The Crustacean

Pencil drawing, March 2005 Was feeling bleh yesterday, so to distract myself, I drew. This is one of two portraits of characters I was able to come up with.

The Crustacean was a second-tier member of the Cavalry, a crimefighter who retired after a distinguished stint in the early '80s. After ultimately failing at family life, he dons a new uniform and begins a costumed career anew, where he hopes his ability to manifest exoskeletal armor and weaponry will be put to good use again. But he now finds the team--and the demands of the job--very different from what he fondly remembers.

Quickie

Just a quickie list of highlights and stuff worth mentioning:

1) My best friend and LNA co-publisher John Toledo is penciler of the new Image title Blacklight, created and co-plotted by Jim Valentino (Shadowhawk, A Touch of Silver) and written by Scott Wherle (Micronauts). It’s being solicited for a June release, so place your orders now at your favorite comic shops, kids!

2) Saw the last ever Friends episode over Wowow last night. It was simpler than I expected, but it’s a decent ending nonetheless. Studio 23 is airing Joey tonight, I think.

3) I passed an AIDS test. “Non-reactive”, the result says. Yay, me!

4) Angel Season 5 starts this week, Studio 23 (I'm unsure of the day and time). First ep is written and directed by Joss Whedon.

5) Discovered that one of the popular motel chains has a VIP room whose walls have a jungle motif. But painted rather sloppily on the headboard area is a destroyed jet cockpit. Really. I dunno what kinks you can conjure up with that. Still, it's creative, if a bit morbidly funny.

6) Warner Music will be giving me a copy of The Best of Sixpence None the Richer. I love them. Thanks, Warner!

7) Borrowed lots of Bone, Mage, Castle Waiting, Battle Pope and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen issues and tpb’s from Benedict, and read the latest New Avengers (I have mixed feelings about it) and Young Avengers (I’m unimpressed, so far).

8) Pizza Hut and KFC were both open for deliveries during Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Yay!

Marleina

Pencil drawing, Dec. 1998

That's Me in the Corner...

The last time I ever attended Mass, if I'm not mistaken, was in 1997. At that point, I wasn't comfortable with the ideas being presented to me by religion anymore. Anyway, been surfing and found some interesting lists of disbelievers and doubters here, here, here and here. Hmm... Joss Whedon and Kurt Busiek are in there.
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Some celebrities on organized religion:

"I do occasionally envy the person who is religious naturally, without being brainwashed into it or suckered into it by all the organized hustles.” -- Woody Allen, Rolling Stone, 1987

“Although the time of death is approaching me, I am not afraid of dying and going to Hell or (what would be considerably worse) going to the popularized version of Heaven. I expect death to be nothingness and, for removing me from all possible fears of death, I am thankful to atheism.” --Isaac Asimov, "On Religiosity," Free Inquiry

"I'm glad some people have that faith. I don't have that faith. If there is a God, a caring God, then we have to figure he's done an extraordinary job of making a very cruel world."
--Dave Matthews, US Magazine, June 1998

“I don't think there's anybody sitting in the sky watching you. You're on your own. All you have is other people around you, and how you treat them. I actually think that not having a focus on God would make life better, because there would be more of an imperative to be nice to each other. There would be no more brand-name wars over stuff, and pointless arguments over east side/west side, go-fight-win.” --Andy Richter, The Onion, Oct. 9, 2002

“The problem with Christianity is, they think everything is about outside forces, good and evil. With Christianity, there’s not a lot of inner work encouraged. I don’t like it that people don’t own up to the fact that every thought that we could possibly have, we’ve all had.”
--Tori Amos , Rolling Stone, June 25, 1998

All-Out Sexy Pimp Post (Updated Aug. 2005)

Thanks to the readers who have written about Lexy, Nance & Argus: Sex, Gods, Rock & Roll these past few months. Word of mouth has been very, very helpful. It's still available at Pride Exchange in Malate, Druid’s Keep in Magallanes, and Comic Quest Festival Mall, Megamall and SM North. Thanks to the people who bought, shared and blogged about it, and to Pulp Magazine for using my announcement in their Jan.-Feb. 2005 issue. Here’s another set of reviews, comments and excerpts from recent feedback.
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“A sexy yet intellectual comic book that pulls no punches...”
--Icon Magazine, April 2005

