Greatness in Comics Starts at Home

As an striving artist, competition and opportunity is really scarce. I not have any formal training in the arts except in in kidergarten with crayons and coloring books. And with limited resources at home, indeed it was a struggle to continue or worry first about what we will eat for that day. 
Destiny was kind to let me know people who provided me some tools for the trade. It started with pens, pencils, paper and some coloring materials and a lot of imagination from the thinga around me. It also helps to be a creative writer which goes well in being a comic artist. With each of my compilation crawling stories and characters in my head, I knew that I have to make them into more media, then there came the internet.


But my passion was somewhat subdued when I started working in the call center at graveyard shifts. With less or no time to draw, its became an endangered skill. But after sometime, when my shift rotated into morning and day schedules, it gave me more available time during waiting to start all over again and draw. This is where Krisis Komix started.


Krisis Komix became an outlet of the stress I got from work and when I had compiled some strips I posted them with their own blog (www.krisiskomix.blogspot.com) and launched them officially on Earth Hour.


I eventually had a break from the call center and continued studies and comic making at home. I eventually met people in the industry at Komikon and from them I found the enormous inspiration that I need. With different personalities and genres, it was information overload but has a more positive side effect. Continuing Krisis Komix, I also joined in several competitions, and one of the best achievement I got is the Larry Alcala Award for Krisis! Komix Family is Funny. 


I eventually launched its first compilation as an independent comic at Komikon 2010 with Krisis Komix: Identity Krisis. And launched the second one with new comics like Ang Bagong Kidlat, Dyosabelle, and Johnny Astig for Krisis Komix: World Krisis. I also established the biggest facebook group form Pinoy Komik Artists, Indie Komiks Manila which is still growing and very active in terms of projects and interactions. I also contributed for the groups compilation for Free Comic Book Day, Indies Maximus and will have another one this year. And I organize and create them at home with the help of my computer and the world wide web.


I am still young in the industry, yet I felt so very inspired and blessed with the gift of art. Even if its not as prestigious working in big companies, I enjoyed very much because I can do it in the comfort of my house. From the crayons I used in kindergarten to the editing software I now use for comic strips made me a better not only in art but in life.

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Lots of Happenin' This 20 Elevin' !

Year end report.

2011 I can say was the best and the worst at the same time. As much I avoided to be, many things came unexpectedly which cause so much pain, suffering and empty pockets. But the fact that I am writing this right now means that I am truly blessed and on the way to recovery. 

I named 2011 as the year of great opportunities which it did. Manual to Lyf had its new branding campaign which lifted it to a new level.  It also got its own domain now just to make the URL shorter. Krisis! Komix though a little inactive sa able to pull it off with World Krisis and Comicxhub. I also realized that I survived the whole year even without a day job, however finances are scarce. And  sometimes I do think of doing things unlawful because of my dilemma. 

I do met a lot of people, and what I mean is hundreds to thousands face to face. Thanks to events that opened and exposed me to the world and also to things I never imagined. I met good people who helped me in events, my blog and my comics. I did also met very wicked and irresponsible ones who let me into bankruptcy and even left me literally homeless for months. 

Travel was indeed great and even without spending much (sometimes not even a centavo). I have been to the new Rizal Park and Manila Ocean Park, Baguio to see the Panagbenga festival live with high school friends, to Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon which is the farthest I have gone down south,Lubao Pampanga to be the first to experience their River Cruise, to Lingayen Pangasinan to be a speaker for the ICT congress and taste Pigar Pigar for the first time.

It was also a year of acquiring a lot of gadgets namely Amadeus (Samsung N150 netbook) which is my birthday gift to myself, Maximillan (Segate 500GB EHD) to store more memories, Chacha (HTC Chacha) as my first android phone. I also had a iPhone 3G (pawned for this time only) which my first Apple gadget. The Sony Cybershot W110 I had this year started signs of deterioration like flash not working and the lcd cracked.  I hope to have a new one and more gadgets soon this 2012. 

Entertainment, Food, and Music was the top events I had this year. This also translates to a bigger belly, being more of a audiophile and a showbiz critic this year. The year opened me to the doors of ABS CBN and GMA (and TV5 hopefully).  Also to recording labels like Poly East Records, Universal Records, MCA Music, Sony Music, Ivory Music, Warner Music and also Mecca Music. Also for Movies Solar Entertainment and 20th Century Fox. Also thanks to Orangemagazine TV and Indie Komiks Manila and all the other bloggers I have been and met this year...Thank You!

It was also a great year for expanding my network to PR agencies like Campaigns and Grey, Chris Cahilig Consultancy, Brandspeak Asia, Carbond Digital, Omnicom Media, Stratworks, Saatchi and Saatchi, Perlas and Luna, Gieser Mclang, PR Asia. and many others I may forget to mention  And with countless giveaways and fun events they made for the year boosted my morale as a blessed individual and drove me to share to others. Thank you!

So far no significant change with relationship status, still single and still ready to mingle, since I do not want my partner experience the rough times I had this year. Probably I will this 2012, since the world will end eventually so better have someone to be with, teehee. As a trying hard clairvoyant, I do feel vibrations of meeting someone for me.

Personally I did grew to be more practical, lazy and compassionate this year. I had to quit school again but hope to finish it and get the degree, within probably a year or two. My hygiene also improved this year with the products and services I was given for free. Including my first full body massage, first pedicure which uplifted my confidence several folds. Though I do say that I suck at fashion this year, which is not really mandatory but essential especially for events. I am now also learning Spanish which I really find very amusing.

This was the year I challenged and almost blamed God for the catastrophe I had yet in the end be very thankful for everything which made me stronger and better. To him is the biggest THANK YOU for everything. 

Now the 2011 year ends, and I greet everyone out there especially reading this year end report a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012, the year of success!  Cheers!