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.