Go read the interview and get the details about what’s in store for Kalayaan fans within the coming months!

Mark Rosario (MR):Congrats, Gio, for the recent release of Kalayaan #12. How does it feel to see 12 comics on your Komikon table now? Well, basically, 13, along with Kalayaan #0!

Gio Paredes (GP): I am very much happy. It took much longer than I expected. Issue #11 was released Feb. 2011 and #12 was on November. That’s 9 months, and I would be happier if it was less than that. But I have some excuse because aside from that, I also released #0 and am about to release the much over due Kalayaan Volume 1 which contains the compiled issue from #1 to #4. So it’s fun making all this things at once. It’s CRAZY… but fun.

MR: It’s indeed been a wild ride since you started, Gio. You’ve received glowing reviews and fantastic fan arts, you’ve been featured in Sulyap, won the Komikon Grassroots Award, got more than 1400 likes on Facebook, plus Kalayaan has even hit the American shores – thanks to Forex Cargo US. What other things do you hope to achieve with your character?

GP: A TV series and a movie would be nice he he he… But for now, better distribution for my comics is always on my mind. That is why I am almost forced to make the Volume 1. It will be (I hope) distributed in the largest book store in the Philippines soon. I’ve been so busy working with the legal papers of my comics publishing company these past few months. Yeah… You heard it right, my very own formal/legal publishing company. That took too much of my time (and not to mention, money) on processing it.

MR: Like you’ve mentioned above, you will soon be releasing a Kalayaan graphic novel.  How will this be different from the individually-released issues?

GP: One of the most noticeable difference is the new cover I made for this graphic novel. And I was so blessed because an international colorist Rain Beredo was so generous enough to color it for me.

MR: Can we expect to see bonus pages there? Like concept artworks or scripts maybe?

GP: Hindi umabot ang concept artworks and sample script… I will definitely put them on Volume 2. The only bonus are the 5 pages of fan art section which contains 9 images each. So thats 45 fan arts in all! I also included the character profiles of the main characters and some other stuff.

MR: Speaking of covers, I think some readers are noticing. You get different colorists for the covers but you are not letting anyone do the art chores. Care to share the reason behind that, Gio?

GP: To tell you frankly I really do not know why hehehe! I think it is a personal thing to me. One major thing that draws me to buy a comic book is the cover (ever since). It’s a big factor to me. I want, as much as possible, the cover to represent what my comics is. And it is MY comics, and so it is only fitting that I do the cover.

MR: That’s cool enough! Lets talk comics then. What have you been reading lately? Any personal favorites among Pinoy indies?

GP: Pinoy Indies? Please forgive me for being biased… but  I would say Bayan Knights. And Sanduguan by Gener Pedrina. I just got issue #10 recently. Gener is really pouring it on.

MR: I’ve read that one too. I’m actually planning to review that next time… And since you’ve mentioned Gener, you’ve actually worked with him and with Erwin Ropa in past issues. Are there any other artists you hope to collaborate with for future issues?

GP: Well… Jim Lee would be nice…. hehehe. But seriously, there is already a plan for an international artist who will be doing some of the pages in issue #13. Wish me luck that it would push through.

MP: That’s amazing! Clue naman dyan kung sino!

GP: He is a Filipino and he lives in Ortigas. Kung hindi nyo pa gets, he also recently did a water color painting of Kalayaan.

MR: Nice! I think I get it heheh.. Looking forward to that then.. Now I have to ask you – how did it feel to finally meet your character in person? I mean David Delano D’Angelo’s Kalayaan cosplay (at GTMACCON) was awesome! Hahah!

GP: It was very fun, David is one of the nicest person I’ve ever met. I’m so glad he cosplayed my character.

MR: Okay, lets do some parting shots then. Advice for aspiring creators who want to follow your footsteps – plus  message for our blog readers. Go!

GP: Just stay motivated and focus on the things you want to achieve. Never give up on your dreams.

And please buy Kalayaan Vol.1: A New Pinoy Superhero coming very soon at Comics Odyssey and at your nearest book store.

Please support all of our local Pinoy comics publisher. That’s it. Thanks!

Related posts:

1. Panels and Pages #1 – An Interview with Gener Pedrina
2. Panels and Pages #8 | Paolo Fabregas Interview
3. Panels and Pages #6 | Justin Leach interview

Our venue, however, wasn’t at a comics convention or a comic book shop but at a painting exhibit here in Dagupan. We’re both from Pangasinan actually and, you see, aside from being a comics artist, Mel is also an excellent painter. Two of his paintings are displayed at Nepo Mall’s Alulong Art Exhibit (which is open to the public until December 31 so if you happen to live nearby, go hurry!).

I asked him how long it typically takes him to finish a piece and he says it could take weeks, if not months, because he’s always busy with many other things (he’s also working as a call center agent).  He even laughs and points to one of his pieces and tells me it took him four years just to get it done.

Quite ironically, however, we spent longer time talking more about comics than about paintings. Sorry, we really can’t help it! Hahah.. The guy really speaks with lots of enthusiasm when it comes to that topic and I find his insights impressive. I really wanted to dig a little deeper than our 2-hour conversation and I thought featuring him here on Panels and Pages would be cool.

So ladies and gentlemen, comic geeks of all ages, let’s all welcome my kabaleyan, Mel Casipit!

Mark Rosario (MR): Hi, Mel! Thanks for agreeing to do this interview. Welcome to PlanetMarkus!

Mel Casipit (MC): Hi Mark, It’s an honor to be featured here in your prestigious blog site!

MR: First things first, what age did you start drawing and what eventually motivated you to start creating your own comics?

MC: I can’t recall the time when I first started drawing but my mom told me that as soon as I was able to hold a pencil in my hand, I was already drawing and vandalizing our house hehe. That was maybe when I was 1 or 2 years old.  I’ll confirm that with my Mom when we see each other again.

MR: Baboy was your first entry for the Komikon Comics Creation Contest – and you got to take home the grand prize right away! How does that feel?

MC: I wasn’t expecting but it really boosted my urge to do more comics! I have always been drawing comics before but it was put on hold when I started working in the call center industry so it really was a great honor and experience to win the contest.

