At the fifth floor of Fully Booked. The place was, well… FULLY BOOKED!

Marvel and DC artist Harvey Tolibao working on a monster Psylocke drawing using only a ballpoint pen! His piece raised 30,000 pesos!

Comics retail chain store Comic Odyssey owner Sandy Sansolis and Marvel superstar Leinil Francis Yu.

The ELMER illustration I drew at the event. It raised 13,000 pesos at auction!

IDW artist Mark Torres draws up some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

Marvel artist Edgar Tadeo draws up a Thor!

Marvel artist Stephen Segovia!

Dynamite artist Heubert Khan Michael!

Marvel artist Mico Suayan!

Legendary artist Tony De Zuniga!

With host RJ Ledesma!

Signing copies of Superior.

Harvey and his completed illustration. WOW!

I went to the event thinking it’s going to be a little fun event where I’ll get to meet and hang out with friends… it turns out to be much more fun than I expected, and surprisingly, also kind of a big deal as there was an incredibly huge turnout, and our collective artworks raised as much as 125 thousand pesos for the UN World Food Program. I thought that was incredible.

Check out these articles for more coverage of the event:

Red Dot Diva Coverage
Yo! MC: The NextJam! Coverage
The Web Journal of John Ray Coverage
Toysrevil Coverage
Flipgeeks Picture Coverage

Here’s a particularly nice video made by Marvene Rom Munda.

vinyl+SPLASH Event (AVP) from Marvene Rom Munda on Vimeo.

With my wife Ilyn enjoying some quiet time outside the venue before we went home.

The crowd at Komikon yesterday, right on top of this post, just to give you an idea of how crazy it was. I was taken quite by surprise by the sheer amount of people who showed up. Having gone to this thing for years, I have a fair idea of the amount of people who visit. The mornings are usually rather calm, with things picking up after lunch. But the crowd this time around was intense. From the moment the doors opened in the morning up until the event closed at 7pm, it was this crowded. I saw a lot of new faces, which is great!

Click for larger image.

That photo above represents the stash I got from Komikon. And to think I barely had time to leave my table and go around and buy stuff. These are the only things I managed to get, but this is by no means the entire output of the convention. From the looks of it, I probably got only less than 10% of new komiks being offered on the floor. I wish I could have gotten more, but that’s how it goes, I guess. It may seem like I’m complaining that I can’t break out of my table for long periods of time, but I’m really not. It was great so many came over to buy Elmer and Bold Star and my other stuff for sale, including some original artwork. It was great meeting everyone who came. I just wish I had more opportunity to go and buy stuff. After all, I’m still very much a fan myself.

The Tintin stuff over there are gifts from French journalist Laurent Melikian, who visited the Philippines specifically to attend Komikon. Isn’t that amazing?

With Laurent.

Laurent also brought with him the Prix Asie ACBD 2011 Trophy from my French publisher Editions Ca Et La.

Here are more photos from the event.

The calm before the storm.

The line outside.

Tepai Pascual.

Doc Carlo Jose San Juan taking a break from his medical duties to sell his comic book… about a doctor and a talking duck?

Law Student Teddy Pavon cramming for a test before selling the print version of his webcomic Work in Progress.

Johnny Danganan sells comic books that features Johnny Balbona, a character I created based on him.

Melvin and Joanah Tinio Calingo

Komiks veterans Jun Lofamia and Bert Lopez

Komiks veteran Rico Rival

Yes, I brought my work seat to the con. Got a problem with that? :D

Storm and Beast!

With Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah creator Carlo Vergara

On stage with Komikon organizer/host Sherry Baet Zamar

Hey, Baby! With Ariel Atienza, Tony De Zuniga and Lyndon Gregorio

Heubert Khan Michael, Wilson Tortosa and Edgar Tadeo

With Leinil Francis Yu and Edgar.

