UNLOCKER

Have you ever got this annoying windows message?

Before, it always happens to me while I was going to delete a video file in my hard drive that I already have burned to a disc. At first, I thought other system resources was just still using it, or windows just forgot to close it. But even after rebooting. This message still appears.

Well no more. Just go to this site ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/ and download a program called UNLOCKER. One thing I like with this software is that it is small(only 192 KB) and easy to download. After installing, it will create an UNLOCK option in you right click when you are in windows explorer.

For more info. just go to their website at ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

Better than keepvid

vixy.net
This site is better than keepvid.com. In keepvid.com (which I have posted last Nov. 28,2006) you could download a YouTube video, but only in .flv file. This site (www.vixy.net) you can download a YouTube video file on a variety of file format. You can have them as a .avi(DivX), .mov(MPeg4), .mp4, .3gp and even .mp3 file.
Just like keepvid, it is very straight forward. This site only needs the url of the YouTube file. Copy and paste it to this site and click start to download.

This is much easier, because you just cut off the hastle of downloading a FLV player and installing it to your computer.

FREE STUFF

Free Comics

City of Heroes
This is actually a site of the City of Heroes online computer games. They also published a comics based on their characters that is free to download. This free comics if in PDF format. So you better get a PDF reader first before downloading this comics.
Currently they have a 16 issues that has been published under the Top Cow(Image), but before that they had already published a 12 issues under Blue King publication.


Free Raps Songs

Filipeanut
This is a cool Site that has a FREE COOL COOL Rap Songs all about Filipinos. He is (the Rapper) basically a Filipino that grew-up in the states that is very proud to be a Filipino (my kind of guy). This is a must have song for your collection.

OLD PICS.

I was going through some old stuff last night when I came accross to this picture. This was taken, I think around year 2000 when I was still a student of Gilbert Monsanto at LEARN in SM megamall. With me in the picture is the big guy him self, Whilce Portacio. Founding member of Image comics and a great artist. Also with us is Gilbert Monsanto the headmaster and little old me.




Speaking of known people. I also saw this old pic of me and Andrew E. At that time, I was a huge fan of him. I used to memorised all of his Rap song back then.
I was luck enough to be able to have this pic with him when he was promoting his 3rd or 4th album back then in SM north edsa.

When I look at this pictures, I alway get the notion that I realy gotten realy fat on this past few years. I was realy skinny back then. Now I look like a 5 month pregnant woman. I realy need to get this excess fats off.

Pixelperfect & Easy download

I have recently downloaded and watched Pixel Perfect. It is a tutorial for artist that is using Photoshop to do colors and add special effect. And Im very very much impress. For those artist out there. This is a must see tutorial.
You can download it from http://www.revision3.com which I already have a long time link on the right site of this blog. And once your in there goto Pixelperfect and download the files. Currently there are 8 episodes.

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Hey. Need an easy way to download a Youtube .flv file?
go to this site http://keepvid.com
It's very simple, it's free,absolutely no software to install. Just simply copy and paste the URL of the youtube file and click download.

writetomyblog

I just found a greate site to edit and manage Blog.

writetomyblog.com

This is for the bloggers out there. There are many greate feature in this site. It is like microsoft word on the web that is specialy designed for a blog.

DSL is in the house

We just got installed with BayanTel DSL today. And I might say I'm quite impress.
I've got 2 computers, An aging AMD powered desktop and a 4 year old laptop. But they have gone into the web like The Flash and Quicksilver.
I have measured the speed using this site http://speed.skyinet.net and it registered a whooping 1453.04 kbps. But the technician said that it will go down in a few hours or so.

DSL Connection

This comming week, I will have a DSL connection in our house. I realy need this for my work. Since because for the past 2 months, I am only working at home and sending update of my programs to our office in ortigas. At first, the dial-up connection was tolerable. But recently, it has been sooooo sloooow.
At first, I thought it was just my computer. So I reformat it, but with no luck. It was still as slow as a dying snail. That is also the reason I was not updating this blog more frequently.

Hopefully with the connection it would be lighting fast. The sales agent of BayanTel DSL that I have talked(Yes, were BayanTel. No PLDT in our area) to said that its a 384 kbps download. I know in reality that is not the real/actual speed that consummer would have. That would be on a non peak hours only. But I am still hoping it will be so. But come to think about it, an approximate 200 kbps to 250 kbps is already fine with me.

