Fly, my pretty! FLY!

It’s out of my hands.

I just came from the office of Questor. I submitted the first installment of the Kunoichi Boy manga, which will be appearing in the pages of Questor Extreme Mangamania early next year.
The popular and widely-circulated manga anthology presently contains four stories; Sidesweepers is an action-comedy about a team of cops/sanitation experts operating in a future Manila. Cante Ista is a serious and dark fantasy-drama about ancient totem spirits and the people who carry their powers into an inevitable conflict between good and evil. Free Spirits is a shoujo-style (girls comics) romance-comedy/drama story about a barkada of teenagers and a mysterious haunted house. And finally, there’s Camp Big V, which takes up the story of the Volt fighters years after the end of the events of the popular Voltez-V anime, with a decidedly lighter tone.
Kunoichi Boy is a fantasy action-adventure story about the adventures of a cross-dressing ninja warrior. Think Ninja Scroll crossed with Ranma 1/2 and Inu-Yasha. KB will apparently be replacing Cante Ista in the Qextreme lineup, which will be wrapping up in the next issue or so.

Coming Soon

I haven't watched a good movie... scratch that. I haven't watched a movie in weeks. Here are some titles I am stoked to watch...

The Last Samurai- this Tom Cruise-starrer is being described as Dances with Wolves in ancient Japan. Still, with epic battle scenes, awesome swordplay, a much-talked about battle between samurai and NINJA, this seemingly understated film about the waning samurai culture in turn of the century Japan looks pretty interesting.

Troy- this adaptation of the legendary war of myth stars Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom and a whole lot of other big-name stars. It also features MAMMOTH battle scenes and production values that just scream EPIC. This is still a ways off... DVD buffs can get a preview of sorts by grabbing the Helen of Troy movie from the local dvd stalls...

Hellboy- a film version of comic artist Mike Mignola's demonic hero, with Ron Perlman (Vincent from the Beauty and the Beast TV series) as the titular devil-turned humanity's defender against evil. Add in a pyrokinetic babe, a reptilian sidekick, a host of Lovecraftian horrors and some formidable Nazi adversaries and you may have either the next big superhero movie or 2004's answer to LXG. Ulp.

Return of the King- It's still up in the air whether we'll luck out and get some tickets for some premieres or if we have to wait with most people till January for the LOTR film to end all films.
It's the final part of the War of the Ring and everything is at stake. Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Samwise (Sean Astin) literally crawl and fight their way to Mount Doom even as Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and the rest of the sundered Fellowship try to unite the forces of light against Mordor's several hundred thousand-strong army of darkness.
Despite the no-brainer that this film's going to kick ass, there have been some hiccups, such as the absence of actor Christopher Lee's Saruman character from the precedings (the sequences detailing the fallen wizard's fate will appear in the ROTK extended dvd set), that may make this less than perfect. But damn, I'm going to see this film and LOVE it.

Hoo-hah! Lots of movies. Gotta make it a point to get myself a mutant dvd player over Christmas. Gonna be running the ol' player to the ground I think. Heh.

A Brief Respite

My gosh. It's been a hectic last couple of months.

For weeks and weeks now I've been rushing this or that comic book project, staying up till 4 AM burning my retinas staring at a monitor, infusing my veins with Coke and even missing a Saturday foray to Greenhills or two! (EGADS!) But in the end, it was all worth it.

This December, in a few days time, we will be seeing the first result of our labors.

Siglo: Freedom, an anthology of comic stories set in various decades of Philippine life, will arrive into our groping hands.

Next week, on the same day as the C3Con, I will be getting my own personal project, Angel Ace Next, the latest release in my original manga series. It's 80 pages of art, stories and more art that features the talents of some of the best local artists I know and am lucky enough to call my friends.

Cherry Blossom High is a shoujo-style manga anthology I worked on with Jason Banico and a bunch of other cool artists and writers. It's all about cute schoolgirls who kick butt, make you go 'ooh' and 'aah' and more.

Right now, I've just finished my first project for NEXT year, Kunoichi Boy for Questor.

I think I'll allow myself a little breather before I throw myself into K.I.A's world of femme fatales, martial arts and intrigue.

Maybe I can get back to playing Gladius on Xbox, or Final Fantasy X2 for PS2. Or give Anito another shot. Or maybe I should just watch anime and reduce the number of unwatched Inu Yasha, Scrapped Princess, Last Exile episodes that are piling up.

Or maybe I should just get some shut-eye.

Ah, choices, choices. Heh.

Kunoichi Boy

Here are some images and samples from Kunoichi Boy, my newest manga creation that's set to come out in the pages of Questor Extreme Mangamania early next year. Wait for it!


Jin Dragu and Mikoto may be cuddly sweet in this pic, but they start off trying to bash each others' brains in.


The Pink Ninja is Jin's alter ego. When he dons the pink costume and fake boobs, he/she's almost a different person altogether.


The tough-as-nails Mikoto is actually a ninja but she's more used to breaking than sneaking.


Mikoto knows how to make an impression.


Even in his mild-mannered everyday garb, Jin is a hero through and through.

Comic-making Machine

Yesterday was spent mainly working on pages for Kunoichi Boy, my latest manga creation. I finished inking late in the afternoon and started doing grayscale work and lettering on Photoshop after dinner. The work proceeded well, and I was able to finish 9 pages. Tonight, I expect to finish the rest and be done with the whole thing. So, I should make my deadline with a couple of days to spare.

Kunoichi Boy is an action-fantasy adventure which I see as a cross between Ranma 1/2, Ninja Scroll and Inu Yasha (some of my favorite anime). It chronicles the adventures of the land of Tao's only MALE Kunoichi (a Kunoichi is, FYI, the Japanese word for female ninja). This new series is probably my most action-oriented so far; it's given to lots of exciting sequences and strategy-laden fights as hero Jin Dragu aka The Pink Ninja must use both his skills and wits to defeat various enemies, many of whom are a lot more powerful than him. Aside from being my first actual 'ninja' series, KB is also my first with a male lead (though he's dressed as a girl half the time).

Unlike Angel Ace or even next year's upcoming K.I.A., Kunoichi Boy will not be a self-published venture. I am pleased to say that readers will be able to follow the series in the pages of Questor Extreme Mangamania, one of the most popular local manga publications. If all goes well, we'll be seeing KB debut this January. Wait for it! WOOHOO!

You Dare to Eat? Itlog ng Butiki

I ate butiki (lizard) eggs!!! Hehehe.

No, really. Well, actually they're just little spherical candies I found at a nearby Ministop convenience store. They're from a company called Nicefoods, and they come in at least two flavors- chocolate and strawberry. At just nine pesos a bag (smal bag though), it's pretty affordable. You bite into them and feel a slight air rush as the little balls crack with a sugary tang. I guess it's supposed to emulate what happens when you bite into real reptile eggs... Heh.

Fear Factor candies. Cool.

Playing a Game Enraged

Yesterday, along with my extended Two Towers dvd set, I got myself a copy of Anito: Defend a Land Enraged, the FIRST Philippine-made commercial PC game. Taking after games like Diablo, Anito throws you into the fantasy land of Maroka where you take the role of either brawny Agila or sexy Maya. The setting is modelled after Spanish-era Philippines, with the local native tribes being controlled by European-type conquerors wearing metal armor.
As per similar games, you walk around conversing with people, taking up various 'bring me' or 'do this' quests, arm yourself with various weapons, armor and equipment and build your Chakra skills which help you against any dangerous denizens of the land you should encounter.
It was a BITCH installing the game, since it froze at several points and I had to reinstall a couple of times. After the last time it froze I rebooted and then found that magically... it ran. Perhaps it was due to my PC's limitations (though my machine does meet the requirements) but the short FMV intro movie was choppy (I think it was the old CG movie with the old man saying "Dumating na sila" that we've been seeing on TechTV). Good thing pressing the ol' Escape button lets you skip to the game.
Again, perhaps it was my machine's fault but the animation is choppy. Graphically, the characters are large and you can zoom in a bit, but really, the way the graphics are done makes it pretty basic to look at. It's a bit hard to distinguish simple things like doors, and buildings kinda look flat and uninspired in terms of design. There's not much life in things; people just stand there unmoving, and there's little to admire in the ambient objects such as trees, water or other obstacles. Graphically, it doesn't make me proud to admit it's Filipino-made. I found a headpiece made from leaves that I equipped on my character and she looks like she's wearing a frog on her head. This tribal thing can get pretty funny... In general, everything looks 'CG' and basic; you really can tell that Anito is a first-generation, first-step product, made by people who were able to use the tools well, but not with breakthrough results.

