August 27 at the SU Founder's Day Booth Area saw Chippy (or Jack 'N Jill) sponsoring a free concert featuring Pedicab, Callalilly, and 6 Cycle Mind. August 30 saw another 3 band concert at Macias Sports Complex. This time the concert featured Imago, Itchyworms, and Rocksteddy.
Here's my take on the separate concerts:
It's the first time that I've witnessed a free concert topbilled by known bands and held at the Founder's Day booth area. The stage was too small but it was enough to allow each band to frolick and jump around (and without destroying the stage!). Thank God that the audio system was working really well and the vocals could be heard clearly by the crowd.
Pedicab isn't that famous to me but their sound was like listening to Orgy (not the sexual act).
Callalilly is more famous and I was surprised that they sang the songs that I would hear most of the time on the radio stations. Chalk one up for the ignorant!
6 Cycle Mind played revivals mostly and I would have preferred that they had more original songs.
The one thing about these bands was that they didn't have a distinctive voice that would enable a listener to identify one from the other.
Oh yeah, I was watching all this (and part of 6 Cycle Mind's performance) despite the rain. If it was a continuous downpour, it would have been even more fun. I was confused whether I was wet with sweat or rain...
After the Founder's Day, some organizers had the balls to stage a non-free concert and on a work night. Go figure. I had a free VIP ticket so I happily watched the concert. The venue was too big for a concert like this and they probably would have enjoyed it much better if they were playing at an open field (like the booth area).
Imago should be successful if they continue to release a lot of original songs. The vocalist certainly has a great voice. Hopefully she won't think about going solo and leave the rest of her bandmates out on the rain.
Itchyworms started their part with lively music and kept on with it. The main vocalist even had to change guitars in the middle of their whole part as one the strings probably broke. I appreciate their effort to get everybody in the band to sing. They sounded (and looked) like Side A.
Rocksteddy certainly proved to be a great main event. I must say that they must have planned all their moves: diving into the crowds, jumping over each other, and the guitarist banging the cymbals.
With the type of occupation that I have, I had to behave. Certainly, I could headbang my way but no sound made me feel like doing so. Maybe next time...
All 3 rock bands did well and they played to the audiences' delight. Nice performance in all!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Faker (again)
Here's one wake-up call for me one Wednesday afternoon. I'm reading Faker #2.
My review for Faker #1 is totally moot now. All this time I was thinking that the comic book would be a simple college setting story. But oh no. Now, it's kind of a supernatural suspense thriller mixed with emotions, suicide, relationships, etc. What's next Diggle? I'm raring to get on with the next issue.
My review for Faker #1 is totally moot now. All this time I was thinking that the comic book would be a simple college setting story. But oh no. Now, it's kind of a supernatural suspense thriller mixed with emotions, suicide, relationships, etc. What's next Diggle? I'm raring to get on with the next issue.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Missing out on Astro City
Astro City.
Here in the Philippines, Astro is a brand of a cigarette. Cheap cigarette. If you couldn't afford Marlboro because you ran out of coins, you'd be smoking Astro to get almost the same effect. I actually can't relate. A friend told me about this because I asked him why he was smoking Astro when I know that he liked Marlboro. I can't relate because I don't smoke. Honestly.
Anyway, this blog is not about Astro the Cigarette. It's about Astro City by Kurt Busiek. It's probably one of the best comic books I've ever read. I even got high marks from other people when I said that Astro City is one of the best books out there. They all agreed. Kurt Busiek's storytelling style is just so good. Sadly, I can't compare Astro City to any of his works because I haven't grabbed any of his other works.
Here's my history with Astro City: The first issue I got to read was the one with Crackerjack. I think it was issue #5. Surprisingly, the point of view was from a villain - an alien disguised as an ordinary man. In that issue, in one chance encounter with Crackerjack, the alien decides on an invasion depending on Crackerjack's hero-ness. Crackerjack being the egoistic hero that he is ultimately leads to an invasion which until now I haven't read about any other issues.