“…Winning comic book lines…”
--FHM, May 2005

"Oliver just released his labor of love, Lexy, Nance & Argus: SEX GODS, ROCK & ROLL, an insightful, sexy, and well-written oversized comic book about love, life and gender identity. His flair and honesty in pushing the gay agenda is evident in one of the strongest Filipino comic books of the past few years. And yes, he wrote and illustrated it all, the bastard."
--Dean Alfar, Siglo: Freedom, The Lost (deanalfar.blogspot.com, Jan. 3, 2005)

“Its racy visuals serve to complement Oliver’s in-your-face writing, deliciously revealing his takes on the complex realm of alternative sexuality and lifestyles.”
--Carlo Vergara, One Night in Purgatory, Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni ZsaZsa Zaturnnah (carverhouse.blogspot.com, Jan. 6, 2005)

“I really enjoyed Lexy. It's one of the best comics I've read from the local scene.”
--David Hontiveros, Avatar, Pantheon, via email

"I loved your comic book and have, in fact, started a letter to you telling you about it. Hindi ko mahanap right now, but I want you to know that I think your work is brilliant! And the characters are people you start to care about."
--Dr. Margie Holmes, via email

"Hey, just finished reading your comics... it could be a good material for a sitcom or a film. Very Western. May hidden anger yung mga characters. I hope the Filipino readers would appreciate such a progressive endeavor... Very real! I like it! :)"
—Andoy Ranay, via SMS

"Unlike anything else out there, Lexy, Nance & Argus, which first ran in Pulp Magazine, features the very graphic (read: nudity and very sexual situations) adventure of three friends: the gay Lexy, lesbian Nance and the seemingly straight Argus. This book is not for the unadventurous. A visually elaborate chronicle of Generation X's alternative tribe, the compiled black and white strip is gimmicky and sentimental in parts but is certainly unambiguous in its storytelling. An acquired taste that brims with catchy dialogue, Lexy, Nance & Argus is also strictly for adult readers only -- a distinction that should be taken seriously."
--Ruel S. De Vera, Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 20, 2005

“The comic book is much more frank than the serials in Pulp, since the added material presents more risque images and expands the trio’s discussions on relationships, religion, sexuality and pop culture with a wry sense of humor. Hindi pambata ang ganitong babasahin bagama’t nakadaragdag ito sa pagpapalawak ng pag-unawa sa iba pang kasapi ng ating lipunan na may ibang pananaw sa buhay… Who knows, with characters this interesting and fun, we may soon see Lexy, Nance and Argus in the big screen. ”
--Vives Anunciacion, Inquirer Libre, January 17, 2005

"Naririyan ang bagong Lexy, Nance and Argus: Sex, Gods and Rock and Roll ni Oliver Pulumbarit at ang One Night in Purgatory (2001) ni Carlo Vergara, na hindi lamang mga dilinyasyon ng karanasan ng Bakla sa nagbabagong lipunan kundi patuloy na paggigiit ng pagtutol sa mga pagkakahon o isteryotipo… May ilang pagtukoy ang mga ito sa kulturang popular at kosmopolitang pamumuhay (lifestyle) na kinikilala natin na atin sa kasalukuyan. Sa pangkabuohan, maituturing na ang mga ito bilang matagumpay na bahagi ng pagsusulong ng kamalayang Bakla sa lipunang Filipino na nagsimula sa Unang Sigaw ni Tony Perez.
--Louie Jon Sanchez (sarikulay.blogspot.com, Feb. 7, 2005)

"Also on stands is Oliver Pulumbarit's Lexy, Nance, and Argus, which is selling really well, and rightfully so. It means people are recognizing the book for the good read that it is. And if you are one of those who've yet to check it out, well, go now, quickly, because there's only a limited number of copies left of this important piece of pop culture that you're sorely missing out on. "
---Elbert Or (mars4.blogspot.com, Feb. 1, 2005)

"Boi_bitch suggests… reading Oliver Pulumbarit’s amazing comic book, Lexy, Nance & Argus: Sex, Gods, Rock & Roll. "
--Chris Eugenio (chrisvstheuniverse.blogspot.com, Feb. 16)