MR: I actually dig the gritty, detailed artstyle you used for Baboy. I’m just curious, why did you choose to use very few words for that comic book?

MC: I want my comics to stand-out, to be unique and to be different (medyo redundant ah hehe) so I used the gritty art style and very few words, if not none. I believe that a good artist can tell stories with only few words. I think it adds mystery to the story and highlights how good the artist is.

MR: I fully agree with you there, man. And oh! Congrats for making it to the Sulyap Komiks Anthology. I’m happy Baboy got included there. The story deserves the exposure!

MC: Thanks, Mark! I’m really humbled to be part of the Sulyap Komiks Anthology. I thank the Artist’ Den for Komikon and the Anthology. And especially to Jon Zamar since he’s the one who invited me for Sulyap.

MR: Now let’s talk a bit about Mukat comics. I enjoyed reading that one, too… You did that way back your college days, right? I find it interesting that you were actually into Manga-ish artstyle back then.

MC: I’m happy you love Mukat, too. Yes, I did that way back my college days. I’ve always wanted to create my own characters and comics and so I thought  “Why do I need to wait for someone to tell me to do it? When I can start doing comics on my own?” So I did. Most of my influences that time were all anime/cartoons so I adapted the art style straight away. My main influence was the art of Gundam Wing, I like animes with not too large eyes.

MR: How has your style evolved over the years? Your flexibility is pretty noticeable, man. I mean I’m amazed how you can comfortably switch from serious, edgy art to cute, cartoony stuff. That’s something not all artists can do well.

MC: Well, all I can say it that my art style evolves as everyone else’s does. You can’t just stick to just one style because sometimes it doesn’t match the story that you need to do.  It was not easy at first to do cute, cartoony style. I did researches and experiments until I came up with MLU style art.

MR: A little fun question here: Name at least three indie comics creator in the country whose work you truly admire.

MC: Rommel “Omeng” Estanislao of Lipad, Love Story, Anak ng Tupang Itim etc,  E.A Damaso of Cat’s Trail Rewind and Melvin Calingo of Pasig because they are really good – not just as artists but also as comics writers. I also love the way they do story-telling on their panels.

MR: Okay so, what can fans expect from Mel Casipit for 2011? Any new comics you plan to release or something?

MC: Yup, I am going to release the Mukat Comics series and some new titles. I promise to produce my best comics every time. I’ll just surprise you all.

MR: Now go tell our blog readers where they can buy your stuff, Mel! Or maybe how they can get in touch with you online.

MC: My comics are available at Comic Odyssey, Robinson Galeria in Ortigas and at Comic Quest SM North Edsa. You can also contact me thru email, Facebook and DeviantArt for online orders. Sulyap is now available at Powerbooks Trinoma, MOA, Greenbelt and Glorietta.I also see to it that I attend every comics event/convention there is at the Metro Manila area so you can also catch my comics there.  On Dec. 22-23 at  Megacon, at the Megatrade hall 1 at Megamall and Komikstrip UPLB this February 2011 and many more events to come!

MR: Thank you for your time, Mel! Good luck to you and what you do!
MC: Thank you too, Mark, for this opportunity, I’m proud to be a Pangasinense Komiks man! More Power to you and your blog.

Related posts:

1. Panels and Pages #3 – A Heubert Khan Michael Interview
2. Panels and Pages #8 | Paolo Fabregas Interview
3. Panels and Pages #4 – An Interview With Aaron Felizmenio

Meet Paolo Fabregas – writer, artist and creator of the Filipino Heroes League, a very engaging comicbook that gets you from the first page to the last.

I tell you, I became an instant fan after reading this title that I couldn’t resist the idea of getting in touch with him to ask for a short interview. Yeah, it’s true I’ve been out of the loop with my indie interviews for several months now and perhaps that’s exactly the point! I liked the book that much I wanted to know more about it and about the creator.

Fortunately, the nice guy was cool about the whole idea and consented right away!

So for this month’s Panels and Pages feature, let’s meet him as he tells us about his awesome comicbook and much, much more.

Mark Rosario:  Hi, Paolo! Thanks for agreeing to do this. Please tell us about how you discovered comics and what eventually hooked you into the hobby.

Paolo Fabregas: I discovered comics when I was about 10 with Todd Mcfarlane’s Spider-Man. I loved his detail and all that extra-webbing. I was such a huge fan of Mcfarlane and so upset that he left, that when Erik Larsen replaced him on Spider-Man, I redrew all the frames that Larsen drew in the style of Mcfarlane.

MR: What motivated you to pursue the passion and eventually become a comicbook creator yourself?

PF: I stopped drawing and obsessing over comics when I was around 15. I got distracted with other things – girls, theater, and such. And so I doodled for about 12 years until I got re-introduced to it.

I was working with Ian Sta. Maria, co-creator of Skyworld, in an advertising agency and he saw a doodle of mine – Batman taking a snooze on a chair. After he saw that, he pushed me to write my own comic book. He offered the last six pages of Skyworld for my own little teaser. It’s through him that I met Budjette Tan and the growing world of Komiks in the Philippines.

The story that I first wrote for the back of Skyworld had a similar mythological theme. However, it just didn’t feel right for me at the time. I dropped it to pursue what I really love about comics – superheroes.

MR: So Filipino Heroes League is your first ever comicbook release.

The Filipino Heroes League is my first comic work. I’ve always wanted to make one but I just couldn’t find a story that I felt was good enough. Luckily, I stumbled upon the FHL.

MR: How did you come up with the idea for FHL, anyway? Did you base them on real events or people? Invisiboy’s real name sounds kinda familiar to me, you know! Haha!

PF: When I set out thinking about the FHL, I wanted to write a story about Filipino Super Heroes but I didn’t want them to be trapped in a Marvel-like story where they only battled super villains or themselves. I wanted them to address the real problems of our country. With that as my guiding thought, the entire world of the FHL kind of fell into place.

With regards to Invisiboy’s real name… um, pure coincidence.

