Buying the Drama

Ahh, nothing like shampoo to get rid of that icky feeling you get after having what’s left of your hair trimmed and groomed with possibly germ-y scissors and a comb that previously touched god-knows-who in the barber shop.

Just some random thoughts: I wanna go somewhere cool for a few days. I need money. I hope I get paid soon for articles I contributed to magazines. I wanna lose weight. I wanna eat pizza... any flavor with thick cheese. We need cooler weather. Blecch.

I think it’s Free Comic Book Day this Saturday, but I’m not sure. Have to ask the shops if they’re giving away stuff. It’s the coolest time to read superhero books, with Infinite Crisis just finished and Civil War just starting. It’s also a great time to be collecting toys; they don’t have the Marvel Legends-Onslaught set yet at the malls but one specialty shop was selling one with variants already. The figures have Versus cards too (so that’s good news for you, Ruel DJ, heheh). It won’t be long ‘til they hit the regular venues, I suppose. And crap, I just remembered, the Wal-Mart series is out in the US already. Sigh. I want that.

Back to regular programming. Some fun reads. Spoiler Warning On!

Marvel Zombies- The arc started in Ultimate Fantastic Four and spun off into its own mini-series. I felt exhausted after reading this, because I didn’t know what to expect and it was so uniquely over the top. An alternate Marvel Universe is overrun by former superheroes who’ve become hungry, flesh-eating zombies. It’s funny in parts, and just plain disturbing in others. But if you’re familiar with, and entertained by Robert Kirkman and his Image title Walking Dead, you’ll probably like this. A sequel is reportedly in the works.

Infinite Crisis # 7- I waited for this and Civil War to arrive this afternoon. Started reading this in the jeep while en route to another mall, and finished it there. Will enumerate comments:

1. The double-page spread (pages 2 and 3) would’ve looked better if, instead of going for a blurred monochromatic scheme in the background, they showed some more colored figures. The details kind of got lost, and it would’ve been great to identify the smaller characters. And Giganta versus Elastigirl would’ve looked much better.

2. Noooo!!! SB-Prime killed Major Disaster! Dammit!

3. Zauriel gets burned! But, I'm sure his physical body'll heal or be replaced. He’s one of my favorite Morrison-era characters.

4. The cavalry finally arrived to save Metropolis from the Society, a battle which was just a tad short for me.

5. Good to see the Green Lantern Corps in action, and in full force.

6. Flash, and “Flash Phobia”. Now that’s interesting. Torture in the Speed Force?

7. The possibility of another sequel in a few decades is presented, which is good, and kinda sad.

8. It’s an action-packed issue. It's nothing we haven’t seen done before in other senses-shattering super-epics, but the final issue is still good.

Civil War # 1- This feels thinner than its 33 story pages because it’s been previewed in a zillion places in the past two months. Millar is good here. You just know he’s button-pushing in certain parts, but it works and it's easy not to mind, this time. The New Warriors get disassembled, accidentally causing a terrible body count that prompts the US government to keep the masked heroes in line. A proposed Superhero registration act divides the Marvel superhero population, and the forming of sides has begun. Damn, Captain America kicks ass; he's shown as the upholder of liberty, a warrior who’s not afraid of giving SHIELD a beatdown. You get a sense of majesty with him here, and he'll no doubt shine again throughout the series. If only he were this commanding in the New Avengers series…

New Avengers Annual # 1- Now this is more like it! Bendis finally writes an action-packed Avengers story that actually shows them as a kickass super-team. It’s self-contained too, and has art by Olivier Coipel, so it’s different. Loved the attack of the Iron Men! Oh, and Luke and Jessica’s wedding is welcomely compressed and to-the-point. My only gripe with the art was with the wedding pages; the place where the ceremony took place looks devoid of detail and a little rushed. But the rest of it is well-drawn, though.

Astonishing X-Men # 14- Good buildup issue. The Hellfire Club is dividing and conquering the Astonishing team, it seems. Emma majorly messes with Scott’s head, and Cassandra makes her presence known. The future destroyer of Ord’s world has been singled out too, but we’ve yet to see which X-Man it is. My guess? Kitty Pryde. Joss Whedon has often made the unlikeliest characters dangerous and complex in his TV shows. There’s nothing to implicate anyone at this point, but I want it to be Kitty! Argh--I miss Buffy!

I Miss Buffy!

Where are those spinoff shows or TV-movie specials? I don’t feel like watching David Boreanaz in Bones. I want him and Ms. Gellar in a film that, like Serenity, continues their mythology and revives the property. It can work! Put in the surviving characters of both shows in small but crucial spots. Whedon’s proven time and again that he can do wonders with large casts, like with the Firefly team in the movie. And there are a lot of story possibilities that can make the crossover-movie work.

My favorite Buffy seasons, they’re a tie between the second (Angelus big bad), fourth (Adam and the Initiative), and seventh (the Potentials army was exciting). I like the other seasons almost equally. With Angel, I like season five the best, then season two, four, one and three. I hope the TV shows aren’t the last we’ve seen of the shared magical universe that Whedon, his co-writers, cast and crew members were able to bring vividly to life. They were really unique, and are now sorely missed.

Giddy, Yup!

Wow. Watched Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal last Sunday. It’s the last staging for the summer. It’ll be back in June for a limited run at the CCP as a more “interactive” version (will they pull audience members to sing or dance along, I wonder?). It was great to see Carl V’s work translate well to this colorful and energetic medium.

We sat a decent distance; the isometric view of the stage and the performers wasn’t bad. I wish I bought the souvenir program because I can’t remember some of the other actors’ names (am a cheapskate sometimes, I know). I especially liked the performances of Eula Valdez, Kalila Aguilos, and Joey Paras, who played Didi. He was real funny, and some of his ad libbed lines really cracked us up. I like how the fight scenes were conducted too, as they were cleverly staged with just a few fancy props and ably choreographed footwork.

Huwag Po!

Benedict is regretting that he didn’t zoom out the lens, while Kalila Aguilos (who was super awesome as Queen Femina!) had her bent left leg posed over my body. Sayang! It was so cool of her and the other cast members to pose with fans after the show.

Babaeng Badaf

Eula Valdez was a surprise. Did she start with Bagets over twenty years ago? Oh my god, she was electrifying as the female superheroine alter-ego of the parlorista Ada. I didn’t know she could sing. She was shapely, too; she wore a body stocking from the belly down, but it fit snugly around her t-backed posterior and kinda cast the illusion that it was bare. Anyway, I look asleep in this shot. Unholy pope Benedict is smiling.

Attack of the Amazonistas

Wilma Doesnt and Deeda Barretto were half of the quartet of the Queen’s henchwomen. I really enjoyed their song-dance-and-drama clashes with Zsazsa.

And the Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth

Jolography author Paolo Manalo, Penumbra books author David Hontiveros, and moi, after the show. Saw and greeted Ian Carandang and Sam Kamada too, as well as UP professor Eric Manalastas. Everyone was happy.

The Carver Victorious!

(pic from Zsazsa groupie Paolo M., who watched it for the tenth time!)

I saw part of an episode of Nip/Tuck last Saturday. It had a masked stalker guy called the Carver. Heh. Anywaze, congratulations to the one, true Carver, as well as the dedicated cast and crew. It was a unique, fun experience, and may the movie star all these hardworking, talented actors. I didn't notice the whole thing was about over two and a half hours. I hope they make it a movie musical, but compressed below two hours. Dave says it can actually happen, because, well, you never know. It's going to be a Regal film, after all.

One Summer Never Ends

The weather’s still unbelievably, thickly humid, even at night. The heat is practically a solid, living force. There’s just no escaping it. Ah, well. You just get used to it, I guess. Can’t wait for the heavy rainfall that weathermen predicted, the kind we're supposed to experience some time during this summer.

Been a tiring work week. Was able to watch a few movies and read some new comics, though. Been planning to watch the last staging of Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal, but I discovered last Wednesday that it had just sold out, according to the ticketseller hotline lady. Paolo Manalo, miraculously and thankfully, texted me and was able to reserve me some. I wanted to catch it before it becomes a movie and to see how they’ve brought Carl Vergara’s characters and ideas to life. Watching that tomorrow.

I was only able to sleep for about two hours early Friday morning. Had to wake up early to visit a construction supply convention for a PR firm, where I was supposed to meet up with some interviewees. I did my darnedest to stay focused for most of the waiting and actual interviewing process. The two interviews went well and were lengthier than usual. They were about pesticides and termite infestations, topics that don’t really interest me, so I just had to keep myself awake and force myself to understand things that they were saying. These were conducted in two separate, classy dining places, where the food we were treated to was filling. The ambiance wasn’t bad, either.

