Happy New Year

Happy New Year to every body. If live here in the Philippines, I hope you do not fire up any fire cracker. We do not want to start the new year missing any fingers. Be safe everybody.... :D

Creating an Indie Comics - 3. Page Layout

It is wise to have a page layout laid in for visual reference in advance before you do the actual pages. This will be the way the pages must be properly organize or sequensed. Other wise the pages will jumble all over your comics. To give you a more idea on what I am talking about. Please see the figure below.

This will give you a birds eye view on what your comics will look like. So that just in case for example that you want to put a 2 page spread on your comics, you will know where is the exact page is best suited for them. The example above is just one way that you can arrange your comics. If you need more pages for your comics, you can remove the pin-up page,fan-art section and ads and move them and compress them in one page at the back area of your comics if you want to.

This also can help you on making the script. It will give you an idea what page of the story you want to give emphasis on. It will also help you on creating the thumb nails for the story, and give you an idea on how to divide the story of that issue on a specific number of pages.

(Kalayaan #5 - page 1 and 20)

Because of the Page Layout that I draw on a piece of paper. I know that when I scan my sequential pages and edit them on photoshop, page 1 and page 20 will be the pages that will pair. Page 20 will be on the left side and page 1 will be on the right side. So, the example image above is already ready for printing.

Please also check Gerry Alanguilan's creating mini-comics.

Damn Politicians

Please read this story. And I am sure you will get angry as I am right now. If only I have the powers of Kalayaan right now. Justice will be swift.

Vicissitude: The world has gone crazy.



Here are links to some sites that have covered the story.

GMA News.TV

Abante Tonite

Creating an Indie Comics – 2. Paper size

Paper size or your work area where you draw your actual comics may vary in sizes. I do not use a 10 inch by 15 inch (10x15) standard size that professional artist of DC and Marvel often use. I use a bond paper size only because of the following reasons.

1.) I am not making a full blown comics. I only publish an ashcan size. It is a A4 size folded into half. Drawing on a large 10x15 will not make any sense since most of the lines will start to collide when I shrink it down to an ashcan size comics.

2.) For convenience. It will take me longer to draw a sequential art page on a 10x15 size. And I am afraid that I could not publish my comics every 4 months.


I often buy my supplies at NBS (National Book Store) and my art board for my sequential pages is no exception. I buy an 8.5x11 Vellum type board (brand is Elit). It is just the right size, texture and thickness for me. It is also the same board that I previously used for the cover of issue #1 and #2 of Kalayaan. As you might have noticed, issue 1 and 2 is the size of a folded short bond paper. While I started to use an A4 glossy photo paper from issue #3 onwards.


If you want a little bit more larger work area than 8.5x11, you can get its bigger brother 8.5x13, but of course it will cost you a little bit more. The 8.5x11 cost at P21.50(10pcs.) while 8.5x13 cost at P24.50 (10pcs.) .

But weather you use a shot bond size or an A4 size, it does not matter, as long as you retain the aspect ratio of your work area.

What is an Aspect Ratio?

To put it very simple. You must retain the shape of your comics when you enlarge it or shrink it. Look at the figure below and you will get what I mean.



So if you are going to print your indie comics on an A4 size (or any size) just like I do. Here are the steps in getting the right work area/margin of your sequential page.

Get an A4 paper and fold it in half.


Place that on top of the 8.5x11 Vellum paper. And place a vertical and horizontal line on the left side and bottom of the paper respectively. Following the rule above on retaining the aspect ratio. Create a line from the bottom Left to the upper right tip of the A4 paper and continue the line to the Vellum paper.




Remove the A4 paper and create a horizontal line above and a vertical line on the right side. Make sure that those two new lines connects at the same point. And thats it. You can now use this as a template for the border/margin of all the other pages.


After drawing your art on this size, you can now rest assure that the aspect ration is the same with a folded A4 size. And even shrinking it in Photoshop and laying out the pages, would still retain its aspect ratio (That is assuming that you do not distort the image in the scale option of Photoshop.).