GMA 7 Video Coverage:

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

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

KOMIKON Coverage Links

Blog Coverage from The Comics Cube
Blog Coverage from NSW Online
Blog Coverage from Inside a Cat’s Mind
Plain Random Blog Coverage
Ika-Siyam Blog Coverage
Carina’s Words Blog Coverage
Mel Casipit’s Blog Coverage
NonSensical Words Blog Coverage Part 1
Nonsensical Words Blog Coverage Part 2 (Photos!)
JB Casacop Blog Coverage
Work in Progress Blog Coverage
Teardrop’s Photo Coverage

It’s a couple of days late (I had to finish off killing, I mean inking a Superhero), but here it is, my photo blitzkreig of the 3rd Summer Komikon held at the Bayanihan Center in Pasig, Metro Manila, last April 16, 2011. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to shoot the video as I was planning, but I did take a lot of photos.

Ariel Atienza

Andrew Villar

The Komikero Artists Group

Robert Magnuson (center) and the Polyhedron Comics Gang

Danny Acuña

Johnny Danganan and Jonas Diego with some awesome Jun Lofamia art.

Jun Lofamia, Rico Rival, and Danny Acuña

Budjette Tan

Paolo Fabregas (who launched The Filipino Heroes League) and Carlo Vergara

Women Cartoonists Panel

Tony and Tina De Zuniga

Johnny Danganan, Heubert Khan Michael and Harvey Tolibao

These artists were at the Komikero table sketching for a cause. Donations go to help fund school supplies for school children in Mindanao. More than 5,000 Pesos was raised! That’s awesome guys! Later, Edgar Tadeo came in and donated two original artworks inked by him and pencilled by Whilce Portacio, raising another 6,000 pesos!

Gilbert and Glenda Monsanto. The foundation upon which Bayan Knights stand!

Melvin Calingo, Michael David and Jon Zamar

See? We’re all friends here.

With Carlo Vergara and Zara Macandili

More Summer Komikon coverage:
Jonas Diego
Rocket Kapre
Johnny Danganan
Hazel Manzano
Beerkada
Reimaru
Slangards
Budjette Tan
Gio Paredes
Impulse Blogging
Daily Mr. Sao

It all really began in October of 2009 when projects that I had been working on for years finally came out. The ELMER collected edition, which I started working on in early 2006 finally came out. “Where Bold Stars Go To Die”, a story I wrote in 2000 which struggled to find the right artist came out at the same time. And the digital restoration, compilation and republication of Francisco V. Coching’s “EL INDIO”, which my studio had been working on since 2004 finally came out as well.

I immediately started sending ELMER out to editors, writers, artists, journalists, reviewers and publishers abroad. I felt that Elmer could have a life outside of the country. I had nothing to lose anyway except shipping expenses. Of course, I hadn’t realized that postal rates had quadrupled in the last few years. Sending one copy of the collected Elmer set me back around 500 pesos, which is worth more than twice the book costs. INSANE. I was used to losing money to the post office anyway, ever since I started sending submissions to Marvel on a regular basis starting 1986. Such expenses are part of the process, I guess. Most of the time you don’t get a return on it, but to get a return on it at least once, all of the trouble and expense becomes worthwhile.

Very soon I had TWO publishers who wanted to publish Elmer. One was SLG in the US, and the second was Editions çà et là in France. I almost didn’t get the latter one because of the freakish nature of the Internet. The email from the editor found itself in the spam folder of my email. If I deleted my spam unread, there would be no French edition of Elmer. But thankfully enough, it’s become a habit of mine to check the spam folder regularly. Thank goodness!

I spent the entire 2010 waiting in excitement for the release of Elmer abroad. Both of them eventually came out in November. Wait, rewind. Let me go back to January.

Philip Tan had a wedding on January 9! Superstar Marvel and DC penciller Philip Tan was in town and got married at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros.

I like weddings. Well, I like weddings now. I used to hate them back when I was Wasted. Nowadays, I love them. There’s something about new beginnings that hold so much potential and promise. In attendance was future president of the Philippines, Jiggy Cruz. Well, Jiggy will probably freak when he reads that, but I can see into the future. (Well actually I don’t.) I just like saying it.

February wasn’t very good. Actually it was pretty bad. It’s the only truly bad thing to happen in 2010, and it’s a big one.