I still have to transcribe them. I’ve worked on some press releases in the past, and while these have no bylines, I do enjoy writing them. I do feel like a dirty whore for writing them sometimes, because some clients and their associates can’t make up their minds on what they want long after you’ve given them a perfectly functional one, or pretend to know how to do the job themselves when they butcher your work with their own wordings. But, well, that’s part of the nature of the selling business. And writing copy that pimps products, and interacting with interesting people can offer me new perspectives. I’m real grateful for that opportunity.

Just slept a bit through traffic in the firm’s vehicle after that. Traffic was really horrid by 4-ish near Mandaluyong, as there was, I’d find out later, an ongoing mallwide sale in Megamall. I went to CQ and checked if last year’s Marvel Universe issues were on sale (these were the themed series), and they were so I finally got them. I also got a discounted Villiains United Special at Filbar’s. It’s a great, important tie-in to read before next week’s final ish of Infinite Crisis! It felt like one of the episodes of Justice League Unlimited for me. You’ll find out why if you read it. I’m really excited with the re-appearance of another villain, too.

Went up to catch the preview of Aquamarine, a silly, cute teen flick about a mermaid and friendships. Young pop singer Jojo Levesque, the girl with the cute babyfat cheeks, is in it as one of the high schoolers who befriend the pretty creature. And for the first time in my life, I won in one of those pre-screening raffles. It was a small but heavy snail mail letter rack. Wait, I actually don’t remember if the sponsor that gave away stuff was Stresstabs or another product. But the thing I got obviously wasn’t vitamins-related. Still, a prize is a prize, and I wasn’t expecting any. I actually hesitated from going in front, answering the true or false question, and claiming the thing. Update: I just opened the box and it had twelve Stresstabs capsules in it. So cool.

Went home to discover a touching email from a sibling. That was surprising. I stayed awake to surf a little and read my comics. And I woke up about four hours later to look briefly at the paper. Was pleasantly surprised to see an interview article I wrote early this week (thanks Pam and Tim!). Got back to bed and slept some more. And woke up to the light and heat of summer sunshine, hours later. Even the bathing water is hot. Yeek.

Not Mere Words, Part Trois

VH1 recently conducted a poll for Brits’ favorite lyrics. U2 topped that with “One”. The line, “One life with each other, sisters, brothers” was deemed the favorite. There were other notable entries; just check out Google News for them.

Here are some of mine again, in some of my old and new favorite songs. They’re poetic and attractive perspectives:

“Maybe there is a God above, but all I've ever learned from love, was how to shoot someone who outdrew you. And it's not a cry that you hear at night. It's not somebody who's seen the light, it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah.”
--Jeff Buckley, “Hallelujah”

“To ease my pain, I took a pen and paper. Incarnate came the bleeding. Send it back before the public eye perverts it in the reading.”
--Indigo Girls, “Burn All the Letters”

“Sometimes I feel like I know too much. And sometimes I feel like I don't know nothing at all. But I can still be soft to the touch. Well, I am just a rumble doll.”
--Patti Scialfa, "Rumble Doll"

“Ask her how she knows there's a God up in the heavens. Where did he go in the middle of her shame? Ask her how she knows there's a God up in the heavens. She said his mercy is bringing her life again.”
-- Amy Grant, “Ask Me”

“Do you have eyes? Can you see like mankind sees? Why have you soured and curdled me? Oh, you tireless watcher! What have I done to you? That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?”
--Joni Mitchell, “The Sire of Sorrow (Job’s Sad Song)”

“Her boyfriend is Tom, but we call him the King of Romance. He wears an American flag on the butt of his ripped-up pants. And, will they get married with kids of their own? He says, ‘Not if she's going to college we won't’. And he kisses her, oh.... Someday I'll have a boyfriend just like that.”
--Dar Williams (left, pic from Yahoo Music), “The Babysitter’s Here”

“I can feel the eyes behind us as we walk. I can see the ears that listen when we talk.
I don’t care what the world has to say. You should know that I love you. I love you, I love you today.”
--Squeeze, “Heaven Knows”

”I saw you first. I'm the first one tonight. I saw you first. Don't that give me the right, to move around in your heart? Everyone was looking, but I saw you first.”
--John Mellencamp, “Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)”

Crayons to Cravings

My, how they’ve grown. Looking at some old classmates and batchmates’ Friendster profiles, it’s easy to assume that no, they’re not the same people I met or spent time with at school back in the day. They’re strangers, more so now than they’ve ever been. People who purported to be friends back then have moved on to different interests and have more pressing priorities now. It seemed that half our lives ago, the most terrifying thing that could happen was failing a subject, or not graduating, or getting a low entrance examination score.

It’s also surreal to see my picture beside that of another person I considered really close all those years ago, but one that I’m not particularly interested in contacting any time soon, or ever again. Quite a number of people from high school were likewise barely recognizable in many ways; I’m not sure what the hell happened to them between the last time we all left the hallowed halls of the alma mater and the time they created their profiles. But yeah, okay, life happened to them. And I don’t doubt that the same people may be thinking the same thing about me. It’s seeing the changes beyond the cosmetic that’s really amusing, that shows them as more complex creatures with constantly changing appetites. And it’s interesting that they’ve found things that kept them busy, happy or made their presences felt outside the seemingly innocent confines of the school years after.

It’s in school that we first meet people we fancy, look up to, or despise, and while there are incidents and embarrassments throughout those years that are best forgotten, it’s undeniable that we’ve often learned after stumbling. But that’s generalizing it; I’ve heard that some acquaintances are now faring poorly. Others are surprisingly doing extremely well, though, and have begun raising families or have become mentors in their respective fields. But it’s intriguing for me, personally, that the information I know of them now maps a semblance of their lives all those years. Some have obviously gone through personal hells, found or lost God, or, have become the polar opposites of their past personalities. I’d like to know a few of them now, actually, just to see how radical the transformations have been.

Ah, school. I remember a priest who asked me if I masturbated, as part of a strange q & a during confession (I'm not sure if he asked all the guys, but he pleaded to God that I be forgiven for committing such an offense before assigning some penance prayers). I remember the awful CAT marching sessions, which somehow empowered some officers to be verbally abusive and demeaning to the cadets. And I remember a stupid craphead who copied off my test paper but wouldn’t bother saying hello when I ran into him—and greeted him—off-campus.

Sometimes I wonder about them, and the time spent molding us into people that adhered to the rules and mission statements of the schools we’ve spent so many hours of our lives in. If anything, it’s a training ground for encountering and interacting with the Breakfast Club, where we discover ourselves at our purest, most confused, most selfless, and perhaps, most passionate.

LNA Announcement:

For those who’ve been looking for copies of Lexy, Nance and Argus at Comic Quest stores (yes, there are still some of you, thanks!), the comic book won’t be available there, like other consigned items, for a couple of weeks. But do check out Druid’s Keep in Magallanes (landline # 8545332) and Pride Exchange in Malate (landline # 5229429) in the meantime. Try calling them first before visiting, just in case. It will be back in CQ eventually; will announce when that happens.

One With the Cosmos

I’m loving Peter David’s Captain Marvel. It’s heartbreaking that after over thirty issues of the title character Genis-Vell’s gradual development as a superhero, he had to go crazy. As in, cosmically powered, Spectre-judgmental-mental. I wish they’d meet up—Hal Jordan- or Jim Corrigan-Spectre and Genis-- in a nice crossover written by Mr. David one day, but that’s highly unlikely now that Hal’s a GL again and Corrigan and Genis are now in comics limbo. Still, that would make a nice, offbeat team-up/adventure with philosophical and socially relevant layers. And the cosmic characters are essentially symbiotically bonded to other characters; in Cap’s case, Rick Jones is his conscience.

Anyway, back to the book. It’s way awesome and funny. And I love how miss superior, Moondragon, was developed. Heather and Marlo! Woohoo! Nice.

Super Books and Flying How’s

I bought the DC Comics Encyclopedia early last year. I haven’t really finished it; companion sourcebooks aren’t really things you read from cover to cover in one sitting. It has hundreds of character entries, which vary in length, depending on significance. Unlike the Essential and All-New Marvel Universe Handbooks, it has more concise data on the company’s decades-old properties. It’s jam-packed with interesting trivia, but it’s far from complete, and there are some big mistakes, most notably in Sue Dibny’s history. Still, the book is handy and comprehensible reading.

As for the current All-New Marvel Universe series, comprehensive info on strength levels and speed have been oversimplified to number ratings (0 to 7), like those of the old superhero trading cards from the early ’90s, presumably to prevent writers from being given constricting limitations. But the thick Essentials, twenty years after the original titles’ publication, still kick ass, as they thoroughly explain the fantastical physics and minutiae of superpowers, weaponry, and related paraphernalia. I’ve also been re-reading my three-year-old copy of the Marv Wolfman-written, George Perez-drawn History of the DC Universe, which beautifully expounds on the restructured post-Crisis DCU about two decades ago.

