The Carver's House

Concluding my talk at DLSU, I told the class that if there was a way (not the only way) for comics to regain a strong foothold in a society that has grown to prefer film, television and novels for their entertainment, it has to up the ante in some way. The three aforementioned media have their own unique and obvious strengths, and these strengths can easily trump the comics medium straight in the face. The three factors that influence the effectiveness of a medium are the comics creator's playground. However, the accessibility factor is dependent on cost, and the approval factor is dependent on an audience's specific tastes. So the factor over which a comics creator has the greatest control is content quality. Content quality. My thinking is that people generally don't really care much about medium as much as they do content, unless two media are pitted against one another over the same material. This has led to numerous debates over whether a movie was equal, if not superi

Have you seen this? I hope they include the theme song... even just in the music bed.

In a previous post, we've listed down the three factors that gauge the effectiveness of a communications medium. Again, our current media-heavy environment has blurred the lines between what one medium can do over another, so the focus has shifted more towards effectiveness, with greater involvement of the recipient of the communications message. At the core of these three factors is audience, which is an integral part of the communications cycle. Without an audience, there is no communication. There won't even be a reason to communicate at all without the awareness of an audience. (Unless, of course, the audience is oneself.) The three factors: 1) Accessibility. There was a time when radio was the medium of choice. It was cheap, and you could get all the information you thought you needed over the lifespan of those 20-pound Eveready batteries. But radio gave way to television. Television evolved from a few channels to a few dozens on cable. Then the internet changed the media

I didn't think I could make it to the Komikon. The tail end of last week was a bit of hell, having to leave work at 4:30 am and 5:30am last Thursday and Friday, so my consitutution wasn't exactly at its best. But the clouds parted by Friday night, sending the sign that, yes, I should drop by the annual "mukhang komiks" event. The moment I made it through the entrance of the Bahay ng Alumni, I was immediately asked for an autograph, then I ran into Elbert Or and his lovey. I told Elbert that I really hope the comics anthology he initiated in 2007 would see the light of day soon. I did an eight-page short for that one. Unfortunately, nothing's definite as far as that's concerned. I wove my way through the crowd, spotting a number of familiar faces, and felt right at home amidst the flurry. I was still drowsy from lack of sleep and had intended to make my way up to the second floor for coffee at the Chocolate Kiss, but I found myself at the table of Hazel Manzan

Last week was light at the office, so I took Thursday off to go to my alma mater and give a talk about the value of comics as a medium. (I had wanted to go to a talk at the UST, but it was scheduled for later this week--crunch time for Real Living .) The questions I was supposed to answer were, "What are the unique qualities of comics?" and "What can comics do that other media can't?" The first question was somewhat easy to answer, since it didn't entail any comparison with other media. The second question, however, gave me a headache. In today's cross-platform option-riddled multimedia world, I was hard pressed to come up with a strong case for the comics medium. Because, truth to tell, the web is a powerful medium in itself, boasting the capabilities of all media and then some. Through the web, one can watch videos, listen to music, read text of all kinds, play games, get an education, and fiddle with the loads of interactive opportunities thrown in. P

If there's one thing I wished I had learned when I was starting out in the "real world," it would be about financial intelligence. Good thing that in the past couple of years, I've begun the journey to "financial freedom," and tossing aside all regrets borne from spending a bit too much over the past two decades. It's true what they say: you'll have an easier time achieving wealth if you're in your early 20s, compared to someone like me who's nearly 40. But it's really never too late to start. Now, there's a free online seminar--or webinar--that will teach the money noobs the basics of how to invest their way to financial independence. It'll be conducted by Hoover de Baron, a registered financial planner from the Baron Group . He claims that anyone can be financially free, no matter what the salary level. I'll be attending the webinar for the precious Q&A session. "Invest Your Way to Financial Freedom" is a one-h

“ Martial Law Babies may have a target audience, but despite the dated references, the graphic novel will work for any sophisticated reader; the bittersweet, after all, is universal. Employing his trademark whimsy and a concentrated poignancy, Arre gets all the details right, either in homage or in direct reference. Whether it’s a death-defying tricycle ride, a fateful Sting concert or ROTC in the afternoon." --from Ruey de Vera's column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer Martial Law Babies is now available at Comic Quest Megamall. For more information about the book, visit the official site . Get na kayo, please.

Took me a month to get six prologue pages done because of the other things I had to do. Darn. But at least that's a total of twenty pages of the sequel off my back. Now I can continue chapter one.

It's when I see artwork like this that I heave a sigh and suppress the desire to swear. This wonderful piece is by Gerry Alanguilan , no less--set to appear in the fourth and last installment of his Elmer limited series . His is one of the styles that I, during those moments when I question my artistic ability, try to take apart to discover its secrets. Apart from the art, Elmer has one of those stories that grab the gut. You couldn't believe the kind of emotions you'll feel from a family of talking chickens. Gerry'd better compile Elmer soon. And if he does get this compiled, y'all non-comics readers do yourselves a favor and get a copy.