As for gameplay, I haven't really gotten into the game too far but I found it tedious. The controls have you using keys to move around, instead of the usual mouse-based movement ala Diablo. The controls are scattered on the keyboard, though thankfully some no-brainer shortcuts are present. However, I really really wished they just let you use the mouse to move around.
Combat requires you to go to a 'combat' mode and then move close to your opponent to slash. While there is a bodypart-based attack system, I really don't see how you can actually control where your hits go... that is, unless you learn deeper techniques as you move along.
As it is, I really haven't had much combat since I started off with Maya, whose beginning goals make her seem like a go-fer who has to search for this or that person. You can't even leave town since the guards won't let you leave the safety of the city. BOOOOORRRRINNNNGGG!!!! Don't want to look for so-and-so and do this for whoever. MA at PA! I wanna go out and kill Tikbalangs or something!!!
As for the music and sound, there's a voiceover for Maya that is clearly (and probably intentionally) given a pinoy twang. The music is a mix of various tribal sounds and ecclectic instruments which is, quite honestly, better turned down after a while. Not bad, but repetitive and a bit too obtrusive for my tastes.

But I really have to say that a lot of what turned me off in Anito is basically the writing. The way the choices and dialogue is done just falls flat, and it's weird that you choose a dialogue choice and then you have to see your choice flash before you before you get the prompt to see the response- in all, it's again pretty tedious and awkward. I'll give my final word though if and when I get some more gameplay hours under my belt.

Overall though, Anito: Defend a Land Enraged looks and feels like a first-gen, made-by-beginners product. It's not polished or have that feel of something special aside from the obvious Filipino cultural trappings. In terms of graphics, control and gameplay it's pretty basic. An admirable effort, and it's something that I do not regret supporting with my hard-earned peso... I just hoped it was a lot better than it is right now. Oh well.

My Precioussss...


Got it.

Last night I spent a ghastly amount of blood, getting myself a copy of the latest Previews and Newtype USA. But of course, the crowning achievement of the night was the acquisition of a copy of the Extended DVD set of LOTR: The Two Towers.
Since I got home pretty late, I was only able to watch about three-fourths of the movie before having to turn in. SPOILER ALERT!

The movie flows well with the new scenes, though it IS noticeably longer. The newer and extended scenes of Merry, Pippin and the Ent Treebeard are a bit too much for me; they slowed the pace of the film down for me in the theatrical version, and here in the more extended cut they're even slower. I just don't get the use of the 'Ent-draught' scene aside from giving a bit of comic relief. Then there's that scene at the very end of the film which shows the two hobbits raiding the flooded cellars of Orthanc... a bit much, maybe.
The other scenes are quite cool. Faramir gets a lot more character development with the inclusion of a great flashback scene with his brother Boromir, and their father, Denethor. If moviegoers found this Gondorian captain just some bad egg in the theatrical cut, here at least we see why he acts so hostile, and in the end gets redeemed after it. Which is good since he plays quite a vital role in the third film.
Other, smaller scenes dot the cut, with quite a few just threshing out the character; such as scenes explaining more about Eowyn's past, Aragorn's Dunedain heritage (As one of the few remaining members of the Great Race of Men, Strider's actually 87 years old, for those who haven't read the books). There are slight changes to some scenes which make for better flow, remedying the abruptness of the same scenes in the theatrical version. Notable in this is the reunion in Fangorn, where Gandalf the White makes his first appearance. We see more explanation of the fate of the two hobbits, and more emotion in the reactions of the Warrior's Three (Aragorn, Legolas, Ghimli) at the return of their old friend. Perhaps the most entertaining scene though in the new clips for me has to be the 'Evil Stew' scene with Aragorn and Eowyn. Nasty. Heh.
Some scenes did disappoint though; the added scene of the Huorns swallowing up the retreating Uruks was kind of... abrupt.
Overall though, The Two Towers extended cut is a richer, fuller version of this second part of the LOTR cinematic saga, and lives up to the pedigree of the earlier, excellent Fellowship of the Ring extended cut.
I can't wait to hear the audio commentaries, which should be a continuation of the same grade-A stuff from FOTR. Haven't even gotten to the Extras discs yet, which should easily take up a weekend or two to fully digest.
Sigh. And the dvd sets just look gorgeous; like books on a shelf. This collection isn't complete yet; ROTK's extended dvd is still a ways off... but Damn even now this is a glowing feather in the cap for any serious dvd collection. As Ferris Beuller would say, the extended dvd sets are choice. My highest recommendations go with them for any movie buff and Lord of the Rings fans.

TONIGHT...

... I get my copy of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Version DVD Set.

MAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!

Three hours plus of movie. 43 minutes of new and extended scenes. At least six hours or so of extras. DVDs don't get any much better than this, friends.

Delivery Room

Just came back from the printing house where Angel Ace Next is in the process of being made real. Saw the dummy, the covers and the layouts. Just gotta say, I've never seen an Angel Ace book look this good. Heh. Finally the art I've been doing all this time can reach readers without being diluted by bad printing. WOOHOO! Anyway, we're still set for the December 13 release, hopefully at the C3Con... just look for the Comic Quest booth, if there is one. Otherwise, you can just head down to CQ itself to get your copy and Angel Ace love. Later!

K.I.A.


Kai gets new and retro at the same time in K.I.A.

After I finish up Kunoichi Boy, I'll be getting down and busy with K.I.A., an anthology starring my secret favorite Angel Ace character, Kai. While she's already a hottie as she is right now, I decided to up the ante and give her a new look. The shorter hairstyle is sleek and sexy, though it's actually not that new; Kai had that 'do in the original Angel Ace #2: Hunter's Heart Gaiden which was released years ago (no longer in print and not part of the present Angel Ace series). The same goes for her more, er, minimal attire. Heh. The only thing I didn't retain were the blades and swords she carried back then- pretty cool actually but they just didn't seem to jive much with the character as she is now. Anyway, I think she can kick butt pretty well without need for any weapon, thank you very much.
The anthology will be composed of stories by myself as well as by several other writers/artists/creators. K.I.A. will be set after the events in Angel Ace Next, and will take place in the many months in between that and Kai's next appearance in the Angel Ace main series.
I see this spinoff as a cross between Aeon Flux, Elektra, ALIAS, Le Femme Nikita, Noir (the anime) and a dash of Danger Girl. How's that for a mix? Can you say... Girl Power? Fan service? Kick-butt action? Oh, and it's going to be a lot darker than your regular Angel Ace book. How dark? Like the kind that gets your heroine killed every now and then dark. It's all gonna end in tears. Dean would be proud. Heh...

Homebody

Instead of venturing out today on this non-working day (and the end of the Ramadan), I decided to stay at home. I was able to work on pages for Kunoichi Boy, my newest manga creation that's set for release in a local mangazine. And a good thing too since it's due in less than two weeks. Yipe! Not really that worried though- I'm making good time with the pages, and I really like how it's coming out.
Work again tomorrow... Gah. Well, at least I'm supposed to get my Two Towers extended dvd set tomorrow as well...

Revising a Saga


Will we see Alec Guiness wield double-lightsabers? Anything's possible, it seems...

Incredible. Absolutely incredible. I am both amazed and appalled.

Apparently, next year we will be seeing new versions of the original Star Wars trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi), and these won't just contain remastered scores or slight CG retouches. Nope. Next year's editions will be given MAJOR changes to update them and bring them up to speed with the recent 'prequel' trilogy. Here are JUST A FEW of the supposed changes...

Anakin's theme music (introduced in the prequels) will now play at certain times during references to his younger, good self throughout the films.

Redone lightsaber effects for all the films; Yes, even the Obi-Wan/Darth Vader geezer fight will be spruced up with new footage to make it more active and dynamic. Maybe Obi-Wan will do cartwheels or something. Heh.

The Emperor now appears in A New Hope, via a scene where he dissolves the Senate.

Awkward original R2D2 will be replaced by the prequel's more mobile, jet-equipped version.

No more bleeding arm in the Cantina scene- it is now canon that lightsabers cauterize wounds.

After the destruction of Alderaan, we'll see Yoda react as well as Obi-Wan. No need to wait for Empire to see the old green twerp.

Redone and cleaned-up SFX for space battles in all the movies. Major space engagements will now have additional ships in line with the prequels; this means we'll be seeing Naboo fighters in the attack on the Death Star. The Millennium Falcon will be doing more aerial acrobatics while dodging Star Destroyers.

The Hoth Battle will be more epic, with more units and equipment, actual scenes of landing Imperial troops, more ground battle scenes, faster AT-ATs, etc.

Little details like computer panels and displays, the Death Star diagram, etc. will be updated to match the prequels.

All stormtroopers will now be voiced by actor Temeura Morrison (who played Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones). There will be some stormtrooper suits that still resemble clone trooper armor in the 'new' old trilogy scenes.

CG effects will be used to redo stuff like the Rancor and the Sarlacc. In general, aliens seen in the prequels will be added to alien-heavy scenes in the original trilogy films.

Anakin AND Padme's spirits will appear in the final scene in Return of the Jedi.

Hang onto those old, original versions, mates. They're gonna be worth something soon. Heh. You can see the whole list of supposed changes at Ain't It Cool News.

SIGLO




It's coming! As early as NEXT WEEK! WOOHOO! Stay tuned for announcements...

Fantasy Talk


Meet Ashe, the heroine of the next chapter of the Final Fantasy series, FFXII.