My good friend Arlan Esmeña passed away on February 18 due to cancer. He passed away less than a year after he found out he was sick. Towards the end, he mounted an incredible effort and drew “Where Bold Stars Go To Die” from start to finish where he displayed an outstanding growth as an artist. We lost in incredibly good artist that day, and I lost what I realized was my best friend.

The night of February 18 I was on the air at NU107, on the program RockEd Radio to promote the Renaissance comics event. I was touched when they dedicated the show to Arlan, and I broke down when I spoke about him.

Photo by Anvil.

The Renaissance event was held a few days later on February 21. It was a special event to launch the Renaissance book, part of the proceeds of the sales would go to benefit Komikeros in need. Little did I know that the earnings of the sketching sessions would go to Arlan’s family, which touched me incredibly.

Early that month, on February 13, the first Comics Convention in Los Baños was held, the Komikstrip event, co-organized by good pal Jonas Diego. Sputnik! in Cubao X had a grand relaunch on February 6. I attended both events. Arlan almost attended the Sputnik! relaunch, but was too sick at St. Lukes Hospital a few kilometers away to make it. Instead, he signed 20 copies of Bold Star on his hospital bed. Looking at those autographs, you would never know Arlan was sick.

March was interesting. It was the month Lolcat came into our lives.

Lolcat is this stray tabby cat who wandered into our backyard while he was in heat. I distracted him with food, and he stayed.

I met and hugged Neil Gaiman.

And that wasn’t so easy. I’ve wanted to meet Neil Gaiman since he came to visit the Philippines in 2005. I stood in line for 9 hours just to get his autograph at Greenhills, but I never got a chance to talk to him. I’ve been sending him Elmer through the mail because I was genuinely curious as to what he thought about it. If he didn’t like it, I would gladly accept it. But I was ecstatic to learn that he did, through a post card that he sent. When he came back to do a series of signings in 2010, I racked my brain for ways to hand him the collected Elmer book, as well as talk to him. Not fleeting small talk, but really talk to him. When I was invited to judge the Neil Gaiman and Fully Booked’s Graphic Fiction awards, I accepted right away because I knew I would get to meet Neil properly. It was so awesome finally meeting one of your heroes. I didn’t wash for days after.

In March, the Province of Laguna gave me this thing.

“Gawad Pinakamaningning na Alagad ng Singing” para sa Sining Biswal.

Now I didn’t want to say what it was when it first happened back in March so people won’t have the opportunity to protest. ha!ha!ha! (Little inside joke there.)

Also, the dirt road outside was finally paved with concrete. FINALLY. It’s election period that’s why. However, they didn’t bother to finish it. There’s some five meters more of dirt road between this concrete road and the road outside. Magnificent.

In April I finally got my life long wish. Playboy Philippines visited me to yeah, take pictures of my naked body for the entire country to see. No they didn’t. They just came to talk to me about comics. They did take my photo, but they balked when I hinted I wanted to show some skin.

April 17 was Summer Komikon!

Photo by Roi Fernandez.

Much thanks to Oscar Gailan, Timawa superfan! Now I really don’t like using the word “fan”. I’ve never used it before to refer to anyone who likes my work. I don’t know. I just don’t like to. I only use it this time because Oscar really really likes Timawa. As in I’ve never met anyone else who likes Timawa as much as he does. At almost every event he brings along stacks of The Buzz Magasin for me to sign and I love doing it, not just for Timawa but for any other work of mine anyone else would bring. I never sell my original art (Timawa, Elmer, Humanis Rex, Johnny Balbona), but for Oscar I’ll gladly make an exception.

May was extraordinary. Easily one of the best months of the year for me because I got to act in a short film!

Photo by Jonas Diego.
Teenage Heartthrob, that’s me!

“Tin-tin, 15″ is a short drama film, directed by Lem Garcellano (Batibot) where I got to play a bad guy. A really bad corrupt cop type guy who likes em ladies! Oh yeah!

