Comics Resource

Comic Convention sa CEBU!

2010-06-17T21:41:00.001+08:00

Big Ape Design Studio and JONASDIEGO.COM
in cooperation with
Super Debil Robot Comics and Kawalo Concepts & Designs presents
The 1st CEBU COMIC BOOK Convention
happening on the 25th of September 2010
10:00 AM to 7:00 PM at the Activity Center in Ayala, Cebu.

Check out the details here.

The GREAT Comic Odyssey SALE!

2010-03-10T22:58:00.000+08:00

It is not to be missed, I assure you!

KOMIKSTRIP 2010 Coverage by FLIPPISH.COM!

2010-02-18T18:28:00.000+08:00

KOMIKSTRIP 2010 Pictures!

2010-02-15T00:31:00.000+08:00

The KOMIKSTRIP: UPLB's First Comic Book Convention is brought to you by the UP BUGKOS and JONASDIEGO.com in cooperation with the 101 Boutique and the Graphic Literature Guild.

The event was sponsored by T-Pencil and Visprint Publishing with exclusive online video coverage by FLIPPISH.COM.

The Komiks Art exhibit was made possible by the Philippine Comics Art Museum Online.

Check out more pictures from the event from the following people!

http://charlz-csweddings.blogspot.com/2010/02/komikstrip-uplb.html
http://aktibongpinoy.multiply.com/photos/album/63/KomikStrip_The_UPLB_Komik_Convention
http://charlz-csweddings.blogspot.com/2010/02/komikstrip-uplb.html
http://picasaweb.google.com/jwed2501/KomiksTRIP#

If you also took pictures at the KOMIKSTRIP leave a comment below with the link to the pics.

Next year uli!

PINTADOS Comics Making Body Painting Contest at the KOMIKSTRIP

2010-02-08T23:31:00.001+08:00

Join the PINTADOS Comic Book Making/Body Painting Contest! Click here for more information.

Only at the KOMIKSTRIP: The First UPLB Comic Book Convention happening this February 13, 2010 Saturday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Presented by the UP BUGKOS and JONASDIEGO.COM in cooperation with the 101 Boutique and the Graphic Literature Guild.

Special guest include Manix Abrera, Gerry Alanguilan, Hazel Manzano, Carlo Pagulayan, Harvey Tolibao, Lyndon Gregorio, Mico Suayan, Carlo Vergara, Ariel Atienza, Komikero Artist Group, Bayan Knights, Ian Sta. Maria, Jann Galino, Gilbert Monsanto, Emil Flores, Andrew Villar, Randy Valiente, Dibuhista Comix Legends, Budjette Tan, David Hontiveros, Michael David, Ace Vitangcol, Jed Siroy, Kevin Ang, Rod Espinosa, Ner Pedrina, Edgar Tadeo, JP Cuison, and Boboy Yonzon.

This event is sponsored by T-Pencil and Visprint Publishing with exclusive online video coverage from FLIPPISH.COM.

Komiks Art exhibit is courtesy of Philippine Comics Arts Museum Online.

Sign up at our Facebook Event Page here.

Sign up for the ARTWORKSHOP here. Workshop fee is Php 150.00 with a maximum of forty (40) participants and will be on a first come first served basis.

For more information about the KOMIKSTRIP visit our official website here.

KOMIKSTRIP 2010

2010-02-07T19:13:00.002+08:00

Take a Trip to the KOMIKSTRIP: The First UPLB Comic Book Convention happening this February 13, 2010 Saturday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Presented by the UP BUGKOS and JONASDIEGO.COM in cooperation with the 101 Boutique and the Graphic Literature Guild.

Special guest include Manix Abrera, Gerry Alanguilan, Hazel Manzano, Carlo Pagulayan, Harvey Tolibao, Lyndon Gregorio, Mico Suayan, Carlo Vergara, Ariel Atienza, Komikero Artist Group, Bayan Knights, Ian Sta. Maria, Jann Galino, Gilbert Monsanto, Emil Flores, Andrew Villar, Randy Valiente, Dibuhista Comix Legends, Budjette Tan, David Hontiveros, Michael David, Ace Vitangcol, Jed Siroy, Kevin Ang, Rod Espinosa, Ner Pedrina, Edgar Tadeo, JP Cuison, and Boboy Yonzon.

This event is sponsored by T-Pencil and Visprint Publishing with exclusive online video coverage from FLIPPISH.COM.

Komiks Art exhibit is courtesy of Philippine comics Arts Museum Online.

Sign up at our Facebook Event Page here.

Sign up for the ARTWORKSHOP here. Workshop fee is Php 150.00 with a maximum of forty (40) participants and will be on a first come first served basis.

Join the PINTADOS Comic Book Making/Body Painting Contest! Click here for more information.

For more information about the KOMIKSTRIP visit our official website here.

How LOLA: A Ghost Story was made

2010-02-02T08:37:00.000+08:00

Check out more behind the scenes goodness from LOLA: A Ghost Story from J. Torres and Elbert Or, published by ONI Press here.

LOLA: A Ghost Story

Story by J. Torres
Pencils by Elbert Or
Inks by Jonas Diego
Grayscale by Robo Monkey Pixel Fighters’ (RMPF) Neil Amiel Cervantes and Katrina Mae Hao

Inking LOLA: A Ghost Story

2010-01-31T07:48:00.000+08:00

LOLA: A Ghost Story, written by J. Torres and pencilled by Elbert Or, is currently now available in hardcover from Sputnik Comics, Druid’s Keep, Comic Odyssey, Planet X and Fully Booked.

I did some inks here and there for the book and my studio Robo Monkey Pixel Fighters (RMPF) did some of the grayscale (some of Elbert’s students took some of the pages in an effort to meet the deadline). It was certainly an interesting project and a delight to help illuminate J. Torres’s story, especially one such as this that highlight Philippine culture and belief systems and spins it into one entertaining yarn.

I hope that we see more of these kinds of stories in the future.

There have been a lot of kind words online on the book and the illustration. In behalf of RMPF, especially Neil Amiel Cervantes and Katrina Mae Hao who did the grayscaling, we’d like to say thank you by giving you guys out there a peek into how a LOLA page got produced.

Let’s begin!

The Pencils

Elbert typically sends the pencils to me online in a 300 dpi, PSD format file.

I prefer to ink via traditional methods so the first order of the day is to convert Elbert’s lines into blue.

I do this to allow me to erase the blue lines digitally in Photoshop later, after I’ve inked over it.

This blue line version will now be printed out on a specialty board I buy that I use specifically for inking works.

With Elbert’s pencils I don’t go immediately to inks.

I spend some time figuring out the intent for a particular page via a script I was provided with. After that I spend some time with a blue Prismacolor pencil adding elements which I feel will help in the storytelling, setting up shadows to help create the mood and ambiance the scene needs, and correct some details in the art.

It is only after accomplishing this that I start inking over the blue lines.

The Inks

Most people probably think of inkers as tracers, content to follow the penciller’s lines and not figuring prominently in the art process.

It’s a common misconception by people not familiar with the comic book production process.

A bad inker can easily ruin great pencils so it is always in the best interest of an art team to get a good inker.

I use different tools for different inking projects.

In the case of LOLA, I used a Sakura brush, Chinese ink, Prismacolor blue pencils, UNI Pin technical pens of varying points, a felt tip pen, and a bunch of rulers, French curves, erasers, and a bottle of correction fluid (an inker’s best friend).

