K.I.A. Update

It never fails. Despite all the well-laid plans of mice, men and indie comic producers, things still rarely go on schedule. Though I actually started on the Kai project LAST Christmas, it still hasn't come out in the time I wanted. Yes, I had wanted to release K.I.A. within this year (it had originally been planned to be out on my birthday), but things just didn't work out. Deadlines had to be extended. Pages were added. Artworks redone. And of course, budgets put together.

Well, let's just say that K.I.A. is a personal, pet project and it is being paid for from my own pocket. At the time of K.I.A.'s conception, I had just started in my present place of work and I felt I had adequate funds and then some. But of course, things got into the way and money rerouted here and there... Okay, I spent money on other stuff, so sue me. Heh. Local comics, as many of my friends already know, is a bleak and losing business here in the Philippines, if you don't have the moolah and connections to back your stuff up. You could have the best comic around but if you can't get it to people (ergo, have a distribution network), you're pretty much shot in the foot from the start. And it really didn't help that I got fat and lazy in 2004, being content more to just watch other, younger and more energetic talents rather than produce things myself.

Still, K.I.A. will push through. Comics are still my passion, my way of expression and I want K.I.A. to happen. I also want it to succeed, where most of my past works have either only barely done or flatly failed. That's why I'm taking it slow this time (which is, unfortunately, still not a guarantee for success).

Anyway, the Christmas shopping's pretty much done. Once I get into my vacation, I'll finish the last few pages, wait for the final contributions and get the whole kit and caboodle ready for production. Once we have product, I'll start the business end of the deal. Hopefully we'll have K.I.A. out within the first quarter of 2005. And then I can start moving forward again, on perhaps a new Angel Ace issue or a follow-up to Kai's new adventures.

We'll see what happens.