The Carver's House

updated 10/5/2013 1) Make a standee. A standee on your table can do lots in increasing your visibility, as opposed to just having your comics lying flat in front of you. Not only can a well-designed standee attract more attention, it can also help your fans find you in the sea of geek humanity. You can either use the cover of the comic book you're selling, or create an original "poster." Print one that's big enough to mount on a 1/4 or 1/2-sized illustration board. (For the larger board, be sure to secure the back so the standee won't bend.) But if you can find a way to place your standee higher, then the better. 2) Make a flyer. In comics conventions, many visitors are first-timers. Not only are they surprised by the number of people in attendance, but they usually have no idea what most of the comics on sale are about. The simple act of giving out one-page flyers to passersby is a good first step in connecting visitors to what you have to offer. The flyer...

I was contacted by Whilce Portacio (one-time penciller of Uncanny X-Men and creator of Wetworks) weeks ago to contribute to a coffee table book to help raise funds for the victims of typhoon Ketsana. The book, entitled Renaissance: Ang Muling Pagsilang , features the artwork of dozens of Filipino and Fil-Am illustrators, comics book artists, cartoonists, and animators based here and abroad. This is the piece I contributed to the book. It was inspired by a friend's experience: I arrived at the star-studded February 21 book launch held at SM Megamall only in the afternoon, as I had forgotten that it was my dear mom's birthday. It was a very humbling experience being in the presence of so much talent, from veterans to newbies, mainstream to indie, including Michael "Bitoy" V. Many of you may not know that the Bubble Gang mainstay is a fantastic comics artist, and has actually done some comics work in the past before going full blast into novelty rap and television. I act...

I dropped by the Metro Comic-Con last Saturday for a little go-see. Despite the Megatrade Hall being a bit too spacious, the event appeared well-attended, though I didn't stay too long. After so many years of not having any major project to promote, I felt a bit like a fish out of water. In between chatting with Wilson Tortosa, Syeri Baet, Lyndon Gregorio and Johnny Danganan, saying hello to Budjette Tan and Gilbert Monsanto, and taking pics with Gio Paredes and Gener Pedrina, I picked up a few comics here and there. While I do enjoy reading the works of my fellows, there comes the occasional tinge of quiet envy, like I've been lax at this whole comics-making thing while the others religiously keep the pages coming. I do have that six-pager in the first Komikero Komiks anthology, and I'm submitting an eight-pager for its third issue. There's also another Graphic Classics assignment due in a few months... But I neeeeed to get a big, fat book out. It's like a deliciou...

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'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...

In English, "Comic Connect," "Comicon Connection," etc. It would make a nice name for a Pinoy Comics Consortium, eh? Anyway... During the past Komikons, parati akong late. Kaya this time, pinagsikapan kong gumising nang maaga kahit tatlong oras lang ang tulog ko. Okey lang 'yun dahil minsan lang sa isang taon ang Komikon. Sinigurado kong gawing sleeveless ang aking suot, dahil base sa experience sa mga nakaraang Komikon ay pagpapawisan ako ng katakut-takot. Pagdating ko sa UP Bahay Ng Alumni, ang itinanghal na "Hall of Justice" ng iilang taga-UP, agad-agad kong hinanap si Jonas Diego dahil ipinagkaloob niya sa amin ang bahaging espasyo sa kanyang malawak na mesa. Thanks a million, Jonas! Ang guwapo mo! Tamang-tama at nandoon si David Hontiveros, ang manunulat ng Penumbra novellas. Dalian naming isinet-ap ang aming bilihan. Maya't-maya'y sinamahan kami nina Marco Dimaano (Angel Ace) at Elbert Or (Bakemono High), pati na rin ni Steven Pabalina (D...