Stranger Things

I was finishing my late lunch at a nearby mall’s food court when an old guy, whose height is about 5’4”, stopped by about two feet to my left. He fixed his backpack on the table parallel to mine for a few minutes, and just as he zipped up his bag, his spread-out wallet fell from the side of the table. He didn’t notice.

He was about to walk away when I tapped him by his side and told him, “nahulog ho yung wallet.” He looked surprised and puzzled, so I pointed down. He was happy, of course, and proceeded to thank me.

“Naku, thank you… kung sa ibang lugar ko nahulog ito, walang malasakit ang ibang tao. May kaunting pera ito pero ang mahirap mawala eh ‘yung mga ID.”

A brief, reluctant conversation ensued, but we didn't really bother introducing ourselves. He told me that he was already 79, and politely asked my age. I told him, and I quickly mentioned that telling him about the dropped wallet was no big deal. But he was really grateful.

“Totoy, mabuti na lang may mga taong may good manners and right conduct. Pagpalain ka sana ng diyos!”

I thanked him and told him to take care. It felt good to do that simple thing, basically because I expect people to do the same thing for me should something similar happen.

Bizarro Superman

Not really, but that's the new Clark Kent's reflection. Brandon Routh/Superman Returns pic from Yahoo! Movies.

Grown-up Matters

Got this comment from Alejandro Abadilla, who responded to witty, rabble-rousing Adam David’s questionnaire about Filipino comic books.

Adam: Do people still say that comic books are for children?
Alejandro: No. But it isn't a bad thing. Nor is it a general thing. It's not a blanket condition since there are exists comics out there that are "meant/designed" for specific age groups. If so, why do comics manufacturers insist on labeling their works "for mature readers only". Some would say that it's meant to be a joke; that their comic books are not intended for readers who are in their 30s but are too immature when it comes to handling their relationships or credit card debts or something. But who are they kidding? They put the label precisely because a four-year old kid would never understand the problems of Lexy, Nance, and Argus.
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I emailed him the following, to elaborate on my book’s “mature readers” label (Update: I just noticed that this is a slightly edited version of the email I sent him. Okay, must sleep now.).
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Actually, the "mature readers only" label in my case is there precisely because, yes, kids would never understand the problems of the book's characters, and more so because it's a disclaimer if ever their parents or elders discovered them reading or browsing through it. As something that has partially seen print in a magazine (first 18 pages/Chapter 1 of the book), I've gotten some feedback from adults, way back, that were less than encouraging, as well as reactions that have been very supportive of a future compilation or a continuation of the story. I knew I'd be making some people really uncomfortable with some of the subject matter I'd be exploring. So I put the "mature" label there too for those who are bound to dislike the fact that such topics have been discussed.

The immature adults are there, as expected. “Immature adults” at the back cover was meant as a jab, a warning that certain people will not like or appreciate the comic book’s takes on non-traditional ideas. Many months after the comic book was released, for example, my sister told me about an incident wherein her friend's pre-teen/grade 7 sister was caught by their Opus Dei mom reading the comic book. They (my sister and friend) had to point out that the girl rummaged through her brother's things without permission, and the disclaimer on the cover--and the "sex" in the title-- were there all along. The mother was nonetheless scandalized.

There was another incident. My friend gave a copy to his straight male friend as a gift. He (the straight guy) didn't finish reading it--he had about ten pages left-- because he felt that the friend who gave it to him was, to paraphrase, "pushing the gay lifestyle on him". He returned the gift.

And recently, I gave a copy to someone whom I thought might be receptive to it. But after reading it, she apologized because it was "too adult" for her. But I understand what she meant, and I appreciate that she was really sensitive enough and honest to admit that to me. I don't expect everyone to be receptive to it, as that would be grossly unrealistic.

I also put the "mature readers" label there so that salespeople who have no idea what the comic book's about won't accidentally sell them to kids. I didn't wanna complicate things with the shops; I didn't want them to get complaints from angry parents if such things happened. But the three stores where I had them consigned, thankfully, are careful enough not to sell them to minors. They're used to the label, actually, as they sell other items with mature themes or content as well.

I'd like to add that I didn't wanna inconvenience anyone if ever problems regarding the sexual or religious content arose, that's why I decided to make/publish/market it myself, under its own indie label, if it can even be called that. I didn't wanna implicate any publisher or organization by association if certain people felt offended by it.

Thanks for the comment, Alejandro. That made me think.