Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Fan Art from JUN MONARES


A former student and a very good friend of mine just sent me via email his Fan art of Biotrog. Jun is one talented guy who is very good with well rendered and detailed pencil illustrations. Beautiful pencil lines that is so hard to replicate if inked. No longer a rookie, he too is now going strong in his career. Building his very own fan base in the comic field. I now, present to you the art of JUN MONARES.


I'll include this within the pages of Rambol#3, Thanks Jun.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Another Tropa preview with inker Boy Sicat!


Another reason to buy issue two is Alejandro Sicat, We call him Boy Sicat, inker for such titles like STONE(Avalon/Image), District X (Marvel). He's one talented fella. I can always see some magic whenever he inks my work. We also worked together for The Saints under Saturn Comics. I trust in his hand and his judgement to give justice to my pencils.
Pencil and colors: Gilbert Monsanto
Inks: Boy Sicat

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Tropa preview number 2



Another good reason to pick up Tropa #2 when it hits the shelves soon is LAN MEDINA. Yes, Marvel Comics superstar did several pages for our humble book. Lan is one of the kindest man in local comics. He is very shy in nature but pours everything on paper. he's both dedicated to his profession and to his family. A silent wonderful guy.

There are other reasons why Tropa#2 is special like Gerry Alanguilan, Ed Tadeo, Oliver CastaƱeda, and other great pinoy artists who did pages and inks for the book. The book symbolizes a certain unity among artists and their love for the medium. I can't get all of them now, but I will contantly do so with the other issues. There are reasons why I did not invite some here...yet. I always consider their strength and would usually cater the scenes for them. I'll show you the no script process I use with these books soon.

I cropped the page to avoid spoiling the story. Sorry about that guys.

Thanks Mr.Medina for the support, for us and the local komiks industry.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Do we really need to change the INDUSTRY or our MENTALITY?

It has been a while since I wrote anything here that is really bothering me for too long now. I know that I was one of them people, who you can call an optimist. Being optimistic gives me the courage to march into impossible odds just to make my dreams reality. I'll always convince myself that everything will always turn out right if you are not doing anything wrong in the first place. That is why i followed my heart and became a comic book artist. For the longest time, I've never been anything but a comic book creator. I've tried everything from writing, penciling, inking, coloring and now even self-publishing. With every step I took, I am always happy to be a part of every title I've worked on. Because I love doing what I've always done, drawing. But being a professional comic artist is not how I started. I've been a READER of comics ever since. That is an essential part of how I understand comics, every part of it. Now, I've read a lot about the POSITIVE side and especially the NEGATIVE side of this industry here in the Philippines, and sadly, they are all true. Imagine going to a National Bookstore to find mangled local titles right in front of you. I gasped thinking they were RAPED!!!! I can only imagine how heart broken these creators feel when they see their hard earned money spent titles in this horrible state. I feel that way, for them and for me. That is how it is today, sadly. I've heard unfeeling comments from people who views themselves a reader, a customer, and the backbone of this industry. What do they have to say? Demands are more like it. Why is your title in english? why is it is Filipino? Why not weekly? Why this why that. But whatever we do to try and entertain the public? They come up with another complain. WHY IN THE HELL DO THEY DO THAT? Are we as a people so rotten not to think of all the hard work and money placed down on the table just to produce the titles they now read? Don't they ever consider how we feel? How we have to twitch and turn our bodies inside out JUST to print those babies? We are the parents of those titles, you tell us how you feel about it, we consider, we plan to give you what you'll need, ALL if we could. MOCK them, we bleed.

The industry is sick, needs medication. Beaten down by discrimination from both ends of the spectrum, the literary side and the artistic side. Yet, always taken by movies and television only to be RAPED yet again by their own brand of injustices. The revisions of unholy concepts just to play god on the poor creators who are trapped with a notion that who ever has the money are the boss. In this, we too suffer.

As for the big question why the price is way too high? I guess you have to find that out for yourselves. Just think about terms like PRINTING COST, DISTRIBUTION, DISCOUNT FOR THE STORE which could go as high as 40% or more. In fact, even if you've managed to sell half of the print run? All the expenses and the leg work done just for these books to make it to the readers is enough to STOP any small publishers, almost better let it die down and stop. Imagine again all the spoilage of mangled copies, not a pretty sight.