"Finished reading your comic… you’ve got talent, dude. The characters were real and not stereotypical. Nice message you’re sending out. Would be a nice indie movie, I think…”
--Mon Serrano, Club Government, via SMS

"Ang galing talaga... Not your usual comic book na after mong basahin itatago mo na lang ulit or babasahin na lang pag napagtripan. Kahit walang budget, binili ko pa rin ang comic book... at hindi naman talaga ako nagsisi, kasi bukod sa kaaliw ang mga story, makaka-relate ka sa mga character. Very interesting ang mga topic every strip… Sana magkaroon pa ito ng kasunod na edition. Two thumbs up ka talaga sir Oliver Pulumbarit..."
--Jaime Q., via email

“Just got a copy. Astig ka po. Congrats at salamat din... P.S.: Ingat ka baka ipa-ban ka ng Catholic Church. Hehe.”
--Martha Casantosan, via email

"I enjoyed your book a lot - sexy, funny, smart, very contemporary, even polemical, with lots of courage and heart."
--Eric Julian Manalastas, via email

Jovialan Cityscape

Pencil drawing, 1998
This was the first time I ever did a three-point perspective drawing. It was actually a panel taken from a sequential page that featured a few of my old characters and ideas.

Bats Vs. Hornhead

Pencil drawing, Jan. 1999 (Click image)

Oblivious

He drops his half-empty cup on the coffee shop floor.
He seems oblivious of the mess he made.
He doesn’t really think it’s a mess to begin with.
Just part of a life that’s less than eighty years short.

He calls every lover his beautiful one.
He calls them up and sweet-talks ‘til the day is gone.
He’s got a whole network of consistent lies.
When the night comes, he’s the luckiest one.
He thinks, “I don’t care if God is Love is Blind.
I just know that my feelings are honest and I’ll take whatever I find.”

Break no hearts. He’s alone even when he’s not.

She sneaks into the room while smiling in the dark.
She nearly knocks over her large figurine shelf.
She washes herself up and cries while the water drowns her tears.
It’s a routine she’s gotten used to for almost two years.

She doesn’t speak to her spouse that much anymore.
But she needs him to feel reassured.
She feels protected and lovely but yes, a little bored.
She thinks, “I love you even when I’m loving him too.
I just have a big heart and I know that Life is a Beach and it’s Short.”

Break no hearts. She’s alone even when she’s not.

We wanted to share secrets, and in time we did.
Sorry tales of broken hearts, our own and old flames’.
We felt a spark and we never held back.
We made new secrets and called each other new names.
We’re guilty but we’re not heartless. So we reassure each other:
“We’re friends. More than that sometimes. Our Time is Gold is Up.
But we’re together even when we’re alone.”
And we smiled when you slipped on a discarded coffee cup.

Wolvie, sans Adamantium

Pencil drawing, Feb. 2000 (C'mon, click it)
My interpretation of Logan, premier feral mutant, when he sported bone claws.

Sharkie

Mixed media, 2002
Jervis "Sharkie" Thwacker searches the oceans for the Automaton Body, a gigantic construct designed to connect with his ancient but advanced vehicle. They form one of the few weapons against an impending interstellar attack. In the meantime, Sharkie uses his other newfound weapon, the Quardent (a four-pronged undersea spear) to protect surface-dwellers from sinister marine warrior-tribes.

Perfect Clarity

"I've been alive a bit longer than you, and dead a lot longer than that. I've seen things you couldn't imagine, and done things I prefer you didn't. I don't exactly have a reputation for being a thinker. I follow my blood, which doesn't exactly rush in the direction of my brain. So I make a lot of mistakes, a lot of wrong bloody calls. A hundred-plus years, and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of:
You.
...I'm not asking you for anything. When I say, 'I love you', it's not because I want you, or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are."

--Spike to Buffy (“Touched”, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7)

Archduke Nautilus

Pencil drawing, Dec. 1998
Archduke Nautilus of the Seaelves is a long-lived ruler who has a funky trident that he rarely uses in battle. It's a requirement: Sea kings = macho pitchforks for show. Just check out the action figures of Aquaman, Namor, and Mer-Man.