Please also check Gerry Alanguilan's creating mini-comics.

Creating an Indie Comics - 1. Plot and Script

I am often ask on how to start their own indie comics. Instead of answering them one by one. It would be better and beneficial to many just to write it down here in my blog. Because I do not want to repeat my self. And I know in the future, I will also be asked with the same questions :D.

I will write down a series of post here, regarding on that subject matter because I cannot answer this huge topic in just one post. I also want to stress out that this is not the only way to create you own comics since there are other comics tutorial out there. It just so happens that this is how I create my comics. So this is basically from my very own experience. You are very much welcome to skip some of the steps here when you think that you are not comfortable with it or simply you already know about it. And you can also make your own way as well. I will not pretend that I am such an expert on this subject matter since I still feel that I am a rookie (which I am) in comics making. So please bear with me if I occasionally type in some mistake here and there.

Creating the Plot and Script

It start with an idea. You cannot create a comics without having a story first. If you already have an idea or character in mind. It is better to write it down. Even how small or insignificant it may seams, write it down! And when an inspiration hits you. Do not stop or wait a while before you write it down on a piece of paper. This thing comes very rare so better make the best of it as much as you can. Because you just never know when the next inspiration of idea will come (or if it will ever come). This idea does not entirely means a whole complete story. This thing can also comes some small bits of pieces of idea for a story that you can patch it together later on to make a seamless story line. Your reader (and even you) will have that "Ahhhhaaaa, I see" factor and amazement of unpredictability of the story line that you made. That is assuming you created a very good script.

One of the hardest thing that I found in the entire comic book production, is writing the script. Making a plot (story with no character dialog) is much easier for me. But creating a script and breaking down the entire plot into 20 sequential pages with dialogs is very brain draining.

Many year ago, I always wonder why is the script writer always comes first before the artist. And now I know. It takes a lot of brain power to create a script. (silly me)

I often create the plot of my story, way ahead of the script. I often create the plot during my commute from office to our house. When I got that itch to create a story, I will write it down immediately. Those moments are rare and I tend to make the most of it. Even if the vehicle is moving, I will write the idea down and just revise it at home.

After the plot comes the creation of the script (the complete story with character dialog). I only create the script only when I am ready to draw the entire issue. It is hard for me to write a script without drawing a simple sketch (thumbnails) of the page layout. It is much easier for me, if I will create the page layout with the character dialog simultaneously.

I write my script (with thumbnails) on a short bond paper. I divide the paper into 4 equal parts as shown above. For one bond paper, I would write down 2 pages (script with thumbnails side by side) of my comics. Since my comics has 20 pages, I would need 10 bond paper in all. I like this kind of writing compared to the traditional way of a writer because if ever I would become a full time comic book writer. Artist would have a much easier illustrating the story that I have written because aside from the written down story, he will have a heads up on the visual because of the thumbnails.

Toycon and BK Videoke

That's Carlo Pagulayan (Incredible Hulk) and Me at Toycon in Megamall last saturday. The whole BayanKnight gang was there also selling our BK#1 comics. I also bought a bunch of comics from Comics Odyssey table. They have this bunch of stack of comics that sells only at P20. I just could not resist my self not scan all of them and bring home many title as I can.

After the Toycon event, we also had a small hilarious party at a restaurant in Megamall. I am still waiting the others to post or email me the pictures. I forgot to take any of them since I was so busy laughing my ass of. :D

If that wasn't enough, after the party we head off at a family videoke bar. I never thought that comic book people are also very good singer as well. And some are good dancers as well :D. I would say that this is the climax of the entire day for me. We had such a good time that we went home roughly 4 to 5 am in the morning.

Till next time guys..

Kalayaan New Glove Design

Here is the new Kalayaan Gloves design. I wanted to make this small transition for quite some time now. I just felt that the previous design did not gave him enough flexibility in his wrist.

This sketches will serves as a reference for me (and others as well).