The finished product looks a bit something like this.

At this point, I turn over the page to Neil Amiel Cervantes or Katrina Mae Hao for scanning and cleanup.

They begin by taking out the blue lines, taking out the smudges and dirt found all over the page and making sure that the white are crisp and the blacks are…well, black. They check with me on the cleaned up line art and I go over it to see if we missed anything.

Once that’s done, I give them the go signal to start the grayscaling process.

The Grayscale

Disclaimer: The original mandate for the book was to produce it in grayscale.

It was only when promotions and solicitations for the graphic novel came out did I find out that it was converted into sepia. Consequently, some of the intended effects that were clear on grayscale were lost in sepia mode but I’m hoping the readers would still like it, nevertheless.

The guys used a combination of cell-shading and airbrushing techniques to great effect.

After adding grayscale, we go over the page again for a final check and then we e-mail it back to Elbert who will send it to ONI Press for lettering and whatever else that needs to be added.

Overview

Click on the image below to see the entire process

LOLA: A Ghost Story

Story by J. Torres
Pencils by Elbert Or
Inks by Jonas Diego and Elbert Or (with assists from some of Elbert's students)
Grayscale by Robo Monkey Pixel Fighters' (RMPF) Neil Amiel Cervantes and Katrina Mae Hao

Go buy our book now!

How a Comic Book is Made

2009-06-25T03:23:00.002+08:00

I write about how a typical comic book is made.

It’s great to be a comic book geek nowadays.
Comic books are enjoying new found popularity mostly because of the success of several movies based on comic book titles. These movies (and the merchandizing and licensing deals that was generated in connection with the franchises) have done a lot in terms of giving the comic book industry a much needed boost and bringing new readers to the much beloved medium.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Comic Odyssey Online Store

2008-11-26T07:35:00.000+08:00

Wow! Check out the new Comic Odyssey online store!
Congratulations, Sandy!

Moving!

2008-10-22T22:13:00.001+08:00

Hello there! I'll be no longer updating this site...again! Instead look for my daily updates on my new BLOG

It's going to be sort of eight blogs in one (I'm in the process of transferring my content there). If you're more interested in my personal and business blogs you can always click HERE and just skip the others.

See you guys there!

Comics Sale!

2008-10-10T07:00:00.002+08:00

Super-Heroic Sale at Comic Quest, SM Megamall Branch.

Friday, 17 October
Saturday, 18 October
Sunday, 19 October

Each Day - Something New! Something Limited! Something Free! No Non-sense!

Gift wrapped! Free!

Bring a friend! Team-up to avail of bigger deals! All in-store offers available only while supplies last. Live the life of a Super-Hero!

Click here for more details.

Looking for Volunteer Writers and Illustrators

2008-10-09T07:00:00.002+08:00

I got this from the Philippine Genre Stories Multiply Site.

The Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government in cooperation with the Asia Foundation is currently developing a comic book that will highlight the leadership and good governance stories of Kaya Natin! Founding Members, Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Mayor Jesse Robredo (Naga City) and Gov. Grace Padaca (Isabela), together with Gov. Eddie "Among Ed" Panlilio (Pampanga).

As such, we are currently looking for volunteer writers (English and Filipino) and volunteer illustrators for this project. The comic book is aimed at promoting good governance and ethical leadership in our country.

If you are interested, please feel free to contact Kai Pastores at (02) 426-5657 or you can send an email to kai.pastores (at) yahoo (dot) com.

The Comic Odyssey Blogsite

2008-10-08T13:45:00.000+08:00

I would like to proudly present the Comic Odyssey Blog created and maintained by RMPF with the permission and blessing of the Comic Odyssey Management.

The site right now is basically just a mirror of the Comic Odyssey site but it will be featuring it's own unique content in the days to come.

Why a blog site, you may ask?

It's an experiment for RMPF in creating blogsites (an affordable alternative to websites) and it's a way for Comic Odyssey to increase their online presence.

So, please check it out and help spread the word! Click here!

Martial Law Offer

2008-10-07T21:38:00.003+08:00

You get two dictators for the price of one!

I'm kidding, of course! Scary joke.

I'm talking about Arnold Arre's upcoming new Graphic Novel, Martial Law Babies. The book's retail price is Php 500.00 but interested readers can avail of the special pre-order offer: receive a signed copy of the book at Php 50.00 off and have it delivered straight to your address a week before its official release.

For more info, you may check out the website or send an email to preorders (at) martiallawbabies (dot) com.

Click on the thumbnail for a bigger image.

Oltreo Comics

2008-10-06T14:28:00.000+08:00

For those of you who has a webcomic like mine and would like to promote it online, visit Oltreo Comics.

The English can be a bit iffy because these guys are Italians so their command of the language is not exactly the best. Aside from that however they're a great bunch of people so go check them out.

Click here.

My Webcomics!

2008-10-05T13:45:00.000+08:00

The idea was to update each webcomic site at a rate of at least once a week.

The next thing I knew I was updating them on a daily basis rapidly depleting the stock of pages I have built up. It’s no fun after all going to a webcomic site and finding only 2-3 comics uploaded.

I got each webcomic title equipped with a navigation bar for an easier reading experience.

Speaking of webcomics, I wish Blogger would come up with a webcomic template just like WordPress has. Maybe one of these days the people from Google would surprise us online webcomic creators and whip one up.

Anyway, check out my webcomics!

Graphic Detail
Graphic Detail: Zombie
Huling Laban
Life and Times
The Terrific Adventures of Harold
Young Arthur
Zombie Nation

E-Comic Books

2008-10-03T23:05:00.003+08:00

I've been contemplating the past week or so if I should give e-books another try as a venue for non traditional publishing and distribution of comic books.

It certainly does away with printing cost and the hassles of traditional publishing but the biggest question here is if people are ready for e-comic books? I tried it out some 6 years or so before together with a few other comic book creators and the response was lukewarm to say the least.

It could be that the market was just not ready back then.

E-books certainly has been enjoying a new found popularity as of late so the timing might be right to have another go at it.

As a sort of experiment, testing the waters so to speak, I compiled some of my more popular articles from my different blogs, designed a cover, and turned it into an e-book for sale over at spotbit.com.

You can check out my e-book here.

The Prince and the Pee

2008-10-02T18:28:00.001+08:00

How many times have women complained that us men keep peeing on the toilet seat and that why, for the love of God, can't we aim properly? They don't understand the reasons why and frankly how can you explain it properly to them without sounding like a total idiot?

I decided to dedicate a few pages of my webcomic, Life and Times, to explaining the reasons behind this. Click on the following to read the comic.

Life and Times 3
Life and Times 4
Life and Times 5
Life and Times 6

There's a navigation bar just below the comics for easier...well, navigation.

RMPF Workshop Series in Mandaluyong

2008-09-30T21:51:00.000+08:00

We're happy to announce that aside from the previously announced locations for the RMPF Workshop Series (click here) we've opened up another one over at Mandaluyong together with one of our partner institution, Euphony Music and Arts School.

You can now avail of the workshops we're offering at the following address:

Euphony Music and Arts School
2nd Floor Market Place Mall
General Kalentong, Mandaluyong City

Contact Details
(02) 531-6351
Look for Gina Dy

Remember that we also can take the workshop to your location if the current places where the RMPF Workshop Series is being offered is still too far from where you live.

