Summer Komikon

Summer de Avence Komikon 2010
Poster created by Jon Zamar
(Click Image to enlarge)

This is the latest Summer Komikon poster created by Jon Zamar. Additional characters have been added, including my character (just above Kapaitan Tog).

Death in the family

My sister (Ate Gene) call me up crying on the phone. She just told me that our cousin 'Wawa' just passed away. Her name is Joyce 'Wawa' Paredes-Cabotan. Wawa ang nick name nya kasi sabi sa akin dati ni Papa, noong bata pa daw kami, sa aming mag pipinsan, sya ang mahilig magpa awa kung merong gustong laruan. She is almost the same age as I am. Matanda lang sya ng isang taon. The truth is, she is not really blood related to me. She was adopted by my Auntie and my real cousin (Ate Nene and Ate Inday). We (me and my sibling) call her my cousin because she is almost the same age as I am and my siblings. We have always treated her as our relative because me and my brothers and sisters are very close to her. Bata kasi nag asawa ang Auntie Lucy ko at matanda naman nag asawa ang father ko(his younger brother). That is why, my true cousins, Ate Nene and Ate Inday are way older than me. Noong bata pa ako, meron ngang pagkakataon na nag kakamali ako at nag mamano ako sa kanila.

Last time I saw Wawa was last November 22. Bumisita kami sa bahay nila sa Bacoor Cavite. Kakatapos nya lang noon ng operasyon and she is under going dialysis. At that time, we were already worried about her, kaya kami nag punta sa bahay nila. Nag bigay na nang taning kasi ang doctor sa kanya na hindi na raw talaga sya tatagal.

Her death kept me awake last night. I just keep on thinking that a persons life is truly fragile. Naalala ko tuloy yung time na nag kasakit ako ng hepatitis a few years ago. I really thought that I was going to die. I was bed redden, my body was color yellow from head to foot and I had a terrible ulcer. The pain was excruciating.

I am worried right now about the people that she have left behind. My auntie is very old and has little or no source of income.

(L-R) Me, My Dad, Auntie Lucy and Wawa
(Taken last November 22, 2009)


(L-R) Me, Wawa, Ate Nene, Ate Inday, Auntie Lucy, My Dad

(Taken last November 22, 2009)

Pagkatapos ng visit namin last November sa kanila at nakita ko na medyo okay naman na si Wawa. Medyo napanatag na ang pag iisip ko. Maganda na ang lagay nya at nakakalakad na ng maayos. Nalungkot ako ng husto nang nalaman ko kagabi na patay na sya. Nakakapanghinayang ang kanyang pagkawala. Isa kasi sya sa pinaka matalinong tao na kilala ko. Noong Elementary kasi sya, hindi nawawala ang pangalan nya sa top 3. Pag naging 3rd honor sya ay medyo masama ang kalooban nya dahil kadalasan ay 1st honor sya. Pag dating naman ng high school at college ay scholar naman sya parati ng school. Before she got sick, she was working as a chemical engineer/biologist. Science talaga ang hilig nya kahit noon pa. Noong bata pa kimi, meron ding pag kakataon na mahaba ang pag uusap namin tungkol sa science. Sayang at hindi naging mahaba ang pag uusap namin noong huli kaming nakapunta sa bahay nila.

I will surely miss her.

Wall of Heroes 4

This post is taken from the updated Wall of heroes 4 of the Bayan Knights blog site. We just keep on moving with the fourth issue of BK. It is very hard to self publish, specially on the financial side. So any amount from anybody (specially from sponsors) would be very much appreciated. As the deadline comes closer and closer, it gets more and more difficult for us.

---------------------------------------------------------
A big "thank you" to everyone who dropped by at our Komikon booth and checked our titles out!..