I got hooked after that. I read the mails from the other readers and I got to know a lot about the other issues simply by reading the mails. I instantly asked my brother to look for issue #1 and thank God it wasn't that well known yet. I was able to get issues #1 - 4. Issue #6 came later when I discovered Ebay.
The joy of reading the Astro City limited series is that you really get to feel from the point of view of whoever is telling the story. You're literally in his/her shoes. It's refreshing, it's honest, it's full of "real" life. Here's a superhero genre comic book that probably doesn't have to always involve fighting and violence. Humans could tell the story. And even the superheroes too.
Anyway, I never got to say what the comic book is about. It's about Astro City, a city full of superheroes. That's it. Hehehe. Anyway, grab one. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Here in the Philippines, Astro is a brand of a cigarette. Cheap cigarette. If you couldn't afford Marlboro because you ran out of coins, you'd be smoking Astro to get almost the same effect. I actually can't relate. A friend told me about this because I asked him why he was smoking Astro when I know that he liked Marlboro. I can't relate because I don't smoke. Honestly.
Anyway, this blog is not about Astro the Cigarette. It's about Astro City by Kurt Busiek. It's probably one of the best comic books I've ever read. I even got high marks from other people when I said that Astro City is one of the best books out there. They all agreed. Kurt Busiek's storytelling style is just so good. Sadly, I can't compare Astro City to any of his works because I haven't grabbed any of his other works.
Here's my history with Astro City: The first issue I got to read was the one with Crackerjack. I think it was issue #5. Surprisingly, the point of view was from a villain - an alien disguised as an ordinary man. In that issue, in one chance encounter with Crackerjack, the alien decides on an invasion depending on Crackerjack's hero-ness. Crackerjack being the egoistic hero that he is ultimately leads to an invasion which until now I haven't read about any other issues.
I got hooked after that. I read the mails from the other readers and I got to know a lot about the other issues simply by reading the mails. I instantly asked my brother to look for issue #1 and thank God it wasn't that well known yet. I was able to get issues #1 - 4. Issue #6 came later when I discovered Ebay.
The joy of reading the Astro City limited series is that you really get to feel from the point of view of whoever is telling the story. You're literally in his/her shoes. It's refreshing, it's honest, it's full of "real" life. Here's a superhero genre comic book that probably doesn't have to always involve fighting and violence. Humans could tell the story. And even the superheroes too.
Anyway, I never got to say what the comic book is about. It's about Astro City, a city full of superheroes. That's it. Hehehe. Anyway, grab one. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
A different kind of review this time around (Harry Potter)
I just saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last Saturday. Imagine the situation first:
I just came from 5 rounds of Extended Constructed in Magic the Gathering. I was bringing an untested deck which was frankly taxing on my brain and nerve wracking as hell as I wasn´t really that ready to go into battle with such a deck. I did finish well but I got the shock of my life. I finished with 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie. The only loss was surrendered in favor of my teammate who had a better chance of finishing number one. Talk about taking one for the team.
So we (or more precisely, my sister) decided that we would watch Harry Potter instead of Transformers. Frankly, I would consider Transformers as a much more interesting movie because of the special effects. And who wouldn´t appreciate those cool funky robots! I´ve been speed reading Harry Potter in the last year or so. Once you get to read the book, you would lose all appreciation for the movie. It just went south starting with Prisoner of Azkaban and it worsened with Goblet of Fire. Order of the Phoenix the Movie would just become one more movie that would be unappreciated by yours truly.
We hurried up our dinner as we had to catch the last full show. Thankfully the movie house accepted credit cards!
So, on to the movie proper. Well, I´m quite amused that they managed to cram up so much information into just a few minutes. By the way, Order of the Phoenix seems to be the thickest of the books so far and it elaborately describes the actions and situations that lead to each decree that the antagonist Prof. Umbridge issues. In the movie, it was just a simple Daily Prophet headline. Come to think of it, this movie seems to be using a lot of Daily Prophet exposure.
