The Carver's House

I will admit that I haven't bought pamphlet comics in a very long time, though I try to keep myself updated on the general goings-on in the American comics industry, particularly what's been happening with the Big Two. I've been reading some of the new X-Men titles as well. Lately, I've been reading some blogposts about the sorry state of the comics industry, how it has failed to attract new buyers, how prices have become prohibitive, how the number of "good titles" have decreased, how film and television adaptations have not substantially improved comics sales, and how "big events" have begun to lose their novelty because of their regularity. Sadly, it seems that the same mistakes are being made. (I recently heard that special effects covers were being considered for a comeback. Did that push through?) One development that had been seen as a way to boost comics sales is the production of film adaptations, with the perceptio...

Despite the post's title, there are really no sure-fire ways to boost the sales of your comics. There are, however, principles that govern this, and today's comics creator would need to be familiar with these principles and work on them. To me, it's basically hinged on two factors: Your Work and your Platform. And from these two factors, we look into Quality and Scope. Quality of Work: It Has To Be Good When we look at quality, we look at the level of excellence it contains. In my previous blog posts, I've emphasized the importance of a quality story in terms of both writing and art, but there's more to that. When we look at quality, we're also looking at how writing and art help each other in achieving a satisfying reader experience. We also ask if the writing and art are "meant" to work together. Looking at Japanese manga as an example: while there is a particular style that's inherent in manga art, there are many permutations. A horror mang...

[Note: The recent Push Comics Forward initiative launched by BOOM! Comics reminded me of this piece I wrote on January 18, 2013. Though the text below was originally written to talk about the Philippine comics industry, I figured it's also relevant to the current conversation about comics industries in other parts of the globe. -- 01/30/2015) Where there's smoke, there's fire. Over the past decade or so, many comic conventions have been organized around the country, attracting thousands of comics fans and featuring prominent creators and artists. These events have been covered in tri-media and seem to be helping the industry elevate itself in the public consciousness. The question is, has the industry elevated itself high enough? There may be fire, but is the fire big enough for people to take notice? We could use the analogy of a burning house. If there's one burning house, the people surrounding that house would be alarmed, but that's as far as it would go. ...

One of the few projects I've been working on and off on is a graphic novel workshop. I even had an alpha test session last year with six volunteers. The workshop primarily focused on story development and story structure, topics that I dived into while putting together the story of the Zaturnnah sequel. While it was a successful session, there's a lot to work out to make it better-structured and more practical. There are a few comics writing references, but most of them just skim the surface. The other comics how-to books spend more pages on the art and visual storytelling. Understandably so, because comics is a visual medium after all. However, without a sound knowledge in story development, that part that comes before scriptwriting and visual interpretation, aspiring comics writers may find themselves building derivative stories, or another version of a comics story/novel/movie they've encountered before. Stories are like signatures. They are personal expressions of...

1) The Lost Symbol , Dan Brown's new novel featuring another Robert Langdon adventure now has a cover, released by the publisher last Tuesday. If we must judge a book by its cover, the new novel is set in the United States capital, “though it’s a Washington few will recognize,” said editor Jason Kaufman. Is this Dan Brown's version of National Treasure ? See the new cover through the New York Times website. 2) A Sacramento, California schoolteacher gave fifth grade students a birds-and-bees orientation when a DVD she distributed to them contained a sex video starring herself. The DVD was supposed to only contain footage of the school's events during the past year, and the sensitive material snuck in reportedly by mistake. Seems like lotsa people have lately been making mistakes with their sex videos. Read the rest on the Snafu-ed blog. 3) Matthew Vaughn's big-screen adaptation of Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.'s ultra-violent comic book Kick-Ass is well under wa...

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:...

This I'm definitely curious about. INVOICE is a new GLBT magazine that seeks to break the mold when it comes to Philippine GLBT publications. Instead of focusing on lifestyle and scantily-clad hunks, INVOICE turns towards business, promising to advocate "the new image of the GLBT community as professional individuals with integrity." (On the Web, other gay business publications include Echelon and GayBusinessWorld .) It also seeks to "provide an inspiration and a call for action to all readers to become entrepreneurs and help in the growth of SMEs (Small and Medium-scale Enterprises) in the country." Refreshing, I say. INVOICE is produced by 3rd Media Publishing , and the maiden issue is currently available at the following stores: National Bookstore C. Raymundo Caniogan, Gerald magazine Shop - Rustans Supermarket Mercedes Ave. Pasig city National Bookstore Megamall Bldg.A, National Bookstore Shangri-La, National Bookstore Bestsellers Robinsons Galleria and Be...