All you have to do is ask.

Check out the workshops that we're offering here.

Trese Book Two

2008-09-30T13:05:00.003+08:00

I just got a copy of Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo's masterpiece, book 2 of Trese.

There's a certain thrill of holding the real book in your hand and smelling the ink on paper. I was ready to shell out dough for it but I lucked out and got a free copy because Budjette used a pinup/fan art I made for them some time back and included it in the book.

I am very honored and flattered of course.

Budjette and Kajo delivers the goodies once again. The mythology grows and its fascinating to see the universe Trese moves in expand with each new story. Kajo art grew by leaps and bounds and I wouldn't be surprised to see him one day in the ranks of Arnold Arre and Carlo Vergara.

Get a copy of Trese now!

More Martial Law Baby Teaser

2008-09-29T00:48:00.003+08:00

From Jamie Bautista and Arnold Arre.

Coming this October 2008!

Photos from the Planet X Grand Opening

2008-09-27T22:37:00.002+08:00

Check it out!

Click on the thumbnails for bigger pictures.

Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards

2008-09-26T21:34:00.001+08:00

This just in.

The deadline of submission of entries for the 2008 PHILIPPINE GRAPHIC FICTION AWARDS has been moved to November 3, 2008 according to the Editor in Chief of the Fully Booked Zine, Gabbie de la Rama-Talan.

So for those of you who still has designs of entering better get cracking because it's not too late yet.

Good luck, people!

The RMPF Workshop Series

2008-09-25T20:41:00.001+08:00

ROBO MONKEY PIXEL FIGHTERS is proud to announce the RMPF Workshop Series.

Together with our partner institutions, Euphony Music Studio and St. Vincent Tutorial Center (both located in Makati City) we're offering the Cartooning for Kids Workshop and Cartooning Workshop.

Click here for more information about the workshops.

For inquiries you can get in touch with us here.

Bayan Knights at DeviantART

2008-09-25T20:16:00.000+08:00

Check out Bayan Knight's DeviantART account here.

Grand Opening Planet X Comic Shop

2008-09-25T09:14:00.000+08:00

Be there for the grand opening of Planet X Comic Shop at the 3rd Floor of Ayala Mall Glorietta 4 at the Ayala Center, Makati City this September 27, 2008 (Saturday).

THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of FREE COMICS (similar to Free Comic Book Day) will be GIVEN AWAY!

The First 50 people in attendance (starting at noon) will receive a special print created for this event.

Featuring Special Guest Artists

Leinil Yu (Secret Invasion, Wolverine, X-Men)
Gerry Alanguilan (Superman, X-Men, X-Force, Elmer)
Gilbert Monsanto (Bayan Knights, Hellcop, Tropa)
Edgar Tadeo (Wolverine, X-men)
Mico Suayan (Moon Knight, What if)
Stephen Segovia (Wolverine, Countdown to Mystery)
Harvey Tolibao (Ultimate X-Men)
Budjette Tan (Trese)
Kajo Baldisimo(Trese)
And more artists to be confirmed!

Artists will be signing from 1:00 PM-5:00 PM. Autographs will be free of charge.

Full sketches/drawings of the character of your choice will cost Php 500.00 each done on a standard comic sized cardboard (10.5 x 7) (with the exception of Leinil Yu who will not be able to sketch that day due to deadlines).

Planet X are now taking advance reservations for full sketches/drawings. Simply e-mail request with the artist and character of your choice. For info, call (02) 915-2744 / 752-9045 or e-mail planetxcomics (at) gmail (dot) com.

From Gilbert Monsanto

2008-09-24T20:12:00.000+08:00

The following letter is from Gilbert Monsanto.

It is evident that comics here in the Philippines, although seemingly still popular, is really not in a healthy state. In my sincere opinion, it in fact needs major medical attention. For years I have constantly pondered the elusive remedy to the problem. We do not lack great writers, or artistic people whom I know can produce the type of stories that are worth the money. It is now even common knowledge that some of them are currently working on well-known titles abroad. Not here, but over there where they can reap the benefits and respect that they very much deserve. While here, it is so hard for comic book artists to say the same.

I’d like to think I did, or should I say, I am still doing my part. I’ve been in this business for almost two decades. I can say I have done it all, from pencils, writing, coloring, inking, up to publishing my own books. Sad to say, the pace goes ever so slowly toward success. But just like before, I’ll take it in stride. I’m sure someday, our local comics will reach its peak once more. There are many who walk the same path as I do, same direction but not together. Each and everyone doing their best -- we are many but we are alone, scattered all over a great big and wide wall. From afar, we are but specks of black on canvass. At some point we meet, say hi, good luck, take care and how do you dos. After that we climb on aimlessly towards the top. Sometimes we help out, give a hand to reach a certain point. Then start alone again.

I’ve seen more and more creators consistently trying to get their love to as many readers out there as they can reach. Their growing numbers are undeniable evidence that comics still exists where it matters, their hearts. I decided to stop just for a moment to look at where I am and maybe everybody else. Then I found them, not far from each other, I yelled hello and offered something I think everybody needs right now, a helping hand. Not all of them may want or need any help but I am offering and in return, I’ll start asking for help as well. I figured if we can all make it to a certain point together on this wall, we can form a line and people will start to notice. A line, that is what we will be, for we are one.

So I am asking one thing from you now, if you have some way by which you can help us, please do. If you have a character you love and feel that it could be a great addition to our group, join, and if you have any amount to spare knowing that it will go into a unique and good cause, please donate. Lastly, if you could spread the word to more comic readers in the country, new and old, please do so. Comics need your help. For the first time, in its behalf, I am humbly shouting for help.

This site is dedicated to share with you new wonderful ways to help this cause. You can choose from several ways to help. I pray that in a year, we can find new titles, homes to showcase more and more wonderful creations from our local talents, new and old alike.

I believe in the hero in all of us.

We believe that there is a Bayan Knight in all of us.

A Bayan Knight,

Gilbert Monsanto

Check out Bayan Knights here.

Bayan Knights

2008-09-23T20:10:00.001+08:00

Check it out and join!

Martial Law Babies

2008-09-23T01:27:00.003+08:00

Just got this from Jamie Bautista.

Very intriguing teaser!

I'm Back!

2008-09-20T20:57:00.001+08:00

After what seems like ages, I am back.

Took quite a while for my new internet account to get approved and installed but it was worth it in the end because it runs like a dream.

Once more into the fray, gentlemen!

Alan Moore Speaks About Being an Artist

2008-07-31T07:00:00.000+08:00

I came across this Alan Moore interview over at Gerry's blog and is a great resource for anyone who ever thought of breaking in into the comic book industry.

Alan Moore, of course, is considered as one of the best writers there is. Best known for his graphic novels, From Hell, V for Vendetta, and Watchmen, Alan is "notable for being one of the first writers to apply literary and formalist sensibilities to the mainstream of the medium as well as including challenging subject matter and adult themes".

Transforming Table

2008-07-30T17:56:00.003+08:00

While window shopping for office equipment and furnitures the other day, I came across this very interesting computer table at the Office Supply section over at the Landmark.

It's a very interesting piece of work because while it is a computer table, you can angle the surface and use it as an impromptu drawing table. Of course the surface area won't allow you to work on very large pieces but it's perfect if you're going to draw on something not bigger than an A4 size paper.