I honestly can´t say whether the movie would be understandable or not. Since I already read the book, the characters were already familiar to me (and I knew even further than that). I already knew a certain event would happen and it was just a matter of how the director would go about in presenting it.
I love the fight scene where Black appeared out of nowhere to save Harry. Now, that one is impossible to imagine while reading. The sudden arrival of the ¨cavalry¨ through the swishing of mist (or cloud). It gave me a chance to say ¨Wow!¨ for the first time in the movie.
So there you go. Maybe because of the fight scenes I´d give a rating of 8 out of 10. But the movie overall, I´d give it a 5 out of 10. It wasn´t there for me...
I just came from 5 rounds of Extended Constructed in Magic the Gathering. I was bringing an untested deck which was frankly taxing on my brain and nerve wracking as hell as I wasn´t really that ready to go into battle with such a deck. I did finish well but I got the shock of my life. I finished with 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie. The only loss was surrendered in favor of my teammate who had a better chance of finishing number one. Talk about taking one for the team.
So we (or more precisely, my sister) decided that we would watch Harry Potter instead of Transformers. Frankly, I would consider Transformers as a much more interesting movie because of the special effects. And who wouldn´t appreciate those cool funky robots! I´ve been speed reading Harry Potter in the last year or so. Once you get to read the book, you would lose all appreciation for the movie. It just went south starting with Prisoner of Azkaban and it worsened with Goblet of Fire. Order of the Phoenix the Movie would just become one more movie that would be unappreciated by yours truly.
We hurried up our dinner as we had to catch the last full show. Thankfully the movie house accepted credit cards!
So, on to the movie proper. Well, I´m quite amused that they managed to cram up so much information into just a few minutes. By the way, Order of the Phoenix seems to be the thickest of the books so far and it elaborately describes the actions and situations that lead to each decree that the antagonist Prof. Umbridge issues. In the movie, it was just a simple Daily Prophet headline. Come to think of it, this movie seems to be using a lot of Daily Prophet exposure.
I honestly can´t say whether the movie would be understandable or not. Since I already read the book, the characters were already familiar to me (and I knew even further than that). I already knew a certain event would happen and it was just a matter of how the director would go about in presenting it.
I love the fight scene where Black appeared out of nowhere to save Harry. Now, that one is impossible to imagine while reading. The sudden arrival of the ¨cavalry¨ through the swishing of mist (or cloud). It gave me a chance to say ¨Wow!¨ for the first time in the movie.
So there you go. Maybe because of the fight scenes I´d give a rating of 8 out of 10. But the movie overall, I´d give it a 5 out of 10. It wasn´t there for me...
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Faker
How do I begin?
This book got me hooked.
That good enough?
Anyway, I´ve been keeping a close lookout on new releases and I never knew anything about Faker so I figured out that I´d give it a try. I wasn´t disappointed over my decision to get this book. From the cover, I thought it´d be a book about supernatural powers (and I could still be mistaken after reading just the first issue). If the book stays as it is with it´s gritty look at college students, it´d still be a blast.
I´m surprised that Mike Carey still captures the essence of college life. Though I have a different college life than what the characters are having in the book, it´s the typical college life in America, I guess. I´m just amazed that Carey really got into it: the drugs, the parties, the puking, etc.
And a nice intro too with the seduction of the instructor. That girl can do it to me but of course I´m way much better than that instructor.
Well, all I can say for now is that these Vertigo books are doing really fine with their stories. I can´t wait to get my hands on the next issue.
This book got me hooked.
That good enough?
Anyway, I´ve been keeping a close lookout on new releases and I never knew anything about Faker so I figured out that I´d give it a try. I wasn´t disappointed over my decision to get this book. From the cover, I thought it´d be a book about supernatural powers (and I could still be mistaken after reading just the first issue). If the book stays as it is with it´s gritty look at college students, it´d still be a blast.