It was shot for 3 days here in San Pablo, and I was there on the location for 2 days. I probably would not have been able to participate had it been shot elsewhere. It was a long and exhausting two days. We were there from morning up until around 4 in the morning. I would go home, and return early afternoon, and be on hand to shoot, this time well into 5 in the morning.

I was there for only two days, but I was able to form friendships with a few people who I’m still good friends with today. There’s something about intense experiences like that that tend to leave an indelible mark that you carry with you for a long time.

Hot on the heels of Laguna, San Pablo City also gave me this thing on May 7:

As with the Laguna thing, what makes me happy about things like this that I was given the opportunity to do my parents proud. For many years I went around with a cloud over my head believing I had let my parents down for seriously pursuing a career in art. There were definitely moments in the past that I can consider low points in my relationship with my parents because of the decisions I’ve made. I’m old and mature enough now to know that they were only so passionate about what they wanted for me because they didn’t want me growing up destitute and regretful of my youthful and immature decisions.

I’m at least very glad that I had the chance to show them that I knew what I was doing and I knew what I wanted in life. Even if they were wary of my decisions, they nevertheless supported me in the end and it is really for them these recognitions are for rather than for me.

By this time I was back fully into inking comics with Ultimate Comics Avengers and later on Superior, both with Leinil Francis Yu. After being away from inking for years, I realized I had missed it a lot. I also realized how much more detailed Leinil’s pencils had become. While they looked spectacular, it took me longer to ink each page compared to say, a typical page of Superman: Birthright. But nevertheless, it’s a job I love having and love doing.

It was also around this time I realized that I was really getting old. I had hit 40 a couple of years ago, and like turning on a light switch, my eyesight suddenly became blurry. I can still see perfectly when I look around me. It’s just when I read or draw, anything really close to my eyes tend to become blurred. I was aghast. I thought I just need to rest my eyes, wash my face, take a nap or something like that. But no, my eyesight has indeed decreased. I went to an eye doctor and I was prescribed reading glasses. The results were stunning to say the least. Once I put those glasses on, my eyes can suddenly see clearly. I swear, I can see more clearly now with these glasses than I could see before. It’s like lines in front of my eyes become magnified somehow, and I’m actually inking better because of it.

Towards the end of May I decided find happiness in everything I do.

Nothing much happened in June. Well, I did waste time at an event in Manila and was kind of surly during my short stay. This is the second instance my time was wasted in this way and I’m no longer waiting for a third. However, I did get to hang out with a good friend who I don’t get to see all that often nowadays.

June also saw the first public showing of “Tin-Tin, 15″ at Mogwai, Cubao X.

July brought with it one of the biggest surprises of my life. I was invited to give a talk on comics at St. Paul University in Manila. I thought I’d just give a talk and go, but it turns out it was something so much more.

The students were actually cosplaying my characters! It was amazing! I actually got kind of teary eyed at some point.

August was Metro Comicon and I was stunned at the reception us artists got at our panel.

On January 2009, I uploaded this seemingly innocent video on You Tube:

For more than a year it sat at You Tube, content but almost forgotten with a couple of hundred views. I myself had forgotten all about it. By 2010 my interest in making videos on You Tube was kind of waning, specially since comics was making me a little too busy to make them as regularly as I once did.

Suddenly, for some weird reason, views for the video skyrocketed overnight. I didn’t notice it at first. Then someone downloaded it, reuploaded it at Facebook, and retitled it “Lakas Tama ni Manong”. Since Facebook doesn’t count views there’s no way to know how many times it was viewed, the comments nevertheless reached the thousands. I was flabbergasted. In the meantime, insanely enough, the video reached a million views on You Tube. Crazy! By the end of 2010, it’s gotten more than 2.5 million views at YouTube! Bizzarro world!

The thing pretty much evolved a life of its own. I’ve received emails from people telling me that it’s been shown on TV in the UK, Spain, France, Japan and so on. A Japanese TV station even sent a director here to the house to interview me for an entire day about the video and about my comics.