After the online FFXI, Square of Japan is going back to its single-player roots in the next FF title, Final Fantasy XII. Little has been revealed except for the names and appearances of the game's leads, hero Vaan and heroine Ashe. Both protagonists are of the Hume or human race, which leads many to believe that FFXII will have many other character races such as elves and hobbit-like creatures to play as. Expect FFXII to hit stores late 2004 or early to mid-2005.

On the more present FF, there's of course Final Fantasy X2, the sequel to the last single-player FF, FFX on PS2. The game takes players back on a return trip to the world of Spira, where they once again lead heroine Yuna on a world-spanning adventure. This time, the story is more personal and a bit on the lighter side, with shades of Charlie's Angels as you control the three female leads (Yuna, her thief-cousin Rikku and newcomer Paine) exclusively throughout this mission-based quest game. Refreshingly, the game takes place only a couple of years after the end of the first game, and continues where it all left off in a way fans once never thought possible in an FF title (if only Square did this back when they had FFVII...). The english voice acting is excellent, and actually sounds better than the Japanese dub (which was too cutesy and hi-pitched for my tastes). I'll have to make time to play this alongside my other present game fix, Gladius.
Ah, Final Fantasy. Now the only thing left is that FFVII CG movie, Advent Children. Gotta keep my eyes peeled for that one.

Soon...

Yesterday I went off to a long overdue trip to Greenhills. Got myself the US version of Final Fantasy X2, the first-ever true sequel to a Final Fantasy game. Also got myself several dvds, including The Mummy (the best film of that franchise (which has shades of Indiana Jones and Pulp Action which I love), Freddy Vs. Jason and the Sinbad animated movie.
I found a deluxe extended version set of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in one of the shops; this boxed set includes 5 DVDs and a statue of Gollum, and goes for a whopping 5,500 pesos. No sign of the regular boxed set yet; I should be getting mine this week (fingers crossed!). Damn the wait is killing me. And then there's The Return of the King which is slowly creeping in... WOOHOO! Christmas and New Year's is going to be neat. Heh.

There and Back Again

Last Thursday I set off via a Victory Liner bus to Baguio to attend this year's Ad Congress. Stayed there for a day and a half, a good part of which was spent just sitting on a bus. Anyway, here's my little report on the trip.


Ah, smell that cool mountain air.

Me and my officemates left the bus terminal in Cubao at about ten, to embark on a six-hour drive overland to Baguio. It was cool that there were a LOT of us on the bus; there was safety in numbers, and the rowdiness of a lot of the guys ensured that it would be a funny trip. Once the bus left the familiar roads of Manila for the Northern expanses, someone brought out liquor and chicharon. A little before midnight, the lights were dimmed and the bus zoomed across empty highways unchallenged. I tried to get some sleep, but at best it was fitful. Sitting up in a bus fully-clothed is not conducive to relaxing sleep.

No Piss of Mind

Along the way, we soon got the notion that the bus seemed to have been going a LOOONG time without any stopovers, and one of our officemates was complaining loudly that he wanted to PISS. Of course, we just laughed off his wailings, but there were other passengers on the bus who were starting to get cross at him. Luckily these would-be killers were warded off by the knowledge that there were a lot of us. And once we did get to stop at have a bathroom break, it was all quiet from there.

Dark Roads
I stared off into the darkness out my window, seeing little houses and ramshackle sheds with lights glittering in the sea of night like stars. I remember thinking of how these people must live here, in the middle of nowhere. Soon, the road began to turn upward as we reached the mountainous terrain of the Philippines' summer capital.

Toy Houses
My first sight of Baguio was a beautiful sight; the scene of houses and buildings set into the mountainside, numerous lights glowing and giving the place a toy-like feel. Everything seemed to be built on a diagonal plane, and you were usually looking up or down at a building. As our bus pulled into the central terminal area, I got my first look at SM Baguio, one of the newest branches of the country's biggest mall chain. It looked HUGE, like a monolith looming over the houses and buildings like some massive idol, the instantly-recognizable logo coldly glowing white and blue. We arrived in Baguio at about 4 AM. The air was cool, but not chilly. After recovering from the aircon inside the bus, I soon realized a jacket wasn't really necessary.

Crowded


We stayed at this quaint, American-style compound.

The house where we crowded into was nice; it would have been really comfortable if only there wasn't about thirty or so people crammed into it. There was really nothing you could do in the place though; there was cable TV but come on- who would want to tramp all the way to Baguio and then just watch TV? So when we were able, I got together three of my mates and we were off to go frollicking in the city.


DAMN it's crowded.

The first thing I realized once we got to the shopping and mall circle was... the place has too many people. I had been in Baguio before, but I don't remember it being ever this crowded. Every sidewalk was clogged with people. It actually reminded me of Hong Kong. It was worst in the newly-opened Shoemart; it was simply exploding with people going in and out... in fact, I think shoppers and mallrats from all the surrounding towns and provinces were converging in the place. Anyway, we walked into SM and then promptly walked out.

Rummaging through Someone's Closet



The Ukay-Ukay is a word for a huge clothing sale where everything being sold is second-hand. There's a vast amount of clothes, shoes and other stuff to look at, but there are usually no variety in sizes, and it all smells like someone's closet... or worse, someone's armpit. We walked through three floors of the stuff. Didn't buy a thing, but I don't think I'll ever forget the smell. Heh.


Can you believe the placement of that toilet?

We had merienda at a shopping center, inside a restaurant called The Tropical Rainforest Cafe. Ordered Pinoy spaghetti with garlic bread which eventually came instead with puto (rice cake). After we rested, we took a bathroom break and discovered a most peculiar layout of the CR. The area had a line of urinals against the wall, and at the end, with no barriers or covers at all, was a single toilet, just sitting out in the open. So anyone taking a crap on that thing was pretty much in plain view. We had a laugh and were off.


Glitzier than the Oscars? The Ad Congress Awards Night

Of course, the main reason we went all that way was to watch the most important night for the local advertising industry- the Ad Congress awards. The awards were split up into several nights, and on Friday we watched the awards for craft. We saw awards for TV, radio and print. Oddly enough, several commercials that had been like, out forever, were still winning. Oh well. Afterwards, we trooped to a party hosted by GMA 7 and had some free food amidst a concert held for the winners. Unfortunately, I had to pretty much stand the whole time. And the food wasn't that great either. Bah.
I staggered back to the house at about 1 AM and readied my stuff. I was to leave Baguio for Manila at 5:40 AM, with a couple of officemates as company. We boarded an earlier bus and soon were off. The return trip took about seven or eight hours, with three stopovers and again, fitful sleep all the way. Sigh. Good thing this doesn't happen every year.

Came back loaded with ube and strawberry jam and lots of peanut brittle for the friends and family. The Adcon's over. Hopefully the next time we'll have ads on the finalists' list and I'd actually be looking forward to enduring long trips over again. Like my friend Dean, I'm basically a homebody. Going to Baguio was fun, I guess, but it's really not for me.
Give me Greenhills anytime. Heh.

Off to Congress

In a couple of hours I and my mates will hurry over to the bus station and catch our ride to the cold clime of Baguio for this year's Ad Congress. I'll be there the whole day tomorrow but be back under the Manila sun Saturday morning.
The few waking hours I will have there will probably be spent exploring the newly-opened SM Baguio, buying peanut brittle, ube jam and kulangot ng Igorot for the friends and folks. Don't suppose there's a comic and anime shop there, but I'll keep my eyes out. Hey, maybe I can watch Master and Commander there.... Heh.
Whatever. Signing off then. I should be able to blog if I find a decent internet cafe; heck, I was able to post from freakin' Boracay, so Baguio shouldn't be a problem.

Later!

Extended Epic

Today marks the release of the The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Version DVD Set. This four-disc edition looks to surpass even the DVD Perfection of the Fellowship Extended DVD set, having 43 minutes of additional footage. These scenes contain HUGE additions to the onscreen precedings, giving more character depth and moments which enrich an already robust film. These new scenes include a flashback featuring Gondorian brothers Faramir and Boromir, more Ents and Huorns, and pretty much more of everyone. Add to that over 6 hours of extras and documentaries and 4 feature-length commentaries from the cast, director/writers, production team and more, you've got one HUMONGOUS DVD set and probably the best DVD release this year.

And I'm getting MY COPY next week. Heh-heh... My Preciousss....

Baguio Bound

Tomorrow night I go to the country's summer capital to take what little part I have to play in this year's Ad Congress. The place is bound to be crawling with agency-types, and I will probably see a familiar face or two. I won't actually be there long; I'll be leaving late night Thursday, probably arrive there early morning Friday, sleep till noon, then do the usual rounds of the place till evening. I don't plan on partying till the dawn hours since my bus ride home is at five in the morning on Saturday the next day. GAH! Well, at least I get to go out with the gang this week.
Really, with that kind of a schedule I would have preferred to just stay home or go foraging in Greenhills. Well, it's for the agency, so I guess I have to go... it's been years anyway since I last set foot in Baguio. Should be neat.