I´m surprised that Mike Carey still captures the essence of college life. Though I have a different college life than what the characters are having in the book, it´s the typical college life in America, I guess. I´m just amazed that Carey really got into it: the drugs, the parties, the puking, etc.
And a nice intro too with the seduction of the instructor. That girl can do it to me but of course I´m way much better than that instructor.
Well, all I can say for now is that these Vertigo books are doing really fine with their stories. I can´t wait to get my hands on the next issue.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Pugad Baboy
A blog can never be complete without my all-time favorite Pugad Baboy (translation: Pig's Nest). Pugad Baboy is drawn by Pol Medina, Jr.
Pugad Baboy is published daily in the Philippine Daily Inquirer as a comic strip. Almost each year, a collected edition of the strips is published. I always make it a point to get one because they're quite hot specially for those who follow the strips religiously.
Just a brief background on how I came to know about Pugad Baboy. My cousin had a collection of the first collected editions. Everytime I'd get to visit their place, I always had a marathon reading of the books. When I was able to start buying my own books, I made it a point to start a collection on the Pugad Baboy collected editions.
I'm positive that my love for Pugad Baboy is appreciated only by my fellow Filipinos. To sum up the comic strip, it's a comic strip that discusses a wide range of topics: politics, current trends, movies, etc.
Here's a rundown of the main characters and how they represent the Filipino society:
Sungcal family:
Adagulfo Sungcal or Dagul (for short) represents the hardworking Filipino. He is the typical Filipino who is very loving and caring for his children (wakes up in the morning to prepare the children's food). Aside from that, Dagul is a procastinator. Who wouldn't be?
Dagul's wife is Debbie. She's the typical housewife who loves to shop whenever there's a sale going on. And also a typical woman who needs a lot of time to choose a particular item.
The eldest child is Hercules or Kules. He represents the typical Filipino who has to work abroad.
Tiny is the only daughter. She represents the collegiate Filipino.
Utoy is the youngest child. He (together with his boyhood friends) represents the young Filipinos. Techy and playful.
Of course, no Filipino household is complete without the housekeeper. Brosia is the Sungcal's housekeeper and a constant thorn to Dagul.
Sabaybunot family:
Tomas is the supposed head of the family. My take on his wife explains the reason for being just the supposed head. Tomas represents the Filipino soldier. He's a chauvinistic pig who spends a lot of time drinking and being with GROs.
Barbie is Tomas' feminist wife. The feminist group Gabriela always comes to mind whenever I read about Barbie. She is just that, pure feminist.
Paltik is the only child of the Sabaybunot family.
Lamoun family:
Bab is the head male as his father died at an early age. Bab is the typical no-job, lazy, and slightly addicted Filipino. All the bad Filipino traits are probably in Bab.
Meanwhile, Jolen is the opposite of Bab.
The rest of Pugad Baboy:
Ka Noli represents the Filipino rebel. He's a member of the New People's Army and unusually best friends with Tomas.
Mao represents the Chinese immigrants who opens up a business in the Philippines. Mao is thrifty and always wary of kidnappers. Though not exactly a Filipino, he is still part of the Filipino daily life. (Show me a place where there aren't any Chinese immigrant, and I'll stop blogging)
Pao is the son/daughter of Mao. Pao represents the homosexual Filipino.
Miss Nobatos is the kids' teacher. She represents the always sad plight of Filipino teachers in the country.
Senator Cabalfin is a Philippine Senator who resides in Pugad Baboy. He ultimately represents the politicians. How corrupt the Philippine government is, that's how corrupt Senator Cabalfin is too.
Patrolman Durugas represents an even more menacing problem hounding the Philippines: the unrepenting distrust towards the police. In the comic strip, policemen are more likely to commit the crime rather than stopping it. Of course, several crimefighters are loyal enough to their job to see to it that crime does not pay.
And have I forgotten a character? One of the most important characters in the strip is Polgas, the talking dog. Well, since talking dogs are definitely out of line in our society, Polgas represents the fantasy that Pol Medina wants to live in. Polgas is adventurous and is a secret agent for OCB (which stands for Organized Canine Bureau).