MR: Now I’d like to ask… How does it feel to be getting lots of positive reviews for the book, so far? I mean, no less than Gerry Alanguilan himself praised your work at one point!

PF: Well, it feels great, of course! Now I just don’t want to disappoint. I think it’s taken the better part of two years to write and draw Book 1 of the FHL so it feels good that all that effort is being appreciated.

MR: Personally, I’m loving the mix of politics, showbiz and superheroics. Plus the mystery elements keep me on my toes. And I’d have to tell you – I literally laughed out loud for that pedicab chase scene, man. That was insane! Haha!

PF: I’m glad. I hope people are entertained. I’ve got a lot of things planned for my heroes and I hope people will read on to discover what happens next.

MR: You’ve been mentioning on DA that the next goal is a compilation. That means the trade paperback edition is already in the works, right?

PF: Yes, the full book 1 is now complete. It’s going to see print under Visprint in 2011.

MR: I so can’t wait for that! In the mean time, tell our blog readers about where they can find you and your comics. Any events where you will sell your stuff or something?

PF: I believe that some of my ashcans might still be in Sputnik but I’m not altogether sure anymore. But seriously, most of the pages that I sell are already online at my DeviantArt site and Glyph Wall.

I’ll still be in the upcoming Metro Comic Con and the November Komikon. I might be selling posters of the cover but I’m not sure yet.

MR: And oh! Kudos to you and your friends at Glyph Wall for pioneering the first online indie comics store in the country. That’s totally awesome!

PF: Thanks. We wanted to showcase the talent we saw at the comic cons online.

MR: Yeah, that’s a good idea. At least far-flung comic fans can still get the books just in case they miss the conventions.

PF: We hope that Glyph Wall can really become a venue where our indie creators can develop an audience. Filipinos are rabid consumers of the internet and hopefully they start shifting their eyeballs to the local talent.

MR: Thanks a ton for your time, Paolo. Good luck to your graphic novel!

PF: Thanks, Mark. And thanks for taking the time to interview me. It’s been a pleasure.

MR: The pleasure’s all mine, Paolo! I assure you that!

Related posts:

1. Panels and Pages #3 – A Heubert Khan Michael Interview
2. Panels and Pages #9 – Mel Casipit Interview
3. Panels and Pages #5 | RH Quilantang interview

The idea of doing comics strips about call centers might seem like a natural one for Hazel. Besides, she has always loved drawing and creating comics… plus she works at a call center herself!

However, the result was nothing short of brilliant! The comic strips started becoming popular not only to her fellow call center agents but also got to find its way on the pages of Manila Bulletin.

Boys and girls, lets meet Hazel Manzano as she answers a few questions about the past, present and future of Callwork comics.

Mark Rosario (MR): Hi, Hazel. I recently visited your blog and saw old comics pages you did when you were a kid. They looked fun! Haha! What age did you exactly start to draw and what motivated you to keep going through the years?

Hazel Manzano (HM): I started drawing when I was very young. It was even before I went to school. My first comic was done when I was 5. I didn’t scan it ‘coz may nakahubad. Hahaha. Naliligo na scene. At the age of 7, I was selling my drawings for 1 peso. I was published at the age of 16 in Philippine Junior Inquirer.

There’s no need to motivate myself in drawing but in doing comic strips, my influences are Baltic and Co., Pupung and Beerkada. I also loved reading my mom’s comics like Dennis the Menace, Harvey like Casper, Spooky, Hot Stuff, Lotta, Audrey etc. I also love Disney and DC.

MR: Now let’s talk about Callwork. When did you start making these Callwork strips? What were the initial reactions to it?

HM: There is something about the way how the company and managers treat their people and something about the people treating their job. There were too many issues – people managers were still young and doesn’t know how to manage well, agents were also young and it’s either they aren’t that serious with their job or cannot cope up with the stress. Basically, there aren’t much process yet implemented in this young organization/ industry.

There were so many new jokes and issues that I decided to collect my experiences since 2002. I executed this plan to be a comic strip in 2006. Hindi pa nga Callwork ang title e. “Talakatologist” pa ang title niya dati which was published in our company magazine. Then I realized na masyadong mahaba so naisip ko gawing “Callwork” named after “After Call Work” or ACW. ACW is the button you press if you want to avoid the next call coming in in your phone. If you are using callwork, it means that nagpe-petiks ka or mahina kang agent at di ka pa tapos mag-notes sa previous call.

I was then an Operations Supervisor when I made Callwork. So unang nakabasa is mga agents ko at natawa sila kasi mga experiences namin yun as a team. Then I let my sister read it tapos di niya nagets. Yun yung time na naisipan kong i-level up na yung humor writing/story telling skills ko kasi hindi natatawa yung kapatid at mom ko. I said “dapat mga outsiders magegets din ‘tong mga jokes sa call center.”

After I revised almost everything, (yeah most of the first few strips of Callwork didn’t appear in the book except for the training scenes.) I decided to publish it in my blog. I think mga December 2006 yata yun when I mailed the samples to Manila Bulletin then February 11, 2007 lumabas na ang Callwork sa Bulletin. November 2008 ko ni-launch yung book.

MR: The book’s been out for more than a year now. What has changed since those early days of the strip? And you’re aiming for a wider distribution now, right? That’s really cool.

HM: Yup, one year. Within that year, I was lost. Di ko na naasikaso yung distribution, marketing and collections ‘coz of my job in the call center. Most of the time, I depend on other people to sell, deliver, or distribute the books to other centers. To date, Callwork: A Call Center Life already sold 2000 copies. I still have around 1000 books here at home and I decided to use these remaining stocks for provincial areas. Marami din kasing call centers sa Pampanga, Baguio, Cebu, Batangas etc. and I think I really need to reach them out these coming months. I think I still have a lot of opportunities kasi ang target ng government this year is 900,000 call center employees and I want them to be aware na merong Callwork.