The table was surprisingly cheap at a little under Php 5,000.00 pesos. I think it's a great buy considering its flexibility and perfect for someone who has limited space.

Watchman Movie Trailer

2008-07-18T10:48:00.001+08:00

Check out the Watchmen Movie trailer here!

Mortal Kombat VS The DC Universe

2008-07-16T07:00:00.001+08:00

Yes, you read it right. They made a fighting game about the Mortal Kombat folks battling it out with the DC Universe denizens.

Check out the trailer.

I don't find it too hot, truth be told. Batman, Catwoman, and maybe even the Flash I can see going toe to toe with Sub-zero and Scorpion but Superman? It just doesn't fly with me.

The 3D animation seems a bit stiff as well but I think I'll wait for it to come out before I say any more.

Say AH!

2008-07-15T15:37:00.001+08:00

Adam Hughes, superstar artist extraordinaire has just joined the world of DeviantART! Click here to visit his site.

The Function of Indies in the Local Comic Book Industry Part 4

2008-07-14T07:00:00.000+08:00

With diversity and multiple demands for our comics from various medias ensures healthy growth and sustainability for our beloved industry.

With some help from the government like subsidies and tax holidays, we can attract more investors and businesses thereby creating more jobs for artists and writers.

When a lot of the major publishers went under, the Indie comic book scene kept comic books alive in the consciousness of people and also introduced it to a new generation of comic book readers. It continually stirred interest so that comics were not forgotten even if it had to resort to servicing niches (as opposed to the mass market reach of the comics of yesteryears) lacking the financial resources to publish and distribute for nationwide audience.

Indies sets the stage for a comic book renaissance.

The Function of Indies in the Local Comic Book Industry Part 3

2008-07-13T00:31:00.003+08:00

With the number of people going online worldwide rising almost exponentially every year and new ways of earning money on the web based on advertising models becoming available to the everyday folk, web comics is fast becoming a viable alternative to print in terms of publishing, popularizing, and earning income from your comics.

Aside from the web we also have seen an increase in the demand for compelling content for mobile devices (mobile phones and PDAs, for example). These so-called compelling contents include videos, music, and (of course) comics.

Webcomics and mobile content were largely explored by the Indie market with a tiny few coming from the mainstream (such as Darna and Lastikman but mostly for the mobile market) much much later in the game. This brings much needed diversity in the field of comics which gives it stability.

It also allows us, as comic book creators, to cross over to other medias and find new audiences for our comics.

John Lent

2008-07-12T00:09:00.004+08:00

Spent the evening yesterday at the Manila Hotel with buddy Gerry Alanguilan for a talk with John Lent, noted comic book historian.

Had a great time because John, aside from being quite knowledgeable about Philippine Comics, turned out to be a genuinely nice guy. What's even more surprising is that he knew some of my professors in college!

The picture in the left was taken by Gerry.

That's Gerry at the left, John at the middle, and of course myself.

The Function of Indies in the Local Comic Book Industry Part 2

2008-07-11T08:52:00.002+08:00

Indies can do things with stories, art, format, and materials which would never have otherwise seen the light of day in a more commercial setting.

Gerry Alanguilan’s WASTED, published first by Alamat Comics and then by PULP Magazine (both sold out) and Carlo Vergara’s Zsazsa Zaturnnah, published by VisPrint Publications, adapted as a play and a movie both started out as Indies.

It would have been a safe bet that no established publication during that time would have taken a chance with the two titles and creators considering their subject matters (WASTED was ultra violent with crude drawings and Zsazsa was unabashedly gay). The two however was able to tell their stories without restrictions as Indies and proved that there was an existing market for their tales which brought them recognition and commercial success later on.

Indies explores new untapped markets and strategies which could largely go ignored by more established and mainstream companies.

The Function of Indies in the Local Comic Book Industry Part 1

2008-07-10T09:26:00.002+08:00

The Indie Comics movement is the grassroots level of the Filipino comic book industry.

Indies or independent comics are mostly photocopied mini-comics (though there are offset printed ones that can still be categorically called Indies) sold at conventions, various events, and some specialty stores scattered through out the metro and marketed mostly by word-of-mouth.

Most of the people involved in endeavors like these barely make profit. In fact, a lot of them lose money. These comic creators do it mostly out of a sense of adventure and for the love of the medium.

Many Indies are of sub-standard quality (there are notable exceptions, of course) as compared to their glossier counterparts produced by juggernauts such as Marvel and DC Comics.

These little critters, however, perform some very important tasks.

Having a greater degree of creative freedom, Indies are great places for experimentation and innovation in the comic book medium.

Batman: Gotham Knight

2008-07-03T09:34:00.005+08:00

Batman: Gotham Knight, aside from the Dark Knight movie, is one of my most anticipated features this year. I was bloghopping when I found a link to the Batman: Gotham Knight here, which was something else because the whole movie is there.

It's like Christmas came early this year!

Currently watching it right now and I must say it has a similar feel to the Animatrix.

Check out the official Batman: Gotham Knight site here.

Sneak Preview

2008-07-02T10:19:00.001+08:00

Sneak preview of the stuff I'm working on right now.

Click on the thumbnail for a bigger image.

RIP: Michael Turner

2008-06-29T21:36:00.004+08:00

Michael Turner finally succumbed to cancer at 37 years old. He passed away at Friday night at 10:42 Pacific Time at the Santa Monica Hospital in California. The cancer originally has gone into remission after radiation treatment after he was first diagnosed but eventually returned, unfortunately.

Turner is best known for his creation Witchblade and Fathom for Image Comics. as well as doing some work for DC Comics for Superman/Batman.

You can find more information here.

He will be missed.

The 3rd Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards

2008-06-21T16:16:00.002+08:00

From the Fully Booked site...

NEIL GAIMAN and FULLY BOOKED
present

The 3rd Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards

After two successful years of exploring Filipino Unrealism through prose fiction and comics, the Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards opens its third with a new category: short film.

All Filipino citizens may send their original entries in the prose fiction, comics, and short film categories to any Fully Booked branch.

The winning prose and comics entries will be compiled and published by Fully Booked, with a foreword by Neil Gaiman. All winning short films will be screened on awarding day.

Click here for more details.

Stabilo Pen 68

2008-06-19T22:26:00.004+08:00

I've recently added Stabilo Pen 68 as part of my arsenal of pens and pencils.

It's a fiber tip pen that produces strong lines and large areas. As I tend to be a heavy handed artist I tend to wear out most fiber tip pens in no time flat but the Stabilo Pen 68 has proven to be quite durable so far.

What I like with fiber tips is that with some variations in the pressure applied you can produce thick and thin lines like a brush. Of course, it's nowhere near as refined as the lines you can produce with a real brush but it does the job.

Quite handy especially for quick sketches or for blacking out small areas.

If I have any complaints is that its cap doesn't latch on to the other end of the pen which gives the cap a higher probability of being lost.

All in all, however, it's a solid pen.

Clutch Pencil

2008-06-15T18:56:00.004+08:00

A clutch pencil is sort of like a mechanical pencil except that it has a much bigger lead, as thick as the ones found in common wood cylinder type pencils.

It's perfect for technical applications such as drafting and writing.

I prefer to use clutch pencils instead of mechanical pencils (which thicknesses of 0.5 and 0.7) because I tend to be heavy handed when working with pencils and they break too often, disrupting my groove. I don't like working with wood cylinder pencils because I find the act of sharpening them tedious.