Arsenal-Page 8 of 8

Here is the last page of Arsenal. I am also giving a big though on putting here the first issue of Kalayaan. Since self publishing is a little bit time consumming and not to mention very costly for me. For comments and ideas pls. free to email me at gioparedes@yahoo.com

Arsenal-Page 7 of 8

Arsenal-Page 6 of 8

I hate being sick

For more than a months now, I was diagnosed with Hepatitis B. My whole body and eyes are yellowish. And I am still trying to recover from it. But before that, I was also suffering with a bad case of ulcer. Ulcer plus heap B makes a very bad combination. There were times that I have stayed awake a whole night round until morning because I could not sleep because of my stomach ache.

But I’m a little bit ok now. But my doctor said that I should take a lot of rest. And this means that I cannot go to the 2nd Komikon in UP. What a bummer.

I was fortunate enough to have a very compassionate boss to let me work here at home and send me money on my bank account. This is a very big help, since my medicine, laboratory test and Doctors fee are rely expensive, and I also have to pay the bills on our house and support my wife and kids.

I rely have being sick. :-(

Arsenal-Page 4 and 5 of 8

Arsenal-Page 3 of 8

Arsenal-Page 2 of 8

Arsenal-Page 1 of 8

Here is the first page of an 8 page I draw to join a sequencial art contest in Culture Crash a few years ago. It didn't make it, so I just might as well put it here.

Batista w/ the Phil. Flag

A few days ago, I received an email with a picture of Batista with a Philippine flag on his left shoulder. I't was a respond on a post a few week ago that I was looking for those kind of pictures.
So here they are.

The Crocodile Hunter is Dead

Steve Irwin 44 years of age, the Crocodile Hunter just recently died from a stingray barb to his chest while doing a documentary at the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeast coast.

Witnesses said he apparently died of cardiac arrest after the stingray attack.

Mr. Irwin was on location in the area to film television segments, including material for “The Ocean’s Deadliest.” Witnesses on his boat, Croc One, and on a nearby diving vessel said that when he came close to a stingray, its barb pierced his chest and lodged in his heart.

This is a very tragic news to those people who loved his work. And not to mention his family with two so very young kids.

Boy am I going to miss his Australian Accent.

Shadow Wind

Here is another Old character that I made, which I recently copyrighted. His name is Shadow Wind. I see him as a psycholic dark ninja. I still don't have a story for him yet. Hopefully I could guess him in a future issue of Kalayaan.

But I did create an 8 page short comics of him and Arsel battling it out. I draw it to join a sequencial art contest in Culture Crash a few years ago. It didn't make it so I just might as well put it here.

I will just post those 8 pages here in this comming weeks.

Bang your Dead

Here is another drawing that I made. Hope you like it.

Batista is a Filipino

I can't believe it. Batista of WWE is a Filipino. He has a Filipino and Greek heritage. His real name David Michael Bautista. It was only last saturday when I saw the Jesica Sojo report show on GMA7. They were featuring Filipinos that had reach international stardom. Most of them I already know. But I had not any idea that Batista was one of them.

He recently had a Tatoo of the Philippine flag and Greek in his left shoulder. The Jesica Sojo Report show has a blurd and quick preview of it. Im still searching the net for his recent photo.

It's a good day to be a Filipino. Specialy after watching the Black Eyed Pease concert last night on Channel 2. I realy admire Allan Pineda(Apl) of having such a deep fealings of his heritage. His literally shouting out to the world that he is proud to be a Filipino.

A Sad Story

Way back in 1997 when I was still working at a software company house as a database programmer, I met Rizalino ‘Bong’ Basit. Bong is a layout artist, he makes manual and books layout. We become friends right away. Even thou we were 6 boys there, me and bong are the tightest. He said he liked me, because I’m kind of moody, unlike the others that are happy go lucky kind of persons. Like there is no problem in the world. That’s the time that I noticed that this guy have some serious problem. Our office back then was in Robinsons Galleria basement. There were times that he would ask me out for a bucket of beer in food court after office hour. I would then told him about the things that would made me cry at night. And he would then told me about his problems with his family. His father, mother and sibling was always pressuring him to do this and do that. “Your already this age, you should be accomplished person like you brother, sister , cousin etc.”. His family wants him to go to abroad. But he wants to stay here. He was happy here.