Here’s a video from Fox News:

It was getting so insane that people were recognizing me at SM when I wanted to hang out and relax with the wife. It’s died down a bit, and I’m just so relieved because I didn’t want it to start getting in the way of doing comics. I’ve had to decline another visit from another local station because those things just take too much time. And lately, I really don’t have that much time to spare. There’s really just so much work to be done.

September saw me and Ilyn taking a trip to Cebu! We went there for vacation, but at the same time we went there for the first Cebu Comics Convention!

Photo by Carlo Pagulayan.
With JOHN AMOR.

In October, my mom cooked her specialties for Ilyn’s birthday!

Kulawo. San Pablo specialty.

Ampalaya Salad. Always becomes everyone’s favorite!

The end of the year was just pretty much me burying myself in work. I didn’t even go to the 6th Annual Komikon in November because I had to stay home and ink. It’s the first time I ever missed a Komikon and I missed it. I monitored uploads and status updates from Facebook and Twitter all day from people who went just to be updated what was going on.

ELMER finally came out in the US and Europe during the second half of November. I was extremely nervous because I had no idea how it would be received. At the same time I was also paranoid because I didn’t want SLG and Editions çà et là to regret having published my book because it bombed. I believed in my comic book though. I worked hard for a couple of years to make it the best I could possibly make it. I had no regrets and there’s not a single page I simply hacked out. Of course, there are things I see now that I want to change, but it’s too late for that, and there comes a time I have to move on or else I’ll never get things done.

Thankfully enough, the reviews have been quite positive. Massive relief. Already, SLG and Editions çà et là are asking what other books I have that they can take a look at.

Christmas Day is family reunion time!

My nephew Robin (the one in black next to me) is such a huge comic book fan. I gave him a three-story volume of The Adventures of Tintin and he flipped. He’s a hardcore Tintin fan now. He’s about the same age I was when I was flipping out myself on Tintin.

December 28 was our 8th wedding anniversary.

We planned on a massive date which involved Tagaytay, Mushroom Burgers and Ferris Wheels at Enchanted Kingdom, but the van we were to rent broke down so we settled for a massive date right here in San Pablo.

First we went on a window shopping spree at SM San Pablo, then we had a long walk at Sampalok Lake, and then we spent early evening and had dinner at Ultimart.

In the end it didn’t matter where we were, as long as we were together.

KOMIKON 2010 – Nov 13, 2010
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=32099&id=129669377054175

Selected tweets:

jiggycruz Jiggy Cruz
Came from the 6th KOMIKON at Starmall. Congrats to the organizers! Huge success! Daming tao!

comicbiography Jose Gamboa
is overwhelmed with the crowd here at the Komikon 2010!

callouscomics Carlo Jose San Juan
Had a blast at Komikon!

HubPacheco Hub Pacheco
1st issue of WIPCOMICS is sold out, but The FUDGE shirt is still in stock! Awyeah! komikon 2010! :D

anitero Paolo Chikiamco
just left #komikon -full of people. Good to see indies out of copies. Manix can really draw a crowd. Havent seen that knd of line in a while

zenjamibu Jan Buensuceso
So many people at the komikon venue right now.

Photo by Jonas Diego

Photos from Rocket Kapre
http://rocketkapre.livejournal.com/76030.html

Gio Paredes
Photos and Videos
http://gioparedes.blogspot.com/2010/11/just-got-back-fromo-komikon-2010.html
More Photos from Komikon
http://gioparedes.blogspot.com/2010/11/more-pictures-from-komikon-2010.html

Photos and Coverage from Geekmatic!
http://geekmatic.blogspot.com/2010/11/emerging-success-of-komikon-2010.html

Photos from Anitero
http://s683.photobucket.com/albums/vv199/Anitero/Komikon%202010/

Photos from Macoy
http://mcoy.blogspot.com/2010/11/november-komikon-2010-starmall.html

Photos and coverage from Marialuna13
http://marialuna13.livejournal.com/6211.html

Photos and Coverage from Michael Buntag
Part 1
http://nonsensicalwords.blogspot.com/2010/11/komikon-2010-part-1.html
Part 2
http://nonsensicalwords.blogspot.com/2010/11/komikon-2010-part-2.html