Nightmare

Had a pretty freaky and disturbing dream this morning. Dreamt I was in Makati, walking along the sidewalk when a couple of little kids dressed in khaki uniforms and armed with pistols started shooting at me. Instinctively I shielded myself with whatever it was I was lugging (probably a bag), and I ran. There was chaos all around me as I realized an army of these killer kids was all over the place. The weird thing was, there were even kamikaze kids jumping off the buildings down towards the street (WHY eludes me), resulting in some Kill Bill-esque bloody smears. In the middle of it all was a man with shoulder-length white hair in a khaki uniform, wearing shades and a white cowboy hat, and apparently going by the name of 'Liedecker' (which I think may or may not be the name of a character in the TV series Dark Angel).

Hey, I'm just telling it like I saw it. Sounds like an ultraviolent comic dream. WEIRD...

Alyas

Watched an episode of Alias last night on AXN. The Philippines gets a bit of a cameo at the end. I wonder if they really shot that segment here? Probably not, but it's pretty neat. Heh.

Scary Movie

Last night I was watching TV and saw the trailer for the upcoming movie Gothika, starring Halle "Catwoman" Berry, Robert Downey Jr. and Penelope Cruz. This ghost story/psychological suspense/thriller is about a psychologist (Berry) who finds herself one night on the wrong side of an asylum's cell door. How she ends up there involves a rainy night's drive, a gruesome murder and a woman who keeps appearing despite supposedly being dead. With some creepy images from the trailer, I was a bit intrigued... shades of The Ring and other recent Asian horror flicks seem to be influencing this one. I'll be sure to take a look at this when it comes out late November.

Coming This Christmas...

Comic-lovers are going to have a field day this December. There's a slew of releases coming out, lovingly fashioned by local writers, artists and creators for their enjoyment. I am glad and not a bit proud to say that I had the good fortune of being able to take part in three upcoming releases.


Angel Ace Next continues the adventures of our favorite high-flying manga-style heroine.

My own personal baby. Angel Ace NEXT is an 80-page one-shot special, continuing the events from the previous Angel Ace Again! series. There's action, adventure, heartwarming comedy, heartbreaking tragedy, drama and more! This issue features guest artists Honoel Ibardolaza, Jon Mallari and Jeremy Arambulo, interpreting the Angel Ace crew their own unique styles.
Also featured are quite a few pages of cool fan art, with a few cool surprises. Aside from continuing the saga, NEXT also has four full-page artworks that recap events from Angel Ace Again, making this a good jump-on issue for new readers who weren't able to catch the previous issues.


Shoujo-style manga is the overall theme in Cherry Blossom High.

The brainchild of Jason Banico, Cherry Blossom High is an anthology of stories set within or about students from the magical and mysterious titular place of education. Cherry Blossom is the manga equivalent of a Hell Mouth, it seems, so something weird and magical is often happening just in the next classroom; be it someone getting whisked off to a magical fantasy world, or the school geek beating up on some demonic invaders. Or maybe it's just the magic of romance?
Despite being shoujo-style (girls' comics), CBH should appeal to any reader who likes a nice story and lovely illustrations.
The four stories are presented by Jason Banico, Elbert Or, Vin Simbulan, Honoel Ibardolaza, Joel Chua, myself and more. Watch for this one!


Ten decades of Philippine life are represented in the graphic collection known as Siglo.

And finally, there's Siglo, aka Project 100. This is the result of a collaboration between a group of individuals motivated by the singular desire to express themselves in an exceptionally rewarding way. The result, this more than 100-page masterpiece. There are simple stories, deep stories, stories with lots of words, stories with few words. There are no big epics, just tiny slice of life tales from people like an aspiring Emperor's wife, little children, a wartime traitor, a bride-to-be, a game geek and more. Not your usual comic fare, but that's what gives Siglo its unique charm.
Siglo features the talents of Dean Alfar, Nikki Alfar, Vin Simbulan, Jason Banico, Honoel Ibardolaza, Elbert Or, Andrew Drilon, Arnold Arre, Gerry Alanguilan, Carlo Vergara and myself.

WHEW! Is that a lot or what? Better start saving, because you're not going to want to miss these releases. Really! Heh.

No Rest for the Wicked

A couple of days ago I had barely finished working on Angel Ace Next (which should be well on its merry way to seeing light, with a million thanks to Carl) when I had to run off early in the morning to an office seminar all the way up in the foggy mountains of Antipolo.
Well, it was almost-two days, with weird exercised, games that involved teamwork and lifting and an irritatingly prickly carpeted room in the otherwise lovely Eugenio Lopez Center. Spent the time with the office staff, sat around listening to lectures and tests and setting up what our future workplace will be. Important stuff, I guess.

Anyway, got back home late in the afternoon; didn't bother to go out anymore since I was feeling pooped. Ended up just playing lots of Gladius on the ol' xbox.

Now that Angel Ace is out of the way, gotta start work on a couple of new titles; the AA spinoff book K.I.A. and the original new series Kunoichi Boy. Heh-heh... I love being busy. In a morbid sort of way. Even so, I think I'll keep resting all into tomorrow.

It is finished.

Angel Ace Next is ready to send out to the printers.

It took all night, along with some last-minute submissions, a whole lot of lettering and organizing art, pages and layouts. When I finally burned the images onto a convenient CDR, sunlight was streaming through my window. Had to spare a couple of hours for token sleep before heading out to the office.

There are just a couple of minor hiccups, which can conceivably be fixed within the day. Tonight I give it out and then it's out of my hands.

My comments; some of the art is gorgeous, some a bit rushed, some manga-ish, some indie, all of it entertaining and fresh. 80 pages chock-full of art, story, a couple of ads and articles and a surprise and a jolt or two.

December's the release date. Whether it be in the upcoming C3Con or simply at Comic Quest, we're going to get the issue out to the readers.

At last.

Cover Girl



Here's the front cover to Angel Ace Next! We're going to print this weekend, and releasing hopefully in time for the C3Con this December. So if there are any violent objections to the cover art, well... tough. Heh. Wait for it!

Last Man Standing

a few left to do, including lettering the whole darn book, but the ending is finally in sight. All that is really left to put it all together is to have all the guest artist pages in, do the front cover and the inside cover pages.

This weekend, we go to the printer. And hopefully, we WILL finally see the latest Angel Ace issue this December at the C3Con.

Just to say, I was surprised at the last minute developments in the pages, including a pretty left-field development that should widen a few eyes... Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing the final book in several weeks' time.

Just a couple more nights to go, and Angel Ace Next will be DONE.

Then it's on to... Kunoichi Boy!!!

The Matrix Redemption (Spoilers Ahead)

Yesterday, the gang (sans Dean and Nikki) trooped over to The Podium to watch the third and final part of the Matrix Trilogy, Matrix Revolutions. After a quickie snack/dinner at Hotshots, we rushed to the cinema in order to catch the trailers. By the seat of our pants we were able to see The Return of the King trailer. After getting a hundred-peso popcorn package with a cool. black Matrix tumbler, we settled down to watch the swan song for Neo, Trinity and the whole Matrix gang.

Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, I liked Revolutions. Hell, I'm actually confident enough to say yeah, I really like it.

The finale of The Matrix trilogy sees mankind with their backs to the wall. In Reloaded, Neo learns that their most valuable ally, The Oracle, is not human but a machine herself. More importanly though, he learns that his destiny as The One does not involve stopping the countless killing machines poised above the human city of Zion, much less stopping the whole genocidal war between human and machine. To further complicate things, Neo goes into a coma after displaying powers even in the real world. A seeming accident sabotages the Zion fleet, pretty much annihilating the human's most potent forces before the battle even begins. All this, and 250,000 sentinels are ready to dissect the remaining free humans on the planet.
Perhaps it is the blessing of being the finale, with all the stakes and chips on the board, the characters at their most desperate, the action at the zenith, that makes Revolutions work a lot better than Reloaded. It also helps that we've seen the characters featured onscreen before, and now at the climax you care for them more as a result. In fact, this movie seems to show off more of the supporting characters than the Big Three of Neo, Trinity and Morpheus; Niobe (Morphy's former squeeze/star of the Matrix videogame, played by Jada Pinkett-Smith), The Kid, The crew of The Hammer and The Logos, the Oracle and Seraph and the people of Zion. This broader scop of the events makes the film a lot more epic in scope.
Despite having a slow start in the first half hour or so, Revolutions' psychobabble this time around is more substancial; such as the sentience of machines and the prospect that not all the programs are evil; they are themselves a race that is on the planet to stay. Again, the burdens of choice and sacrifice weigh heavily on Neo, and this time he may have to pay the ultimate price to save humanity.
In terms of action, Revolution revisits the Matrix with Trinity, Morpheus and Seraph revisiting the Merovingian. This is the final real foray into the other world; after this, most of the action is in the real world. The Battle for Zion's Docks is the setpiece of this movie, featuring images of carnage and heavy metal action that simply demands to be seen on a big, frickin' screen. This sequence, over twenty minutes long, is simply breathtaking and is a cool warm up for the large-scale, against-all-odds battle that I hope to see early next year in The Return of the King.