With massive crossover events currently ongoing at both comic book universes, and their mythologies constantly expanding and metamorphosing, it’s pretty useful to have these character and event bibles that, while far from complete, try to contain available, steadily growing information into organized, fan-pleasing tomes.

Easter Eggheadry

John and I watched the not-totally feelgood doggie flick Eight Below last Saturday, about husky sled dogs that got stranded in Antarctica for several months. It’s a live-action Disney film that was inspired by actual events, so expect equal parts triumph and tragedy. Basta, the dogs were really good actors.

Can’t remember anything important between that and the start of Holy Week; I just stayed home and worked on some articles.

Holy Tuesday evening, though, my editor sent me to cover the taping of two consecutive episodes of Rex Navarrete’s new cable show, Rex in the City, at the Fort-located MTV building. I interviewed the Fil-Am standup comic right after the second taping. The guy’s real smart and speaks eloquently, not surprisingly. He’s entertaining, even behind the scenes. Talked with the show’s producers and director after that, and left 8:50-ish. As I was looking for a cab, I discovered Embassy, the bar that Tim co-owns, I think, just a few meters from the MTV building. Looks swanky. People were outside looking at a photo shoot at the door, or something. Anyway, I got home immediately to transcribe, which felt more exciting than usual. Wrote and sent the article, hours before the deadline my good editor gave me.

Wednesday night, Benedict dropped by with a boxful of Captain Marvel comics by Peter David and Chris Cross, and took pics of my toys, some of which are posted below (click images to enlarge). He also lent me a copy of Donnie Darko, which is one of the weirdest, most pa-existential things I’ve seen so far. It starred young Jake Gyllenhaal, about four years before he Brokebacked. I had to look at FAQ’s of some fan sites to get what some of the scenes meant. The movie makes more sense if you read them, actually. But I still have questions. Hmm.

Black Saturday, I went to the nearby mall in the afternoon, and the food court was packed like it was a regular weekend. I find it a little strange, but good, that some food establishments continue their regular services during the three Catholic holidays. Things have changed since I was a kid; you’d be hard-pressed to find an open store or food place in commercial districts back then.

Plastic Fantastique

To Me, My Academy X

Some of the teachers and students at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, or the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, if you’re being nitpicky. I put Sasquatch there because she’s an Exiles member and that’s sort of an X-team, too. She’s the wife of an alternate reality’s Wolverine. And the Sentinel is Rover, from Grant Morrison and Marc Silvestri’s confusing but cool New X-Men arc “Here Comes Tomorrow”. By the way, Benedict posed Nightcrawler.

Villains United!

Or, Acts of Vengeance! Yeah, they're ultra-hot, looking all mean and deadly together like that. Can’t wait for the Onslaught set (Loki, Blackheart, Lady Deathstrike, Pyro, and Abomination). I want a Kingpin! I hope there’s a cheap loose figure of that (it comes with a DD figure as part of a 2-pack), and Kang (from the FF Classics). Must work more. Waah.

Penultimatum

Spoilers!

Infinite Crisis # 6 is out. Good slam-bang-heavy issue overall. Superboy Prime returns from the Speed Force, where he claims he was imprisoned with red sunlight for years. It’s good to know that he’s not Anti-Monitor-possessed, that they didn’t resurrect the old villain anymore, and crazy SB Prime’s just sporting energy-draining armor he designed based on the old one he scavenged pre-IC.

The sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths has been enjoyable so far, as it upsets the status quo in the DC Universe again. The body count, the eventual resolution to the funks that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have been in, and the expected sacrifice of Superboy (Kon-El/Conner Kent) are some of the many highlights of the penultimate issue. Among COIE’s significant deaths was Supergirl’s, and having Superboy perish this time seems apt. I was kinda hoping for a déjà vu moment where SB-Prime would finish him off the way the Anti-Monitor terminated the original Kara, but it’s a good thing they didn’t go that way.

I actually liked Conner-Superboy immediately after he debuted during the Reign of the Supermen arc, and through the years, he’s been the fun, fresh, naive superhero that added an integral hipness and attitude to several teen teams’ rosters (he was a member of the Ravers, Young Justice, Titans, and the Legion of Superheroes). I especially liked Joe Kelly and Pascual Ferry’s take on him, as well as his portrayal during the Abnett-Lanning stint in Legion just two years ago. I’m not a fan of the brooding and more mature character he’s become lately in Teen Titans, but well, he, along with goofball speedster Impulse had to grow up and become more serious about the superhero biz some time. Conner had a nice sendoff anyway; his and Wonder Girl’s relationship was nicely addressed in the recent Teen Titans Annual. It was obvious that he was going to get killed off soon, and not Nightwing as the previous IC issues have been trying to misleadingly hint at.

And so he’s gone, until he’s resurrected in a future mega-event, that is. But these changes will stick for a while. One issue to go, but we all know the story doesn’t really end there. There’s still 52, the IC Aftermath series of limited series, and of course, the somewhat spoiler-ish One Year Later-arc titles.

Speaking of status quo shakeups, Marvel’s New Avengers: Illuminati special is interesting. This leads to the Mark Millar-penned Civil War limited series, which will pit hero factions siding with and refusing the new Superhero Registration Act against each other. Illuminati is quite good; Bendis shows here that he’s capable of telling an intriguing, self-contained story in one issue. The secret gathering of some of Marvel’s superhero community leaders breaks up over some of the Illuminati members’ recent decisions. The premise is sound enough (although people will question several continuity points), and the Civil War preview (the last few pages of the special) ominously depicts an event that will affect Marvel for the foreseeable future. Or at least, until the next extra-lengthy, everything-changes crossover.

Oh, I also read Young Avengers # 11. I was right! Good thing they didn’t drag the children of ex-Avengers arc out too long. Good issue.

And All-Star Superman # 3: Not as fun as the previous issue for me, but it’s still entertaining. I like the new super-strong mythical characters, as well as Lois Lane’s brief costumed persona as Superwoman.

I’m still randomly reading Essential Marvel Universe Handbooks entries. Informative and very much worth owning, if you don’t have the complete sets already.

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.
- - - - - - - -
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.).
- - - - - - - - -
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.

Like Chocolate Cake, Like Cigarettes

If you sit down at Glorietta’s Food Choices food court long enough, you’ll notice that they keep looping two songs over their audio system. One is Bachelor Girl’s “Buses and Trains”, and the other is No Doubt’s “Simple Kind of Life”. It was only last Sunday, after several times of hearing them in the past few weeks that I sat or ate there, that I discovered that they were actually showing the videos of the two songs between ads in an elevated TV. How odd, I thought; I wonder why they don’t change them. But the food joint workers there must’ve tuned them out by now. Not that they’re not catchy, but, you know.

I actually had the Bachelor Girl album on cassette tape. I really like that song most of all, particularly the lines, “I know they’re bad for me but I just can’t leave them alone” and like some vices, “a man can kill and still be the sweetest fun”. Brilliant, brilliant.

About three years ago, though, I ran out of blank tapes for my recorder, so I used that for an interview. I think I may have promised myself to get a replacement copy of that one day, along with new copies of the second Merril Bainbridge and Tara McLean albums, which I had to use for different assignments. But I'm not really sure.

I discovered their still-intact lyric sheets and cases piled in a dusty part of my room. I cleaned that up a few hours ago. I just transferred most of my old, now-unused tape collection onto a shelvable plastic container with wheels that no one was using. The items ranged from stuff I got back in high school, to those I bought dirt-cheap in 2003, as well as recordings of interviews with celeb and non-celeb subjects. The collection was yet another colorful, mnemonic map that triggered memories of specific events and phases.

I didn’t really organize in any order; I just needed to get them together into the plastic box. I stopped every few minutes of stacking to look at them. There were Lilith Fair ladies (Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, Sinead O’Connor, Sheryl Crow, etc.) mingled with some new wave albums (the Beggars’ Banquet Collection, River Detectives, The Cure’s Disintegration, etc.), pop ones (Billy Joel’s Storm Front, Wilson Phillips, Richard Marx’s first album!), techno and electronica-related acts (John Digweed, Gus Gus, etc.), and soundtracks (Go, Pretty in Pink, Twin Peaks, etc.).

“Through times of joy and suffering, the music flavors everything”, goes a line from Human League’s “Soundtrack to a Generation”. How true, especially for me. Music has been, and will always be, important to me. Even after I’ve moved on to CD’s (basically because the tape players have stopped working, among other reasons), the countless songs will continue to express words I connect with or need to say, or provide pounding rhythms that soothe my mind and calm my nerves.