To sum everything up, Pugad Baboy is always enjoyable because it is truly Filipino. Highly impossible that a Filipino cannot relate to the comic strip without knowing about what's happening to his environment and society.
Pugad Baboy is published daily in the Philippine Daily Inquirer as a comic strip. Almost each year, a collected edition of the strips is published. I always make it a point to get one because they're quite hot specially for those who follow the strips religiously.
Just a brief background on how I came to know about Pugad Baboy. My cousin had a collection of the first collected editions. Everytime I'd get to visit their place, I always had a marathon reading of the books. When I was able to start buying my own books, I made it a point to start a collection on the Pugad Baboy collected editions.
I'm positive that my love for Pugad Baboy is appreciated only by my fellow Filipinos. To sum up the comic strip, it's a comic strip that discusses a wide range of topics: politics, current trends, movies, etc.
Here's a rundown of the main characters and how they represent the Filipino society:
Sungcal family:
Adagulfo Sungcal or Dagul (for short) represents the hardworking Filipino. He is the typical Filipino who is very loving and caring for his children (wakes up in the morning to prepare the children's food). Aside from that, Dagul is a procastinator. Who wouldn't be?
Dagul's wife is Debbie. She's the typical housewife who loves to shop whenever there's a sale going on. And also a typical woman who needs a lot of time to choose a particular item.
The eldest child is Hercules or Kules. He represents the typical Filipino who has to work abroad.
Tiny is the only daughter. She represents the collegiate Filipino.
Utoy is the youngest child. He (together with his boyhood friends) represents the young Filipinos. Techy and playful.
Of course, no Filipino household is complete without the housekeeper. Brosia is the Sungcal's housekeeper and a constant thorn to Dagul.
Sabaybunot family:
Tomas is the supposed head of the family. My take on his wife explains the reason for being just the supposed head. Tomas represents the Filipino soldier. He's a chauvinistic pig who spends a lot of time drinking and being with GROs.
Barbie is Tomas' feminist wife. The feminist group Gabriela always comes to mind whenever I read about Barbie. She is just that, pure feminist.
Paltik is the only child of the Sabaybunot family.
Lamoun family:
Bab is the head male as his father died at an early age. Bab is the typical no-job, lazy, and slightly addicted Filipino. All the bad Filipino traits are probably in Bab.
Meanwhile, Jolen is the opposite of Bab.
The rest of Pugad Baboy:
Ka Noli represents the Filipino rebel. He's a member of the New People's Army and unusually best friends with Tomas.
Mao represents the Chinese immigrants who opens up a business in the Philippines. Mao is thrifty and always wary of kidnappers. Though not exactly a Filipino, he is still part of the Filipino daily life. (Show me a place where there aren't any Chinese immigrant, and I'll stop blogging)
Pao is the son/daughter of Mao. Pao represents the homosexual Filipino.
Miss Nobatos is the kids' teacher. She represents the always sad plight of Filipino teachers in the country.
Senator Cabalfin is a Philippine Senator who resides in Pugad Baboy. He ultimately represents the politicians. How corrupt the Philippine government is, that's how corrupt Senator Cabalfin is too.
Patrolman Durugas represents an even more menacing problem hounding the Philippines: the unrepenting distrust towards the police. In the comic strip, policemen are more likely to commit the crime rather than stopping it. Of course, several crimefighters are loyal enough to their job to see to it that crime does not pay.
And have I forgotten a character? One of the most important characters in the strip is Polgas, the talking dog. Well, since talking dogs are definitely out of line in our society, Polgas represents the fantasy that Pol Medina wants to live in. Polgas is adventurous and is a secret agent for OCB (which stands for Organized Canine Bureau).
