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Showing posts from February, 2008

Dreaming of Posters: From The Archives

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Did I ever post this drawing before? I don't remember... One of the methods I use to develop stories is imagining what the poster would look like, even the "trailer," as if the story were a movie. These products of brain matter provide me with clues as to the kind of mood I want to carry throughout whatever story I have in mind. They also help me pin down key scenes and dialog. The Zaturnnah sequel is no exempt. This poster concept was drawn and rendered over two years ago, when I was writing the first directionless draft of the sequel. Since then, so many changes have taken place. For one thing, Didi won't be in the sequel. The official sidekick will be Gwyneth, the designer of the Zaturnnah costume. Also, a number of the characters depicted in the hypothetical poster won't be in the sequel. They seemed like good ideas at the time, but turned out to be useless or cumbersome when the new script came along. Yes, world, it's true. Even if you've written half

What Do Publishers Have To Say?

In an earlier post, I asked why there hasn't been a lot of output in the local comics scene in the past few years, and I'd like to thank those who have offered their insights. It seems that many creators are concerned about creative control, as they have had sad experiences. This can account for, instead, the crop of indie releases which many may not have heard of, largely due to limited exposure and distribution. Over at the Multiply version of that previous blog entry , an interesting proposal came up. Why not hear the publishers' take on it? There are companies that have produced graphic novels and serialized anthologies, so is it possible to create a special forum in the next Komikon wherein these companies can meet comics creators to discuss the sensitive issue of creative control and author rights? It won't boil down to a debate--the point of the forum will be to see both sides of the issue, to see where the publishers and the creators are coming from. Creators ca

I Hate Hate Hate Book Sales!!!

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If there are people who splurge on fashion, or video games, or car accessories, I splurge on books. Well, used to splurge on books. I'm keeping a tight rein on spending on more volumes until I've read each of my purchases. To help me with my therapy, I visited the book sale currently happening at Bestsellers, on the top floor of Galleria. I stepped in and ogled at the large signs that screamed "Up to 75% off!" Nuh-uh...you're not going to get me this time. Here are some of the books I've previously purchased from the bargain bins. I've gone through about about a fourth of each. All satisfying reads so far. Over the Edge of The World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe by Laurence Bergreen So it wasn't just Lapu-lapu who killed Magellan. In this book, Bergreen takes his extensive research and gives us an inside look at what really happened to Magellan, from his roots in Portugal to his demise in the hands of hack-happy villagers in

Want My Rambling In Your Inbox?

I placed a nifty button in the sidebar that'll allow you to get my blogposts in your email inbox. That is, of course, if you want to find my ramblings in your inbox. If you don't want me rambling in your inbox, then that's okay, too. (When you subscribe, you'll readily know when I've made an update.) To those who regularly visit, thanks again! If there's anything you want to know, if there's any strange or personal question you want to ask me, ask away through the comments link. :-)

Paula Then and Now

The first time I saw Paula Abdul was in 1988, through the video, (It's Just) The Way That You Love Me . Tapdancing and Top40 weren't exactly a prizewinning combo in the late-80s, but she definitely stood out. Though that single didn't even break into the Top 40, it would be re-released the following year after the mega-success of the singles Straight Up, Forever Your Girl and Cold-Hearted . I bought all her studio albums (on cassettes) except the remix compilation. As she continued to bag one hit after another, my friend and I would joke about her voice. ("Kung mananalo siya ng award, magpapasalamat siya sa Macintosh computers for her voice.") Note that when her hit Rush, Rush came out, Mariah Carey had just hit the scene, Madonna was vogueing as Breathless Mahoney, Janet Jackson was ruling Rhythm Nation, and Whitney Houston was raking in the moolah with I'm Your Baby Tonight . Paula seemed to be the odd-girl out among the powerhouse divas, the light-footed

On Character Motivation

Last Saturday, I sacrificed sleep time in favor of filling up the day with three plays. The first was PETA's Skin Deep , a satiric romp on the ups and downs of cosmetic surgery written by Vince de Jesus. (I was late for this one--the show was 10 in the morning.) Mid-afternoon found me at the University of The Philippines for Dulaang UP's Orosman at Zafira , penned in verse by Francisco Balagtas, but reworked with music and stunning choreography, complemented by delicious production design. After dinner, it was intimate theater with Last Order sa Penguin , the Palanca award-winning play of Chris Martinez. I'm not the best at providing critique for shows like these, but suffice to say I liked them all at varying levels. Then again, it was a bit tough keeping my mind 100% open throughout the day because of the sleep deprivation, but it wasn't enough to stop me from being entertained. Thanks to those who offered complimentary tickets. You know who you are. I really would li

Vote for Our Natural Wonders

Last July 2007, the New Seven Wonders of the World were determined and declared by popular vote, a campaign spearheaded by The New7Wonders Foundation established by Canadian Bernard Weber. The new Seven Wonders are all man-made structures. Now the foundation is calling for votes for the New Seven Wonders of Nature, putting the spotlight on natural formations. As things stand as of this writing, the Philippines' Tubbataha Reef (in the Sulu Sea) sits in the Top 30. Our other nominees are the Chocolate Hills (in Bohol) and Mayon Volcano (in Albay). Let's do a "Miss Universe" and vote like crazy for our natural wonders. Register and vote here. And do pass the word around.