As early as now, the Bayan Knights team are already preparing for our 4th issue. Many thanks to the following people for the support and love! :)

1. Francis Lim**
2. Ruth Genevieve Ong*
3. Pauline Angelica Cole*
4. Jethro Loreto Azores*
5. Neil Maunce Bascos*
6. Mark Willard Wong**
7. Riel Labanda*
8. John Becaro**
9. Myles Chua*
10. Geofrrey Borgonia**
11. Gio Paredes**


* -DONATIONS
**-PLEDGES
***- Thru COMMISSIONS (no free copy)

Donors will be acknowledged in our comics' special "Thank You" page on Bayan Knights #4 PLUS! We're giving a free Bayan Knights sketch card and along with their free copy of a Sacred Mountain Poster and a Bayan Knights issue of their choice.

Here's how to donate:

• Deposit your contributions through any BPI branch to Sacred Mountain Publications, Account # 4033-04277-4. Kindly write your name on the deposit slip and fax a copy to 655-6780. You may also scan or take a clear photo of the deposit slip and email the image file with your contact details to smp_letters@yahoo.com.
• We also accept payments through Paypal. Kindly enter smp_letters@yahoo.com as the payee account.
  

Read about how to be part of the Wall of Heroes by clicking this link and checking out "Become our Hero".

Thank you so much, guys! WE ARE ONE! :)
(Click here to view the original post from the BK site)

My cellphone was stolen

For those of you who has my number, please just erase it now from your phone book. My cellphone was stolen recently on a bus on my way home.

I am not planning to buy a new one for the time being, there are just too many things that I have to pay right now. If you want to contact me, you can still reach me by my email and my land line phone at home.

Forex - Kalayaan comics launching

These are some of the pictures that I received today (more pictures to follow) from the Forex - Kalayaan comics launching in Virginia. This was held last March 9,2010.

Launching of Kalayaan Komiks, March 9,2010 (L-R) Chairman Emeritus Jaime M. Carino, CFO Chit de Jesus, Cecille and Sergio Bautista, Marlyn Hall and Shirley Endiape.

(L-R) Rodney Jaleco, bureau chief for Washington, D.C. of ABS-CBN, Chairman Jaime M. Carino, Dr. Pio and Dr. Cristina Poblete and Forex CFO Chit de Jesus.

One of three for 12 at the PRESENT Restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia for the official launching in the USA of the Pilipino komiks, KALAYAAN by Gio Paredes. 16-course lauriant dinner attended by 33 guest.

At the FOREX headquarters in Springfield, Virginia before the launching of KALAYAAN komiks by Gio Paredes.

The poster that they are holding above will be put on all of the FOREX branches for all the Filipino community would know that they could get a FREE copy of my comics there. I am so happy right now that I feel I'm in cloud 9.

GMP Project

Yup, I am at it again. Between pages of Kalayaan, I still had a few sketching time to do these project that have been temporarily stopped. I hope that I could finish this one big tarpaulin one day.

MASKARADO

Character owned by : Reno Maniquis


UNSTOPPABLE
Character owned by : Heubert Khan Michael

MATANGLAWIN
Character owned by : Jon Zamar

LUZVIMINDA
Character owned by : Ray Adrian Magbanua

SERVANT
Character owned by : Geofrrey Borgonia

(click image to enlarge)

Here is the main tarpaulin so far. Still a lot more characters missing. It will be wonderful to finish and print this out one day. But for now, I just love it seeing this everyday. This particular image above is actually my desktop wallpaper. If you want to make it your wallpaper too, be my guess. Just simply download it. :-)

Pacquiao in Jimmy Kimmel show

Not only he was interviewed in this show. But he also sung in the show. This is a must see youtube video.

THIS IS IT

No, it is not the Michael Jackson DVD. It is much much better (at lease for me :D).

(Click image to enlarge)

(Click image to enlarge)

This is it people, both the Pinoy Herald and the Kalayaan #1 just came out of the printer. The Forex people are good enough to email me this image. A complementary copy will soon to follow. I guess that this is the first time that I have been featured on a news paper and I am very much happy.

The komiks will be formally launched on March 9. These are the list of the branch location that Kalayaan comics will be distributing abroad. It will be the main east coast headquarters of FOREX that will be giving out the first issue initially - that means the Metropolitan Washington, DC area of the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Virginia, Springfield, Alexandria and the state of Maryland. If any of your friends in these areas, they can go to Filipino stores and pick up a copy.