Many changed in terms of the drawing style. I always tell myself kung kaya i-improve yung art, go! Kung kaya lang. Di ko pinipilit mag-practice kasi busy din sa work. Pero ang goal ko kasi ma-perfect ang human figure and background. In terms of story telling, medyo kampante na ako dun.
I have some good and bad reviews. It doesn’t matter. When I made Callwork, alam ko maraming matatamaan dito. When I write a story, I just wanted to get it out of my chest. I’m the type of person who doesn’t care what other people will think.

MR: I’m aware you won as the Best cartoonist for the Komikon Awards last year. What does that mean to you? Has that affected how you approached the newer strips this time?

HM: It was really a surprise kasi dalawa lang naman ang naglalaban talaga before sa Komikon awards – si Pol and Manix. Tapos eto ako, sobrang newbie. It means a lot to me. It also means I should go on and make more comics. Hahaha.

I think ang kagandahan nitong Callwork is that kahit hindi komiks reader, napapabasa. Marami niyan. Nakakatuwa kasi may mga umamin sakin na they hate reading. They don’t read books at all. Napabasa lang daw sila sa Callwork. Hahaha

MR: You’re working on Callwork book 2 already. When does this come out and what can readers expect from you this time around?

HM: Yes, Callwork book 2 will come out this April 17 Summer Komikon. I already finished the lay out of the book. Although may mga pending comics pa na di nagagawa for this book. Cover is almost done, coloring na lang and fonts.

MR: I’m excited! Now tell our blog readers where they can find you online and how they can either pick up or order a copy of Callwork.

HM: Callwork: A Call Center Life is available in selected National Bookstores, Powerbooks and Comic Odyssey Galleria branch. You can also follow me at http://twitter.com/callwork or email me at hazelmanzano@yahoo.com.

MR: Thanks much for the time, Hazel. More power to you and Callwork!

Related posts:

1. Panels and Pages #3 – A Heubert Khan Michael Interview
2. Panels and Pages #9 – Mel Casipit Interview
3. Panels and Pages #4 – An Interview With Aaron Felizmenio

Most of the reviews are generally positive and most comic geeks can’t help it but be interested about picking up a copy as well. As I got mine, I think I can see why there’s tons of good feedback about it. Majestic XII is definitely a fun, solid read anyone who likes superhero stuff would enjoy.

Thankfully, I got the chance to get in touch with Justin Leach, author and creator of Majestic XII. Lets meet the guy for this episode of Pages and Panels as he tells us more about the book, his lifelong dream, how he created the characters and much, much more.

Mark Rosario: Hi, Justin. Congratulations on issue 1. Tell us. Is this your first comic book or have you written anything else in the past?

Justin Leach: Actually, this is my first comic. A lifelong dream to bring these characters that I have lived so long with to life. It is really exciting when people see the comic. They become fans of one or two characters right away.

MR: That’s cool. So what got you into comics as a kid? Was there a specific book that inspired you so much and made you say “Hey, I wanna be a comics writer” or maybe “Man! This is the kind of book I’d like to write someday”

JL: First, I would say that I used to be a little artist and also started watching the old “Incredible Hulk” T V series starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. I saw that and I walked into this little gas station and there was this cover of him fighting Iron-Man underwater. They were chained up and it was love at first sight.

I think the first stories that made me want to be a writer was the old Claremont and Brynes X-Men. Great characters, great story, and great artwork. I still get that old feeling when reading them.

MR: Now let’s dive straight back on your book. I heard this project took 30 years in the making. How come it took too long?

JL: Well, When I graduated high school back in ’92, I tried to get on with the major companies. However, this was about the time that most artists had also started writing so they were no longer really looking for new writing talent. So I changed my direction in life.

But several years later, I eventually found myself at a crossroads. I now saw that, with the internet, my dreams of producing a comic could become a reality.

MR: I noticed that the team has different nationalities. Would you want to tell us more about that?

JL: Mostly the whole team is American. However, Deth-Rattle is from Mexico, Revolution is from England, Coral is from the Pacific Islands, and Chimera is from Japan.

I really like the whole international team. It was a tiny homage to the Uncanny X-Men and all of their different nationalities.

MR: Do you have any favorite among the team?
JL: I love them all for differing reasons. Legend, Deth-Rattle, Ballistik, and Skorch are probably my most favourites.

MR: It’s insane but I think I like Limbo. Haha! Yeah, he didn’t get as much exposure on the book as, say, Legend but I think he’s got a cool costume. It really has that “KickAss” feel to it. Is he a criminal too? He looks too young to be one.

JL: That is funny because we had never heard of KickAss until after we had already created him. My first incarnation had him wearing big boots as a tribute to Power-Pack. Andrew liked the high top tennis shoes and so I said no prob.

Yes, in fact he is actually 45 years old. He received his Phantom powers when he was 8 years old and has not physically aged since then. When one cna go through walls and become invisible, it would be hard not to become a thief.

You are the first person to say that he liked Limbo. I am pleased.

MR: You bet I’ll keep an eye on him. I want to see him more in action, man. Anyway, how do you create a character? Does the costume design come first then comes the powers or vice versa? How does Andrew Kilian (artist) get involved in the process? I’m an aspiring comics writer myself so enlighten me please. Hahah!…

JL: Usually, the costume and look comes first. I draw it and in the process in thinking about it, I come up with a power and then a name. There are times when it is all just there, as if someone just handed it off to me and said “Here ya go”.

Andrew then takes and does some slight alterations. The only character that he almost totally recreated was Thunderheart, who was originally LoneStar. The look is almost the same only he did a great job with the new look.

MR: I have to say This.. You’ve got an amazing art team. How did you hook up with Andrew and Omi (Remalante, colorist)? They seem like a perfect fit for the feel of the story.

JL: I put up an advertise in the forum on DA which led me to Andrew. When I was looking for a colorist I put up an ad on Digital Webbing. Then all of the other talent on the comic Omi directed me to. It just happened so perfectly.

MR: Okay then. Please tell our blog readers how to find a copy of Majestic XII.

JL: For the 99 cent download, go to DrivethruComics and for the physical comic, you can get it from IndyPlanet but remember, shipping and handling might be a little high.

Look for our second issue to be coming out January or February 2010!