To sum everything up, Pugad Baboy is always enjoyable because it is truly Filipino. Highly impossible that a Filipino cannot relate to the comic strip without knowing about what's happening to his environment and society.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
It's World War Hulk
World War Hulk is on Marvel right now. After more than 6 months of Civil War, an even bigger issue hits the Marvel Universe that would make Civil War look like child's play. Civil War "involved" only the US. World War Hulk, as the name implies, should involve the whole world much like the 2 real World Wars that we've had. As what happened in the first issue of World War Hulk #1, Hulk beat Black Bolt to a pulp. And this happened in the moon.
After Civil War saw the pro-registration guys win the war and Iron Man appointed as SHIELD director, I was skeptical of the 50 States Initiative that Marvel put into place. The whole idea would be overexposure and might dry up the ideas of the House of Ideas. Well then, World War Hulk should return Marvel to normal. I just can't wait how everything would play out.
I'm also a non-fan of Incredible Hulk (although I did watch the movie). Here's a mean, green brainless (originally) monster who is probably the exact irony of a superhero. Bruce Banner has to get mad to be a "hero." Didn't we ever grow up knowing that we have to check our tempers? Hulk used to be a joy to watch if you're a kid because he's fond of destroying, just like we were when we were babies.
But I have to admit that World War Hulk has intrigued me. And I will be following up on the whole series. You should too.
After Civil War saw the pro-registration guys win the war and Iron Man appointed as SHIELD director, I was skeptical of the 50 States Initiative that Marvel put into place. The whole idea would be overexposure and might dry up the ideas of the House of Ideas. Well then, World War Hulk should return Marvel to normal. I just can't wait how everything would play out.
I'm also a non-fan of Incredible Hulk (although I did watch the movie). Here's a mean, green brainless (originally) monster who is probably the exact irony of a superhero. Bruce Banner has to get mad to be a "hero." Didn't we ever grow up knowing that we have to check our tempers? Hulk used to be a joy to watch if you're a kid because he's fond of destroying, just like we were when we were babies.
But I have to admit that World War Hulk has intrigued me. And I will be following up on the whole series. You should too.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
still catching up
After almost 2 months of no contact with any comic book, I'm still catching up. I've got new ones that are debuts but I haven't gone through them yet.
So far, it's been great reading X-Factor. Peter David still has it and the book brings back memories of the X-Factor team that Havok was leading. I'm glad that I started reading it when it was just starting and I've been hooked ever since. Highly recommended. One note: Layla Miller is the "X-Factor" (for lack of a better word) character of the book. She provides a lot of the funny stuff that occurs to the team.
I'm also following the Back in Black saga of Spider-man. Weird timing considering that he's all black in Spider-man 3. Well, I haven't figured out where he got back his costume - I'm sure it's not the alien one.
Of all the Civil War Initiative titles out there, I'm keeping tabs with Thunderbolts. I've heard of them a lot of times before and I heard more when they became a featured team in the VS system. Maybe I'm just too lazy to follow up on the rest of the Initiative titles but the Thunderbolts are one crazy team (or team-up). You've got reformed criminals who are "trying" to do good when it has never been good before. Go figure. Besides, anytime you've got a team that has Venom and Bullseye in it is good enough to read.
Speaking of Civil War Initiative, Joe Quesada is pinning a lot on this and I'm just waiting for the time when he'll have exhausted all resources regarding having superheroes on all the states in America. Well, I'm sure he hasn't featured Hawaii yet. Come to think of it, who's assigned in Hawaii?
And oh yeah, read Criminal. I can't wait for Ed Brubaker to sell his story and make it into a movie. Yo, Ed! Frank Miller's making a whole bunch of money with his Sin City and 300. Your stories can kick ass.
Monday, May 28, 2007
The dream of working for Wizard - The Guide to Comics
So... This is blogging...
What an introduction.
In the weeks to come (and in my effort to be a freelance writer for Wizard the Guide to Comics), I'm going to critique comic books. I guess it will be any comic book out of the blue - anything that I can get my hands on. Let's just say that I'm inspired by Wizard's weekly review of the best comic books in that week. My range will be limited to what I can get. I'm willing to read anything and since I'm not working for any comic book company, I'm willing to get everything out of my chest.
