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.

Do you agree that Greatness Starts From Home?

Visit http://tattoo.globe.com.ph and join the contest 

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FHM's Latest Cover Racist?

At first glance it looks like a regular FHM cover featuring Bela Padilla. But taking a closer look reveals that she is in the midst of dark-skinned women and it also gets intriguing with the caption of "Stepping out of the shadows". The latest cover does feature and expose Bela as the center figure for the magazine cover however, many have reacted to the photo and find it very racist in content.

For me, the concept indeed has some suggestive thought of referring "shadows" to dark-tonned women. Though it was never discouraged them, it still has this negative impact on dark-toned people. Yes, in our Pinoy society, we prefer white skin over dark and this led to the mentality of dark is lesser than white. However, the point here is the photo and the statement itself which raise eyebrows. I do smell controversy in the making.

Sa Iyo Na Ang Korona!

After the first long weekend of the alleged end of the world year in the 21st century, the most waited hapontukin teleserye in the Philippines is back to bring more action, drama, comedy and endless nosebleed terms. SA IYO NA ANG CORONA!.

Starring the Chief Justice hImself, Renato Corona and his defense council. The Senator Jurors of the Philippine Senate cloaked in Harry Potter inspired themes and less wands. 

This series came due to insistent public demands with all networks having a dedicated radio and news TV channel to cover blow by blow terminologies and controversies that will be caught by the public eye.

The story of conspiracy and corruption of the Chief Justice gets hotter with the SALN arc and many are also anticipating guest appearances of former president Gloria Arroyo et al.  

With witnesses of different character and backgrounds, indeed the series has proven to entertain and enrage the masses. Which most will appear in tomorrows newspapers and blogs.   Though the plot is also the same for the other impeachment serye "maERAP na Sitwasyon" last 2001, the outcome is still an open book with many possibilities. 

What will happen to the country? Will we be taught how to compute for our SALN? Will Senator Jurors face the Sorting hat ceremony? Who will win the Corona?

SA IYO NA ANG CORONA! airs daily monday till friday from 2pm onwards on your favorite networks and AM radio stations. They also trend in twitter with the hashtag #CJonTrial.

Faithless - New Book, New Life.

Seriously, I do need to do something big this year 2012, if in case this will the end of the world. And aside from arranging my blogs and getting a new job, I am thinking of reviving my fiction writing skills again to start and finish a story. With Manual to Lyf now in the works again and felt somehow inspired to do a new story called Faithless, I hope to be more active in doing what I think I am destined to do and to share it with the world.

Indeed this word has struck me and will also have a big impact in my life, making this one a step further to what I used to write about.  And I do admit to have a love life (very) soon, which makes it a new experience for me. I'd also lost faith in so many things especially last year which  I entered a hell of suffering and hatred. Although on the brighter side, indeed I have grown into a better and blessed man. With people behind me, making me feel a worthy part of their lives had made a mark on me. 

I therefore invite you to join me until we have this story published (in paper) and can also bring inspiration. And to end this post with an excerpt from Science and Faith by the Speaks which provided inspiration (and hopefully) a soundtrack for this.

"You can break everything down to chemicals but you can't explain a love like ours"

What to do in 2012? INVENT!

As a kid, rather than being a doctor or lawyer, I wanted to be a scientist. To be precise, an inventor. That is why I am always fascinated with science and technology, and this also led in my interest in engineering. I do know that today, almost everything has been invented and even one makes a break through, the credit and patent goes to the company or organization who provided resources.  But given this question:


If ever you’re given a chance to invent something (that was not created yet), what would it be and why?

As a home buddy, I know how hard it is to clean up the house plus to organize things into order so given I had resources and technologies, I would invent a cleaning box-bot ©. This invention is perfect for homes with busy parents. The C leaning Box-Bot © is a Digital-chemical-mechanical device that firsts scans the room of dust and garbage that needs to be disposed and disinfect. Then it uses it mechanical apparatus to do vacuum, polish and clean the room. It will keep track of its progress using a laser scanner for accuracy. Cleaning time depends on the size of the room, programmed accuracy (to avoid important things to be swept away), and sanitation preferences.

I wanted this invention because it will help a lot of households especially in these busy times. In case that there are no available house help yet there is a great need for cleaning the house. And this will be a great help not only for families but the economy with less time doing chores and more time to spend with work and family. I think my friend Arvin Ello of Vinversections.com will agree on this since he posted the question on his blog post.


And this technology is not far fetched, with an exponential rise of technology, I know its possible. Like the past decade, the internet grew with devices like the USB dongle, tablets, phones  and netbooks. I hope to make more inventions soon, and this is a great year to start iit!