MR: Thank you so much for your time, Justin. And do give us a heads up when issue 2 comes out, okay? Good luck to you!

Related posts:

1. Panels and Pages #3 – A Heubert Khan Michael Interview
2. Panels and Pages #5 | RH Quilantang interview
3. Panels and Pages #8 | Paolo Fabregas Interview

Each time you visit my blog, you see this guy’s artwork. Seriously. No kidding!… Yes, you got it! He designed my “beyond awesome” Planet Markus blog banner. Lets all meet artist extra-ordinaire RH Quilantang as we discuss about Goodbye Rubbit, Manila Man, Francis M, “banigs” and everything else in between!

Mark Rosario: Congratulations on your first comic book, RH! I heard Goodbye Rubbit was well-received at the MCC. How does it feel?

RH Quilantang:  It feels great!

MR:  Ooookay. I’m sure it was. That’s just, well, great! Hahah.. Anyway, you gave the Goodbye Rubbit issues for free, right? What’s the idea behind that?

RHQ: It was part of my marketing strategy. Hehehe.

MR: Story-wise and art-wise, I find your book to be very unique compared with everything else out there. Could you tell us a bit about what inspired you to write and draw the story?

RHQ: The idea for the story came up when I was walking from Makati to Boni. My ex just broke up with me then so I just felt like walking. The words “Goodbye” kept ringing in my head and it felt like it was going to drive me insane. So I had to do something good out of that bad experience. Art-wise, I chose that style because in my opinion, I think the inner child within an adult is the easiest part to reach out to.

MR: So this comic book was really that personal for you, huh?

RHQ: Yes, it is. Making Goodbye Rubbit was really a struggle worth taking for me.

MR: You left your email address at the back page. Did some readers give you some feedback about it? Any comments you’d like to share, so far?

RHQ: Honestly, I just got 5 or 6 emails about GR. The feedbacks were really touching and surprising. Surprising in a way that for each of those people, they felt they connected to a certain line or phrase from the story… like “Everybody keeps walking” or “This is all I have…” It feels great knowing that.

MR: What’s up with the cutesy pillow-ish characters? How did you come up with those designs?

RHQ: There was this instance that my nephew and my niece were around when I was designing the characters for Goodbye Rubbit. They just watch me draw and just stare at the characters I make. I stop only when I hear them say “aaaw cute”. It pays to have those buggers around hehehe.

MR: Your “banig” lines have really become your personal trademark now. You’ve told me once that its “therapeutic” for you. What do you exactly mean? Haha!

RHQ: There is this constant pressure to make your artwork really impressive and sometimes it’s just stressful to even think about it. When I begin to make those “banigs” my mind seems to wander off and my brain goes into hibernation. So when you see those “banigs”, that’s me relaxing. Hehehe.

MR: So after Goodbye Rubbit, what’s next?

RHQ: Porkypine Rood and Manila Man#1.

MR: That’s exciting! What can we look forward to for those two titles?

RHQ: Well for Porkypine Rood, you’ll see our little hero Rubbit once again. I’m planning to release Manila Man next year, 2010.

MR: Manila Man seems to be another unique character for a superhero. I mean he’s not even wearing spandex! I love the idea of the barong.. Hahah.. And I love the two-page origin on Bayan Knights #2. I’d say the “walang kwentang kwintas na tansan” totally won me over.

RHQ: Thanks! I’d have to thank Francis Magalona for the inspiration.

MR: Ah, so you mean Manila Man was inspired by the Man from Manila?.. That’s cool.

RHQ: Yes. The design for Manila Man came first. “Man from Manila” was playing when I was thinking of a cool name. “Kaleidoscope World” was the inspiration for Manila Man’s Bandana… You know, it helps him see “every color and every hue” hehehe. And the Barong… Well, I don’t know where I got that, it just popped out of my mind.

MR: Very interesting! Good luck to you and your upcoming projects then, RH… And hey, thank you for your time!

RHQ: Salamatz \m/

MR: Okay, folks so there you have him – the Rubbit guy himself! Hahah.. But as we end this interview, let me post a few more of his works just to let you see how awesome and how flexible this artist can be. Ready?.. Here goes! Ciao for now then

* RH Quilantang photo courtesy of Renie Palo / All artworks courtesy of RH Quilantang

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That may sound like a huge statement but seriously, that’s what I think about him. At 20 years old, he may be one of the youngest Bayan Knights members yet its no exaggeration or sarcasm on my part when I say he’s one of the best.  His artworks seriously show tons of potential it isn’t hard to imagine it on a Marvel or a DC comicbook someday.

Get to know  Gwapoman creator Aaron Felizmenio, who writes and draws the title, in our 4th edition of the Panels and Pages interview series.

Mark Rosario: To begin with, why don’t you tell us a bit about some comics you’ve done in the past.

Aaron Felizmenio: I think the first one was last year, year 2008! It’s title was Lolita with August Martinez, if I remember the name right, and Gilbert Monsanto! I inked Sir Gilbert’s lines and it was so fun to do! Every line made me feel awesome! It was my first project and it was so memorable because I’m a big fan of Sir Gilbert!

I don’t remember the second one but as I recall, it was under August Martinez again and it was penciled by Kathryn Lewis and colored by Omi Remalante. I believe it was cancelled, but then again, I get to meet another awesome artist, Omi, now head of our studio!

The rest, I don’t recall, I believe they were also cancelled because of the budget but I have something with Sniper Comics. If I get some time to do them, we might make it to Wizard New York Con and Boston Comic Con!

MR: How would you describe your artstyle and who do you consider as your main influences?

AF: My major influence is Gilbert Monsanto and Ron Garney! It’s my foundation style. My anatomy relies on them! I’m still learning though, I have a lot of flaws! Then I tried to imitate Leinil Yu’s technique after I heard that he’s the same college as mine. Haha! But I sort of failed so I decided to imitate Leinil’s influences instead. Namely: Whilce, Mignola, Adam Hughes, Travis, Jim Lee, and Kevin Nowlan. I am still failing by the way, hahahaha!