As for the inevitably-controversial ending, Revolutions takes a different road from the usual 'Star Wars' resolution. There are no vulnerable exhaust vents to chuck an all-powerful superweapon or photon torpedo; no easy solution without cost. I have to say that the final farewell between Neo, Morpheus and Trinity- heroes we have followed and grown to care for despite highs and lows- is a moment of quiet poignance that fits strangely well in this testosterone-powered, sci-fi action romp. The ending isn't the easiest to see, but given the wholeness and mood of the entire franchise, it's perfect.

Definitely getting the DVD for this one. Farewell, Neo, Trinity, Morpheus, Smith, Zion. It's been swell.

Matrix Revolutions stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Ann Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Hugo Weaving, Jada Pinkett-Smith. Catch it in theaters now.

Elektric Shortage

What IS it with Elektra these days?

I'm referring of course to the Marvel comic title starring probably the most recognizable ninja assassin to wear a leotard and cloth bandages ever in comics. The red-garbed vixen who's about as unpredictable as a cat, and just as slinky. The same anti-heroine whose adventures will eventually see cinematic release with Alias' Jennifer Garner (who is reprising the role from the movie version of Daredevil) next year or so.

A year or so ago, the red ninja was given her own regular series, and I have to say I collected it for a while, singularly to collect the awesome painted covers by artist Greg Horn. The stories, for me, are pretty unspectacular, and the art has never been particularly interesting (perhaps the awesome covers just make looking at the relatively unexceptional inside art boring). Eventually, I got tired of even collecting since the covers seem to have sunken to a 'routine', and it's no longer driving me to get them.

I still peek inside every new issue to see if any of the action intrigues me. Unfortunately, I am just puzzled.

Why, WHY, does a comic with a kick-ass, uber-sexy super ninja babe insist on showing their main draw AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE?

For the past couple of issues (or maybe more), Elektra is hardly ever seen. You see the cannon fodder, the victims, the boring cast of nobodies... but NO ELEKTRA! She usually appears at the very end page, as a shadow.
Maybe it's just me, but an Elektra comic should show her as much as possible, doing her ninja things because DAMN it's all about her doing her kung-fu shit, climbing sheer rock walls with her super strong digits, taking out guards with one of her seven thousand ways to kill, formulating elaborate plans to establish a cover, penetrate a heavily-guarded stronghold and generally look fetching in her skimpy and impractical ninja bathing suit.

BUT NOOOOO.... We get to see the comic equivalents of bit actors get ALL the screentime while our star is reduced to a presence that is 'felt' rather than seen.

BAH!

I know, I know...

"Since you're complaining so much, why don't you make your OWN comic with a scantily-clad, kick-ass assassin babe? NYAAH!"

All right, I WILL. Next year. Kai: KIA. Hehehe. Shameless plug.

Going back to Gladiator School


"Gee, your hair smells terrific!"


"ARE YOU ENTERTAINED??!"

Well, yes I am!

I just got Gladius for the Xbox and I am wasting away a dangerous amount of time that I should be plunking into Angel Ace Next (heh). Anyway, Gladius is a new gladiatorial RPG/Strategy game from Lucas Arts. Set in a world that mixes historical ancient Rome (and the various barbarian tribes in it's provinces) with fantasy elements, it tells of the saga of heroes Valens (a gladiatorial champion's son) and Ursula (a barbarian princess) as they attempt to forge a powerful school of gladiators. In the Gladius world, a terrible war years before had driven the various peoples to turn to the arena and gladiators to settle disputes, and for entertainment. It is in the gladiatorial circuit of various locales and countries that most of the game's action and combat take place.

While you start out with just your main hero(ine) and a single cohort, you eventually start to hire more fighters in your stable. These range from your more generic barbarian or bandit, to the more interesting gunghirs (barbarian spearthrowers/werebears), legionnaires and archers. Or you can go for the more esoteric classes, such as sexy amazons or wild berserkers, mysterious spellcasters and beasts. There are about 100 different kinds of fighters to encounter or recruit in this game, along with an even larger number of weapons, armor and accessories to outfit and arm them with.
And as you build your reputation and fighting prowess, perhaps you'll also be able to take the time to thwart a RESURGENCE OF AN EVIL GOD that seems to be inevitable in the later rounds of this several-hundred hour game. Hmmm.

Gladius' graphics looks great, with detailed characters and battle stages. The animations and sound effects do well to put you into this carnage-filled world. As for the gameplay, the micromanagement of equipment, positioning of troops, and a patented 'swing meter' which you must handle in real time makes this a cross between Final Fantasy Tactics and a teensy-bit of Dance Dance Revolution. It's not really a fast-paced game though; anyone who can't get past a regular FF game or turn-based strategy game will probably not get into Gladius' marathons of battles and somewhat repetitive music (which hopefully will change when I finally move my band to a new country).

Well, I hate Dance-Dance, but I love this game. The story's pretty basic, but it's really all about getting the most bad-ass crew you can and opening a can of Maximus on an enemy's arse. WOOHOO!

Now, back to Angel Ace Next. No, reallly.

Cherry Blossom Pin-Ups

Here are some pin-up artworks destined for the upcoming shoujo manga anthology Cherry Blossom High from Psicom. Take in their full-color goodness since they will be black and white in the published comic. Oh well.


Crystal tries to catch up on some homework in between demonslaying.


The Beach Blossoms take on their rivals, The Sand Angels!

Angel's Back...


A day in the life of the Angel Ace crew, by Joel Chua!

Here's a look at the back cover artwork for Angel Ace Next, as rendered by the talented Joel Chua! We were lucky enough to have Joel on board with the upcoming ish. You can find more of his stuff at his website, JoelChua.com, and in the upcoming Cherry Blossom High anthology from Psicom (he did the front cover).

December's just on the horizon. Soon. SOON!

Oh and by the way... I'm DONE with SIGLO!!! It's Angel Ace and more all the way from now on. WOOHOO!

Comics, Comics, Comics!

Here are some samples and snippets (literally) of stuff coming out very soon from us!


Here's a panel from Nikki Alfar's Siglo story, set in the 1920s. It's about politics, women's empowerment and a guy who would be Emperor of the Philippines!


This is a clip from my Siglo story. Based on a subject close to my heart. It's set in the 90s.


Angel Ace guest artist Jeremy Arambulo gives us Angel flying in the city.


A snippet from 'The Gift', a short story in Angel Ace Next written by me, drawn by Jeremy.


Jeremy gives the Angel Ace characters his own unique, indie-style spin. Coolness.

Siglo and Angel Ace Next should be available to readers this December. Wait for them!

Halloween Party

After closing up the store, the gang (consisting of me, Dean, Gig, Vin, Dino, Jason, Alex, Ralph and Charles) trooped to a nice condo where Carl waited (I imagined while smoking a stogie and wearing a satin red smoking jacket and matching slippers). It was our version of a Halloween party. We didn't have costumes, but we had a nice, compact and comfy room, KFC fried chicken, soft drinks and liquor, frozen chips and peanuts (EH?), Carl-cooked pasta (which brought out the Italian in me... YUMMY, Carl!) and some games to get frisky with. Later in the night, Ralph put together some sinigang na baboy as a midnight snack (EH?).
Anyway, it was a cool night. Dean was feeling under the weather but it didn't keep out team (with Alex) from DOMINATING the night's two rounds of gaming. MAHAHAHAHA! Anyway, there were intermissions as the smokers had their breaks, I watched TV and enjoyed a nice can of Charm balls (which is ironic given that there's this comic named CHARM which left a bad taste in my mouth).

The Halloween party/Jason's birthday celebration lasted into the wee hours of the morning, and I finally tore myself away at 3 AM along with Dean, Gig and Alex. The rest would stay overnight in the luxurious (albeit messy and crowded) condo.

Happy Halloween everyone! Don't let the bogeyman bite... MAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!

Phone Lust Relapse

Yesterday, while walking around Greenhills for anime to take home for the All Souls' Day weekend, I found out that the first next-gen phone has finally reached Philippine stores. It's the Nokia 6600, a wide-bodied phone which looks like a 3310 who got left in the kitchen too long. Anyway, it's slightly smaller than the chunkier Sony Ericsson P800 or the Nokia 7650 and 3650, and feels a whole lot more compact (no things sticking out, or any stylus to get lost). It has a lot of features, of course, the claim to fame being an integrated camera with zoom feature and video recorder. Along with this of course are SMS and MMS features, PDA functions for WAP and mobile internet, Polyphonic tones and JAVA. It's loaded and looks it. Heh.

Anyway, the thing costs 25K in pesos, so it's quite pricey; no surprise since it's just out. While looking around I saw at least one guy taking his spiffy new 6600 home (Grrr).

Now, I'm pretty happy with my current phone, but I can't resist lusting after this new doodad. Perhaps sometime next year, when the price goes down below the 20k level. But then, it's either this or an Angel Ace issue. Heh-heh-heh... heh... Hmm.

The Scariest Thing I've Seen So Far...


Atlas Publications' CHARM. Simply the most hideous excuse for a local comic yet released. It's so bad, it's not even funny. It's SAD.

