Komikon Summer de avance (or Summer Komikon) is on April 17, 2010! That’s only less than a month from now. I’ll be there to pimp both ELMER and Bold Star, and to launch a new title: UMLAUTS and ATOM BOMBS #1, my return to photocopy comics!

By the way, apologies to everyone for not showing up at Renaissance yesterday. I’ll make it up on future dates!

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.

Renaissance goes on the road! Our first stop is this Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the National Book Store branch in the new Glorietta 5. I’ll be on hand to sign and sketch for a cause. Hey, Tony De Zuniga is going to be there!

I always make it a point to support our local comic book stores as much as I can as they provide an important and vital link between us creators and those who read our work. Comic Odyssey owner Sandy Sansolis has been very supportive of local creators through the various signings he organizes all throughout the year.

In fact, he’s doing so again when the first issue of Ultimate Avengers by Leinil Yu and myself is released. Sandy is going to be conducting a signing at one of his shops, to coincide with Free Comic Book Day on May 1, 2010.

Unfortunately, I myself probably won’t be around for FCBD it’s likely I wouldn’t be in the country. Apologies to Sandy! I’ll make it up to you at the next signing!

In the meantime, their store is going to have a huge sale THIS weekend at their Robinson’s Galleria and Robinson’s Malate branches.

Cebu and Baguio

I will be in Cebu this coming March 16, 2010 Tuesday and in Baguio on March 18, 2010 Thursday for a business trip.

If anyone from the local Cebu and Baguio comic book industry (creators, publishers, retailers, and fans) are free, maybe you guy would want to hang out, talk comics, and maybe come up with something we can do for the Cebu and Baguio comic book community.

Write me a note at admin(AT)jonasdiego.com so I can e-mail you my mobile number.

Hope to see you guys there!

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

Jonas Diego is a comics writer and artist and co founder of the Komikero Artists Group. He has also proven to be an excellent organizer of comic book events. He was responsible for organizing both the 2nd San Pablo Comics Festival, along with the KomiksTrip Comics Convention in UPLB. He also regularly conducts comics workshops, talks and seminars in Manila, Laguna and nearby areas.

To the fans of comics in Cebu and Baguio who have visited this blog many times wondering about comics conventions in your area, I think it would be a good idea to get your legions together and hear what Jonas would have to say. Best of luck, and I hope I visit one of your events one of these days!

Some of you may remember me talking about this title back in September 2009:
Philippine Adventure and Romance Stories Preview
http://gerry.alanguilan.com/archives/1998

The first issue has finally been printed and was soft launched during Renaissance at SM Megamall on February 21. A few local creators were on hand to promote and sign copies including Rico Rival, Abe Ocampo and Clem Rivera.

From Left: Abe Ocampo, Rico Rival and Clem Rivera

The title will be officially launched at Summer Komikon on April 17, 2010, and will have more of its creators on hand to sign copies.

I was able to get a copy during Renaissance and I have to say it’s a pretty nice package. I think this comic book is remarkable in that it represents a significant leap in the evolution of Philippine komiks.

While Carlo Caparas and Sterling Publishing released new komiks in 2007 which offered nothing new in terms of format, storytelling, production values from how komiks were published decades ago, the publishers of PARS (Philippine Adventure & Romance Stories) took its cue from the younger generation and released their comic book in graphic novel format, full color in glossy paper, and what’s more, it’s completely in English. It’s in English, I’m told, because the comic book will actually be distributed more widely abroad.

The publisher for this is Goldenlife Development Foundation, Inc., who is basically Art V. De Guzman Jr., editor and one of the contributing writers. For all practical intents and purposes, this is a self published comic book by a veteran komiks creator.

When Rico Rival signed my copy “To Gerry, We’re now in the same boat!”, I took it to mean that we’re all independent publishers now, and I think it’s simply fantastic.

The contributing writers include: Sarah Villanueva, Ed Galang, Jun Malgapo, Melo P. Soberano, Victoria Urbina, Romy D. Bohol, Flor Salanga, Marie F. Ruiz, Ramon Sedonio, and Art V. De Guzman Jr.