But now there is Dustin Nguyen and wow, he really is amazing. He has a strong Mignola influence and I like it. I mean, I love it. Because of their influences, my style became so dark and gritty. Crime-Noir Batman story-telling style is my love!

My only influence in inking is Richard Friend! I always ask him questions about inking and it sure helped a lot! Although, I don’t like inking my own pencils because they change a lot. And I don’t like redrawing my own work!

MR: You’ve recently released Gwapoman 2000 #1 at the Metro Comic Con. How do you feel about the overall positive feedback to it?

AF: I was overjoyed! It was also sold out! I don’t know if the amount of books that I sold was enough to say that I got the interest of the people but I have read some reviews and I only disappointed them on the drawing style. I posted a preview and they didn’t say anything negative about it, I should’ve known earlier! But anyway, my target is to reach the high contrast feel. Mignola-ish with a bit of my style to show enough dramatic storytelling. It lacks some details, I admit but I guess it has enough details to tell the story.

I don’t think I’ll be adjusting my style for more grit on the second issue. Consistency is something for artists. Yes, artists’ styles evolve but they have to maintain the consistency. I’ll just improve on the details for the second issue. So for the people who want to see grittier Gwapoman, see you on book 2! But you still have to pick up book 1, which will have 4 issues. So 4 issues of Funk- Noir.

Other than that, they enjoyed my writing and storytelling! It makes me feel awesome. It was actually unexpected because I don’t know that I can write well. Haha!

MR: Speaking of that issue, you have DC superstar Rafael Albuquerque as your cover artist. That’s so surreal! How did that become possible?

AF: There’s a funny story behind this! I sent e-mails to 18 professional artists abroad asking for a cover! I told them I could not afford the price because I have no money and I’m an indie comicbook artist. So there, most of them declined, some of them didn’t reply, 1 of them told me that he’ll give it a shot if he had the time and one of them said yes.

The artists declined because of their exclusive contract, some were busy and some just sent me with commission rates which I can’t afford. But Rafael, who told me that he was also an indie artist before agreed because he knows how indie comicbook artists work! Imagine that! So after a week I jumped for joy because I received something spectacular! It’s in color actually! So there you have it.

MR: I’ve been itching to ask you this for the longest time: Why Gwapoman? What’s up with the ridiculous name? Haha!

AF: BOOK 2! You have to read it! But I’ve put some clues on the first book. I’m not putting anything without a reason! I love reasons. Reason is my middle name. I’ve plotted the whole thing up, thanks to my secret co-writer-creator Sean Andrew Cura! In the second book, we will tackle Gwapoman’s origin and more! I don’t want to talk about it anymore because I can also spoil the second issue of book 1. I’m a big Geoff Johns fan, by the way. I actually plotted the first 6 books, I just have to write the script and illustrate it. It takes time and I need all the help that I need! I’m sorry for not giving a straight answer but it will spoil the fun!

MR: I think I’ll buy that. Haha! Anyway, I already know the answer for this next question but for the sake of some blog readers (if we have any), I’ll still ask this: What’s your dream project and why?

AF: To work under DC Comics specifically, to be the artist for a Robin or a Green Lantern title! Man, I love those characters. Either penciling or inking, I have no problem with that as long as I get accepted. Haha! But in general, I’d like to draw comicbooks for a living. I’m already done with drawing comicbooks for my smiles! Hahaha! It’s a long shot but, there’s no harm in trying!

MR: Lastly, Bayan Knights will soon be turning one year. You’re one of the founding members. Has that, in any way, helped you become a better artist?

AF: I didn’t know that I was one of the founding members! But, I remember that I sent Sir Gilbert a stupid message regarding Gwapoman’s inclusion for the project without any details. I had to message him privately regarding Gwapoman’s details when I noticed that Gwapoman wasn’t on the plot yet! Hahahaha!

A better artist? Of course! They’re not just creators, they’re also artists! The biggest thing that they did was inspiring me! Making me feel welcome. Making me one of them! Respecting each other! Sharing ideas, technique and materials was also a big help! They’re also critiques who points out the strong points and weak points of my artwork. That’s how they helped, there are still some but I still need to recall them! They are tiny details but they really are a big help to me. Inspiring is part of believing, and believing is part of learning!

MR: This has been fun. Thanks for your time, Aaron. Good luck to your comic works – and to your school, of course! I heard you love school and you’re a good student… Haha!

AF: I just love school because I get my allowance, haha! Thanks to you too, Markus! It’s fun to be interviewed, it’s my first time and I’m really flattered! Thank you too for your time!

MR: Welcome, man!

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Mark Rosario (MR): First off, I just have to tell you that I absolutely love Unstoppable’s costume – the design, the color scheme, his mask… everything is just so cool! What was your inspiration for that?

Heubert Khan Michael (HKM): Thanks , man! I’m happy that you like the costume. I’m actually overwhelmed by people (including some non-Filipinos) who would drop me a note or email me telling me how much they love the costume.

Anyway, here’s a brief overview of how his costume came to be. My first-ever design for Unstoppable had an all-black suit, with a red “U” trim. Thinking that my laziness took over my sense of design, I tried to redesign him, coming up with version 2. Except for the trimmings being red and the full-faced mask, V2 is very similar to the Unstoppable we came to know. The mask was redesigned after my 1st sketch of Mr. Unstoppable (whose costume never had any revisions) was made. I thought it was cool to have their costumes somewhat identical. The trimmings were changed from red to gold when the belt was added.

Contrary to what some may think, I never had any inspiration from Invincible, costume and story-wise. Most people who know me well would say that Unstoppable’s mask somehow looks like half of Batman’s mask, knowing that I’m a big Bat-fan.

MR: I noticed the cover for Unstoppable #1 says you’ve won 3rd place for the 2007 Philippine Graphic/ Fiction awards. Can you tell us more about it?