The last CD I bought was Vienna Teng’s Warm Strangers, a few months back. I’ve also been enjoying Gumby’s great mix CDs too, which compile my personal ‘80s-to-present pop, folk, new wave and corporate rock favorites. Most of them are songs I previously had as tape tracks. Others are songs I missed from way back. But each song has sentimental worth.

One day, I’ll be moving on to a trusty gadget that compresses all the songs I need to hear in my lifetime. I honestly can’t see that happening any time soon, but I gotta admit, I never saw myself eventually owning a CD collection, however small, back when vinyl records were the coolest thing, either.

Pretty Sinful

It's past 1 a.m. and I'm craving for pizza and ice cream. Not too satisfied with the pancit canton I ate for dinner. But that’ll have to do, I guess, since I’m sleeping in a bit.

Was finally able to try out a slice of Sbarro’s Chicago Deep Dish Pizza last Tuesday. Hm. It was thick and real meaty. Yeah, it’s actually meat pie; it had slices and bits of, if I’m not mistaken, pepperoni sausages, ham and other similar toppings. But these were all compressed inside over an inch-thick pie, with tomato sauce and cheese topping its upper crust (or whatever you call it). I had to see what the fuss was all about. It tastes pretty much like your typical meat-lover’s flavored pan pizza to me, like you took two big slices and pressed their upper parts onto each other. It’s not something I’d regularly eat, though, because it has more meat than I’d like in one serving. And the price, for me, makes it for special occasions only.

Speaking of food, Bodhi has the shrimp okoy mimicked with their new crunchy vegemeat product. It looks, tastes and feels the same, except for the part where your mouth gets pricked by shrimp casings (or shells? I dunno). It’s okay. Okay okoy. But I hope they make bigger servings.

Enjoyed Chowking’s Halo-Halo Fiesta a few days ago. It has two small ice cream scoops (melon and ube flavors) and the usual toppings, like banana slices, ube, leche flan, beans, sago, pinipig, and kaong. Yummy summer dessert. Gah, it’s late and I’m still thinking of food.

Pretty Evil

Some of TV’s pretty faces of evil: Desperate Housewives’ Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom, above) and 24’s Mandy (Mia Kirshner, below). Andrew is the malevolent gay son of control freak Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross). In season 2, the war between homophobic mother and rebellious child escalates, with Andrew relentlessly manipulating his boyfriend (played by Ryan Carnes) to make her snap. But he gets meaner with every appearance, and continues to be one of the show’s more intriguing scheming characters. Obsessive Bree, however, isn’t without tricks up her well-pressed sleeve.

Bisexual assassin Mandy, meanwhile, is a recurring villainess in 24. She’s blown up a plane in the first season, targeted the president in the second, and staged an impromptu hostage situation in the fourth. Hope she reappears in season five. Super CTU agent Bauer needs more deadly, resourceful enemies like her.

I Love You, You Pay My Rent

Watched Rent and Ultraviolet recently. Uhmmm… Rent had some really catchy songs and performances, but didn’t feel like a cohesive enough movie (unlike other movie musicals like Chicago or Moulin Rouge), because of the uneasy gaps between song-and-dance numbers. Ultraviolet? Ultra-repetitive. Unbeatable, expressionless Milla the Killing Machine likes striking cool action poses after stabbing or blowing up her enemies. She fights the establishment, led by a guy wearing funny-looking noseplugs.

Found Roger Avery’s The Rules of Attraction compelling, if a bit disaffecting by the end. The guy has serious storytelling chops. He was able to create separate realities that were ultimately united by sex, drugs, and the characters' unrequited desires. The ending feels inconsequential and a bit unsatisfying, but there were nice details all over that made the characters extra-lovable (or hateable, depending).

And it was surreal seeing James “Dawson” Van Der Beek play a cussing, nose-picking, masturbating, and drug-dealing bastard. Also, it was nice to see Jessica Biel as a horny college girl, Ian Somerhalder as a yoga-stretching gay guy, and Eric Szamanda as an awful filmmaker wannabe.

Action Figure Junkie

I never felt deprived of toys as a kid. I find them cool, 3-dimensional representations of some favorite comics or cartoon characters. I’m obviously more appreciative of them now. Some people like saving for fancy footwear. Others like collecting religious statues. Me, aside from my other interests, I can just sit down and admire a nicely crafted action figure. It’s also great timing that they’re making them so well now. I’m one happy geek.

To continue my dream toy set post from weeks back:

Cameron Hodge Set: Build the huge snake-like cyborg bad-ass from the so-so crossover X-tinction Agenda! The series includes Warlock (techno-organic), Wolfsbane (X-Factor uniform), Nimrod, Daytripper (Amanda Sefton), Marrow (the mean-looking, Pacheco-era one), and Lilandra (Byrne-armored version).

Awesome Andy Set: With mini-chalkboard! Assemble one with an '80s-themed series. Ms. Marvel II (She-Thing!), Aurora (yellow costume), Box I (red Roger Bochs armor, with blue variant), Dr. Druid, Silver Sable and Starhawk.

Fin Fang Foom! No real theme for this one, just some random characters that might possibly make good figures. Two-Gun Kid, Captain Britain (female Avenger), Radioactive Man, Machine Man (NextWave version, with tons of attachable weapons), Ikaris and Enchantress.

Oh, DC’s selling their super-articulated figures now. First up is the Batman set. It looks okay, but it’s P800 a figure. Yikes. Was hoping the price would be as low as a Marvel Legends’. They look decently done, but I’m not too hot for the brightly colored version of Bats. Bane and Scarecrow look nice, but I won’t buy them just yet. Will wait for them to go on sale, maybe. I’m waiting for the red-costumed Azrael figure; that one looks real good. It’s the costume originally designed by Joe Quesada way back in 1992, I think.

So okay, let’s pretend that like Marvel Legends, these DC Superheroes line will be having assemble-a-figure gimmicks too. Here are my dream sets/suggestions:

The General Series: Build the General/Shaggy Man with Zauriel, Wonder Woman (Hippolyta), Aztek, Orion (bigger than the old DC Direct version), Green Arrow (Connor Hawke), and Triumph (baddie).

Giant Anti-Monitor! Build the original Crisis villain with Troia (current costume), Ray II (white uniform with jacket), Supergirl (with flame wings), Tempest, Dr. Fate (recent one), and Dr. Light (Kimiyo Hoshi).

Leviathan I Set: Post-Zero Hour Legion series! Livewire, XS, Saturn Girl, Karate Kid, RJ Brande, Sensor (all-serpent version), and Ultra Boy.

Leviathan II Set: Another post-Zero Hour Legion series that forms the giant Violet/Leviathan II! M’onel, Brainy, Invisible Kid, Apparition, Ferro, Monstress (green), and Cosmic Boy.

Giganta! Villains United theme! Create your own Giganta with Catman, Talia Al Ghul, Knockout, Scandal Savage, Cheshire, and The Calculator (with Dr. Psycho!).

Inukchuk Set: Giant Manitou Raven figure! Figs are some of the faves from the Kelly-Mahnke run: Faith, Sister Superior, Manitou Dawn, Major Disaster, Coldcast, Jason Blood, and Scorch.

Armored Krona Set: This is an all-villain set too. Fernus, Queen Bee II, Queen of Fables, Gamemnae (human form), Despero, Prometheus and Eclipso (Jean Loring).

Hope they get made. I'm not holding my breath, but, well, we'll see.

Mighty Mites

Went to Makati for an assignment two days ago and learned about different species and castes of Philippine termites. It's interesting, actually. Wrote about the anti-pest product a few hours ago.

From Hernancia Cua’s Old Songbook:

You
Keep me safe in your arms
Hold me tightly in the cold
Call me lover
Call me friend
Smile and don’t pretend
Sleep and I watch you in the dark
Helped me find myself
Taught me how to feel
Love me so much
Love me not
Love making love
Are the sweet soothing force
Aren’t shy with words
Are my salvation
Aren’t afraid
Are mine
Just are
Have plans and the spirit
Get pissed like me sometimes
Drool on my pillow and I find it cute
Talk about truth and I turn mute
Talk about life and I find my voice
Make sense of the chaos and the noise
Take my breath away
Make my heart beat fast
Make me feel my soul
Make me spurt
Make me calm
Make me crazy and turn me on

Something Borrowed, Someone Blue

It’s weird when people borrow stuff from you and it takes years before you get them back. I miss my old Marvels series—five issues painted by Alex Ross—and it’s been almost ten years since I last saw them. I also have other comic books with other friends, and while we don’t keep in touch as much as we’d like, they’re still people I don’t regret lending my stuff to.