After a few weeks, he got sick with chicken fox(Bulutong). He was relieve of his duty for one month. But after 5 long months we haven’t hear anything from him. One Friday afternoon, my boss asked me and Cocoy to go to his house and ask him he could go back to work. Cocoy is another programmer that knows Bongs house in Alabang. Bong still lives with his parents at that time. Cocoy and I arrived in alabang already late, around 10pm I guess. We were almost ask to go away by their maid if Bong had not saw our face. Bong already fully healed from the chicken fox, but you can see their marks on his face and body. We met his parents and sister there and asked to stay for the night and go home first thing in the morning. We agreed of course, coz it was late. Me, Cocoy and Bong spend the night in Bongs room. There were so many cool stuff there. Like a Stealth Bomber Air Plane that is still on a box and not yet assembled. I asked ask Bong if I could put it together. And I was very happy that he agreed. While I was busy with the plane, Bong and Cocoy was busy listening to music on a CD and recording them on a caset tape.

Saturday morning came. We said our good byes knowing that Bong would be back to work in a few weeks time. Me and Cocoy went back to work on Monday and Tuesday. But on Wednesday. We heard a staggering news. Bong committed SUICIDE and now he is DEAD. I asked Jane(our receptionist who received the call) what happened? She said Bong hang himself last Sunday and found dead on Monday. Its like, time had stood still for me for a few minutes. It took me quite some time to digest it and absorb it in my mind. It’s a weird felling, knowing that you were with someone before he dies.

We went back to his house and saw the things that he used to hang his self. I even saw the plane that I assembled that night. Bong is already laying on a coffin. His sister recognized Me and Cocoy right away and asked if she and her parents could talk to us in private. I was a little bit nervous at that time but we agreed(what else can we do?). His sister asked us what was Bongs state of mind the night that we spend the night there. Was he upset of someone or something? Cocoy said “Nothing. He was pretty ordinary. Like nothings the matter”. I also said the same thing. But deep inside know what was wrong. I know that their high expectation drive him mad. Mad at the world. Mad at himself. But I could not said that in front of his crying mother and father. They are already hurt as it is . Sometimes when we were drunk, I would tell Cocoy that Bongs family killed him. Back then I was really convinced that they were the reason that he committed suicide.

It was also kind of funny that, at that same time Parokya ni Edgar have just released their song “Buloy”. A song about friendship and at the end the other guy that he thought was strong killed him self. It was a perfect song that I could sing at that time. The timing is hair raising. Every time I here that song, I always remember him.

Looking back then, makes me feel so old. This month of August is his 9th year death anniversary. I guess, I just miss my old friend.

Kalayaan Update

Here is another Kalayaan and Maskarado Team-up shot that I did. I have this image stucked in my head for quite sometime and just felt that I should draw it. I hope people will like it.
As an update for my Kalayaan comics that I have been doing. I'm so happy to say that I'm aready finished the pencils of all the pages for the 1st issue. But there are alot of work to be done. I still have to finish the inks of some pages. Scan them,put Letters/Caption and Lay them out to print a Master Plate for photo copying. This is alot of work. I hope to finish it all this August so that I can start the Issue #2 in September, the 2 of 3 issues that I have been working. I Plan to release the 1st issue June 2007, just in time for "Araw ng Kalayaan"(The day of Freedom). I hope I could finish #3 on or before that day.

What you did last summer.

I drew this one last summer. Its already rainy season here in the Philippines, but it's still very very hot in some time. How I wish that I could be on a beach right now.

Justice League Philippines

It should be nice if we could unify all Philippine Superhero and form a one team. And create a monthly comics. I know there would be many stories that can be written for them as a team. Ofcourse, my character Kalayaan is included(There is no cost in dreaming right, :-)).

In this drawing includes Kalayaan,Captain Barbel, Maskarado, Panday, Berdugo, Lasticman, Darna and Kapitan Kidlat.

Arsenal on Fire

Here is another Arsenal drawing that I have made. No colors yet. It will be nice if I could put colors on the fire on his background. His powers is invulnerability. He cannot be hurt by any weapon know to man. Except for a particular metal. I'm not going to reviel it yet because this goes with the story that I have already created.