Photos from Decafclub
http://decafclub.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/6th-komikon-2010-short-update/

Photos from Callous Comics
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=248036&id=124724964411&ref=mf

10 Things about Komikon 2010 and Why It was a Hit
by Andrew Villar
http://ambush007.multiply.com/journal/item/103/10_Things_About_KOMIKON_2010_Why_it_was_for_me_a_hit

Komikon 2010 Report
by Hazel Manzano
http://callworkcomics.blogspot.com/2010/11/komiikon-2010.html

Komikon: A Few Notes and Observations
from Komiks Advocate
http://komiksadvocate.blogspot.com/2010/11/komikon-few-notes-and-observations.html

Fit to Post: The 6th Komikon
by Jiggy Cruz
http://ph.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/15/the-6th-komikon/

Video by frbarba

My Komikon 2010 Experience!
by Martin Jimenez
http://proud2begeek.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-komikon-2010-experience.html

An Assessment of Komikon 2010
by Paolo Chikiamco
http://www.thepoc.net/thepoc-features/metakritiko/metakritiko-features/10263-an-assessment-of-komikon-2010.html

Komikon 2010: Second Sulyap Panel (end)
by rocketkapre

My Komikon Experience. Whoa!
by Carlo Jose San Juan, MD
http://www.callouscomics.com/blog/my-2010-komikon-experience-whoa-

AstigTV Photo Gallery
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23034&id=117983178258139&ref=mf

Last July 10, 2010, I was invited to attend the freshmen initiation at the St. Paul University in Manila. The theme of their initiation was “Pinoy Komiks”, and I had been invited to give a talk on the history and the state of the Philippine comics industry.

I did not hesitate to agree because more and more I try and grab the opportunity to talk about Philippine comics to those who may not be completely aware of its history, its significance to Filipino culture, and the state of the industry now.

I was glad that the organizers of the freshman initiation at St. Paul this year decided on “Pinoy Komiks”. This speaks to me of how much komiks is still very much ingrained into our culture, whether komiks is around or not.

The theme was reflected through costumes the freshmen were be required to wear.

What I wasn’t prepared for was that the freshmen of the Nursing Department paraded in costumes based on characters that I had created. There was a group that dressed up as chickens, like on Elmer. There was a group that dressed like Apolaki Warriors in Timawa. There was a group that dressed like the characters in Humanis Rex! There were several Johnny Balbonas and an Eric (from Wasted). There were several Lastikmen (I wrote Lastikman for Mango in 2004). Even those comics that haven’t been published yet like The Marvelous Adventures of the Amazing Doctor Rizal, and the Adventures of Miko and Jec-jec were well represented.

For the first time perhaps in San Pablo City history, someone actually dressed up as the statue of the woman carrying a bilao located at Doña Leonila Park in San Pablo (as she is drawn in a Miko and Jec-jec illustration).

I was so surprised that for a long time I didn’t know how to react. I absolutely had no idea that they were going to do this, and I have to admit that it touched me deeply. I found myself shedding tears, no matter how hard I tried to fight it back. It had been so unexpected. I came in there with no expectations other than to give a talk on comics. What I saw was more than I could have imagined.

I wish to thank Michelle Sto. Tomas and all of those in the Nursing Department who gave life to my characters. I wish to thank all the students and teachers and administrators of St. Paul who organized the event as a love letter to Philippine comics.

Thanks to Jan Philippe Carpio for recommending me to the organizers in the first place. Hope to meet you soon, buddy!

For the rest of the photo gallery, click on the slideshow below:

And of course, here’s the inevitable video!

Once again, thanks to St. Paul University, Manila! That was truly a memorable day for me.

“Tin-tin, 15″ is produced by Plan International to raise awareness of human trafficking, specifically trafficking of children in the Philippines. It depicts the true to life case of one such victim and the fact that guilty parties are attempting to escape prosecution.

I sincerely hope that “Bossing”, the character that I play will be brought to justice in the soonest possible time.