Usually when we see a new comic, we are giddy as schoolkids. Yep, we laugh at any mistakes and unintentional funnies, but in the end we give what is due, and if the art and story are cool, we'll support it to no end. I'd want a copy to add to my library of local comic releases.

But CHARM...

My gosh, I won't even give it the dignity of being called CRAP.

I don't even want to keep a copy, even for posterity. I don't want it in my room.

This is base, tasteless, utterly grotesque and putrid garbage, and it makes it all the more horrid that it comes from Atlas (but then, I expect little from these people, despite ATX being a respectable release).

Why do I say this?

CHARM is a WITCH rip-off. Blatant rip-off. You have a team of witch girls with various powers. The art style is obviously copying the Witch style. Just take away ANY sense of personality, style or charisma. Just take carbon paper, give to a talentless hack and there you have it. The designs are a disturbing combination of pa-sexy anime and the Witch style.

Now, if CHARM was just copying the Witch style, it wouldn't warrant this outburst from me.

But the thing is, there's more.

The writing, the very concept of the story, is tasteless and OBSCENE. The very origin of the girls, and the way it is treated and revealed, is sick and I really am amazed that any sane publisher or editor would even consider this for Young Girls.

Details? Well, suffice to say it involves women being IMPREGNATED by severed fingerss and then being burst open, dissolves, eaten by ants, etc. Add to this TOTALLY EMOTIONLESS and ridiculous writing and NO COMMAND WHATSOEVER OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR SKILLS just adds to simply what I see as the most loathsome local release I've seen yet. This is a bloody, stinking smear on the medium.

FUCKING HORRIBLE.

If I met the artist and writer, I would tell them to their face their work is an INSULT to the medium and I am amazed they let their names be credited in this trash. Whoever okayed this for publication should be FIRED. If I am given a copy of this book, I'd use it to wipe DOG SHIT off the ground.

Want to see it for yourself? Get ready for a laugh and then the urge to bathe later.

DAMN.

Sigh.

Scary...

The Siglo deadline is just around the corner and I am nowhere near finishing yet...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Now that's horror! GAH...

Need... caffeine...

Haunted Office

"Walang third eye..." (There is no third eye)

These lines were rasped by actor Joel Torre in the old Filipino horror ghost story film, Hiwaga sa Balete Drive. For some reason I've always remembered it (maybe because of Torres' cheezy delivery) and that's what I usually say when I hear ghost stories. Pretty much because I don't think I have one. Or if I do, it's firmly closed. I've yet to see a ghost, or any spooky apparition, even during times when people around me are sensing or seeing phantoms, I never see anything beyond my own imagined spooks.

Years ago, while shooting a short film for a college subject, some friends and I spent the night in a decrepit hut in a dark ricefield at the University of the Philippines. Throughout the night, our cameras kept dying for no reason, the viewfinders 'blocked' by unseen hands. Some of my friends remarked of someone peeping at us constantly from around the corner of the hut. The window of our friend's car shattered for no apparent reason. And while walking home, two of my mates suddenly felt themselves surrounded by shadowy presences.

All throughout this spooky time I saw NOTHING.

While staying at my house years ago doing our thesis, one of my classmates remarked seeing a person outside the window, in the yard (at the time, the space was an open garden with wide spaces), apparently a spirit. I never saw anything, and today my sister's house is built on this spot. My friend (who has a third eye, supposedly) also said that he saw people in the house who weren't flesh and blood.
I've lived in my family's house for more than fifteen years. Never saw a single unexplained figure, or phantom apparition. I can probably say that my house really isn't haunted; nor is it a place where spirits or elementals (as the rumors go) can stay since there are people living, it's a place of life and activity, and I guess none of us have a third eye.

Anyway, this talk of ghosts and spooks came up not only because Halloween is just around the corner and its the All Souls' Day weekend... it's also because of some creepy stories floating around the office.

A few days ago, when we started working late, some of our office staff began saying that they've been seeing... figures walking around the place. The VERY place where we work. The very area where I am RIGHT NOW typing this entry. The reports have said that the apparition is that of a tall, white lady with long hair. Some have said that the figure looked real, while another has said that the ghost looked blurry and indistinct.

Last night, another officemate who worked late said that he heard and saw children running around the place, seeing the top of a phantom child's head passing through the various dividers and cubicles.

So what's it about? Was our office the scene of a brutal slaying? Was it once a Japanese torture chamber? A setting of a tragic death whose memories have lingered on years after? I have no idea. I've worked here for more than a month, and have stayed late twice. Haven't seen anything. Haven't heard ghostly children laughing or scurrying about. Haven't had any chilling Juon moments (that creepy Japanese film is actually coming to theaters soon) yet... not that I am looking forward to that, mind you.

Oh well. I guess when you have it, you have it. If you don't... well... I enjoy hearing ghost stories.

What was that..? Footsteps? Nah. Just my imagination.

Heh-heh... Happy Halloween, people.

Good Morning...

Oh, look. Sunlight.

Still at the office. Guess I can go home now.

Good night. Will be taking the rest of the day off.

Hopefully I can do Siglo.

Yawn. Later.

Status

Days left to Siglo deadline: 4

Number of pages finished in my 10-page story: 0

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Working on a pitch right now which has me at the office instead of at home, doing pages. DAMN where did all the time go? For some reason though I am not really that tense... a calm before the storm? An acceptance of the inevitable? The numbnes that precedes... disaster?

Not a chance. Heh.

Where to Go to find Go-Go...

If Chiaki doesn't win 'Best Villain' and 'Best Fight' in next year's MTV Movie Awards, there is no justice in this world.

If you're wondering where I get all my cool pics of Chiaki Kuriyama, then wonder no more.

Chiaki Kuriyama Fandom

This cool fan page has tons of stuff on Go-Go, including a scan of a People magazine article on Chiaki, some really nice pics of Go Go Yubari from a Japanese mag called HIHO (which includes her in a Crazy 88 black suit which wasn't seen in the movie), links to videos of the Kill Bill premieres and press events with the cast, and more. That should be enough info to satisfy anyone looking into this hot new star.

Kill Bill: A Bloody Good Movie


Kill Bill stars Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, Viveca Fox, Michael Madsen, David Carradine, Sonny Chiba, Julie Dreyfus, Gordon Liu and Chiaki Kuriyama. Directed by Quentin Tarantino.

I've seen it.

What can I say? Kill Bill Vol. 1 is a film that is pretty odd thanks to some chronological backtracking (the opening scene actually happens AFTER the finale), lots of homages to stuff like the 70s, Bruce Lee and martial arts films, samurai and heroic bloodshed theatre and, yes, anime.
It's a tale of revenge, plain and simple, in black and white and red. Uma Thurman plays 'The Bride', a former assassin who is betrayed by her former boss and comrades when she decides to retire and marry. Despite being beaten to within a centimeter of her life AND shot in the head, she survives to wake up from a coma four years later. After willing her formerly-paralyzed body back into action, she sets out to hack and slash her retribution whatever the cost.

KB is a live-action anime, set in a world where the police don't seem to be worth shit, where EVERYONE seems to carry a sword (Uma carries her pigsticker openly on a PLANE! And this after 9-11?) The violence is bloody and often gruesome, which leads me to believe that this film will either be butchered itself by censors when (or if) it is released here in Manila, or be given a Mature rating. However, from my desensitized senses there is really nothing in the film any more gory than cartoony fountains of blood and severed limbs- cut off body parts are quick and the shots don't really linger, so I've seen worse in terms of stomach-turning gore. Of course, this is coming from a guy who's quite used to Asian films like Ricky-Oh, Versus or the anime Ninja Scroll.
Suffice to say that this is a movie NOT for the squeamish, and I'd save it for watching with barkadas and mates, not with the family.
As for the story, it's pretty simple but the proof is in the execution. This film oozes style and attitude, which is cool (the best and coolest part being O-ren Ishii's entrance at the House of Blue Leaves). Some scenes could have been trimmed down a bit, but there was never really any dragging part.
Anyway, that aside, I enjoyed the film from beginning to end. Uma Thurman proves her worth not only as a solid lead but as a kick-ass action heroine (DAMN she's nasty); and I found the rest of the cast quite excellent. Lucy Lui is perfect as Yakuza goddess O-ren Ishii, and her character's anime origin (produced by Production IG, makers of the Ghost in the Shell movie) is both violent and gorgeously stylized.

Still, I have to say that the main reason I was so stoked to watch this movie was to see Chiaki Kuriyama's Go Go Yubari in action... and I have to say I was not disappointed. The fight between O-ren's mace-wielding schoolgirl bodyguard and The Bride is brutal, lethally graceful and eerily presented without music, making every hit and strike bite like crazy. And of course, Go Go gets to look gorgeous AND evil the whole time. I am quite sure that countless guys will be having killer Japanese schoolgirl fetishes from now on, despite a pretty 'penetrating' scene in the film... heh. Chiaki had BETTER win the 'Best Villain' and 'Best Fight' awards from the MTV Movie Awards next year or there is no justice in this world.