What My Name Means

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Got this widdle widget from Mida's blog . I find the results close to accurate, or at least what I think my idealized self is like... (Though I don't really see myself as a Type A personality.) What Visconde Carlo Vergara Means You are very hyper. You never slow down, even when it's killing you. You're the type of person who can be a workaholic during the day... and still have the energy to party all night. Your energy is definitely a magnet for those around you. People are addicted to your vibe. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence

Where Are The Pinoy Comics?

I'm just curious. With all the talent I see at the Komikon, why hasn't there been a steady output of comics work produced for mass distribution? Over the past ten years, from Arnold Arre's Mythology Class to Arnold Arre's Andong Agimat , there have only been a handful of company-backed comics work that have been produced. While the indie scene is admirable, its output has gone largely unnoticed except to those in the know. Whenever I get the chance (which is rare), I try to encourage creators to knock on the doors of publishing houses. I'd like to think that, somehow, these companies have become a little more open to publishing comics. However, many still opt for the self-published route which, distribution-wise, doesn't go very far unless the creator goes the extra mile. Is there a concern that's not readily apparent? Talent? Contacts? Confidence? Passion? Endurance? Economics? Or are our comics creators generally a modest, humble bunch who'd rather st

Summit Media looking for Graphic Artist

Public service lang po... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Summit Media is looking for a graphic artist to work for its marketing team. This position needs to be filled up ASAP (March 3). Please email all resumes to chary (dot) antonio (at) summitmedia (dot) com (dot) ph . MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS ARTIST We're looking for a smart and highly creative individual who can blow clients away with creative concepts inside the magazine, who has a fresh eye for design and is in touch with the trends. WHAT YOU'LL DO: create marketing collaterals for the promotion of our magazines lay-out marketing pages and advertorials design trade marketing materials conceptualize the look and theme of certain promos and events REQUIREMENTS: - male or female - 20 to 30 years old - college graduate - must know how to use Photoshop, Pagemaker and Mac

Allow me to use recycled artwork...

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...to wish you all Happy Hearts Day ! Let the love chemicals flow!

CG Avengers

I haven't been watching cartoons for a very long time. But I really wouldn't mind spending a few minutes watching a series of this... This is the first of three very short videos on Marvelkids.com . The animation is fantastic. Since it would be a coordination nightmare putting together an Avengers live-action movie (the Justice League movie was reportedly shelved ), why not go the CG route?

Where I Was

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View from the veranda of grandma's house , Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. (02/07/2008) Me on a blue boat , Pandan Island, Palawan (02/08/2008) The last time I was in my mom's home province was 1997. With me then was the first boyfriend. I only remember a few of the places we went to--Crocodile Farm, St. Paul Underground River Park, Iwahig Penal Colony, Starfish Island, even the Adventist Hospital (the bf got sick). If I may ooze a bit of cheese, a lot has changed but a lot has stayed the same after 11 years. Despite the increase in commercial activity along the main thoroughfare (Rizal Street), including a 24-hour Dunkin' Donuts and a supersize Budget Home Depot building, the atmosphere hasn't changed much. The area where my grandma lives still has that quaint Batibot -like charm. I plan to go back later this year by myself, just to go around and get reacquainted with the relatives. Can't afford to go to the famed El Nido, Amanpulo, or even Dos Palmas (where, as yo

Five Years of Blogging

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I had forgotten that I wrote my first blog post on January 26, 2003. That means I've been blogging for five years. Wow. Here's how my blog evolved from the beginning. Click the image to enlarge. Someday, I swear I'm going to learn CSS in earnest. Should make playing with the layout a lot easier. As a bit of useless info, the first "blog" I ever had was actually in 1998, when I started fiddling with web design. I had my own website and placed "diary" pages on it, more pieces of commentary than events in my life. I called my site, "From My Side Of The Fence." Already back then, I had this "house" allegory going, stemming from my old habit of visiting the home sections of department stores when nobody's looking. The name "CarVer" came later on. It all started with a little joke among the family members. I'm not sure how the joke came about, but we found ourselves connecting the first syllables of our first and surnames.

Dalisay on Zaturnnah

Many thanks to Mr. Butch Dalisay for devoting two paragraphs of his Philippine Star column "Penman" to talk about Zsazsa Zaturnnah. His installment today, "Animating Philippine Literature," offers his musings on the various efforts being done to elevate the state of literature in the country. The piece was originally published in his blog, Penmanila . Click the above links to read.

Scent of a Gay

It's old news, but worth bringing up again. (And forgive the title's bad English--couldn't resist.) In 2005, the news reported of the growing scientific evidence that homosexuality is rooted in biology. The studies involved sweaty t-shirts. Using brain imaging technology, scientists in Sweden found that the sex centers (specifically the hypothalmus) of women and gay men responded in the same manner when exposed to the shirts worn by straight men. Conversely, straight men's brains responded to the scent of women, and not of gay men. What's more interesting is a study conducted in Philadelphia. The team of neuroscientist Charles Wysocki discovered that while gay men do respond to the scent of straight men, they preferred the scent of gay men. This, of course, assumes that the test subjects did not put on any kind of scent-enhancing agents during the length of the study. So... gay men have a distinct scent? Is this the "scent of a gay"? More importantly, ho