But I miss my things. I wish people had some initiative to return stuff that aren’t theirs. Some people at least acknowledge that they still have some of my belongings. But I tried contacting other people about meeting up and getting my books back but, pfft, no reaction. If my things can’t be found, just tell me. I’d appreciate that a lot better than getting no response. Please don't ignore me.

If they're lost, or in bad shape, I'm okay with getting replacement copies. I'm okay with getting their cash equivalent too, but that means I still have to look for new copies myself. Oh well.

Ain’t Cookin’ No Mo’

Hey, South Park’s back at Jack TV! Was it ever off the air? But they’re still old episodes. It made entertainment headlines again just recently, because Isaac Hayes (Chef) left the show last week. The practicing Scientologist reportedly wasn’t comfortable with the show’s irreverence towards his religion. But the show’s creators have responded that, to paraphrase, he didn’t have problems with other religions being made fun of before. Story here.

Ye Olde Bestiary




Juxta Poser and Batty (1996 and 1999).

Pre-Summer Loving

Nothing much these past few days. Weather’s wonky. I have a cold. But only one nostril is clogged. Been feeling a little drowsy.

Finished season 4 of 24, which kind of fizzled out in some parts near the end, but it’s still okay. Was shocked to learn, when I visited some websites, that some characters will die early next season. Nooooo! Jack will be chased and accused of crimes he didn’t commit, as usual, and will have to spend time as a fugitive again, albeit temporarily. It’s getting a little tired… a lot tired, actually… but I hope they do a season where the bad guys capture Jack, mess with his mind, and make him one of them. That could work, and a brainwashed, terrorist Jack Bauer versus less-experienced but similarly relentless CTU agents could kick ass.

Been listening to a nice new mix CD, courtesy of Gumby. Read the surprisingly good Thing issues, #s 1-4, by Dan Slott (oh my god, that’s Brynocki from Rom!). Read and re-read some old stuff. Worked. Blah blah. Watched the pilot episodes of My Name is Earl and Everybody Hates Chris. They were both okay. Hope to catch them, and new eps of Arrested Development when I can.

Anyway, will just plug this. Tangkilikin po ninyo:

Arnold Arre’s all-new comic book Andong Agimat. Buy it now! Click on the image for details.

Valerie's Letter

I wasn’t expecting much from V for Vendetta, as the previous screen translation of creator Alan Moore’s comic book project, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, was just disappointing and ineffectual. I think he had his name removed from this new film’s credits, so you just see “based on the graphic novel illustrated by David Lloyd”. Having read the V trade paperback last year, I, along with friends, wondered if certain key scenes and characters would make it to the Wachowski brothers’ script, and how radically transformed Moore’s story would be. It was surprising that the compression was watchable and penetrating.

Well, as with other comics-to-film projects, it’s not entirely gripe-free. It’s glossy, made contemporary and toned down, not surprisingly, and several character elements have been simplified or excised to fit the running time. But it took the essence of Moore and Lloyd’s gritty and pulsating masterpiece and made it a timely film that’s both stylish and substantial. They didn’t scrimp on the dialogue, and the action parts were well-placed, practically storyboarded by the existing material.

One of the more powerful scenes is Valerie’s letter. I remember reading an issue of V for Vendetta back in 1993 (I’m not sure if I borrowed it from John, who bought it from Gerry, who was selling his comics back then). But If I remember correctly, I bought a copy myself after reading it years later, when I saw it at Booksale. I’m not sure which branch anymore, but it still has its P 12 price tag. This was issue six, which had young English woman Evey (played by Natalie Portman in the movie), suspected ally of masked vigilante V (Hugo Weaving in the movie), imprisoned in the concentration camp for minorities--gays, non-whites, non-Christians--and activists.

Evey discovers a short letter written on toilet paper (that strangely looks like thick tracing paper in the film, but one’ll stop being nitpicky in a bit). That's the tragic story of Valerie, slipped through the cracked wall between their cells. It detailed how the lesbian woman, a former actress, discovered her sexuality and how she ended up tortured because she’s gay.

When I read it originally as a comic book over a decade ago, it made me sad. It was one of those stories that further convinced me that comic books can really be a vehicle for compelling, mature content. When I finally read the compilation last year, I was reminded how real she was. And that sent some tears rolling down.

When I saw her story told within that bigger, sprawling story last Tuesday, that left me quite stunned. The filmmakers didn’t remove it or clean it up. They shortened it a bit but expounded on some of the nuances. It still made me sad and shed some tears, seeing Valerie’s brief story unfold vividly.

I copied this off of the original comic book. While typing this, I still feel the source material’s power:

V for Vendetta # 6: Chapter 11: Valerie

“I was born in Nottingham in 1957, and it rained a lot. I passed my eleven plus and went to girl’s grammar. I wanted to be an actress. I met my first girlfriend at school. Her name was Sara. She was fourteen and I was fifteen but we were both in Miss Watson’s class. Her wrists. Her wrists were beautiful.

I sat in Biology class, staring at the pickled rabbit foetus in its jar, listening while Mr. Hird said it was an adolescent phase that people outgrew…

Sara did. I didn’t.

In 1976, I stopped pretending and took a girl called Christine home to meet my parents. A week later, I moved to London, enrolling at Drama college. My mother said I broke her heart… but it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it’s all we have left in this place. It is the very last inch of us… but within that inch, we are free.

London. I was happy in London. In 1981 I played Dandini in Cinderella. My first rep work. The world was strange and rustling and busy, with invisible crowds behind the hot lights and all that breathless glamour. It was exciting and it was lonely. At nights I’d go to Gateways or some of the other clubs, but I was stand-offish and didn’t mix easily. I saw a lot of the scene, but I never felt comfortable there. So many of them just wanted to be gay. It was their life, their ambition, all they talked about.

And I wanted more than that.

Work improved. I got small film roles, then bigger ones. In 1986, I starred in ‘The Salt Flats’. It pulled the awards but not the crowds. I met Ruth while working on that. We loved each other. We lived together, and on Valentine’s Day, she sent me roses, and oh god, we had so much. Those were the best three years of my life.

In 1988 there was the war, and after that there were no more roses. Not for anybody.

In 1992, after the take-over, they started rounding up the gays. They took Ruth while she was out looking for food. Why are they so frightened of us? They burned her with cigarette ends and made her give my name. She signed a statement saying I’d seduced her. I didn’t blame her. God, I loved her. I didn’t blame her. But she did. She killed herself in her cell. She couldn’t live with betraying me, with giving up that last inch. Oh Ruth.

They came for me. They told me that all my films would be burned. They shaved off my hair. They held my head down a toilet bowl and told jokes about lesbians. They brought me here and gave me drugs. I can’t feel my tongue anymore. I can’t speak.

The other gay woman here, Rita, died two weeks ago. I imagine I’ll die quite soon. It is strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years I had roses and apologized to nobody.

I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Except one. An inch. It is small and it’s fragile and it’s the only thing in the world that’s worth having. We must never lose it, or sell it, or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I don’t know who you are, or whether you’re a man or woman. I may never see you. I will never hug you or cry with you or get drunk with you. But I love you.

I hope you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and things get better, and that one day people have roses again. I wish I could kiss you.

Valerie”

Babyng Mataba


Inosente pa at may gilit-gilit ang legs. Napaka-'70s nung headboard, o.

Bloody Heck

Got this Jay Hernandez-Hostel pic from Hollywood.com. There was one of him gagged and about to be tortured, but I didn’t feel like posting that here, so I chose this one. Saw the movie last Tuesday too. Was able to catch one of the afternoon previews. Jay's the Latino boy from Crazy Beautiful, I think. All I gotta say for now is, if you have the stomach to watch his character get beaten up, vomit, or get real bloody… well, watch it. But worse things happen to other characters. I’d rather not say anything about that. It’s R-18, damn gory and uncut, so it’s only screening at non-SM cinemas next week.

Some young women entered as the end credits were rolling. They brought food and drinks with them. Big mistake, ladies.

Good Mourning


X3: Beast, Colossus, Kitty, Iceman, Rogue (photo from Newsarama)

Don’t know who the lady at the left is or the character she’s playing. But it’s safe to assume the assembled people are mourning a dead friend. Friends? X-Men? According to some rumors, a few will bite the dust. The second trailer is out, but I’ve only seen some screen caps so far. In another scene, Magneto leads a mutant army, with Callisto, Pyro, Madrox (I think that’s him) and a resurrected Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix walking beside him. Hmm… where is Mystique? She’s there in the movie but I wonder why she’s not beside her boss this time.

This opens on the last week of May worldwide. Hope to watch it two weeks before that. I’m a little excited.

