla ang printing ng black inks.

  10. sithlord on September 26th, 2008 2:30 pm

    excuse me lang po. mahalagang part ng kabataan ko yung comics na may back-to-back ng indigo valley at pugad baboy. pwede ninyo po ba sabihin sa akin kung saan ako pwede pa makabili nito ngayon?

    nasira kasi at nawala yung kopya ko. salamat. sana may makapagsabi..