White and Warm

Can’t wait to touch it.
Flash that naughty smile.
Can’t wait to grab you.
Work that magic spell.
Unzip and it makes you
Hard and oh-so-swell.

Your ecstacy’s white and warm.
You work your sly, roguish charm.
Your ecstacy’s white and warm.
Deliver me from harm.

Can’t wait to taste it.
Shed your clothes and your weekday manners.
Can’t wait to grip you.
Weave that spell you know so well.
Take it in and it makes you
Gasp and oh-so-swell.

Our ecstacy’s white and warm.
Pry, pin down, spill like a storm.
My ecstacy’s white and warm.
Your soul so bright disarms.

Hidden holes discovered.
Quivering flesh uncovered.
Sprayed, splayed, strength recovered.

White, warm, touch it, taste it.
White, warm, spread it, feel it.
White, warm, our hands a-shaking.
White, warm, our tongues a-playing.

Never a Question

Never saw retarded ants. Where are they hiding?
Not that I care; they’re insignificant to me.
But sometimes I’m just a retarded ant.
Insignificant and so out of the loop.
Asking questions, so removed from any group.
Asking you, asking me.
Just asking:

Which Jesus are you selling? Which one should I be buying?
Which world am I living in? Why is there so much crying?
Where are we going after our personal hells?
Why are some of my prayers like wishing wells?

Surviving each day brings a smile to my face.
We’re all selling, pimping and whoring.
But sometimes I just feel like breaking down.
Breaking down and lashing out.
Asking questions aloud, for my sanity.
Just asking:

Which agendas are you selling? Why should I believe you?
Should I even praise you? What’ll happen if I don’t?
Who died and made you king? Did your deity teach you how to gloat?
Does redemption mean I can’t cast my own vote?
Why am I happy with myself? Why should I feel blue?
Why do you think I’m cheating on you?
Do you forgive me? Do I care?
Who’s puppeteering this Truth or Dare?
Is there truth to your recycled words?
Are we on the same page? Is your vision just blurred?
Which intrusive rumors have you heard?
Whose is bigger? Who made you come?
How can someone so smart be so distressingly dumb?

Just a retarded ant, asking.
I know some answers, but I’m not sharing.

Nomad

Busy Saturday: Watched Robots with Benedict at Glorietta early in the afternoon. Went to Shang via MRT to eat lunch immediately after. Walked to Megamall to his parked car. He brought me to the NBC Tent at the Fort to meet up with Mark Dy and hand him copies of LNA. Went to Megamall again after to buy some comics and cake. Went to Benedict’s house and ate it, then watched Futurama’s “Jurassic Bark” episode (a sad, sad one). Just crashed on his bed a bit after; it was a tiring but fun day. And then I went home with borrowed VCDs of the 9th season of Friends.

The past two days have been busy too. Been drawing again for a magazine. Also talked to Benjamin, who shared interesting reactions from different readers he gave copies of my comic book to. Which reminds me, must also replenish some Comic Quest outlets; just found out that some branches just ran out of LNA.

Melquiora

Mixed Media, 2002 (Click away)
Machinesmith Lora Vogel is the latest in a long line of protectors that has wielded the Mallet of Saad, a weapon created by a highly evolved presence from another galaxy. She patrols space as “Melquiora” with the help of the Lunarsteed, a sentient vehicle she assembled from remnants of a Jupiterian spacecraft.

Recent character deSIGNS

Pen and ink, Mar. 2005 (Click image)
Drawings above and below are characters created and owned by Fero, the Signs of the Season kids. Just a small token of thanks for bringing me places recently. :)

Power packed

Pen and ink, Feb. 2005 (Click to enlarge)

Bizzy

Busy day yesterday. Gave Summit a copy of my comic book. They'll be announcing its existence in the May issue of one of their mags (thanks, Chrissy Icamina and Minnette Gamez!). Watched Spanglish (thanks, Jay of BSMG!). Spent the night at Fero McPiggy's. He lent me a boxful of comics. It's got Thunderbolts, Batgirl, Ultimate Spider-Man, Suicide Squad, and a bunch of Elseworlds one-shots. Brought me home by 3:45 a.m. (Thanks, kid!).

Busy day today. Been writing announcements and photo captions since I woke up. Will write stuff for the paper later. Probably do some sketching, too.