Weekenderers

Delivered copies of Lexy, Nance & Argus to Pride Exchange in Malate early Friday evening, something I should’ve done months earlier, as the comic book had sold out there quite some time ago. Went there with Malate newbie John, who found the streets of the Nakpil-Orosa district and those leading to A. Mabini fascinating and textured. They were so removed from how the rest of Metro Manila’s commercial establishments looked—the area's a mixture of decades-old structures and new food and recreational joints—and you just know the people working there have really colorful stories to tell.

Ended up eating dinner at Robinson’s Place. The Comic Odyssey shop has transferred to another part of the mall and is now bigger and better lit. And they had the nicest looking action figure sets on sale, too. Worth going back and checking out again. It reminds me a bit of Druid’s Keep, which has affordably priced toys and related items. And speaking of hobby shops, Comic Quest looks different now because Vinnie moved his things out of the Megamall store. It’s strange, actually, to see his clutter of comics piles and toys gone from that corner. Hope he’s well and enjoying life away from the family business.

Benedict dropped by last Saturday night and brought some borrowed DVDs. We watched the 1988 suspense flick Apartment Zero, which starred a young Colin Firth. That was weird. But Firth’s good, even then. We also watched the last ten minutes of Memento, a part which he hasn’t seen yet because his copy was broken. We were able to watch 40 minutes of the excellent Serenity too, but we were too sleepy already to fully appreciate it so we stopped it and just rested. He was supposed to take pics of my toys again but we can do that next time he’s around. Gave him my Brokeback Mountain preview ticket, production notes and pictures, since he liked the movie and felt really depressed about it for several days. Oh, and we shared a Big Mac.

Plugger

Events Girl Camille's message:
“Non-Linear Editor / Motion Graphic Artist Prime Movers Productions, Inc. is looking for full-time Non-Linear Editors/Motion Graphic Artist with experience in Final Cut Pro and Adobe Photoshop and After Effects. Interested Applicants may get in touch with Ms. Joane Fernandez for Interview. Pls prepare Demo reels and CV. Prime Movers Productions, Inc. 7296390-91 PMPI Creative Suites 1486 D.Oliman St. Santiago Village, Makati City”

Dumbo

It’s really annoying when store employees don’t want to help you because they’re too lazy to do their job. Whenever I look for certain things in music stores or other shops, it’s easy to tell when they don’t wanna help you because they don’t even bother checking their stock lists, and just tell you point blank that they're not available. It’s happened to me a number of times. “Wala kaming Marvel Select”. Or, “Wala kaming ganung CD.” Sometimes, they don’t even know what they’re selling. Once, I asked for Cynthia Alexander’s new album, and one saleslady asked her co-worker the same question. That other person responded, “Alexander? Movie? ‘Di ba ‘yon ‘yung pumatol sa bakla?”

They shrug and say they’re not available, looking at me sometimes as if I just made the stuff up. But I feel vindicated when I look through their display items, show them when I find what I’m looking for, and tell them, politely, “Eto, o.”

Jeez. Sometimes, some snarky and sarcastic mall security guards have the same nasty effect. That’s another thing entirely, but it all boils down to bad training. As customers, we deserve much, much better.

Super Foxy Chocolat


Aisha Tyler (pic from Yahoo! TV)

Saw some episodes of 24 (season 4) earlier this week, too. It started off pretty much by the numbers, even with most of the cast replaced and new characters putting a new spin on the conceit. Jack Bauer has a female boss now; the president is a new one; Kim, Chase, and Michelle are gone. The only familiar character aside from Jack is Chloe, and the actress looks skinny now. The suspense and dangers proceed like clockwork. But I was surprised with the guest appearance of Aisha Tyler. I loved her in E!’s Talk Soup. I like how she hosted that, and I miss her infectious, bordering-on-drunkenness laughter. She plays someone serious and mysterious (in this show, who isn’t?), a techie named Mary Anne. I hope she does more shows after this. Aisha was way subdued in Friends as Charlie in the last two seasons. It’d be great if her fans can see her comedic host-side again. I miss her going, “Heeeeyyyy!!!!”

Hero Watch

The Exiles (pic from marvel.com)

Infinite Crisis # 5 slows down after the action-packed previous issue. A lot of it is foreshadowing for the next two issues’ big battles, no doubt. The death toll has also slowed down, but someone buys the farm, and we don’t know exactly why, yet.

Astonishing X-Men returns with the all-new Hellfire Club, still communicating with Emma Frost. I hope she doesn’t turn out to be evil all along. I’m sure that she’s got a grand plan of her own come the arc’s climax. She’s more interesting as a bitchy, manipulative character that stands out in the flock of angels, than a villainess that gets her ass handed to her occasionally by the heroes.

Exiles (pictured above) is really fun. It gathers less popular characters from Marvel’s infinite Earths (Blink, Morph, Spider-Man 2099, Longshot, Sabretooth and Power Princess make up the latest lineup), who guard the realities from interdimensional threats like Proteus, an evil Hyperion, and so on. I found the “Destroy All Monsters” storyline one of the title’s cooler arcs. The heroes’ jaunts through the New Universe and the 2099 reality were also memorable. The mix of familiar characters and concepts, and the non-stop visits to Marvel’s forgotten franchises offer infinite story possibilities. The art could be better, though. And Claremont will be taking over the writing chores soon… I’m not too excited about that.

Leave ‘Em Wanting More


Bye, now (pic from silverbulletcomics)

Justice League Unlimited is over. The show ends with a full-scale alien invasion, just like in the first episode about four years back, and everyone, even the Legion of Doom, is fighting for the planet’s salvation. Man, it’s one of the most memorable cartoon series ever. It's been a fine final season. In the concluding episode: Superman cuts loose! Batman lightens up! Martian Manhunter returns! And Flash gets a kiss! This show will be missed. But it’s still airing over Cartoon Network and Jack TV, methinks. Hail and Hallelujah.

Dear Bloggy

Been very busy these last two months that I didn’t notice that it’s almost March already. Almost summer again. Can’t say I’m too excited about the humidity; we’re already getting a taste of it.

But anyway, it’s been over a year since I started doing this and I must say that having my tiny corner in this strange, multishaped dimension can be liberating and useful. My rants, raves, vanity posts, my announcements and works… they document my life now, but while there are times that certain facts and details will be veiled, they’ll still talk about my feelings, thoughts and hopes. I feel blessed now and at a stage that I’m a little afraid of the future. Maybe I always have been. I’ve been living very cautiously on some days, and living others as if they were my last. Writing this paragraph is a little creepy, I admit, because it sounds and feels like I’m trying to analyze my life and put things in perspective. I haven’t done that in a while, and somehow, it feels weird. Because one, it feels like I’m typing one of those prescient notes that people write shortly before they die; and two, because I suddenly feel much older, with more grownup issues to resolve.

I’m at a point now where I’m enjoying my life. I can’t say that’s always been the case. My life is radically different now in many ways, and looking back, I see how innocent, naïve, and simplistic I was. I’d like to think that I’ve grown up some, and learned to be more spontaneous and playful. That I’m more tolerant now, although there really are people that just annoy the hell outta me (like smartass jerks who can’t keep their mouths shut while watching a movie, suicidal creeps who smoke inside the jeep, and judgmental preachers in buses…god, just keel over and die, please).

I like my life now. It’s nowhere near perfect, but I can appreciate its intricacies. It’s been lively and lovely for me so far. When I read this entry a year or so from now, I’ll be reminded of the things that I left out that needn’t be written here because I can only share so much. But regardless, I can always say that I’m glad I met certain people, learned from some mistakes, and lived my life--in my own, obsessive way--to the fullest.

Thirtysomething Channels and Nothing’s On

So the adult cartoon series South Park has reportedly gotten the attention of the MTRCB, and the Jack TV show will stop airing soon. Apparently, some people have complained about its anti-Christian content. It’s been airing for quite some time already, and these are old, earlier episodes, if I’m not mistaken.

But come on now. That’s the point of the show. South Park and the creators’ other projects have openly and shamelessly parodied and ridiculed almost everyone, whether they be religious icons, politicians, vocal Hollywood actors, Streisand, Canada, or Michael Moore. The list of people who’ve remained unscathed is getting really short. The jokes are so distasteful and gross at times, but that’s often been the creators’ way of poking fun. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s always funny, that it’s creative or imaginative, or it’s for everyone—they’d have stopped airing early on if they even considered being politically correct—but it has always been different.

I’ve a few questions, as the supposed outrage against the obviously highly irreverent show raises some thoughts about censorship, free speech, and related issues:

Why does the MTRCB even have policing powers over cable TV? How do they decide if, say Sex and the City, Oz, or any HBO or Cinemax movie that has some nudity or implied sexual or violent activity should be aired or not? Why can’t adults enjoy some titillating skin, green jokes, or lesbian smooching in the privacy of their own homes, through the very limited cable services that they pay for? Just how do they decide when it’s time to reprimand the cable providers because TVE, the Tagalog channel, or the French channel showed some erotic scenes? Who decides, exactly, which butt shot, ass crack, silhouetted tit or pubic hair showing is okay for primetime or very late night viewing?

