Planet Markus

Life-Sized Stormtrooper Cake

Mark Rosario — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:49:33 +0000

Yes, you read the title right. That, my friend, is not a Stormtrooper cosplayer but a CAKE!

The amazing team of OakleafCakes.com came up with this fantastic life-sized Stormtrooper pastry that stands 6 feet 4 inches. Their blog tells us this was made for the Arisia Sci-Fi Conventio in Boston, MA.

Go to their link to see more images to get an idea how they managed to pull this off!

http://blog.oakleafcakes.com/stormtrooper-cake/

Sanduguan #10 Comics Review

Mark Rosario — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:30:15 +0000

It’s been a while since I last read Sanduguan comics and its always a pleasure to hop back.

Recently, Kalayaan creator Gio Paredes said that author and illustrator Gener Pedriña is “really pouring it on” with Sanduguan #10. I couldn’t help but agree. If you are someone who loves slam-bang action, you’ll find it in this title. You’ll literally see several pages of fight scenes here as the team battles it out with the Guardians of Mount Arayat and the All-Father of the Capampangans.

For the uninitiated, yes, Gener Pedriña is proudly from Pampanga and he makes that clear althroughout the issue. The guy has a good grasp of the province’s history and folklore, using both elements to create an interesting clash between heroes and gods.

I surely enjoyed the action and am eager to check out the next issue. If there’s one thing I’d personally gripe about, it should be the inclusion of local dialect on several panels. I mean, of course, I get it that Gener is doing his thing and promoting the culture and stuff. But it took me away from the story. I looked around for asterisks and captions to no avail. Hopefully, Gener translates some words for us, non-Capampangas, next time so we can figure things out easier – especially since its a challenging dialect to decipher.

Artwise, there’s nothing to doubt about Gener’s capacity to deliver dynamic sequentials. The clean artstyle is pleasing and I’m thinking that can be enhanced further by adding a few tones here and there. And oh! I love it that Sandata is wearing his alternate costume – which I like better than the other one

Sanduguan #10 has a cover price of P65 and is available at Gener’s table during conventions. Otherwise, those who would prefer a Kindle edition could go to Amazon and get it there for $4.99.

This is the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Sanduguan-10-Gener-Pedrinas-ebook/dp/B006IGVO1O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1323180957&sr=1-1

How to Make a Captain America Costume

Mark Rosario — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 07:49:34 +0000

I noticed the month (and the year) is almost done and I haven’t posted a single entry yet so I decided to rush this one.

As my Facebook friends know by now, me and my wife recently attended a costume party and we both won 2nd place in the male and female category. My wife was a pretty Witch that night while I, being the comic geek, was Captain America.

I’ve been asked more than a few times about how I did the shield and my reply has always been the same “My wife did it, not me” to the amazement of some. Here are some tips for those who also want to come up with their own homemade Captain America costume and shield.

First, the costume.

I remember wearing one of those store-bought Captain America costumes when I was a kid so choosing and creating this one was a little nostalgic. I’m also a big fan of the recent movie and so I wanted something similar to that. However, I took the liberty and did several adjustments to it since time and money was scarce at the moment (as usual).

This is how my version looked like:

I follow a rule every time I make a costume: SPEND MINIMALLY!

So I headed to a nearby Ukay-Ukay and luckily found the jacket and pants for merely P35 and P50 each. I then went to a sewer (a person who sews, not the TMNT hideout) to get the jacket’s size reduced a bit and to have the red and white stripes added as well.

We had problems with the star on the chest. Sewing it on the jacket would mean I wouldn’t be able to wear it anymore. We decided having a sticker would be a better idea at the moment so there!

And yeah, I also thought I could get away without a helmet or a mask since Chris Evans seldom wore his on the movie anyway. Haha!
As for the boots and that bad ass belt, I borrowed them both from Jan Karldine – whose dad is actually in the military.

Now let’s take a closer look at the shield.

Originally, we wanted to make this Flying Captain America shield but, again, time wasn’t on our side. Thanks to Aries (who cosplayed Devil May Cry’s Dante that night – he won 1st place), we had an idea for an inexpensive and less time-consuming substitute.

A 16-inch bilao! Yes, the kind you can buy for only P20 from most public markets. I then wrapped the bilao in Manila paper and my wife used kartolina to trace the inner circles and she carefully placed strips of red, blue, and silver duct tapes on each one . Putting them all together and attaching a handle was easier once my wife was done with the patterns.

So there! My own homemade Captain America costume. It may not be much but it’s clearly my favorite among all the costumes I previously wore (Jack Sparrow, Marvin the Martian and Mad Hatter).

Here are a few more pictures:

With Dante and Batwoman who respectively won 1st place in the male and female category.

Marvel Vs DC anyone?

And, of course, a couple of pictures with the wife – who’s actually 1 month pregnant now yey!

Special thanks to Tina and Jessica for the awesome images.

Panels and Pages #10 – Gio Paredes Interview

Mark Rosario — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:46:57 +0000

This is long overdue. I’ve always wanted to feature Gio Paredes on my interviews ever since I’ve started Panels and Pages here on my blog. As some of you may already know, I’m a big fan of this guy and I’ve reviewed his work several times in the past. Not only do I consider him as one of the most diligent creators in the country but Gio is also an all around nice guy who knows how to deal with his fans.

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!

Deadpool Pencil Cup

Mark Rosario — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:56:43 +0000

Marvel’s Merc with a Mouth. With pencils and pens on his head – and two shuriken erasers to boot!

This piece will be available September next year from Gentle Giant.

You bet no desk accessory could be cooler. You know you want one!

