I am featured in Uno Magazine

(Click Image to Enlarge)

I am so happy, because today I got a copy of the December issue of UNO Magazine. And I am featured in this issue. And it is not just a small panel. It's a whole freaking PAGE . And on top of that, this particular issue is a big one. The dimension is much bigger than your usual men's magazine. My interview and the cover of Kalayaan 7 and 8 are very clear ang big. That is right, it is an interview of me, done by Mihk Vergara. I have been anticipating this issue of Uno magazine for months now. I have been eagerly and silently anticipating for this magazine to come out on stores. And now that I have one, I can say that it is quite worth the wait.

Thank you very much to Mihk Vergara and Ramon de Veyra for making this possible. Please do buy a copy if you have a chance. This is truly a happy new year for me... :-)

Happy Holidays

I wish all of us a happy, safe and relaxing Holiday. Leave all of your worries and problems for now and try to enjoy this vacation. Take care everyone.

Powerhouse Pin-up

I got a little bit inspired and did this Bayan Knights : Powerhouse Division pin-up. I hope somebody would color this since I really sucks when it comes to coloring.

Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths

This is one movie that am really excited about. I really missed the Justice League Unlimited animated series. Thank GOD that they came up with this movie. I really wish it's February already.

Please visit their site at http://warnervideo.com/justiceleaguecrisis/

Up up and away.

When I was growing up in the 80's. One of my favorite show was the animated cartoon series G.I.Joe. I was a die hard fan. I memorized all of the characters. Even those character not so often being featured. One reason that I love this show so much is probably because of their neat gadgets and vehicles. One in particular is this Cobra C.L.A.W. glider. Back then, I was fantasizing that this technology would be cool if it would come true.

Guess what?, I has come true (in a way).

The person using it, still needs to be transported to the sky using the traditional plane. And from there. He jumps out and activates the jet. But even so, it is still super cool. Just watch the video below.

Morgan Freeman Chain of Command

Colbert can rap

Who ever said a comedian/commentator could not rap?

I was so surprised when Stephen Colbert of "The Colbert Report" suddenly took a mike and rap on stage. During a live performance Stephen Colbert pairs up with Alicia Keys for a parody of her and Jay-Z's hit "Empire State of Mind."

Dear Anonymous

Dear Anonymous

I am very sorry for not posting your comments here, even how flattering and kind words that your are saying. Paki read na lang po ito -> Sorry Guys. Kindly state your name na lang so that we could have a better communication.

Thank you very much. :-)
-Gio Paredes

Powerhouse Color Cover

Something to look for next year.

Bayan Knights: Powerhouse division
graphic novel

Cover art
Pencil: Gilbert Monsanto
Inks: Reno Maniquis
color: Brian Joseph Valeza

Not the final look of the cover.

BJ Penn is just Awesome

I just finished watching UFC 107, "The Prodigy" BJ Penn VS Diego "The (not so) Nightmare" Sanchez. And man, what a fight. BJ Penn was cool as ice from beginning to end. While Diego was all show (with that yesss.. yesss thing during his intro walk to the ring) and could not live up to all what he said about BJ. He said he was going to do this ... and do that. But in the octagon, it was noticeable that BJ Penn dominated him from start to finish. His angry/crazy look could not do anything to hurt his opponent either. And it is kinda over acting if you ask me.

At the begging of round 1, I jumped from my seat and said a tagalog cursing word out loud as I saw Diego got hit by a serious right punch from BJ and he was knock down. I thought it was going to be a quick fight when Diego hits the canvas by the powerful and accurate punches of BJ. But to Diegos credit, he recovered and proved that he has a though chin and still has a lot of gas.

In a way, I was happy that it did not ended quickly in round 1. I wanted BJ to punish him more (sorry Diego fans). And boy what a punishment BJ gave to Diego. While the Prodigy came out of the fight almost unhurt. Diegos face was all bruised, bloody cut lips and soo beaten up body. But the most noticable damage was the BIG cut on his left forehead (about 3 inches if I am not mistaken) caused by a nasty right kick by BJ. His cut was like a broken pipe flowing with blood. It was so nasty that the doctor decided to stop the fight in the last minute of round 5. After this fight, the pretty boy Diego is not so pretty anymore.

From round 1 to round 5. All attempts of Diego to take down BJ was useless. Every attempts came with a punishment from BJ's fist and elbows while they were on the fense. Diego was just out classed.