First off, I'll have to "introduce" myself so that readers may know why I'm doing this critique and why I want to do this.
I've been a comic book reader since the day I could start turning the page of a book. Oh, I wouldn't be considered a reader yet. More of a picture viewer because I couldn't read yet. Somehow, the joy of knowing how to read became the greatest achievement of my life as I was given the ability to understand what the words in the balloon meant.
Back then, most comic books were reprinted for the Philippine market so they were virtually of no high value. I probably ended up damaging the comic books that were not collected and not bound into hardcover (my parents used to do this so as to prevent further damage). And my elder brother probably ended up getting angry at me for damaging his collection. This was the late 80s and early 90s when I hadn't discovered computers (or the Internet) yet. Most of the information that I got about the Marvel or DC universe came from comic book guides where there were synopses of several issues. I could already piece things out together from there.
More readings came from original comic books that were borrowed from classmates and a friend who kept getting comic books as gifts. Of course, I was more careful since these comic books were originals and not the reprinted ones. A weird thing too because the reprinted books were no longer available.
Later on, fake X-men Series 1 cards came out. The beauty of Jim Lee's art got to me and I continued to piece together the history of Marvel Universe (or more specifically the X-men Universe) from there. I almost completed the set yet realized later that they were really crappy fakes.
By this time ( I think I was in high school), original comic books were already sold at several stores which were located in bigger cities (Metro Manila, Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro City). If given the chance when I went to these cities, I would always visit the comic book shops. But, due to the meager allowance that I had, I was stuck to buying cards. To add, my father used to say that buying comic books was a waste of money so he hated the idea of buying them. Cards were so much better because they could be hidden in the pockets. A funny thing happened while I was in Manila though. My thrifty father and I went to this comic book shop and he told me to pick a comic book. I was stunned and couldn't speak and I couldn't select ONE. So he told me to pick two!!! And I did. I picked Spectacular Spider-man 275 (if I'm not mistaken with the issue number) and Web of Spider-man 100. Things went up from there...
A vacation in Cebu went horribly wrong financially as I spent more than half of my allowance on comic books in the first day alone. I already had a list of what to buy and being alone in the comic book shop was like being in heaven. During this time, Image Comics had just come out. Though I was late for the big first issues, I took the next best things and bought the ones I considered that had the best stories.
In my last years in high school, I went to buying and selling comic books in my school. My big brother who was in Manila provided the capital (which I returned to him promptly) and I did the selling part. I mostly sold them to classmates. We stopped the business when he transferred back to our place but I did rack up enough to open my own savings account. I did get the opportunity to write about comic books as I made it my research paper for my English subject. Wizard (shameless plug) was a great help as it became my main reference.
The existence of the Internet opened up more chances of reading about the Marvel, DC, and Image Universe. I kept feeding myself with information from the Net. This was college. I had transferred to a different city to study. Unfortunately, the city didn't have any comic book shops but I was satisfied with what I had. Comic books had become too expensive as the value of the dollar shot up.
When I finally got to work, I bought collected editions of comic books. I was now reading Astro City, Kingdom Come, and any other collected edition that was worth its price and had an astonishing review. I was able to buy from online stores and had it shipped to friends in the United States. They in turn would have somebody carry the comic books for a sure handling.
And I've continued to read ever since. So far, I've been following up with Wolverine: Origins, X-Factor, Justice League, Justice Society, Flash, and many more. I love cartoons and am enchanted with comic books with lots of humour mixed with it.
I should "officially" start by next week once I've acclimated back to my office environment.
Anybody who reads blogs can help criticize my work. And of course, it'd be a huge help if my blog would somehow end up at Wizard's office. For me, working at Wizard surrounded by comic books is one big heaven for me.
Keep posted.
What an introduction.