Via Entertainment Earth

Marvel Heroic Age

Amazing Spider-Man #673 Comics Review

Mark Rosario — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:12:17 +0000

Spider Island is officially over and I only have one thing to say about it:

IT’S BEEN MASSIVE! IT’S BEEN A WILD RIDE!

Yeps, a lot of exciting things have happened and the whole Spider-verse has been seriously rocked. Jonah became the Spider Mayor, Kaine got to wear the Spidey stealth suit and much, much more.

Fans of Peter-MJ tandem will also be pleased to know that Peter and Carlie finally called it quits – and that, for two consecutive issues already, we see Peter and MJ hanging out at the last panel.

Simply said, Spider scribe Dan Slott is absolutely giving Spidey readers what they want and more.

This is a definite must-read – and I’m talking not only about this issue but the entire arc!

High Society by Paolo Chikiamco and Hannah Buena

Mark Rosario — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:23:37 +0000

Released on Amazon as a Kindle comic book, High Society is a story that brilliantly merges elements of history, mystery, technology, and Pinoy mythology.

Lawyer-turned-writer Paolo Chikiamco does a fine job delivering an interesting tale told in a steampunk setting while Hannah Buena’s sketchy and Manga-ish illustrations are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

I’ve been told High Society is just a stand-alone comic book and I feel bad about that. I want to read more about this story – especially after seeing how effectively Paolo and Hannah works as a tandem.

Believe me. You’ve never seen anything like this before.

Here are a few preview pages:

To get a copy of High Society, you could purchase the Kindle version by visiting the Amazon page here:

http://www.amazon.com/High-Society-ebook/dp/B005VAHTUS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1318503553&sr=1-1

Otherwise, you might want to drop by at the November Komikon to obtain a hard copy. I’m assuming Paolo and Hannah will be there to sell and sign the books. Just look for the Flipside table!

Comicx Hub Signing Events

Mark Rosario — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 05:48:03 +0000

Those of you who do not have anything to do this November 5 (Saturday) might want to try dropping by the Comicx Hub Warehouse.

Why, you ask? Well, they’ve got two of our very own comics superstars for their very first Signing Event. Its Gerry Alanguilan and Mico Suayan in the house, ladies and gentlemen!

As if that wasn’t enough, Comicx Hub tells us they will be giving away free comics and free prints for those who arrive early. Plus huge discounts for graphic novels and new releases will also be available.

Insane, isn’t it? Go check the poster below for more info about how you could make it there:

(Click the image to enlarge)

But wait… There’s more!

Come November 12, Comicx Hub will be bringing us three more homegrown talents for another signing session. Stephen Segovia, Heubert Khan Michael, and Carlo Pagulayan will be rocking the warehouse.

(Click the image to enlarge)

New 52: The Flash #1 | Comics Review

Mark Rosario — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:05:52 +0000

It wasn’t too long yet when I first posted a Flash #1 comics review and here I am now – reviewing the same book with the exact same issue number.

Thanks to DC’s New 52, we’re getting another start for everyone’s favorite Scarlet Speedster. And boy! I’m happy to report that I can’t be more than pleased.

First off, I had high expectations for this book since I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul‘s run back then. This time, Johns steps back and lets Manapul and colorist Brian Buccellato take control of the writing chores. That, in itself, got me interested when I first saw it on the solicits. I’ve always had faith with Manapul as an artist and I was curious to discover if he can rise with this new challenge.

Reading this issue just made me realize that artists are, first and foremost, storytellers.

Manapul and Buccellato sure know what they are doing – and they are doing it right.

Instead of giving us an origin tale, the tandem introduces us to Barry Allen’s new status quo on the first page and immediately dives us straight into action on the next one. From then on, we get to see a possible love triangle, Barry’s Filipino parkour buddy, and a surprising cliffhanger that’s sure to leave you wanting to read more.

It sure helps that Manapul has an uncanny ability to convey motion and emotion on every page. His speed effects are awesome to look at. The facial expressions are spot on too. On top of that, his panel work can be very creative. There’s really no denying that, while the story is entertaining enough, Manapul’s art is the main meat of this issue.

I’m definitely in for the ride. I’m eager to read the next issues and I’ll probably order them online from ComicXHub again. This is surely one DC comic book that deserves following.

Justice League #1|Comics Review

Mark Rosario — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 22:41:34 +0000

Rightfully kicking off the DC Comics New Universe is Justice League #1. With writing and art duties by top DC executives, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, this issue makes an ideal jumping point for readers who’ve always been put off by confusing continuity.

Set five years ago, the story opens with Gotham Police giving Batman and his villain some chase and some bullets. Green Lantern then comes into the picture and lends a hand to an unappreciative Dark Knight. Later on, the duo heads to Metropolis to look for a certain Superman – who throws punches first and asks questions later!

Overall, I’d say I’m pleased with the pacing and the way the characters are introduced. I love the fact that only four out of the seven heroes appeared on this issue (we also see pre-Cyborg Vic Stone here). I’m eager to find out how the team will be formed and how they will gain the trust of the masses who seem cynical about superheroes at the moment.

Although I wouldn’t say I’d categorize Justice League #1 as a masterpiece, I also wouldn’t deny I had fun reading this one. It’s action-packed and leaves you with a cliffhanger to make sure that you come back for the next issue.

Artwise, the costumes look a little busy but Jim Lee’s dynamic linearts are just too damn awesome. I’m sure I’ll get used to these new suits along the way. As one friend accurately put it, Jim Lee is officially “at the top of his game” again. Of course, let’s also not forget to praise Alex Sinclair for his typically-impressive coloring skills!

Go pick up Justice League #1 at your favorite comic book shops. You really would’nt wanna miss a piece of hisotry.