It is metallic inside, and the exterior is an experimental new Kevlar Polymer (bullet proof). The reason I did the old design simply because of the blades that comes out near of his knuckle. This time around, I have to make a little compromise. The blades will come out near the wrist area. And that will result to a smaller one.

Gwapoman

It is my turn to create a fan art for my fellow Bayan Knight.
This is Gwapoman... an ex-thief, now a vigilante.

Gwapoman... created by Aaron Felizmenio

Did you know?

Did you know that Randy "The Natural" Couture of the UFC, was the Scorpion King?

As a huge UFC fan that I am. I was surprise that I only know this recently. The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior was released in USA last August 19,2008. Too bad Randy loosed his Heavyweight title to Brock Lesnar. Win, Loose or Draw... I still love Randy because he is such a nice person. Very humble, my hero of the UFC.

Flight at Night

Interview

This comic strip is a true to life story of me in last Komikon. And I think that it is very hilarious.

Many thanks to Ian Along who created this strip. He created this strip while we were selling comics in the Komikon. Very talented guy.

Victory

Panalo nanaman si Manny Pacquiao.

Proud to be Filipino nanaman tayo.... sa loob at labas ng bansa. Kahit nakakabwisit ang ating presidente... kahit paano, pa minsan minsan na tulad ng sandaling ito ay na natutuwa tayong maging Pilipino. Alam nyo sometimes naaawa rin ako sa mga OFW nating mga kababayan na nag titiis at napipilitang pumunta sa ibang bansa at willing mahiwalay sa pamilya dito sa Pilipinas para lang kumita ng pera. Kung tutuusin, kung matino lang talaga ang gobyero natin ay hindi na kailangan pang umalis ng milyon milyong Pilipino. There are already a great deal of opportunities here. Nawawala lang dahil sa corruption sa gobyerno.

Anyway, I do not want to spoil the happiness that we are enjoying right now. Kahit alam kong panandalian lang ito.

Mabuhay ang mga Pinoy..... Kahit saang parte pa kayo ng mundo.

Reading Jammbled Words

Aoccdrnig to rsecearh, it deosnt mttaer waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, olny taht the frist and lsat leettr be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

New consignment

Bayan Knights #1 and Kalayaan 1 to 5 are now available at the following stores.

1.) Dynes Salon and Spa - Main branch
#21 paso de blas, Valenzuela City
tel.# 444-78785

2.) Dynes Salon and Spa - Malabon branch
#34 governor pascua ave. Acacia Malabon
tel.# 287-64354

3.) Dynes Salon and Spa - Fatima branch
119 McArthur hi-way, marulas
valenzuela city
tel.# 445-8885

Many thanks to Myles and her family for letting us sell our comics there.

Skyworld: Apocrypha

From all the comics that I bought at Komikon. Skyworld of Ian Sta. Maria and Mervin Ignacio stood out from the rest of them. The art work of Ian is just simply amazing. It is totally different from the cross hatching that I am very fun of, but still very pleasing with the eyes and the details is just tremendous. Ian is totally in a league on his own. I really recommend this to every comics lover out there. The only thing that I felt after reading this is just I was hanging in the edge. This book is clearly just an introduction. Bitin na bitin ako.

If Ian and Mervin can read this blog. Please finish the next chapter of this book coz I am craving for more... :D

More pics

This picture of Heubert, Ian and me was taken by Rommel (Omeng) Estanislao. A person that I just meet at the Komikon. It also happens that he is also an office mate of Gener Pedrina at ABS-CBN. Omeng also has his own indie comics which is entitled "ANAK NG TUPANG ITIM, HERO ANG BAGONG BAYANI"

This is Hazel Manzano-Chua of Callwork, taking picture with me. Holding in her arms is Kalayaan issue #5 that she just bought. With matching tarpaulin back ground pa. :D

If you are still not convinced that the last Komikon event was not fun. Just look at the faces of these crazy dude. Heubert, Wan, Mike, Ian, Bien del Rosario of Adoboverse, Me and Erico Calimlim of Pag-Asa Comics.



Ian doing his own version of Superman, Markus (pa cute) and Me (lalong pa cute) :D