What if Sarah Silverman, an excellent standup comic famous—or in some circles, infamous—for making really irreverent religious, sexual or racial jokes, offends someone? Will they cut out the segment that she appears in, whether that’s a guest spot in Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, or John Stewart? Will those shows be suspended or stop airing? Will Drawn Together or Crank Yankers be next? What if I’m an atheist and I enjoy South Park? Or Saturday Night Live’s occasional jabs at religion and politics?

Bleargh. That’s the way things go these days, I suppose. Not everyone will be happy about everything.

Supes Returns

Brandon Routh as the Man of Steel, carrying something real heavy. (Photo from Yahoo! Movies)

Not that excited over this, yet, but here’s a pic to slightly prettify the old bloggy.

Geeker Speaker

I found Top Ten: The Forty Niners entertaining but a little short… it’s slightly over a hundred pages, but I wish they’d focused more on the other intriguing cop characters. Still, go Jet Lad and Wulf!

Spider-Man-Black Cat… very talky by the last three issues but still nicely written; topics like sexual assault and incest are sensitively handled, although they can feel manipulative and heavy-handed at times. But it’s still a decent book that explores the Black Cat’s character thoroughly (it was mentioned that she’s bisexual; her failed romance with Spidey is fondly dissected; the story also explains her klepto tendencies).

She-Hulk # 5 was really enjoyable. An ex-Avenger tries to fit in at the law firm. Very clever and heart-tugging, Dan Slott. Please write an Avengers title, already.

And so I talk about toys again. The year’s last Marvel Legends figures have already been announced and previewed. I don’t know yet if the line will continue under Hasbro next year or they’ll be given a brand new name altogether. I really haven’t checked. But I dearly hope that they’ll still look as awesome and still be affordable. I know the articulated joints look weird and awkward sometimes (like they have asscheeks near the singit), but majority of the Toy Biz figures have been playable and displayable. I’m eagerly looking forward to the last few sets. The Young Avengers, Onslaught, MODOK, Mojo, Wasp, Psylocke, Longshot, X-Babies!, Falcon, Warbird, Sentry, Luke Cage, Loki… aw god, I want them all. Playkit, Get the Wal-Mart exclusives!!! Hasbro, here are some of my dream sets. Make them look expensive, but sell ‘em real cheap. No Wolverines or Iron Mans, please.

Beyonder Set: Build a giant, human-form Beyonder! Space/cosmic/energy-caster lineup must include Adam Warlock (with Pip the Troll), Quasar, Janie Warlock, Nova (Richard Ryder), Dazzler (blue ‘80s costume), Firelord, and Molecule Man.

Supreme Intelligence Set: Build a big-ass Supreme Intelligence (with tank props)! The series must consist of really smart people like Forge, Fixer, Black Knight, Mach-1, Wizard (Frightful Four) and Moonstone.

Surtur Set: Mostly deceased characters. Build a giant Surtur figure! Odin, Mockingbird, Mr. Sensitive/Orphan, Banshee, U-Go Girl and Jack of Hearts.

Stature Set: A much-needed all-female series! Build a Stature/Giant Girl! Songbird, Vindicator (classic costume), Moondragon, Photon (Monica Rambeau), Rachel Summers Phoenix (Hound costume), Polaris (X-Factor Quesada costume) and Spiral (50 points of articulation!).

Atlas Set: The super-strongmen and –women series! Hercules, Hyperion, Strong Guy, Titania, Doc Samson (Byrne-‘80s design), Namorita (original costume), Gladiator, and Count Nefaria.

Thor Corps Boxed Set: Costumes must be different from previously released versions, so no repaints! Lord Thor, Beta Ray Bill (capeless new costume from the mini), Thor Girl, Magni (Thor’s son), Thunderstrike and Dargo (future Thor).

Avengers Boxed Set: Second- (or third-) stringers in one collectible gift set! Tigra, US Agent (black Captain costume), Mantis, Triathlon, Rick Jones (Avengers Forever costume) and Starfox.

X-Men boxed set: Second- (or third-) stringers in one collectible set, too! Cannonball (any design), Sage, Magik (Illyana Rasputin), Rictor (Sook design), Northstar and Jubilee.

Runaways boxed set: The original kids, plus Victor Mancha, the raptor, and Alex. Nuff said!

Hmm, I love them super-stuff.

Gone, But Not Really

February 16 marked my former editor Louie Camino’s first death anniversary. He was a very generous guy who gave me the opportunity to write for the paper almost four years ago. He was a unique, fatherly individual. When I was starting out, I emailed him by my fifth published article to thank him for his continued generosity. He responded, in an email dated May 23, 2002:

“No thanks to me. Your articles are printed here because they deserve to be. In short, you write well.

But that doesn't give you license to nag me about your cheques. Kidding.”

In another message, he wrote:

"Keep on writing. For me."

I’d like to think that I became one of his trusted friends who, while not always around, was someone with whom he can be himself and share his real thoughts about certain things, touchy topics and people. Sir Louie found me “candid”, and once told me in not so many words, that like my parents, he’s also proud of me.

The last time I spoke to him was about a month before his death. He was at the office despite the doctor's advice, working his ass off to the wee hours as usual. He sounded sad but a little hopeful, but it was also apparent that he knew that it wasn’t long before he had to go.

He was a good man, and I miss him sometimes.

Alpha Flight Disassembled

Spoilers!

What the hell? In New Avengers # 16, we're introduced to the Collective, a new cosmic-level threat that, supposedly, effortlessly killed Canadian super-team Alpha Flight off-panel. How unimaginative. Like “Avengers Disassembled”, this first part of a new arc has similarly disposed of (mostly) beloved characters to make the story more meaningful, and to show how bad-ass and kickass the new villain is. Off-panel? Geez. I don’t doubt that they’ll be resurrected in the future, revamped and relaunched, but come on. It’s like the writer’s expecting the uproar that accompanied Hawkeye’s lame “death”. And what’s up with the nine full-page pinup shots? Ah, decompression doesn’t work in this book. It’s a little sad, because the last two issues were good. I was hoping the pace would pick up and improve after that. I also hoped that this incarnation of the team would be a memorable one that redefines the concept. But the characters and distinctly different lineup pose a lot of possibilities that have yet to be tapped into.

By the way, Shaman said “Yeah, right.” Wha--? That doesn’t fit with his normal, more formal speech patterns at all, like Namor yelled “Have at thee!” during the Sentry arc (Atlanteans now speak Asgardian-Shakespearean!). Impostors? Maybe created by Wanda? Huh.

There's a rumored second Avengers title in the works. Hope Grant Morrison's doing that.

Cream Your Pants

Went to Greenbelt for an assignment a few hours ago. I was treated to a super-yummy Blueberries and Cream Crepe at Café Breton between a pair of interviews. Holy god. That was… ah, words escape me. It was a big serving, decked with a lot of berries, had a scoop of ice cream tucked inside the crepe, and the whole thing was swimming in syrup, powdered sugar and milk. Heavenly and sinful.

Walked around Glorietta after and checked out several toy stores. The Marvel Legends Taskmaster is still around. Good. I want it! It has a lot of weapons and an atomic steed. Also raided some sale comics bins. Ran into filmmaker Quark Henares at Filbar’s. I told him that he was noticeably thinner, and he was really happy and grinning about it. He was looking for the Astonishing X-Men hardcover, as well as some Infinite Crisis prologue TPBs. He asked if my comic book and Budj’s Trese were available there (nope, Comic Quest lang, I told him). Talked for a bit about his work (a horror movie!) and comics before leaving for home. Bought Young Avengers # 10.

Read the comic book while in a bus. It was okay; it was a quick read. There’s a new character, a potential new member. Got home, checked email, rested and bathed. I opened the comic book again. Oh my god!!!

Mostly Barely Legal Avengers Assemble!

EFFING SPOILERS!!!

I’m slowly liking this title. It’s steeped in years of Marvel continuity, yet accessible and independent enough to be appreciated on its own.