HKM: Yeah! That was one of my most unforgettable moments in life! It was a week after the 2007 KOMIKON, and I was still having a hang-over from all the emails I got, including one from Gerry Alanguilan, praising Unstoppable. I was lucky to have won 3rd place that year, the year when Neil Gaiman came back to the Philippines to co-present the winners! Neil was too kind to say in front of the huge crowd that my entry was the best drawn among the lot! How cool is that?! And the dinner with him was just too awesome for words to describe. He shared a lot of things, words that still inspire me each time I draw. And it all happened when I was asking the good Lord for a sign, whether I should pursue a career in comics or not. So I guess it was a big “YES” from God, having “successfully” done a couple of comic-related stuff (Unstoppable and then the 2007 PG/FA) in a span of a week!

MR: That’s really cool!.. In the past, you’ve worked as a college Guidance Counselor and have also majored in Psychology. Does that, in any way, help you become a better comics writer or artist?

HKM: OH yes, I believe so! My background in Psychology helped a lot in the creation of Unstoppable, so I guess it does help me both as a writer and an artist! I’m still learning to do both (writing and drawing), and thinking “What would (insert writer or artist’s name/s) do if they are to write/draw this page?” certainly helps me get the job done. Hehe.

MR: How’s your work-for-hire assignment with Marvel going these days, by the way? What titles are you working on or are already working on?

HKM: Oh, that. It’s been a year and my contract’s already turned yellow. LOL! Kidding aside, I guess I got in at the wrong timing. I heard that as an answer to recession, publishers would give priority to the artists who have already previously done something for them. But I have faith in my agent, and I just sent him a new set of samples for the San Diego Comic Con and he told me that it was, by far, the best he’s seen from me and that he’s sure that it would get me a gig very soon. Help me pray it happens!

MR: Good luck to you, man! Anyway, I’ve heard you are giving away FREE copies of Unstoppable comics this coming Manila Comic Con, right? Wow, I’m sure a lot of comic book fans are excited.

HKM: Yes, we will! Though not as much numbers of copies we would want to give away. It’s like our way of thanking those who support Unstoppable. We have some friends who helped us make it possible.

MR: Since I’ve already mentioned about MCC, would you like to tell our blog readers more about the event? I know you’re part of the team of organizers – and I’m making a guess that you’re the one responsible for making indie comic booths available for free.

HKM: MCC is a product of a group of guys (and girls) who love comics, and dreamed of doing Comic Conventions the way it’s done in the US. I remember us even saying “let’s try to bring SDCC in the Philippines”. Hehe, I guess we’re that sorry that we just can’t go there ourselves. LOL.. But seriously, MCC will try to give Pinoy comicbook fans a fresh convention experience, while maintaining some of the oldie-but-goodie convention themes.

*blushes* Yes, I guess you could say I was responsible for the indie booths being free, but it would just be an idea I pitched if it weren’t for the rest of the organizer’s kindness. I do indies, too, and I’ve seen the love and effort artists put on their work, not to mention the money they spend to self-publish. So I thought,” why be more of a burden to these artists? If we really wish to support them , let’s give it for free. The amount we’ll get from them (if we’ll ask for a cut from their sales) won’t be too much for us, anyway, but it might be too much for them.”

MR: I’m sure a lot of your fellow indie creators are happy for that. Lastly, do you have any messages for Unstoppable fans out there? Like what could fans look forward to in future issues?

HKM: Oh, so there are fans? Hehe. Wow. Honestly, up to this day I try not to consider anyone an Unstoppable fan. I don’t even call Unstoppable artworks done by other artists as “fan art”, since I don’t know if they only felt like drawing him or if they really are “fans” of the book, which most people have not seen much of yet since there’d been only 2 books out so far.

But anyway, if there are, I could only thank them for all the support and all the kind words that they have said about Unstoppable. I won’t try to make any promises, but for them I’ll try to make the next Unstoppable stories as good as possible. Again thanks, and I hope they’ll stick with us. After all, there’s an Unstoppable in all of us!

MR: More power to you and Unstoppable, Heubert. And thanks for agreeing to do this interview!

HKM: You’re welcome, Markus!

(*Images courtesy of Heubert Khan Michael)

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Myke Guisinga (MG): The exact year could be 1978, I was in kindergarten. My Dad and I would go out every Friday morning to get me a copy of “Filipino Funny Comics”. And then I realized that I love to draw the characters inside those pages. Later, I saw the old Marvel cartoons that featured Captain America, Thor, Iron-Man, Hulk and Sub Mariner on TV. My Dad again (Yep! He is the culprit) bought me reprints of Marvel and DC comics being distributed by National Book Store (sa C.O.D. Cubao pa niya binibili). That was the turning point. My fave character back then was HAWKEYE (and I pronounced it as “How-key-ye”


MR: What were your first comic book projects?

MG: I started doing comic strips back then. I was in 4th year high-school. I made two titles — “Bone Daddy and the Fright Squads” was my version of the Monster Squad on TV back in the early 80’s and “Biker Style” showed my affection for BMX bicycle riding.


MR: How did you get started with Claw?

MG: CLAW was created after watching the TV series “Mga Alagad ni Kalantiyaw”. Claw used three pieces of karit blades tied to his right hand. And after 10 years of existence he evolved into something so mysterious to the reading public.

MR: Claw #3’s cover just looks so awesome. Can you give us a little background about this particular issue?

MG: Issue #3 gives you a glimpse into his past. I released half of the story through a flip-book with Boy-Ipis/Claw during the Komikon last November 2008. The narration was very different from the first two books because it was a little bit darker and more mature. His transformation as an anti-hero will start here.

MR: Who are your major influences as an artist?

MG: Everybody loves Whilce Portacio. I also love Nick Manabat’s work on Cybernary. But it was Jae Lee, Mike Mignola and Mike McKone who were my references back then and I LOVE director Tim Burton’s work, his dark, high-contrast approach was a major influence on my works back then.

MR: I’ve noticed you prefer blue-lead pencils instead of the others. Any reasons for that?

MG: Hmmm…. I was using black ordinary lead for my pencils before. But I tend to be so messy with it because my palm sweat too much that causes my work to look uncool (ugly term). Blue lead gives me a cleaner look with my pencil work or…maybe just a psychological thing.

MR: As a writer, where do you get your ideas about your stories?