Besides, they're made of wood.

The way I figure it the less I use wooden cylinders the more trees get spared.

I digress, however...

A typical clutch pencil (I use a Staedtler Clutch Pencil) has the following components:

The clutch pencil itself which has an internal mechanism which pushes the lead through its tip when you press down on the cap on it's opposite end;
The pencil cap which doubles as a sharpener for sharpening the tip from time to time and;
Graphite refill set which typically contains 12 leads.

Pencil Case

2008-06-10T22:19:00.004+08:00

Most artist carry a pencil case wherever they go and I am no exception.

You never know when inspiration will hit and, like a good boy scout, one must always be prepared to take advantage of the situation. My pencil case is filled with a clutch pencil, several non-repro blue pencils, an eraser, some technical pens, and a marker.

My pencil case however, as most of my friends will tell me, is more interesting than what's in it.

It was a gift from a friend during her trip to Palawan.

According to her, it came from a tribe who made such things but it's not really meant to be a pencil holder. It's a container made from bamboo they use to transport messages from tribe to tribe. They decorate it with characters from the Alibata, the Philippines pre-historic system of writing.

Of course they don't really do that nowadays, I imagine...transporting messages in a bamboo container, I mean.

They still make it as souvenirs for tourists.

Click on the thumbnail for a bigger image.

INKING TUTORIAL: The Curve

2008-06-09T22:29:00.006+08:00

One thing I've noticed with novice inkers, or artists for that matter, is that they go against the natural movement of their hand (as illustrated on the photograph on the left) when drawing curves.

Often times this creates wobbly lines and some frustration because lines executed in this matter are pretty unpredictable and can be hard to control.

Of course, if you've been working for some years you probably have been able to find ways and means to overcome this particular problem either through some new technique or sheer practice. For the novice, however, it will be good to start your artistic journey off on the right foot.

Anyway, back to the subject matter at hand...

When holding a drawing/inking implement in our hand and we draw a curve, the line produced from the movement should be emanating outward (as illustrated on the photograph on the right).

This is the natural movement we should follow.

The hand that grasps the equipment is attached to our wrist which acts as the pivot.

You will find that doing so creates a more steady and fluid stroke, puts less strain on your wrist, and could prevent such problems like carpal tunnel syndrome in the future.

This is especially a big help especially when using a brush for inkwork which requires a greater degree of control to use as compared to a quill pen or a technical pen (though the aforementioned implements does present their own unique set of challenges).

Joemarie Mongcal

2008-06-08T21:11:00.005+08:00

Mario Macalindong sent an e-mail informing me that veteran comic book creator Joemarie Mongcal died last June 7, 2008 in an accident in Baclaran, Metro Manila. The local comic book industry is now one artist less and a very good one at that.

Condolences goes out to his family.

To Joemarie Mongcal godspeed, sir.

Zsazsa Preview Pages!

2008-06-02T23:11:00.004+08:00

Carlo Vergara has been posting preview pages of the sequel to his monster hit Ang Kagilagilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah, the much awaited Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila, over at his blog.

You can read pages 1-6 here and pages 7-9 here.

A word of warning, however. The pages are intended for mature readers only and it might not be work safe so you might want to look around first to see if your boss/supervisor is around.

Having said that, go ahead and knock yourself out.

If you've had the chance to read the first graphic novel then you know that the sequel is definitely something not to be missed.

Frank Miller has a Blog!

2008-06-01T07:00:00.001+08:00

Frank Miller creator of "Sin City" and "300" both which were made into big blockbuster Hollywood hits is blogging exclusively over at Spike.com.

Frank has got a lot to say about comics, particularly about the upcoming movie "The Spirit" which adapts Will Eisner's masterpiece for the silver screen and where Miller is also making his directorial debut.

Click here to read his blog.

Jomike Tejido's Foldabots

2008-05-31T07:00:00.001+08:00

Jomike Tejido, cartoonist and creator of the former "Mikrokosmos" comics in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, has a new comic series which had its debut in K-Zone Magazine this May 2008 titled Foldabots.

Foldabots is a series of cut-out robots promoting Filipino creativity.

It has been running its create your own robot fun from the pages of K-Zone magazine since May 2006. The paper toys can actually transform into animals and vehicles...and back!

Catch them here.

Tagaytay Talk

2008-05-30T07:00:00.002+08:00

Come Saturday I will be in Tagaytay with good buddy Gerry Alanguilan giving a talk about Comics in the Philippines: Wakas na ba at the Tagaytay Multi-media Workshops and Festival happening from May 24 to June 1, 2008.

This is a Project of the Creative Media Professional Guild of Asia and the Pacific and the Development Academy of the Philippines with the support of the Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE), Federation of Philippined Photographers Foundation (FPPF), Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas (SKP), SFX Production, and Yonzon Associates.

The event is sponsored by Figaro, Coca-cola Philippines, Mango Comics, and Epson Philippines.

Come on over if you're in the area.

Call-out for Artworks

2008-05-29T17:15:00.004+08:00

Danny Acuna will be headed to the San Diego Comics Convention this July and needs more artworks to show to editors, publishers, and other potential clients.

If you're interested in having your artworks included, with Danny acting as an agent, please attend the meeting this June 6, 2008 Friday 3:00 PM at the Bamboo City Restaurant in Cubao besides Chowking at the same street as National Bookstore and the Gateway Mall near Farmer's Market.

For more information please get in touch with Danny Acuna at danny_acuna (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Digmaang Salinlahi

2008-05-12T10:37:00.007+08:00

Digmaang Salinlahi, an independently produced fantasy comic book written by Jon Zamar is now available for reading online.

The art is lush and well rendered not to mention Jon's lucid writing, showing much potential as a fantasy writer to be reckoned with in the coming years.

If you're a fan of fantasy and high adventure, do yourself a favor by heading on there right now and reading the webcomic.

Check it out here.

Free Comic Book Day

2008-05-04T23:15:00.002+08:00

I spent Free Comic Book Day last Saturday, May 3, 2008 at Comic Odyssey at their Robinson's Galleria Branch and got an ass-load of comics from the said establishment.

Also present at the event was comic book superstars Gerry Alanguilan, Edgar Tadeo, Mico Suayan, and Leinil Yu providing fans with quick sketches and drawings.

Also present was Gilbert Monsanto who joined us later for dinner before heading on our respective homes thoroughly exhausted but nevertheless happy and content.

There were noticeably a lot more people this year as compares to the last and one can only hope that we're on the right track in terms of finding new audiences for the comic book medium. One thing's for sure though: it's an exciting time for comics.

Hope to see you all again next year!

Zsazsa, Malapit na!

2008-04-27T16:35:00.004+08:00

Carlo Vergara's teaser to the much awaited Zsazsa Zaturnnah sa Kalakhang Maynila, the sequel to the much beloved (not to mention the monster hit) Ang Kagilagilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah.

Zsazsa's adventures on the printed page has been translated into a full length play and even a silver screen adaptation. So suffice to say, there's a lot of high expectations for the sequel.

I, for one, am very excited.

Malapit na!

Click on the thumbnail for a bigger image.

INKING TUTORIAL: The Tools

2008-04-17T12:02:00.005+08:00

A few people have been asking for details regarding my process in inking hence this tutorial.

It was supposed to be a video tutorial but I find myself really uncomfortable in front of the camera so you guys are going to have to be content with words and images for the meantime.