We do this out of love. So STUPID for so many to think other wise since, it is all very clear that there is no MONEY. Oh wait, you mean those mini magazines with 98% ads? sorry totally not COMICS to me. And the reprints of old comics running solely because of all the ads? Well, NOT our industry, non PINOYS are not included here. Just to be clear, I'm talking only about the local Komiks here.

With all these obstacle, how can one be optimistic? I know I am not, but that is not the point. It is a matter of principle. We let go now? IT IS OVER! Now, I know alot wants that. That should never happen, we fight! It is not the time to accept defeat. It is time to PUSH BACK! We hold hands as creators, not as individuals with personal grudges, as professionals. Tell them to learn from us, from these mistakes we hope to shape the next generation of Comic creators to be wiser, stronger, more adapt to every scenario.

I don't care if you are against or with us. This is not a request. If you are a komiks lover, by God Prove it! If you can't say anything productive... SHUT UP! If you hate because you are one sad individual... SHUT UP! But if you have solutions, stand up and be heard.

Tapusin na natin ang mga TALANGKA!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

LOVE THE FILIPINO KOMIKS INDUSTRY

This one is like the other side of the same coin :)

from my friend John Becaro.
http://johnbecaro.deviantart.com/

I STILL LOVE THE FILIPINO KOMIKS INDUSTRY
Journal Entry: Wed May 2, 2007, 2:49 AM

I STILL LOVE THE FILIPINO KOMIKS INDUSTRYThis is but just a random thought, but I would like to share this to everyone.If there's anything I could say why I love the Philippine Komiks Industry, I would always say BECAUSE I LOVE IT SO. I don't need to explain it coz it's an attachment that I cannot simply measure.If you love something, You will do anything for it. sEE? It's unconditional love no matter what. Free from boundaries.Deep inside attaching to our soul.Yes. Blind as it is. But that's how I love. I see to it that it is more on heart and not more on thinking. Because if we think too much, we will always end up to what is ideal and may sometimes fall into being unreal. Yes. Love Hurts. But that is just a process.A process that will keep us more strong in our journey on what is call life.Regardless, if it is done in different style, Western, Manga or Not; Glossy or newsprint, Black and White or Colored;Tabloid or 8.5 x 11 format; Distributed locally, nationwide, or International; published mainstream or indie; Horror, superhero,Fantasy, real life or Not. Komiks, Comics, Komix or Not. Tagalog or English. Wether it is sold out or not. As long as it is Done for our Filipino People, I don't care, I will still Love the Filipino Komiks Industry.THE PHILIPPINE KOMIKS INDUSTRY DESERVES A CHANCE. If you hate it because there are companies and crews that threats each other as animals, then you must not hate the industry, you hate the people who does it. If you hate what is the current happenings on the industry because it does not meet the ideals, then you must hate the Events that transpired.and not the Industry.THE INDUSTRY IS BUT JUST A VICTIM on events that transpires on it and by some people that surrounds it.Can you see it? IT SUFFERRED ENOUGH, IT DESERVES HEALING AND HELP FROM US. BLAMING THE WHOLE INDUSTRY IS BUT JUST UNFAIR. There are so many people who cared and loved it more than we know.How about them? Do they deserve hate because they belong on this so called industry? Is this a time for blaming each other, now that our Industry needs the enlightened people the most?It all boils down to attitude problem and not on the Industry that deserves to grow.If you think there is a problem on the industry , propose a solution. If you think you hate the industry so much, go out and find other industry coz that will be good for you and would surely distress you. Leave us and we will always find ways to make this industry alive on our own little ways. Who knows in the near future? That's just simple.Expressing hate does not help anything, it just creates another mis- understanding and negative energies that will blocked us to grow and become mature.The best thing we could do for now is we start on our own and do not just rely on this so called "revival" or "industry" that keeps us always into pressure.Learn from the mistakes of the past and do our best not to make it happen again.The Industry is US and will start again on us. Everything we do now will contribute a lot on the upcoming years to come.Believe me, there is hope, it simply starts on us. It is not attainable right now but it will be. A new era of Philippine Komiks Industry has arises even we still did'nt realize it for now.With the awakening of the new generations of comics creators and enthusiasts, there is still a chance and a room for CHANGE.We need more people who love doing Komiks. _For the Love of Filipino Comics.