Arsenal

I just copyrighted this character recently. I already have a great story plot for this one. But I have not break it down to separate pages yet. Im still very busy with my work in programming and on Kalayaan comics. Maybe in the near future if God is willing I could do a series on Arsenal.

Ripclaw

Another Ripclaw drawing that I made during my collage days.

Ripclaw and CyberCat

This is a drawing that I did way back on my collage days. During the blooming of the image comics. I hope you guys like it as much as I did.
I think I'm going to buy a much cheaper A4 scanner rather than the big A3 scanner that I just mentioned on my last blog. The reason is that its soo darn expensive. The cheapest was a Musteck A3 which cost 16,000.00 Phil. peso and some goes as high as 60,000 peso. I do not have that much money to spend for a scanner. While a Genius A4 scanner only cost P2,100. The other reason is that right now im just doing a ash can comics which I draw on a 7x10 inch work area, meaning to say, that it will only be a waste if Im going to buy the expensive one. The works that I have previously done on a 10x15, I will just have to scan twice. One on the lower part and the other on the upper part. And just put it together using photoshop. Much more tedious work, but as for now, that is what I should do.

Broken Scanner

My 9 year old scanner finally broke down on me. I'm actually surprised it lasted this long. Now, I'm on a hunt for a USB 10x15 inch scanner. Preferrably a Mustek A3
scanner which Gerry Alanguilan recomended. But he says it is much expensive than an ordinary bond paper size scanner. So I better save up some money from this day on forward. I will be just posting my Old works that I have already scanned for the time being. Until I got my new scanner.

Kalayaan with Colors

Here is a pin-up that I created a while back, but with colors now. Its only flat colors, but still looks good.

In a future post here, I might put some villains of the Kalayaan comics that Im working on. But I havent copyrighted them yet, so Im a little hesitant to show them on to the public yet.

I just went to My deviantART and updated my Drawings. I cant believe the great responds that I got from them. Even when I just have put them for a few minutes. Even now I still think of my self as a strugling artist. A few months ago I got dipress on the way I draw. Coz I think of my self is not very good. But I'm ok now. I'm drawing things as much as there is a free time and I still have the streght comming from the office. And for those of you great people that have given me a positive comment in my deviantART. I just want to say that theres alot more to come. I hope not to disappoint you in the comming future.

Kalayaan and Maskarado Team-up

A few weeks ago I got an email from a good friend(even thoe we have never met in person), Reno Maniquis creator of Maskarado(One of my favorite comics). He said that he will be starting the Maskarado and Kalayaan Team-up that we have been planning for quite sometime. I'm very exited about it. I plan to draw a few pin-ups this comming week.

I'm still busy with my work in Database programming in the office(as usual). But, as much as I can, I'm trying to finish Kalayaan #1. Only a few pages more that I have to pencil. There are alot more work to be done. I still have to ink all the pages,scan them to my computer, put captions and finishing. And theres the printing and publishing stuff. There was a saying, "You will never know, until you try it." Now, I realy have a great respect for the people who make independent comics. I salute you guys, you give determination and perservirance a whole new meaning.

Happy Fathers Day

Some guy are called Mamas boy. But me I’m a Papas boy.Well, that is atlease when I still used to live with them. I’m very closer to my Dad than to my mom. I guess because he is much fun to be with and much tolerable on my naughtyness.

My Father almost died when I was still 9 years old. When one late night,some bastard tried to rob our sari sari store. He was stabed a little bit above the NECK,below his left jaw, but he still manages to chase the robber down the street (is he tough or what ). The bastard got away. My Dad went back to our store to see if my mom is ok, only to found out that he was bleeding to death. It was a good thing my uncle and cousin arived there from their work. They immediately put my Dad on to their car and rushed to the hospital. It was one of my unforgetable night. I wasn't there at the store when it happened. I was with my brother and sisters at home (I was the younges). But it's was a terrifiying though to loose my Dad. On the comming July 4,2006 he will now be 76 YEARS OLD. Imagine that, I thank God very much that he survived this long and pray that he would have more years to come.

One angry dude

Here is another Pin-up of Kalayaan.

Another Kalayaan Pin-up

Here is another Kalayaan Pin-up. I drew this 2 to 3 years ago. But its only recent that I have put colors on it. Enjoy.

Old Drawing

Here is an old drawing that I created way back in my collage days. Pitt is one of my favorite character. This dude realy kicks ass.