But I digress…

I’m a big fan of using traditional tools when I ink, particularly brushes.

Brushes bring a sense of dynamism to the illustrated piece particularly when your subjects are organic (plants, clothes, people, etc.) in nature. I still use technical pens for fine detail work in my pieces but most of the linework in most of my illustrations and comic book work I do using a brush.

This tutorial is by no means the ultimate authority on how to ink. This is just how I do it.

Let’s start with the tools I use.

Click on the thumbnail for a bigger image.

Bottle of water for washing the brushes after use. It’s very important that you keep your brushes clean and kept pointed when you’re done with them for the day to give them a longer lifespan.
Tissue paper for wiping dirt from your brushes and absorbing excess ink.
Chinese ink is my favorite when inking. Most of the ink out in the market right now turns out to be blotchy and gray. Chinese ink is more consistent and delightfully black for a fraction of the price of the more established brands.
White-out is your best friend especially if you got shaky hands and tend to make a lot of mistakes.
Dong-A Permanent Marker. For blacking out large areas.
Stabilo Marker. For blacking out smaller areas that are too large for the permanent marker.
Sakura Brush (no. 2 and 5). The no. 2 is the brush I use most often especially for figures that have a lot of detail. The no. 6 brush is used for figures that require a broader stroke.
UNI Pin Technical Pens. The smaller pens (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) I use for fine detail work which I can’t do with a brush and the big pen (0.5) I use for making panel borders.
Sakura Pigma Brush is a disposable brush pen. It doesn’t create as fine brush strokes as a “real” brush but it’s quite handy when applying quick strokes here and there especially when you’ve already washed and put your brushes away for the day.

All of these tools are available at most National Bookstore branches and are easy to find with the possible exception of the Sakura Pigma Brush. The one I’m using was a gift. I was told it was purchased at the SM North EDSA branch of National Bookstore.

Click on the thumbnail for a bigger image.

Some inkers use brushes exclusively while prefer technical pens.

Hellboy Trailer

2008-04-15T17:40:00.003+08:00

Another comic book franchise sequel.

Check out the movie site here.

Kiko Machine 4

2008-04-04T10:07:00.004+08:00

Check out this teaser for
Kiko Machine 4: Kaligayahang Walang Hanggan
from the GREAT Manix Abrera!

It's the Inkers Turn

2008-04-02T16:31:00.002+08:00

Inkers frequently get the short end of the stick in the comic book industry.

Most people have this impression that all they do is trace over the pencillers linework with ink and that it doesn't involve artistic skill which is not the case at all. Great inking frequently save bad artwork and bad inking can easily ruin outstanding pencil art.

The Inkwell Awards hopes to help inkers get the attention and recognition they deserve for the work that they've done all these years.

Go to the site and vote for you favorite inker! Click here.

Incredible Trailer

2008-03-25T18:43:00.000+08:00

Trailer for the new Incredible Hulk movie.

24-Hour Comic Book Challenge

2008-03-24T14:15:00.004+08:00

Elbert Or, recently organized a 24-hour comic book challenge.

For those who are not familiar with it, a 24-hour comic book challenge is a call to make 24 pages of comics in 24 hours and that's exactly what Elbert (or rather his minions) did.

"It's not easy, after all: the challenge is to write and draw a 24-page comic in the span of 24 hours. Goodbye sleep and sanity!"

Check out the full account of what transpired as well as some snapshots of the event at Elbert's blog.

Click here.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Using a Brush

2008-03-22T10:18:00.003+08:00

I generally ink my pencil art using brushes.

I find that inking with a brush makes my line work more "alive" for lack of a better term which is really great especially if my subject is predominantly organic in nature.

This is actually another old deviation of mine from my DeviantART account.

I was still using Pentel Brush Pen back then. Nowadays I use a synthetic brush (brand name: Sakura) instead of a Pentel Brush Pen and sable brushes I was recommending. I use a Sakura no. 2 for detail work and a Sakura no. 6 for line work that needs a broader stroke.

They're way cheaper than sable brushes and does the job just as well. I bought mine from National Bookstore at their Katipunan branch. I'm assuming it's also available at most of their other branches.

Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

Improving your Caricature

2008-03-21T11:14:00.007+08:00

This is an old tutorial I made about how to improve your caricature drawings a few years back.

I originally featured it on my DeviantART account and, over time, it proved to be one of my more popular Deviations but that's probably more because of the model featured in the tutorial than the actual tutorial itself.

Looking at it now though, I see that I'll need to update quite a few things here and there but I thought I might as well upload it here.

At least you guys have something to munch on while I'm working on a more comprehensive tutorial.

Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.

After going through the caricature tutorial you'll be left with the final piece with the rough sketch underneath in blue pencils showing through in which case you'll probably find my tutorial on removing bluelines on an inked artwork useful.

Click here.

Gerry Alanguilan's ELMER...FREE!

2008-03-14T20:29:00.003+08:00

Gerry Alanguilan's highly acclaimed Elmer is now available for download free of charge.

ELMER is a window into an alternate Earth where chickens have suddenly acquired the intelligence and consciousness of humans, where they consider themselves a race no different than whites, browns or blacks, and push to recognize rights for themselves as the newest members of the human race.

It tells the story of a family of chickens who live and struggle to survive in a suddenly complicated, dangerous and yet beautiful world.

Download this amazing story for FREE here.

To be able to read the comics you'll need to download CDisplay. Click here to download the reader.

Manix Abrera on Creating Comic Strips

2008-03-13T17:06:00.002+08:00

Manix Abrera on creating Kiko Machine comics strips. Taken during KomikCallOut, a DevC 180 communication campaign for promoting readership of Pinoy Komiks.

Video courtesy of Gerry Alanguilan.

Andrew's Kare-kare!

2008-03-09T18:30:00.003+08:00

Andrew Drilon's Kare-kare comics on The Chemistry Set (read Andrew's comics here) got featured on The Beat.

Check it out here!

Andrew is one of local Philippine Comicdom's most prolific comic book creator...and to think he's only 23 years old! If he's cooking now what more when he really hits his stride later on? Gah!

You do...WHAT?

2008-03-01T22:36:00.005+08:00

“What is it exactly that you do?”

I remember my mom asking me that question when I told her what my new job was about more than two years ago.

I guess it was to be expected since I've been doing mostly artist work ever since I graduated and it came as somewhat of a surprise when I told her that I am going to be doing managerial work for my new job. It's kinda like the young piglet standing on the edge of a cliff about to jump into thin air telling its mother, "look 'ma...I can FLY!"

I am Studio Director for the Philippine branch of Interactive Art Services, Inc., a leading provider of storyboards and animatics for the US and UK advertising industry. It’s a fancy-shmancy way of saying that I manage the Philippine operations of the company.

“Yes, but what exactly is it that you do?” my mom insisted.

That actually got me thinking: what do I actually do for a living?

When the studio started in January 2006 we were just a small satellite office of the mother company based in the US. There were only 7 people in IAS Manila, Inc. including me. Back then I did administrative and managerial tasks, project/account management, and art direction as well as art chores here and there…which is like corporate judo because as soon as you’re done wrestling one problem to the ground another bigger and badder situation rears it’s ugly head.

We were young, idealistic, and (all modesty aside) quite fast and good. The small studio surpassed expectations and consistently turned in high quality work. We were aggressively growing our operations and by March of the same year 7 people ballooned to 15.