A busy December

It is a surprisingly busy week for me. I am more busy than I usually am with my day time job as a Analyst/Programmer. Our company had expanded our branches to a total of 110 and still counting while other 5 more branches are still under construction and would probably be opening early next year. With this, my responsibility as the head of the IT department had also grown exponentially. I have a few people that are now working under me. And looks up to me as their leader. Which sometimes I am not very comfortable with.

I could still remember when our company was so small and our old office in Kamias was so cramped and we only had 20 branches or so when I have joined the company almost 8 years ago. I guess a growing company has its pros and cons. Both for the employee and employer stand point that we should try to live with.

New Kalayaan Fan Art

Fan art by Tey. A fellow Bayan Knight.

Fan art by Jethro Morales. I met him once when I was delivering Kalayaan comics to comic odyssey in Robinsons Galleria. He bought issue #7 and #8 that day.

Both art will be included in the FAN ART SECTION of the next issue of Kalayaan (issue #9). Just do not ask me when it will be coming out. This issue is the most challenging yet. I am seriously thinking on adjusting the frequency of the publishing of Kalayaan comics. I might make it every six months (or maybe longer) instead of four. It is seriously affecting my health, my day time job and my family time.

The 2nd San Pablo Comics Festival

I'm already in our ortigas office, but I am still tired from yesterdays comics festival. It is very much exhausting (because of the distance traveled) but very much enjoyable. And the view and climate of the place is breath taking. It would be nice to get a house there someday.

Here are some of the pictures that we have taken.

Bayan Knights meeting place at SM Megamall at 7am in the morning.

Renie Palo was my seatmate during the entire travel time to San Pablo.

A nice picture of the country side. :-)

I will post more pictures again soon.

Fantastic print output

After 3 long years and a thousand (approximately) prints later. I have retired my old Canon Pixma iP1600 and bought this new Canon Pixma iP1980. And the print out put is just fantastic. I was very much embarrassed for the past 6 months (give or take) with the kind of print cover that I have been selling. Because of financial constraints, I have spent many long hours thinkering my old printer just to make it look better. And now with this new one. I am very much releaved.

My next project would be to find the funding to make this baby a continious ink system (CIS).

Hero Nation

Last Nov. 30,2009.... I attended Hero nation. It was produced by Hero Channel (a local cable company). Omeng Estanislao and Gener Pedrina both working at ABS-CBN knows some people that have provided us a free pass and a free table to sell our comics and stuff.

Me with Omeng Estanislao. He has this cool top of the line Nikon digital camera. Ingit ako :-(

During the event, Kajo (of Trese) dropped by our table. Afterwords he went on to the Hero tarpaulin sketch wall and started drawing. It is actually a wall specially designed for sketching. The Hero organizers even provided the markers for it. Gener immediately joined him. And after seeing that they were drawing their respective characters, I got envious and joined them also. And then before we knew it. Lots of people were looking at the three of us sketching on the wall.

Kajo with Trese and Kambal. Too bad I forgot to take a picture with him for a remembrance. Sayang... :-( While sketching, Kajo said to me that this is a great example of a free advertisement. :-)

And during this sketching time, we did not noticed that one of the host of Hero TV was already at our backs, together with the camera crew and every thing. And before I knew it, he was already interviewing me in front of the camera with all of the peoples eyes are n me. And the giant projector view screen also added nervousness during the interview. It was an excellent opportunity for me as the host asked who was I drawing. And after explaining that it is a character of a comics that I have. He was very surprised and he also asked me where people could buy my comics. Badabing badaboom. Kajo was right. It was definitely a free advertising. :D

One of the most memorable person that I have meet during the event is VJ Andrei (I hope I got his name right, I only asked Gener of his name). He is a Hero TV host/reporter/MTV VJ. I only recognize him by face when I sometimes pass through the MYX channel.

He was really into my comics. He keeps coming back at our table even if he was taping a segment with his camera crew. He bought many of my comics and even they were taping, I have seen him reading issue #1 of Kalayaan already. :D He then came back to me and asked me so many questions. Who is Rhea? How saw the genetic enhancement of Kalayaan? Does he have any weaknesses? and many more. He was so makulit in a very very positive way. It only shows his interest in the story of my comics. And that is a comic book reader that I would like to have . On the back of my mind. Wait until you read issue #4. It will blow your mind, hehe.

Okay, I completely lost all of my dignity by showing you this. I got this Rey Mysterio mask from Omeng. It is actually an imported mask directly from Mexico. One of this office mate once went there and got it for him. Bagay ba? :-)

At this point of time, we totally lost it because of fatigue. We were like the three stoogist. Astroboy got the better of all of us. :-)