MG: For writing, I grew up loving my hometown, Navotas. There are a lot of stories there that I can incorporate into “Claw.” As I grew older and saw the place that I cared about and loved so much starting to look bad not just in my very eyes but also in the eyes of those from nearby cities, it hurt me. And through this book, I think I am sharing my personal thoughts and ideas that may or may not help my town to become much better than it is today.

MR: What’s the best part of being a comics creator?

MG: You could kick someone else’s ass in your own book? Kidding. Everyone is an artist. Everyone has a vision to make things better. Funnier, scarier, In-love 24/7. You can create a world no one might understand or love or vise-versa but the thing is that you are in full control of what you want to do while having fun. And being responsible.

MR: Any piece of advice you could give for aspiring artists out there?

MG: As an artist. Do whatever you want. Follow your heart and be happy with what you are doing. Just understand the basic concept of art (line, shapes and color) and you’ll be alright. As for aspiring comic book artists, I am not a PRO, so ask someone else. I just draw because it makes me feel better. 

MR: Okay, if you say so! Hahah! How about some parting words then?

MG: Thanks Markus for this! You were one of the people who supported me in my darkest days in comics. Salamat Bro! Also want to thank Christine “Robin” Rivero for the love and inspiration that she has given me. Thanks to John Becaro, walang iwanan pre. To Jonas Diego, for being such a good friend. Gerry Alanguilan for re-introducing me to the world of KOMIKS. To Gilbert Monsanto, for bringing CLAW to the mainstream. To God, Thank you for everything.

MR: You are always welcome, Myke.

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Mark Rosario (MR): First off, can you give us a li ttle background about what comics you have worked with in the past?

Gener Pedrina (GP): Aside from my personal stuff, I have worked with Psicom publishing for Fantasya and Basted comics, I drew “Kasaysayan: Minsan Isang Tag-Ulan” written by Alex Osias and “Noon At Kailanman” a love story with Kate Aton.. And I also have a story with Jason Banico called “Razor Lolita” for PROJECT: HERO by Quest Ventures. And I have just completed a series of spot drawings for “To Have and To Hold”, a prose for The Buzz Magazine

MR: Any comics you are doing right now?

GP: I’m currently working on personal stuffs for the coming Summer Komikon. I already have 12 pages of rough pages for Bato: Agimat Warrior. And some for Sanduguan:Himagsikan 3.

MR:Among all the titles you have done, do you have any favorites? Why?

GP: Bato: Agimat Warrior is my fave among the titles I am working. It has a very special place in my heart. Bato was my very first published indie comics, together with my VM buddies way back.

MR: I personally liked Sanduguan: Sanction. Can you tell us more about that? Any possibilities of a sequel for that?

GP: “Sanduguan: Sanction” was to be the first arc of the planned regular series of the Sandugo comics for Blue Shuffle, but sadly it was not meant to be. So I asked my writer, Alex Osias if I can upload it online so we can share the story we did. There is a script for a longer story, and maybe we will go back to it and release it on the current “Sanduguan” title I’m doing as another arc. Maybe after “Sanduguan: All Out War”.

MR: With all those many characters, I often wonder about this – how did you conceptualize Sanduguan?

GP: After releasing Zodiac Force in ’92, a two-issue mini which took years to finished, I made a reflection of what I really wanted to do in the comics world and how can I contribute well.

It was then that I realized that there are really no truly Pinoy characters out there – characters that on the first look are obviously Pinoy. So it was there that I went back to the drawing board and reviewed what I had.

Most of the Sanduguan characters that you see now are recycled concepts of really crappy heroes that I considered as throw away characters. Some are even fillers just to have your Pinoy characters. If you really look at them, they are really a back-to-basic approach to supers. It was there that I found out that I have these characters that are iconic in nature so retooling began.

Sandata had different names back then which I found out were already taken so I took the most obvious in my eyes. Sandata’s costume idea came from the back of an old one peso coin which had our official “coat of arms”, loosely translated as “baluti ng sandatahan”. He originally had a sword and shield but I changed them to bastons and made him a practitioner of the Kapampangan martial art called Sinawali.

Supremo was my homage to Andres Bonifacio and gave him the image of the common depiction of Pinoys. How Pinoy can you get? Ha ha ha.

Then I added Diwata who was called Luzviminda way back. She was to be an avatar of Inang Laya that’s why she was also wearing the national colors on her first appearance. So to avoid the similarity with Sandata, I made her a Diwata, daughter of Mariang Sinukuan, the princess of Mount Arayat.

I then added Bernardo Karpio, the strongman of myth. But I changed his early costume to have that nice indio look.

Thus team Sandugo was born, taking their name from the ritual of the Katipunan brotherhood. And the rest of the other characters I made followed my simple rule of creating characters.

MR: Sanduguan just hit the 10 year mark recently. What could fans expect from you in the near future?

GP: I hope to have more books out there and I made a promise to finish story faster, he he he – and to be involved with most comic book activities out there. Hopefully, more Sanduguan merchandise.

MR: I’ve heard you have a knack for drawing while on the MRT. That sounds pretty cool.

GP: Having to struggle finding time to draw at home, I realized that I spend an hour commuting to work. So I have to make that time productive and started to bring notebooks, folded papers with me and started to draw. I was doing sketches, and more stuff, which I inked at home. Then came Sanduguan 0 – all concepts and lay-outs were done on the train.

And then I found out I was doing a lot of stuff already. There are times that I can’t draw though, because the train is really full and sometimes you have seatmates who are really irritating.
MR: I saw you brought your son at Komikon 2008 and he acts as your cashier. I thought that was a cool thing to do. Do you always do that?

GP: He was there because I had to bribe him, ha ha ha. During my very first time to join the Komikon full time, I found out I have so many stuff to bring so I needed and hired help – and he was THAT help.

MR: Okay. Any message for our blog readers out there? Events, perhaps, where they can catch you or upcoming titles you will release soon?

GP: For previews, tips and whatever stuff that are coming will be announced on nerp.deviantart.com. If they have questions, I will try to answer it as honestly as I could!

MR: Thank you so much, Gener, for your time!

GP: NO! Thank You!!!

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