The Young Avengers reassemble and plan to rescue Teddy (Hulkling) from his captor, the Super-Skrull. The past few issues have practically been trumpeting that Teddy is the son of a Skrull and someone important. But eh, that’s obviously the deceased Captain Mar-Vell. Ho-hum. What made me go whoa! was when I pieced together a new puzzle. A new kid was introduced. Thomas "Tommy" Shepherd, one of those in the Vision’s future Avengers checklist, is a speedster that the team recruited to help them with the rescue mission. AND his hair is white like Quicksilver’s. He and Billy (Wiccan/Asgardian) look alike, according to the other members. So okay, they’re obviously related. When I opened the book again at home, that’s when it hit me. I looked at one of the recent Marvel Universe Handbooks, just to be sure. I checked Scarlet Witch’s entry. And there it was! The names were familiar. They’re Wanda’s “erased” twins! Tommy and Billy! Thomas and William! Separated and aged to their teens, and apparently, the Vision knew about this all along. This is a nice development and one that will hopefully lead to Wanda Maximoff’s eventual redemption and rebirth. But we’ll see. The new kid seems like a troublemaker. And straight—he gave Kate Bishop a sly, flirty smirk.

Writer Allan Heinberg has yet to reveal details about this, but the characters have been cleverly and lovingly handled, so far. Jim Cheung’s art is clean and well-suited for the title. Decent job, as usual. I hope they keep it up. Man, that was clever.

Don't Know How to Quit You

After tuning out countless "bareback mountin’" jokes for the last couple of months, I finally got to watch Brokeback Mountain last Wednesday at the Powerplant Mall. ‘Twas sad and sweet. Lesson of the story: Guy, if you think and know you’re gay, don’t marry your girlfriend, because she can’t ever compete with cock.

Regular screening on February 15. Let’s hope it stays unbutchered by cuts.

Ash & Spawn vs. Warblade & Witchblade vs. T.A.O.
Panel from a tryout sequential page I drew back in 1998. Super-cluttered pencil drawing. Click on it for a bigger version.

Reinventebrate

Andrew Wolff, Margie Holmes, IC Mendoza, et al

The newest Icon (Jan-March 2006) is the "Fresh" issue. I interviewed sex therapist Dr. Margie Holmes last October; it was an exceptionally mind-opening one. That took us over an hour to finish. But it's easily among the comfiest I've ever done. She was really just so cool. And, she called me "cute". Ehem. Half of that interview, the more gay-themed one, appears here. I submitted an entirely different article, the part concerning other sexual matters, as well as sanity and spirituality, to the paper. Hope they'll use that one of these days. Knock on wood. :)

Percepticrat

Some highlights of a surreal, fun, educational weekend. Not necessarily in that order.

Was with the unholy popes (John and Benedict) last Saturday. Ate a very late, 2 a.m. dinner at Chowking, somewhere in Quezon City. While they were talking about work and stuff, the radio played Maria McKee’s “Show Me Heaven”, a simple but beautiful ballad that’s been covered many times in the past decade by other female artists, including Tina Arena and Jessica Andrews. I really like that rarely played original version. It was part of the Days of Thunder soundtrack, back in 1990, when couch-jumping Mr. Cruise and the talented Ms. Kidman just became an item. Here are the words:

Show Me Heaven
Maria McKee

There you go, flashing fever from your eyes. Hey baby, come over here and shut them tight. I'm not denying, we're flying above it all. Hold my hand; don't let me fall. You've such amazing grace. I've never felt this way. Oh, show me heaven, cover me. Leave me breathless. Oh, show me heaven, please.

Here I go; I'm shaking just like the breeze. Hey baby, I need your hand to steady me. I'm not denying. I'm frightened as much as you. Though I'm barely touching you, I've shivers down my spine. And it feels divine. Oh, show me heaven, cover me. Leave me breathless. Oh, show me heaven please.

Do you know what it's like to dream a dream? Baby, hold me tight and let this be, oh, heaven, cover me. Leave me breathless. Oh, show me heaven please.

John and I gave the Piglet “free” arcade game stubs that we got during a preview screening. They’re not really free because you have to pay for the swiping card thing, but it’s still an okay bargain. Got to play some cathartic shooting games at Megamall and Market, Market too.

Benedict and I met up with Comic Brooker Gumby briefly at DK. He gave me a lovely new mix CD, once again.

(James-Laid, Sophie Zelmani- Always You, Iron and Wine- Naked As We Came, U2- Stuck in a Moment, Leona Naess- Lazy Days, Poison- Something to Believe In, K’s Choice- In Your Room, Sinead Lohan- No Mermaid, Sundays- Wild Horses, REM- Leaving New York, Motels- Suddenly Last Summer, Asia- Days Like These, Amy Jo Johnson- Puddle of Grace, Kim Carnes- Bette Davis Eyes, Lemonheads- Paid to Smile, The Bible- Graceland, Sarah McLachlan- Blackbird, 38 Special- Second Chance, Kenny Loggins- Conviction of the Heart, Heather Nova- We Can Work It Out)

Finally met ProGay Philippines president Oscar Edgar Atadero. He gave me a very informative Pink Card, which he passes around in certain parts of Quezon City. At the top part of the multi-folding paper, it says:

“The purpose of this PINK CARD is to ensure the safety and security of bar patrons and party goers, especially those who are Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and Transgenders (LGBTs) from corrupt law enforcers/police and criminals who pose as law enforcers.

PINK CARD is an initiative of the RAINBOW RIGHTS Project (R-Rights), Inc. 27 Oakville Street, White Plains, Quezon City 1110 EMAIL: r_ rightsproject AT yahoo DOT com.”

R-Rights, it adds, is a group of lawyers and legally informed activists which “provides the LGBT community with an academic think tank and legal resource center dedicated to sexual orientation law and public policy.”

The card has small charts that break down info when one is arrested, or is threatened with arrest. For example:

CRIME: GRAVE SCANDAL
Usual Targets: Sex acts inside cinemas, restrooms, and public places
OFFENDER: Any person who shall offend against against decency or good customs by any highly scandalous conduct.
NOT OFFENDER: You are NOT liable for GRAVE SCANDAL if:
-you are NOT doing anything offensive or highly scandalous conduct; or,
-it is not a public place; or,
-nobody would be scandalized.
ALLOWED DETENTION PERIOD: 12 hours (within this period, you have to be formally charged; otherwise you should be released)

The card also lists helpful information if one is accused of prostitution, vagrancy, and the like. It lists numbers that one might need during related emergencies as well. Thanks to hardworking and noble volunteers Oscar, Attorneys Angie Umbac and Anne Lim for sharing some enlightening and realistic views about such issues. For further information on gay rights issues, events and the Pink Card, visit ProGay’s blog and the listed addys above.

Watched some really awesome episodes of Justice League Unlimited. Spoiler alert for those who’ve yet to see "Grudge Match". The most memorable episode for me to date brings back Roulette, but this time, she's mind-controlled the heroines of the JLU! Ultimate girl fight! Fire versus Black Canary! Black Canary versus Huntress! Vixen versus Shayera! Canary, Huntress, Vixen and Shayera versus… Wonder Woman! The Amazon princess was shown in its first season to be capable of going toe to toe with Superman, so imagine the shock of the assembled female crimefighters when she enters the ring. Damn, the JLU DVD is gonna be one sweet commodity one day. I love this show. Hope it airs forever.

Apocalypse, Yow! and Evil Old Geisha

I was able to complete the Marvel Legends-Apocalypse set the first day it came out in stores! Yay! Was able to assemble the huge bonus figure immediately. Downside, each figure now costs thirty pesos more. Groan. And my Maestro Hulk figure doesn’t have the belt-to-elbow coil that should accompany giant Apocalypse’s arm. But since I also got the white Sasquatch too, the extra arm has the rubber coil thingie. White Sasquatch was originally Snowbird, and later the vessel housing original orange Sasquatch’s soul (long story), but the character was sort of revived as a member of the dimension-hopping Exiles. There, she's a black Heather Hudson, the wife of one reality’s Wolverine. I got it too because it's like having an altogether new character. The repaint looks good.

Haven't been exercising lately. Gaining and losing considerable weight has been a constant for the last three years. Quirky part of the family genes, I suppose. Last month or so, I ran into an acquaintance who told me, “Magpataba ka pa para walang magkagusto sa iyo.” Whaddafuck?! Spirit of the Staircase—I should have reacted, now that I think about it—“Okey lang. At least di ako nakakatakot na gurang tulad mo.” But during the time, I just said something like, “that’s just the way my body is” or some such. He answered, “That’s a defeatist attitude”. Well, in a way it may be. And I understand that he was trying to encourage me to slim down in his own unorthodox way. Well, I didn’t really expect or appreciate that piece of sage advice from someone I barely know. Or like. Eh.

But I do miss being lighter. I still can be, if I watch my diet more carefully and exercise more; I’ve done it before and I can be that way again. But I’m being realistic. I can’t get back to being really fit, like in this picture, taken when I was... almost half my age now, I think. Was doing push ups like crazy then, and didn't eat merienda and just stayed in the library during breaks. Wow, I looked kinda hot and virginal. If I do say so myself.