A discussion recently erupted in Gerry's blog about a once great komiks publisher going the skin route with a glossy girlie magazine. The company is Atlas, and the magazine is Playhouse. Whatever it was that made Atlas peddle naked women is rhetorical at best. In many ways, putting together such a publication is easy. Plus, I am aware that a lot of people would be eager to contribute some intellectual content. The sales potential is a no-brainer, and companies are more than willing to plunk down money for ad space. I wouldn't blame Atlas for going this route if revenues are their primary objective. It's their business, literally and figuratively. Doesn't matter that I absolutely despise their bondage covers. Call me a prude, but that's something I wouldn't want my nine year-old niece to see. (Even if it was a hunky guy on a cover, I'd still wince.) But the topic at hand is comics, so here goes. Will comics sell in the Philippines? Yes. Will comics sell eno...

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...

ICON Magazine: Career Congratulations to the hardworking folks of ICON magazine as they release their 2nd anniversary issue. Dubbed "Career," the issue puts its own stamp on the phrase "working hard for the money." Apart from the arresting bevy of boys on the cover, you'll get: an insider's report on three Filipino representatives to the recently-concluded Gay Games in Chicago ; profiles of transwomen who brave opposition in the name of a decent career; a closer look at the opportunities and challenges of men whose looks are their top investment; and more! Get the latest ICON! Now na!

Get Your Graphic Novel Published! Thanks to Budj for the info. Adarna House , which released Arnold Arre 's After Eden and the Mythology Class compilation, is currently looking for story proposals for its next graphic novel under the Anino Comics imprint. Proposals should include: 1. Project brief Title Story genre, List of the creators to be involved in the project Estimated number of pages 2. One page story synopsis 3. Sample pages, character studies Stories may be in Filipino or in English. Compilations of previous published material are also welcome. Submissions may be sent to Adarna House, Room 201, JGS Building, 30 Scout Tuason St., Quezon City, or e-mailed at pdg@adarna.com. ph. Deadline for story proposals is November 30, 2007. For questions, email Jordan Santos at rjordanpsantos@ yahoo.com Go na! Now na!

Queer Publishing I got a text message from a friend yesterday, inviting me to join his team to put together a gay lifestyle magazine, as editor-in-chief of all things. I responded, “You’re talking to a person who’s bobo when it comes to the gay lifestyle. And EIC work is too stressful.” I offered to contribute artwork instead. This is not the first time I was asked to participate in a publication of this sort. I had a pseudo-meeting with another group of friends, with an initial objective of putting together possible content sections for a gay mag. It was a difficult process, and months later after that meeting, the topic has not been brought up. The initial challenge of a gay lifestyle magazine concerns its target audience, because this group helps determine the kind of content the publication will hold. Moreover, the target audience should be sizeable enough to guarantee a decent level of sales, both in retail and advertising fronts. What is the target audience of a gay ...

Perceived Value One night, at National Bookstore – Galleria, I chanced upon a locally-produced newsprint komiks issue (the title escapes me), and browsed thorough it just to see if there’s been any improvement in the production values over the past ten years. The story installment I found myself reading was about a young muscular dude who, in an effort to rake in some extra dough, decided to try his luck as a strip dancer in a gay bar. The piece attempted to go manga, but the art was obviously rushed despite its four-color glory. The writing wasn’t much to gush about either. I hoped that what I saw wasn’t representative of the whole komiks lot, but I couldn’t help but suppose otherwise. There wasn’t any long-term value stamped on it, merely a quick-fix story that holds no longevity. If Philippine komiks publishers intend to sustain themselves over the years, they need to rethink their strategy when producing their products. And I’m talking about an overhaul. This assumes, of ...

Boosting the Philippine Book Publishing Industry Philippine book publishers should seriously consider producing graphic novels. A lot of good ones. Over the past couple of days, I've been working on a proposal paper which I intend to submit to our book publishers for their consideration. In producing and marketing high-quality graphic novels, the Philippine book publishing industry can experience greater revenues. In time, benefits will trickle down not only to the comics creators, but also to our writers of literary prose. It's about making the book publishing industry and the comics industry exciting again. When I'm done with the paper, I'll be showing it to some members of the gang for their intelligent feedback.

Seeing Opportunites In Philippine Comics The stuff below is just me talking. Any innacuracies are just out of my foolish ignorance. So there. The big question faced by Philippine comics creators is an economic one. Is the demand for comic books big enough to guarantee a business’ longevity? Thus far, there have been no solid indicators on a macro level to give anyone a precise answer. While Culture Crash seems to be enjoying success with their manga/anime market, the fact they don’t have any ads in their publications leads one to wonder if such was a management decision or the result of failed attempts to entice advertisers. Culture Crash is a magazine and, historically, magazines subsist more on advertising revenues than actual sales. (The mere fact that it had already released 10 issues is nothing short of admirable.) Sales figures and circulation statistics aren’t enough to convince advertisers, especially if the publication is viewed as catering to a tight niche market. ...