Contributing artists include: Nestor Malgapo, Manding De Guzman, Rico Rival, Abe Ocampo, Noli Panaligan, Nardy Cantillo, Clem Rivera, Tor Infante and Ferdee Bambico (colorist)

Editors are Art V. De Guzman and Nestor Malgapo
Art Director is Nestor Malgapo
Consultant is Arovel L. Jundis
Circulation Manager is Mitzy G. Velasco

The comic book is standard sized at 7″x10.5″, 112 pages, full color, glossy paper. Regular retail price is P950, but they promised to have a special convention price for Summer Komikon.

Sa lahat ng bumubuo ng Philippine Adventure and Romance Stories, Mabuhay Kayo!

No anonymous comments means no anonymous comments. No code names. No pseudonyms. No handles, except unless I know you personally. This is NOT a joke.

Stop being puzzled. Work it out in your head. CAREFULLY. You’ll get it eventually.

And so “CONFESSION” came to be. It’s a new 6-page Wasted story which can stand on its own (somewhat), but if you have read Wasted before, you would get a much better appreciation of it. This story happens immediately after issue #3 of the original series.

You can read “Confession” in its entirety here, or click the image below:

Creating new Wasted material almost 15 years after the strong emotions which drove me to create Wasted originally, was strange. Anger drove the creation of the original Wasted. As with anything I write, my state of mind and emotion always informs the work I do, whether I intend to or not. Having been very happy and content with my personal life for the past decade or so, the new Wasted material was informed by such happy emotions. It’s perhaps why “Confession” turned into a comedy of sorts. I didn’t intend it, but there you go.

It was nice revisiting Wasted, but I think Confession would be the first and last time.

Read the original WASTED in its entirety here:
http://wastedonline.blogspot.com
Official WASTED site:
http://alanguilan.com/sanpablo/wasted
WASTED on Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasted_(comics)

Umlauts and Atom Bombs is a collection of short comics stories, illustrations, doodles and whatnot, worked on between the deadlines. It’s like a grown up Crest Hut Butt Shop, but not really.

This first issue features “Mitch and Mischa“, written by me and illustrated by veteran komiks illustrator Marivi Hilos-Nepomuceno, whose specialty was drama/love stories for GASI Publishing in the 80’s and 90’s.

Marivi is also a fellow architect, and fellow member of the United Architects of the Philippines, San Pablo Chapter. She’s also a professional photographer. Marivi and I worked together before, when she contributed an illustration for WASTED, which appeared in the photocopy series, as well as the Final Edition published by PULP.

Marivi and I worked together on a short story called “The Letter”, which was supposed to have been the third issue of “The Dead Heart Stories” in 1998. We have subsequently decided that we could produce something better. We’ll be working on a much longer story, which will see release at the Annual Komikon in October.

“Mitch and Mischa” was to have been illustrated by the late Arlan Esmeña, but he passed away before he could start work on it.

Umlauts and Atom Bombs #1 will be a photocopied mini comic book (half short bond paper size), and shall be released at the Summer Komikon on April 17, 2010, Bahay ng Alumni, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.

Illustration signed by “Leynes”

To my eyes, the couple looks so much like Arlan and his wife May. Arlan only looks slightly similar, but May looks almost exactly the same. You can see for yourself in the tribute video of Arlan I made earlier. I had scanned this, printed it out and gave a copy to Arlan a couple of years ago and even he was surprised at how close the features were.

I think it’s simply coincidence, but what an awesome coincidence it is. Seeing the page again as I browsed this Liwayway issue, I thought I’d post it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjIdiSr1wKU
Pinoy Komiks, 2006
Directed by Pammela Belbis
Written by Jannel Miranda
Produced by Erika Ebora

The video features comic book people like Budjette Tan, Dennis Villegas, Jonas Diego, Michael David, Manix Abrera, Lyndon Gregorio, Mrs. Luming Coching, Terry Bagalso, Boboy Yonzon, Norman Isaac, Gilbert Monsanto, Reg Ting and so many more….

This video was uploaded to my You Tube account with the permission of the students.