Contrary to rumours, none of the Kill Bill cast were killed in the making of the movie .

DARN Chiaki's cute...

As for the rest of the bloody finale, it was a whirlwind of death and swordplay, and I have to say I think the bloodiness and brutality of this BATTLE just has to break or set a benchmark somewhere. It kinda went on a bit too long, but in the end it was fine, and serves as a good penultimate event to the finale.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 ends with a cliffhanger, but really it feels like a full movie thanks to the intensity of the action; you'll want a breather after all that. I just wonder how Mr. Tarantino is going to top the stuff in this film in the next installment, due in theaters six months from now. This movie's a keeper, and I am going to see this in the movie house whether it's cut up or not, when it eventually arrives. And when the genuine DVD arrives next year, it is MINE.

SIGLO

Last night the gang convened at UCC Coffee at The Podium to talk about stuff, and one of the points we talked about was that it was time to announce the secret Project 100 thing we've been working on for the past few weeks. Well, here it is.
SIGLO AKA Project One Hundred, is an illustrated anthology of stories set in the Philippines, in various decades from the 1900s to the year 2000. Ten stories will be featured, worked on individually or in a writer-artist team by our group along with several new and young faces in the field of local comics.
Included in Siglo's lineup of creators are Dean Alfar, Nikki Alfar, Vin Simbulan, Arnold Arre, Jason Banico, Honoel Ibardolaza, Andrew Drilon, Elbert Or, Carl Vergara and myself. Along with us will be several surprise guests who grace the pages of our little project with their art.
The overall theme of this first release will be Freedom.

Perhaps our gang's most spontaneous yet driven project yet, Siglo was conceptualized in a night in a discussion on a sidewalk, the talent pool filled in within a week and development given less than a month and a half for stories and art. For some reason, the Muse of Comic Books blessed this undertaking and so the book will see print this December, along with a brace of other illustrated works coming out very soon.

Whew! That's that. Siglo is coming. Wait for it!

Voices of the Wind

From Ain't it Cool News: The latest anime film by Hayao Miyazaki to receive the full Hollywood-style voice dub is the ecological epic, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Lending their vocal talents will be Patrick "The line must be drawn HERE" Stewart, Uma "Wiggle your big toe" Thurman and Natalie "I was not elected to let my people suffer and die while you argue in a committee" Portman.
Previous Miyazaki features dubbed with high-profile talent include Princess Mononoke (with Minnie Driver and Claire Danes), Spirited Away (Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden) and Castle in the Sky (Mark Hamill, Anna Paquin).

SNORE

When I get short of sleep, I tend to doze off on long drives. It's a fitful dozing; I basically just try to rest my eyes, and I hover between sleep and getting roused when my elbow falls off the taxi window-sill. It's worse when I get woken up by my own SNORE. A big freaky NGORK. Ick.

Good thing the only other person within earshot is the taxi driver. Heh.

Groggy

I stayed up till 5:30 this morning finishing Nikki Alfar's story for Project 100. I finished it, and I am proud of it, which is a good sign that it is nicely done. Heh. Unfortunately the guys and girl in the group have to take my word on that for now since my frickin' CDR-RW burner suddenly chose today to go on the fritz. GAAAHHH!!!

Now I am stuck burner-less and with a line of pages that eventually need to be seared onto a CD-R for submission within the next couple of weeks. I really can't fathom having to lug the drive all the way to Greenhills or wherever to have it fixed; I am much more inclined to throwing money (just a little) at this problem and getting a brand-new (albeit cheap) CD burner drive, perhaps this weekend if the old drive doesn't shape up. Sigh.

Anyway, it's now on to MY own Project 100 story; have to take this out within the next few days so that I can finish it by next week in preparation for my next priority, Angel Ace Next. Just a little more effort... You can do it, MAD...

Ragnarok


Myung-Jin Lee's art simply ROCKS.

The latest gaming sensation, Ragnarok Online, comes alongside a comic series released by Tokyopop (and soon by Summit) that features simply spectacular art. But it's not manga style, nor is it from Japan. The wonderful characters drawn in wonderful detail in Ragnarok are from Korea, courtesy of artist Myung-Jin Lee. Apparently, Korean comics are called manhwa, not manga. Despite this, I really like Ragnarok's artwork, thanks to beautiful females, lavish action scenes and detailed panels. Over the past few days I've picked up Ragnarok graphic novels from Comic Quest, and it looks like I'm in for the long haul. The art in the volumes I have (6 and 7) are spectacular, and I hope it remains so throughout (though I read that the first volumes weren't as good).
As for the story, Ragnarok is about a war between gods and mortals. The wolf goddess Fenris is reincarnated as a beautiful warlock, who sets off on a quest to find the mortal avatar of the god Balder. Balder's destiny is to bring about the Age of Mortals, a new time when man can live beyond the power of the fickle deities. In order to prevent this, the Valkyries, servants of Freya, the goddess of death and beauty, are unleashed. If the gods have their way, their rule will continue for another thousand years!
The Ragnarok comics seem to take off from the RPG, seeing as how there are character stats for the various heroes and villains at the start of each volume. Cool.
Wonderful art, a simple but exciting story and cool characters- even if you don't play the game, check out the manga- er, manhwa, for great sword-slashing, spellcasting fantasy action fun.

Matrix Redemption

I love The Matrix, or to be precised, the original film in this cyber-kungfu trilogy. I mean, the presentation was flawless, redefining coolness (and starting the black leather fetish of Hollywood) and introducing the magic of bullet-time and all that jazz. The characters were cool (Trinity was a goddess) and Agent Smith was the most memorable villain in recent memory (must be Hugo Weaving's drawl).
Reloaded, however, holds the distinction probably of being the most disappointing sequel ever, in that it actually caused countless filmgoers to lose their liking for the franchise. Yep, Reloaded had it's sucky parts (which I will not go into here), which overwhelmed the cooler bits. Even so, I personally found the film fairly entertaining, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing Revolutions this November.
The endgame is here, and if the trailers and features online are to be believed, we're going to see what everything is all about. The Truth about the Matrix, Zion, Neo, The One and the gobbledy-goo that Architect dude was spouting. There's going to be loads of action, of course; the siege of Zion complete with battlesuits, hovercraft, guns blazing and 250,000 tentacled Sentinels closing in for the kill (oddly enough, Return of the King also has 250,000 orcs attacking Minas Tirith... how's that for synchronicity?). Not all the action will take place in the 'real world'; Trinity and Morpheus will have to cross swords once again with The Merovingian and Persephone in order to complete a pivotal quest. Neo will face Smith(s) once again in a battle which apparently will NOT be limited to the ground.
There are tons of hypothesis and speculations hovering around as to how The Matrix will end, or what it really is all about. I for one am quite curious to see what the Wachowskis have up their sleeves to save their franchise. And it all comes to an end this November. Zowie!

Smelly cab, smeeeellly caaab...

That's what I rode home in last night. A men's locker room on wheels. An armpit full of day-old sweat and grime in the guise of a taxi. I couldn't tell if the musky odor came from the seats, the sides or the driver... maybe from all. It was that baaaad... It was so impressionable that I took a bath upon reaching home. Gah.

Anyway, spent the evening at the Blood Bank and had dinner with Vin and Dean (who left after a bit to spend time with his family), and then watched with morbid fascination the utterly hilarious Japanese film, Versus. Lots of mobster-shooting, leather coat-swinging, karate kicking, zombie fighting, girl bashing (a feminist film this ain't), gun pointing, stand-offing, limb-severing fun. Darn, maybe I should get that DVD from Vin after all. Heh-heh...

Danger Girl


Martial arts action, intrigue and a butt-kicking, scantily-clad heroine. Sounds good to me...

After the release of Angel Ace Next, we're going give Angel a little vacation and shift the spotlight on another character. Kai Mishima has always been my secret, guilty-pleasure favorite character, and sometime next year I am going to give her the exposure (heh) she deserves. She'll be starring in her own solo comic, Kai: K.I.A., to be released sometime next year.
After the debacle in Angel Ace Again, Kai was 'demoted' because of her failure (explaining her skimpier 'training' uniform), and soon finds herself training with the dregs of the SIVA organization, and going on missions where she's not necessarily expected to return (hence the K.I.A. subtitle)!

We're going to rev up the fan service on this one, far more than we ever dared with our main Angel Ace book (which will please a lot of red-blooded guys out there); no hentai though. Expect a bit of Danger Girl crossed with a few parts ALIAS and Agent AIKA. WOOHOO!

Anyway, we'll be working on this as soon as we can. Wait for it!

Full Metal Alchemist


Heavy-duty fantasy anime action!