Kalayaan Pin-up

Here is a pin-up of Kalayaan that I have done recently. It's still have no colors in it. I hope I would find some time to color it, Im so busy with my work in programming.

At long last - Finally

At long last, I have finally copyrighted my character Kalayaan last June 2. I hope that is the rght word, copyright. Because according to an email that I received from the National Library. Here is what she said "Actually the names of those characters are not copyrighted but are registered trademarks of the person or corporation that owns them. If you will notice specially with the foreign characters you mentioned, there are "tm"s after the names of the characters when used, that is because they are registered trademarks"

Anyway, as long as its registered to me, thats just fine with me.

My First Page

This is the very first 10x15 inch sequencial art that I ever created way back in 1995. That was the time when I was starting to study the way to make a comics.
I know, its only a copy of Jim Lee page of his WildCats, but I just wanted only to feel whats it like to draw on a professional level.

Tech Kids

Kids now a days are realy different from the old days.
They are more enclined to technology.
Just look at my kids.

I hate waiting

I'm a type of a person that likes a productive life. I want a sense of accomplishment in my daily routine.

And waiting of noting is a thing that I rally hate. It's like this. Yesterday was the B-Day of my youngest daughter Catherine. And I was going to buy a B-Day cake for her at SM Fairview, a mall neat our house, but before that, I was going have few pictures of my kids to be develop at a Konica digital which is also in SM Fairview. When I got there, one of the ladies there said that "Just give it to that guy". The dude that I suppose to give my 128MMC (multi media card) that contains my 33 pictures was vey busy accomodating other customer in his computer. As a curious guy that I am, I stood right up on their back and start looking what the heck that they are doing. And I noticed it that the customer was pointing to the pictures that he wants to develop. Take this, take that, Add this, Add that, Ah this one, that one. DUUUUUDE, why dont you save us all a trouble and have done that before you come here. Copy all the picture that you like on a single directory.(I said that on my mind only ofcourse). You should have done that in your house or your fiends house if you dont have a computer. Computers now a days are very cheep. Cheeper than some digital cams. So if you can afford a digital cam, Im sure you could afford a computer. So anyway I stood there about 5 min. and it was my turn. I gave the guy my 128MMC, he scanned it for viruses(Nice SOP), copied it to their hard drive and that it finished, since its only one directory that my 33 pictures resides. It only took us less than 30 sec. to do this.

But the bad news is (here it comes) he said that it was going to be a One and a half hour to print. (What? One and a half hour? Longger than the old film developing that we use to do?) But thats ok, even thoe I hate waiting, I'm a still polite guy and kept my Irritation to my self(I guest most of Filipinos are kind of like that). So I ask my self, how long does it takes to print one digital file? And I answer to my self a few seconds,since that they already have this huge super fast printing machine,yeah, yeah, I know some of you would say what if they have many customers and they still have to adjust and check each and every picture for color balance,brightness,darkness and stuff. But still, that is way too long. One and a half hour is longer than the old negative film to be develop which only takes an hour.

Ahh well, theres nothing much I can do here so I just went my way to buy that B-Day cake and come back later. But when I got to Goldilocks(Our local bakery shop), The line just to get and order and pay was soooooo loooooong. Its like all of the people converges here. But after long waiting in line and paying, the cashier gave me a number 41 stab and said "just kindly wait for your number to be called there sir."(Waiting has become the story of my life). So I waited again. for about 15 min stading its almost my turn now. Almost every 1 min they call each number,number 38,39,40,42. Wait, wait, wait. 42? What happend to 41? As I about to become the Incredible Hulk, I got a glips of the cake that I ordered and It was ready for packaging. But there were this cake being packaged before me so I have to wait a few more minutes(again).

It sure is nice for things to be in order, right? But in real life that doesn't happen. Well atleast not most of the time. In short -> SHIT HAPPENS

ATX - Colored

Here is ATX. A pin-up I did a few years ago. The comics of ATX was penciled by Jim Jimenes and published by the Atlas Comics.

My First Blog

Hello World.
Most of you that have read a programming book from school might have come across those first two words. Anyway, as a programmer, I am very much used to use those words to try things out. Since this is my first post here it’s as might as well use it.
Except from programming,I am also into comics. This is the reason why I have signup for a blog. I plan do display my works here and see what other people has to say. So just stay tune.