Here are video snippets from the screening last night:

Now that I’ve put a deadline to bed, I’ll be posting more often on this blog soon enough. I have lots of ELMER news as well as news of a “Where Bold Stars Go To Die” film adaptation.

Worse, the semi-official photographer for these events, world class comic book artist Carlo Pagulayan, couldn’t make it to the event as well.

And my friend and collaborator Marivi Hilos-Nepomuceno, who drew “Mitch and Mischa” for Umlauts and Atom Bombs, who is an Architect AND a professional photographer in her other life, didn’t bring her camera because she thought I would. ha! ha!

So thanks to Roi Francisco for these photos. Thanks pare! You are now officially one of my favorite photographers!

Ernest Hernandez, me, Jann Galino, Ruben Nacion, Mark Torres and Ernest Jocson at the Renaissance signing segment.

I think this one of the the first times I’m signing anything related to my stint at The Buzz Magasin for TIMAWA. Thanks to the guy who brought a bunch of these! I never thought anyone actually read these as I never really got any response.

With Jun Lofamia and Gilbert Monsanto

The photo below represents my stash for the day. These are many of the new titles launched at this particular event alone. There were still many titles there I didn’t manage to get, as I was kept to my table for much of the time and didn’t get around too much.

I think that’s pretty amazing. These are almost all from people who shelled out their own cash to publish these comics. And they are also the same people doing the effort to promote and distribute their own creations. So it’s why I appreciate so much the 7 or so comic book events a year held in the Philippines to give these guys a spectacular venue to showcase their stuff.

Whoever believes Komiks is dead in the Philippines is a straggler living in a cave in a jungle who believes World War II is still not over.

Thanks to everyone who dropped by, from Facebook peeps to Twitter twits to Plurkers and everyone else who said hello. Thanks!

Congrats to the organizers of Summer Komikon, who once again pulled off a very successful event. I was horrified when they said there would be no 6th Annual Komikon in October. WhAT? *gasp* But that’s only because it’s going to be in November. aaah.

My usual photo sources aren’t present (Azrael is at another event), and many photos are being uploaded at private profiles in Facebook.

Here are a few photos from Gio Paredes. And More from Gio.
Photos from Graffista.
Lots of pictures at Silent Sanctum Manga.
More photos from Hazel Manzano.
Photos from Macoy.
Photos from Jonas Diego.
Photos from Jonas Diego. (Slideshow)
Photos from Wilson Tortosa.
Photos from Rocket Kapre.
Photos from Hub Pacheco.
Photos from Ryan.

I’ll be updating a photo coverage list as it comes in. If you know of a public gallery of Summer Komikon 2010 photos, let me know in the comments and I’ll add it here.

View the set manually here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/komikero/sets/72157623529364161/

And of course I had to have video too!

View on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGPEjKoZFLQ

Neil Gaiman’s Journal
Neil Gaiman’s Twitter

As I said in the video, Neil Gaiman is one of the very few writers I would take so much trouble to line up for and meet. I’m really just a huge fan of his work. His Sandman stories have truly touched me emotionally and intellectually, and more importantly, inspired me a lot in my own attempts to write stories.

Sandman was also my deal breaker when it came to relationships. In the old days before I got married, I lent the first volume of Sandman to girls I was interested in. If they returned it to me unread or say they didn’t get it, it was pretty much off. I couldn’t connect intellectually with someone like that.

Ilyn loved Sandman, so there you go. And thank you Neil.

With Cresencio “Bum” Tenorio

Those are REAL clay pots!!

With Rachelle Gerodias and Bum

Glad to be home. I’m still feeling sick, but I didn’t feel it too much today. It was maybe the adrenaline. It was awesome to finally meet Rachelle Gerodias, who “met” me at You Tube. She’s an honest to goodness soprano and when she sang oh my God, where the hell did my jaw go? Oh, it’s on the floor! She’s so awesome.

It was also great to meet Bum Tenorio, writer for the Philippine Star whose first words to me were, “I read Wasted!” He said he even wrote a review for it way back 1998. Bum is awesome company with his hysterical tales and insight.

Resting now. Hope to get back to work tomorrow.