Thanks to Budj for the info: Besides the convention proper on November 22, 2008, there will be activities held from November 17 - 21 at the UP College of Arts and Letters (UP CAL) and in the UP College of Fine Arts (UP CFA) for KOMIKON. Our schedule is as follows: November 17 (Mon) KOMIKS 101 Talk Venue: UP CFA Auditorium "KOMIKEROS FOR HIRE" Filipino Comic Artists Working for Companies Abroad Time: 10:00am - 12noon Panelists: Harvey Tolibao, Wilson Tortosa, Gilbert Monsanto, Melvin Calingo "KOMIKS IN EDUCATION" Including Comics into the Curriculum Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm Panelists: Gerry Alanguilan, Gilbert Monsanto, Elbert Or, Jose "Chong" Ardivilla, Emil Flores November 18 (Tue) OPENING of EXHIBIT at UP Faculty Center Galleria 1 UP CAL Workshop: "Comic Making for Writers" Time: 2:30-4:30pm Venue: UP CAL (classroom to be announced) Speaker: Jonas Diego November 19 (Wed) UP CAL Workshop:

"I came to think that nobody from England could draw American comic books, because they were clearly all done by this sort of Mafia, all these guys with Italian and Irish names who had the whole thing sewn up." Read the entire interview on Time.com.

So I'm creating this blog post using the Beta release of Windows Live Writer , which is a WYSIWYG editor for blogging. What it does is that it downloads that portion of your blog where your posts appear and, using your blog's CSS template, allows you to write and edit your blog entries with greater control over how it will appear, as shown in this screenshot. Notice that the graphic has a drop shadow around it--it's one of the features of Windows Live Writer. There's also a "photo paper" setting, which places a wide white border around the image. Another cool feature of Windows Live Writer is the ability to add: TABLES!               and maps from Microsoft Virtual Earth . Windows Live Writer works with numerous blogging services-- Windows Live Spaces , WordPress , LiveJournal , TypePad , Movable Typ

I loved him in I Am Sam , Carlito's Way , The Assassination of Richard Nixon , Mystic River , and Dead Man Walking , because there's always something new and fresh in his performances. Already with two Oscar noms plus one win, Penn's been my hands-down favorite Hollywood actor. Now Sean Penn has taken another Oscar-worthy role in Milk, directed by Gus van Sant. Penn portrays Harvey Milk , who in the 1970s became the first openly gay man elected to a major political post. To be released later this month in the US, Milk couldn't be any more timely with the recent passing of Proposition 8, which effectively limits the California constitution's definition of marriage as exclusive to heterosexuals, thus voiding thousands of already existing gay marriages in the state. Do watch the trailer of Milk.

Can I just, say, like, you know... WTF? Filipino politicians want to be known as 'Obama of Philippines' O, game....react na.

The author of Jurassic Park passes on. I've only read one of his novels, Sphere . Which is a big accomplishment for me since I don't really read novels.

TOKYO (AFP) – A Japanese man has enlisted hundreds of people in a campaign to allow marriages between humans and cartoon characters , saying he feels more at ease in the "two-dimensional world." Comic books are immensely popular in Japan , with some fictional characters becoming celebrities or even sex symbols. Marriage is meanwhile on the decline as many young Japanese find it difficult to find life partners . Taichi Takashita launched an online petition aiming for one million signatures to present to the government to establish a law on marriages with cartoon characters. For the full article, visit Yahoo! News Thanks to Erica for the link.

Public service lang po... I will be hosting a webinar (or online seminar) this Saturday, November 8 at 4:00 pm. The one-hour webinar is for those who are interested in entering the Philippine call center industry as an agent. For those not in the know, the recruitment process for call center employment is significantly different from other industries. Since call centers are continuously ramping up their employment requirements, they are always on the lookout for the best people. The resource speaker for the webinar is Josephine Mayer-Flores, a former Regional Performance Director for Sitel Philippines. She has spent eight years in the industry, starting as an agent and working her way up. In the webinar, she will share her knowledge and experience with newbies on what it takes to pass the strict qualifications of the fastest growing BPO business in the country. If you want to attend this online seminar, you will need a computer system with the following specifications: • Internet Exp

So you've spent a couple of years developing your personal style, and have reached a point wherein you can pick up a Marvel or DC comic book (or other published work) and say, "Siguro malapit-lapit na ako dito." Or, better still, "Siguro naman, mas magaling ako kesa dito." The least being, "Puede na." The next step is to swallow your pride and test your tear glands through public exposure. Online. The easiest way right now is posting your comics stories or sequential art online. There's DeviantArt, Comicspace , DigitalWebbing , and others. Announce that you're open to "crits," and accept whatever feedback comes your way. Maraming mga mababait at mayroon ding mga maaasim, pero ang mahalaga'y pinapansin ang mga gawa mo. Mas mabuti na 'yan kaysa iniisnab ka. DigitalWebbing has its own classified ads page where you can look for projects. You can also try the comic book professionals group of LinkedIn for networking purposes

In the November 2008 issue of Real Living , you'll discover: the dynamics involved in working with an interior designer; 45 stylish and value-for-money gift ideas in the Annual Gift Guide; how to organize a gift-wrapping party; some of the most iconic designs of Charles and Ray Eames; and a lot more! Real Living is available at major magazine outlets for only P140. Get na, now na!