The frenetic growth of the company however was taking its toll on me.

I was pulling 18 hour shifts (first one in, last one out) going to work virtually 7 days a week for the first three months of operations.

Reaching the end of my proverbial rope, I hired more people to help with the project management. One of my key decisions during this time was convincing my Lead Colorist (back then) to take a more active role in management and accept a Senior Project Manager position. I turned over day-to-day operations to her and concentrated on the Art Direction and General Management of the Studio.

I’ve given up my daily art chores and concentrated instead on running the show.

By April however, our little office has become quite cramped especially since we were almost 30 people strong and it became necessary to move to a bigger place. By June of 2006 we moved to our second office space.

We had grown to 33 people by this time.

We were joined by our much beloved accountant soon after. Being an old hand in corporate work I gave her other administrative responsibilities like Human Resource Management and the little details of running an office which I had increasingly little time (and patience) for.

By year’s end we had somewhat stabilized and streamlined our operations.

With all the changes the studio has undergone, it was only natural that I went through a similar evolution. I moved away from the day-to-day aspect of running a business and progressed towards more of the general management of the Manila Studio.

If you ask me now what I do for the company nowadays I’d most probably tell you, “anything and everything that needs to be done”. It’s truer than you’d think.

“So, what do you do nowadays at the office?” my mom would ask me when she’d visit me.

“I play Counter-Strike all day”.

BOOKS: Burne Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy

2008-02-26T23:45:00.001+08:00

One of the basics a comic artist (indeed, any artist) should learn is anatomy. This is especially true if one intends to specialize in superhero comics where most of the main characters’ colorful costumes look like they were painted on.

A book which I consult a lot is Burne Hogarth’s book on Dynamic Anatomy.

Burne Hogarth, who is known as the Michelangelo of the comic strip in Europe, is well known for his pioneering work on the Tarzan newspaper strips and his groundbreaking accomplishments with Tarzan of the Apes and Jungle Tales of Tarzan.

I lucked out when I found a cheap copy at a nearby BookSale outlet. It was gong for something around Php 200.00 and it had a foreward by Todd Mc Farlane (creator of Spawn) himself.

There are, of course, other books out there for anatomical reference and studies but this is one of the best. Get yourself a copy, if you can.

BUSINESS: Comics in Mobile Phones

2008-02-25T21:13:00.002+08:00

About a month ago, Japanese publisher Shinchosha, launched

Japan

’s first monthly comic book which is exclusively available online. The subscription, priced at approximately US$ 3.00 a month (roughly the price of a 22-page comic book by Marvel or DC Comics) is relatively affordable and accessible to anyone who has a mobile phone.

Click here for the entire article.

And in Japan almost all adults and a large part of the youth own mobile phones “which are routinely used for reading e-mail, news headlines and weather forecasts, and even taking and transmitting photographs”.

I’m no math-magician but I did a few simple calculations…

Assuming exchange rate is a flat Php 48.00 to US$ 1.00 so that means the monthly subscription would be something like Php 144.00. Say you get a free comic everyday for a month (let’s peg it at 30 days average) so that would make the cost of each daily download at Php 4.80.

That’s almost Php 5.00 and to me that sounds very reasonable.

When we tried doing the same thing in the Philippines about 2-3 years ago the cost per download was at around Php 15.00 and you don’t need to be a genius to figure out that the price was too prohibitive. Price it any lower and you sell the comics at a loss.

Part of the reason why we couldn’t price it more competitively was that our local Telcos cut for the whole deal is 70/30 meaning 70% of the profit goes to them while we only get 30%. To top it all off, unless you managed to license a very popular property say like Disney or Nickelodeon, you also had to take care of the marketing and advertising.

Not a very attractive proposition.

In Japan the take between the Telcos and the content producer is reversed with the Telco getting only 20% and the producer getting the bigger share of the pie at 80%. The same runs mostly true in the Southeast Asian Region, the US, and the UK with some slight differences.

I tend to agree with the overseas mindset because the Telcos are mostly just channels for the content (they make their real profit from the use of their channels). They should be thanking the content providers because the more compelling content they produce the more people will be inclined to use their channels and everybody’s happy…even the consumers.

As it is, it’s always a risky proposition to introduce new stuff locally and a lot of the local content producers I know are more inclined to publish their mobile content overseas because it is more profitable and (from a business point of view) makes more sense.

It doesn’t mean to say however that local producers do not make anything locally. There are a lot that make a tidy profit. I’m just saying it would be nice to see more independents in the market so we can get better variety instead of the old rehashed stuff we see on a daily basis.

C’mon guys, the playground is big enough for all of us. Share the ball, will you?

BUSINESS: Going Pro

2008-02-24T21:11:00.000+08:00

After all the hours practicing and perfecting your art, you feel that you’ve finally reached a level where you can start drawing professionally for the big dogs.

Question is how do you go pro?

Time was when you send stuff to a submission editor (or maybe the correct term is “during my time”). A submissions editor is someone in a comic book company whose job is to sift through the mountains of samples they get from hopefuls from all over the world sent on a daily basis.

What happens is that they pick out the good ones, check them out, and send them work. It’s also their job to encourage those with potentials (the-almost-there category, as I like to call them) to keep at it and work on their art.

After a while though, with the sheer amount of stuff they received, it became a very inefficient way of finding the new Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, or Whilce Portacio so they decided to favor a new approach.

It now became almost mandatory for an artist to get some face time at conventions where submissions editor conducted portfolio reviews.

But even that’s not working too much anymore.

So how do you get your work noticed nowadays?

Insider opinion on the matter is that DC and Marvel will tend to lean towards artists who already have some published materials (from small presses and the like) and preferably have already gathered a bit of a following which makes sense from a business point of view. The artist would have most probably have developed a good solid working ethic and there’s already a market for whatever book that he’s going to work on.

Even self-published folks are looked kindly upon because it demonstrates an artist’s ability to keep motivated and stick to a job.

There’s also a preference for artists who are represented by agents since these agents tend to act as a sort of filter, performing tasks which is normally executed by editors (following up on deadlines, maintaining quality, motivating the artist, etc.).

These are no guarantee, of course.

They just merely increase your chance of breaking in. If at all, it’s more of a case of being in the right place and the right time, more than anything. If there should be a constant, however, it should be the quality of the work you do.

In the end you get hired not because of who you know but because of what you can do.

BUSINESS: Comic Book Page Rates

2008-02-23T20:55:00.004+08:00

I made a more detailed and updated article about comic book talents' (pencillers, inkers, colorists, and letterers) page rates which you can find here.

Hope you will find it useful.

Thanks for visiting Comics Resource.

You may also want to check out my new comic book portal, The Blurb.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: My Stuff

2008-02-22T13:00:00.000+08:00

Every artist has a different set of tools.

Well, you have the basic pencil-ruler-eraser setup of course but it’s always interesting (especially for other artists) to get a peek at what the other guys are using. It’s our weird way of socializing I suppose since creating art is mostly a solitary activity.

Here’s what you’ll usually find on my drawing table.

(1) Compass with a screw lock so it can hold pens as well as pencils securely even if they have minute differences in terms of thickness.

(2) UNIPins technical pens in varying line thickness (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5). I usually use the 0.1 for most of my detail work, the 0.5 for creating panel borders, and the 0.3 for anything in-between.