In the weeks to come (and in my effort to be a freelance writer for Wizard the Guide to Comics), I'm going to critique comic books. I guess it will be any comic book out of the blue - anything that I can get my hands on. Let's just say that I'm inspired by Wizard's weekly review of the best comic books in that week. My range will be limited to what I can get. I'm willing to read anything and since I'm not working for any comic book company, I'm willing to get everything out of my chest.
First off, I'll have to "introduce" myself so that readers may know why I'm doing this critique and why I want to do this.
I've been a comic book reader since the day I could start turning the page of a book. Oh, I wouldn't be considered a reader yet. More of a picture viewer because I couldn't read yet. Somehow, the joy of knowing how to read became the greatest achievement of my life as I was given the ability to understand what the words in the balloon meant.
Back then, most comic books were reprinted for the Philippine market so they were virtually of no high value. I probably ended up damaging the comic books that were not collected and not bound into hardcover (my parents used to do this so as to prevent further damage). And my elder brother probably ended up getting angry at me for damaging his collection. This was the late 80s and early 90s when I hadn't discovered computers (or the Internet) yet. Most of the information that I got about the Marvel or DC universe came from comic book guides where there were synopses of several issues. I could already piece things out together from there.
More readings came from original comic books that were borrowed from classmates and a friend who kept getting comic books as gifts. Of course, I was more careful since these comic books were originals and not the reprinted ones. A weird thing too because the reprinted books were no longer available.
Later on, fake X-men Series 1 cards came out. The beauty of Jim Lee's art got to me and I continued to piece together the history of Marvel Universe (or more specifically the X-men Universe) from there. I almost completed the set yet realized later that they were really crappy fakes.
By this time ( I think I was in high school), original comic books were already sold at several stores which were located in bigger cities (Metro Manila, Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro City). If given the chance when I went to these cities, I would always visit the comic book shops. But, due to the meager allowance that I had, I was stuck to buying cards. To add, my father used to say that buying comic books was a waste of money so he hated the idea of buying them. Cards were so much better because they could be hidden in the pockets. A funny thing happened while I was in Manila though. My thrifty father and I went to this comic book shop and he told me to pick a comic book. I was stunned and couldn't speak and I couldn't select ONE. So he told me to pick two!!! And I did. I picked Spectacular Spider-man 275 (if I'm not mistaken with the issue number) and Web of Spider-man 100. Things went up from there...
A vacation in Cebu went horribly wrong financially as I spent more than half of my allowance on comic books in the first day alone. I already had a list of what to buy and being alone in the comic book shop was like being in heaven. During this time, Image Comics had just come out. Though I was late for the big first issues, I took the next best things and bought the ones I considered that had the best stories.
In my last years in high school, I went to buying and selling comic books in my school. My big brother who was in Manila provided the capital (which I returned to him promptly) and I did the selling part. I mostly sold them to classmates. We stopped the business when he transferred back to our place but I did rack up enough to open my own savings account. I did get the opportunity to write about comic books as I made it my research paper for my English subject. Wizard (shameless plug) was a great help as it became my main reference.
The existence of the Internet opened up more chances of reading about the Marvel, DC, and Image Universe. I kept feeding myself with information from the Net. This was college. I had transferred to a different city to study. Unfortunately, the city didn't have any comic book shops but I was satisfied with what I had. Comic books had become too expensive as the value of the dollar shot up.
When I finally got to work, I bought collected editions of comic books. I was now reading Astro City, Kingdom Come, and any other collected edition that was worth its price and had an astonishing review. I was able to buy from online stores and had it shipped to friends in the United States. They in turn would have somebody carry the comic books for a sure handling.
And I've continued to read ever since. So far, I've been following up with Wolverine: Origins, X-Factor, Justice League, Justice Society, Flash, and many more. I love cartoons and am enchanted with comic books with lots of humour mixed with it.
I should "officially" start by next week once I've acclimated back to my office environment.
Anybody who reads blogs can help criticize my work. And of course, it'd be a huge help if my blog would somehow end up at Wizard's office. For me, working at Wizard surrounded by comic books is one big heaven for me.
Keep posted.
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