This is truly a happy day for me.

K9 Page 10

Kalayaan #9 Page 10.

In this scene, the body armor (suit) of Kalayaan is given an upgrade by Cyfer. The nanobots assembles his suit much more faster. And not only that, Cyfer also programmed these nanobots to create a casual wear (spoiler alert) for our superhero when he reverts back as John dela Vega.

I was watching one episode of Sci-Fi Science in Discovery one day. It is a show hosted by Dr. Michio Kaku. A very briliant Theoretical Physicist. On one of his episode, he was designing a super suit for a Superhero. And one component of the design was the Carbon Nanotubes. He used it as the body armor of his superhero that gives the wearer super strength and protection. I guess I was on the right path all along. :-)

Ten(10) pages finished, 16 more to go. I really hope I could finish this baby in time for Summer Komikon on April 17.

Hard to ignore ADS

When I ride MRT during my commute to our office every morning. I often see these giant bill board Ads that I find hard to ignore. They are very catchy and humorous at the same time. I really admire the people that comes up with these ideas.

Kalayaan 9 cover

This will be the Kalayaan #9 Cover. The first concept for the cover was actually the page 1. But I thought that many comics already have that kind of cover where two lovers are kissing. So I figured that I have to make a cover that is not only catchy but also filled with emotions.

I guess just by looking at it, you could easily say that this is definitely not your usual issue of Kalayaan. And it is, because it will be a story of John dela Vega's past and present love life. It is also the first cover that you will not see Kalayaan, but rather his alter ego. This issue, had really put my writing skills to a test. I hope that people would enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed making it.

This was actually intended to be release on June of 2010. But I will do my best be in this coming Summer Komikon in April 17.

Right on schedule

I just received a .PDF file from FOREX (my publisher and distributor abroad). It contains the final layout of the first issue of Kalayaan together with a few pages of ADS. The minor adjustment are very much acceptible.

I was very much relieved when I receive the email. For a moment there I was very nervous that the release date might move to a much later date because they have a little trouble finding a cheap printer. It turns out, the quotation that they got from their usual printer is much higher than expected. This must be because of the not so good economy of the US right now. It is a good thing that they got an alternative printer that is much cheaper. But the print quality is only newsprint, which is very much expected from a free comics. Here in the Philippines, I will still be distributing and selling an issue for P60 each which has a glossy photo paper and much better paper quality on the interior. So it is pretty much fair for every one.

Everything is right on schedule. Tuloy na tuloy na talaga. The target release date is March 9, 2010 (Tuesday), and it is also the 27^th anniversary of Forex. Happy anniversary to you guys, I hope that your company would last 100 or more years. A strugling independent comics creator like me needs more people like you.

There will be an article in the newspaper about Kalayaan that will appear in the March 5 issue of the Pinoy Herald. I am so exited to get a copy of this, the exitement is just killing me. :D

K9 Page 5

Here is page 5 of Kalayaan #9. Hopefully, if all things goes well. I will be releasing this issue on April 17 during the Summer Komikon. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

New Kalayaan Fan Art

These are the new fan art that I have been receiving. And I must say that each and every one of them are wonderfully created.

Art by Jon Zamar

Jon is the creator and publisher of the comics Digmaan Salinlahi. He is also an Bayan Knights member with an original character of Matanglawin and Bathala. He is also one of the organizers of the Komikon. This guy is one busy dude. :D

Art by Jethro Morales

I first met Jethro in comic odyssey during a delivery. I had no idea that he was such a good artist. I am definetly be putting his art in the next issue of Kalayaan.

Art by Rhiver

Rhiver is a long time fellow Bayan Knight. He is a the one and only creator of Manila Man. He would also be proof reading and editing Kalayaan #9. I have been talking to him a lot lately with regards to a future issue of Kalayaan. Once I get finished with the script, I will be annoucing it here.

Art by Erwin Ropa

For those of you that have been following Kalayaan comics. You might be familiar with his name. It is because in issue #7, he did some of the pages. And I might say (without any exaduration) that his pages really rocks.

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