(3) I use a Pentel Penbrush to do most of my linework especially if the subject is organic in nature. It comes with an ink reservoir but I prefer to dip it in ink instead because it allows me a greater degree of control in the amount of ink it’ll carry.

(4) Staedtler clutch pencil refills and (5) a Staedtler clutch pencil. A clutch pencil is somewhat like a mechanical pencil except that the graphite is much thicker. Excellent tool for sketching and the cap doubles as a sharpener. Ordinary mechanical pencils’ graphite tends to break easily as I tend to be heavy handed when drawing.

(6) Prismacolor blue pencil for making layouts and blockings.

(7) A refillable eraser for precise erasing.

(8) Blue graphite for my (9) mechanical pencil when I feel like adding fine details to my layouts.

(10) Rotring eraser and a (11) sharpener.

(12) Chinese ink for my Penbrush. They tend to be darker and more even as compared to more expensive brands out there (with the possible exception of Rotring) that tend to blotch. That and they happen to be cheap.

Aside from the above mentioned tools, I have my usual assortment of rulers, triangles, french curves, and opaque paint.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Working with Chinese Ink

2008-02-21T12:49:00.003+08:00

I work with a variety of inks for doing line work on pencils.

One of my favorites has got to be Chinese inks because they tend to be very even and very black which, as any inker will tell you, is a rarity nowadays. They also happen to be quite cheap and is available at most National Bookstore branches.

One problem with this type of ink however is that they tend to coagulate faster especially when left exposed to the air for an extended period of time.

Why do this happen?

Well, one reason is that when the ink is exposed a certain amount of evaporation occurs. This means that as the water evaporates you’re left with more ink in relation to the water making the mix more viscous and harder to use.

There are several ways you can avoid this particular problem.

1. Keep your bottle of ink closed when not in use.

The less exposure the ink has to air the better…and a smaller chance that someone’s (i.e. you) going to accidentally tip the bottle and spill ink all over the place.

2. Don’t expose it to direct sunlight.

This one should be pretty obvious.

3. Only use distilled water when adding water to your ink.

Ordinary tap water contains a lot of stuff (which is why most of us don’t drink tap water nowadays). The less stuff there is in the ink the less gunky it gets.

Also, it helps to stir the mix a bit every now and then to make sure the ink remains even.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE: Keeping Inks Seperate from the Original Pencils Part 5

2008-02-21T12:37:00.000+08:00

I’m not going to discuss the particular method I used for inking this piece (we’ll save that for another day). Very briefly however, I used my Pentel Brush Pen dipped in chinese ink and UNIpin technical pens (0.1 and 0.5). Inking the whole piece took me 2 hours.

After letting the ink dry (but of course), scan the artwork at 600 dpi in RGB mode.

To get rid of the blue lines, we once again go to image>adjustments>hue/saturation… (shorcut key: ctrl+U), hit ctrl+4 which will give you CYAN, and drag Lightness to +100 (don’t click OK yet!). Now, hit ctrl+5, drag Lightness to +100, and click OK.

This should get rid of all the blue lines but you will probably have a bit of smudge or some stray lines here and there.

Convert all your lines to gray (ctrl+shift+U) and use auto-levels (ctrl+shift+L). From here on then the eraser and the dodge tool is going to be your best friend. When using dodge set your exposure to 50% with a slightly feathered brush. Again it’s a matter of trial and error until you find what works best for you.

The final product will look, more or less, like this. Click here for the high-res version.

Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a comment or drop me a line if you got comments and suggestions. You can write me at jonas_diego (at) yahoo (dot) com.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE: Keeping Inks Seperate from the Original Pencils Part 4

2008-02-21T12:35:00.000+08:00

Ideally you should be using a light box but it’s not absolutely necessary. If you don’t have one just keep the lines a bit darker so you can at least see what you’re doing.

You should have something like the image to your left.

After getting a shade of blue that you’re comfortable with, print it out using board paper (ideally a 90 gsm stock, smooth…shaken not stirred). I used to draw on Bristol Board but the quality of the ones available locally has been inconsistent so I switched to the specialty paper they usually use for printing calling cards and the like. Boards of about 90 gsm is thin enough to run on a desktop printer without causing much jamming.

Board paper of these types are excellent for inking (especially brush inking) because of its smooth surface.

Print on normal mode so you can see as much of the lines possible. Avoid the econofast mode because it will cause some of your lines to blur giving you a much harder time to ink the piece.

Now we begin the actual inking.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE: Keeping Inks Seperate from the Original Pencils Part 3

2008-02-21T12:33:00.001+08:00

We’re now going to convert the line work to blue.

Actually, it doesn’t really have to be blue. It can be green, red, or fuschia (fuchia, fuccia, putsa…basta purple!) as long as it’s all in one color so we can easily remove it after inking.

The first step is to make sure you’re working in RGB mode.

Click on image>mode. Click on ‘RGB Color’. To convert your linework to blue click on image > adjustments > hue/saturation…(shorcut key: ctrl+U). A window should be opening. Click ‘colorize’ (bottom right of the box). I used the following settings:

Hue: 180, Saturation: 100, Lightness: 50.

It takes a bit of trial and error, actually. What we’re actually going for here is a very light blue. Light enough that the scanner is not going to pick up a whole lot but not so light that you won’t be able to see it.

You’ll need to see it after all if you’re going to ink it.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE: Keeping Inks Seperate from the Original Pencils Part 2

2008-02-21T12:29:00.000+08:00

For this exercise, I did a quick sketch of a page (2-3 hours) using photos taken by Tricia Gosingtian and China Capay for a photoshoot they did with Alodia Gosiengfiao and Jin Joson. Check out their respective DevART accounts especially Tricia’s (aka slumberdoll) who happens to be one of my favorite photographers.

Check out the original photographs here and here.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand…

I scanned the page at 600 dpi because I wanted to catch more details from the artwork. It’s also a way of compensating because I used short bond copy paper (the standard is 11×17 in.) so the drawing is comparatively smaller.

After the scan, I cleaned it up in Photoshop and reduced it to 300 dpi. One advantage of this technique is that you end up with more details and better line quality which is important if you’re going to print the artwork and ink over that.

I have a high-res version uploaded at my DeviantART account. Click here.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE: Keeping Inks Seperate from the Original Pencils Part 1

2008-02-21T12:26:00.000+08:00

I was trying to think of a witty title for this tutorial. Unfortunately I failed (miserably, I might add) so I guess you’re stuck with the above mentioned (and somewhat long-ish) title.

Anyways, welcome to what is going to be the first in a series of comic creation tutorials.

Nowadays, penciled comic book page do not necessarily need to be inked especially if the artist is a tight penciller. Advances in technology (printing and graphic software) has made this possible though a lot of publishers and creators still prefer the crisp and polished look of an inked page.

There are times however, when it is desirable to preserve the original pencils for one reason or the other, such as if you’re planning to sell it on e-bay or something.

This can be done in a number of ways…preserving the pencils, I mean. Not selling it on e-bay.

The inker can use a program to digitally ink the piece (Ex. Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator) or use tracing paper to enable him to ink over it, keeping the original untouched.

I’m not particularly adept at using technology for something like inking (call me old-fashioned). I like the feel of a brush in my hand and seeing the ink flow over paper. Tracing paper is a bit cumbersome to use especially if you’re going to black-out a lot of areas because it will almost inevitably warp. A better alternative is to scan the artwork, print it on good stock paper, and then ink over that.

And that’s what we’re going to do.