I was able to get a gaggle of new anime over the weekend, but the best hands-down has to be the intriguingly-named fantasy-action series, Full Metal Alchemist.
Well, this new series is set in a world where both fantasy and science mix; the general culture, setting, clothing and architecture resembles that of other fantasy anime/RPG (in fact, there's a game version of FMA in development). Anyway, in this world, Alchemy is a form of magic- alchemists can, by inscribing runes on the ground called arrays, transmute objects. They can transform things into other things, or repair damaged goods. While powerful, alchemy is bound by the laws of nature- you have to give as much as you get- this is the Law of Conservation that governs the use of alchemy.
The first episode begins with two young boys, Edward and Alphonse Elric, drawing an intricate array on the ground. The spell they cast is taboo and the price they pay for doing what they do is severe- Ed loses an arm and a leg, while Al... well, Al loses MORE.

After the quite graphic prologue, we come upon the two brothers years later. The older brother, blonde-haired, handsome but diminuative Edward Elric is the titular Full Metal Alchemist. He's now a nationally-recognized alchemist of the highest rank despite his young age- think Mao from Cooking Master Boy but with magic. But of course, thanks to the incident years ago, Ed has to use a special robot arm and leg called automail to move around. But if you thought that Ed has it bad, younger sibling Al lost his WHOLE body. Yep, Al was transformed into a living suit of armor. Together, the brothers go on a quest to reclaim the flesh that was taken from them, through the rare and legendary Philosopher's Stone.

This is a pretty cool new series, and there are a lot of intriguing mysteries that are teasingly held back. What was the spell the brothers cast? What were they trying to create that cost them so much? What happened since then? Ed and Al are also apparently involved with their world's military (though they claim to be working for themselves), and an eerie group of baddies apparently named after the Seven Deadly Sins are stalking them from the shadows.

Full Metal Alchemist is a good show, judging from the first couple of episodes. Despite the somewhat light look, the overall feel is serious (given the premise), and there are some pretty dark and mature themes touched upon pretty early in the episodes, including the futility of resurrection and corruption and deception behind organized religion. The action is pretty well-done, with lots of pyrotechnics and impressive magic thrown around as Ed and Al kick butt with their impressive powers. The animation, by Studio Bones, is excellent with cool character designs. The look brings to mind anime like Soul Taker- cute but moody and atmospheric.

From the first two episodes, I can tell this show is something special. Check out Full Metal Alchemist when you can for some heavy-duty anime goodness.

It's a mall world after all.

Despite my resolve to NOT join the crowds that will surely clog the insides of Megamall this weekend... I did. Well, at least today I did. Anyway, it was on the way and... well... I at least resolved to NOT spend any of my hard-earned cash on this blatant scheme to sell. But withdraw I did and when I walked through the doors of the climate-controlled inner world I was at once a SHOPPER. Darn.
Anyway, I got myself a couple MORE T-shirts from Spoofs Inc. (Mahahaha), a new belt and FINALLY the new stocks from Comic Quest. Got the second issue of Street Fighter by Udon Press, which is still good but DAMN it really IS the same old storyline Capcom has been telling for the past ten years. Street Fighter I guess can never outgrow Ryu, Ken, Akuma, Bison and Shadaloo, Chun-Li's quest for her father, Guile's quest for Charlie, yada-yada-yada... Sigh. At least the art's great and there's a cool (albeit indecisive) fight between Chun-Li and bad girl Cammy drawn by Adam Warren. The other comic I got was the latest issue of Blade of the Immortal (probably the only real series I am still collecting these days). Also got a Slayers Special comic, which is pretty cool.

I have resolved to try and spend most, if not all of tomorrow at home to finish Project 100. Perhaps on Sunday I can go out and check to see if there are any new DVDs (PLEEEEAAASSSE have a Kill Bill disc ready...) or anime and gaming. Have to keep the ol' instincts in check if I wanna get things done though.

Too bad The Sanctum doesn't have a mast to tie me up against. AAARHH... I hear the mall calling...

Busy Weekend Ahead

It's going to be crazy tomorrow, and it's not just because the US President's coming to the country to spend 8 hours or so under the Manila sky. It's not just because all the major malls in my regular haunts are having HUGE SALES.
I have to try and finish the pages for Project 100 this weekend. It's a daunting task, though not impossible. I still have about fifteen pages to go, both for Nikki's story and my own entry. And when I say finished, I mean everything from pencilling, inking, rendering and lettering. Burn it onto a CD and send it out to Carl next week. Only when this thing is over can I totally concentrate on my own personal baby, Angel Ace Next, of which I have at least 30 pages to render and letter, and covers to conceptualize and execute.
And I still have to do some work-related stuff (perhaps on Sunday) which suddenly popped up out of nowhere (GAH!).

Tonight I get my stash of comics from the Blood Bank (AKA Comic Quest), and provisions (Junk food) to stash in The Sanctum. Then it's on to pencilling and inking panels till dawn. That is, if I can resist snoozing the whole time or playing Xbox games. Yipe.

Crazy. Crazy. Crazy. CRAZY.

Pow Wow

Last night the guys (Nikki abandoned us in favor of Alias), including me, Dean (whom I dubbed "The Yoshinoya Kid"), Carl, Jason, Vin and Andrew talked about stuff ranging from Project 100 to a projected Christmas party where we're all supposed to get plastered with alcohol. Ah, Christmas. If all our projects push through- Project 100, Angel Ace NEXT, Cherry Blossom High (Psicom) and the Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah compilation, this will be a GRAND comic Christmas.

Crossing fingers and praying that all goes well...

Cut me some slacks!

My mom went to a tiangge (Hi, Mom!) and got me some Dockers 'mobile' pants, which I am told is in fashion these days. I think they're so named since there is a special pocket at the side along the thighs of the pants for your cellphone. Now, I really won't ever put my phone in there, but I can put keys, little knick-knacks and other stuff quite snugly. For a while we troubled over how long or how short we should have the pants cut; I really didn't like having it too long and have me step on my own pants-legs. Then again, it shouldn't be too short that you can see too far up my leg (always a horror) when I walk or sit. I'm just hoping I don't look silly in them, 'cause after wearing almost exclusively denim jeans all these years, I feel pretty naked in them... My only other gripe is that the pants I have aren't the special 'water proof' ones that have tiny particles embedded in the fibers that repel liquids like rainwater off glass. That would have been cool to see... Heh...

Angel Ace Guest Art


A refreshing new take on Angel, by Jeremy Arambulo.


Kai looks like she's going to do something naughty...

Here are some pieces of Angel Ace character art done by US-based indie comic artist Jeremy Arambulo. These and several others (along with a 12-page story) will be coming out in the upcoming Angel Ace Next this December. I think both pieces really show off the characters excellently, and I just LOVE Kai's somewhat naughty expression and pose. My only disappointment is that Jeremy's story, The Gift doesn't have much girlfighting action; perhaps in a future Angel Ace issue... or the projected KAI:KIA comic... Hmmm...

Killer Schoolgirl


Despite being able to look thoroughly cute AND evil in her films, Miss Kuriyama is a normal teen who loves videogames and anime. DAMN I love her.

I LOVE Chiaki Kuriyama, aka Go Go Yubari from the recent no. 1 blockbuster film by Quentin Tarantino, KILL BILL. And I think so do a LOT of other people since my blog's hit counts just went up about 200 percent thanks to searchers looking for info on this Japanese sweetie.
Anyway, Miss Kuriyama got the role for the schoolgirl assassin/bodyguard to Lucy Liu's O-ren Ishi character thanks to her previous performance as the lovely but dangerous Takako Chigusa in the critically-acclaimed Japanese film by Kinji Fukasaku, Battle Royale. I found a cool, lengthy interview which relates her preparations for Kill Bill, experiences on set (she clocked QT with that ball and chain!), friendships with the other actors and plans for the future.


THE scene to watch in Kill Bill.

Some extra bits: Miss Kuriyama turned 19 last October 10, on the same day as the Kill BIll premiere in the States (What a coincidence!). In her role as Takako Chigusa in Battle Royale, Chiaki wore a yellow tracksuit similar to what Uma wears in KB. In the original Kill Bill script, there was another character named Yuki Yubari who was Go Go's younger sister. The younger girl had a whole chapter in the film to herself as she goes after Uma Thurman's Bride character with a submachine gun. Unfortunately, the whole character was taken out since the film was already too long at that point (besides, who can top Chiaki?). Battle Royale fans will no doubt notice the 'reenactment' of Chiaki's killer scene in BR in Kill Bill, Tarantino-style.

Oh, and one last bit of trivia: Her name translated into english means, get this... "Chestnut Mountan filled with Brightness". Hoho...
You can read a long and cool interview with Miss Kuriyama here.

Hacking away in the Sanctum


Take up a heroic quest and kill a LOT of monsters. And defenseless crates.

Last night I hurried straight home after work with the goal of devoting the whole night to Project 100. Let me just say that the commute really drains strength from a body, so even though I got home at just a little after 6 PM, all I could do was just flop into bed after turning up the climate control to frigid. Ahhh...
Anyway, after a nice dinner of spicy tuna, rice and corn soup (NEVER underestimate the power of soup), I hunkered down to doing the pages of our group's 'mercenary' endeavor. And gladly, I was able to pencil three pages, which all boils down to four pencilled pages and one totally finished page.
After which I decided to take a break and play my new Xbox game, Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes! Yay!
DnD:Heroes is a pretty straight hack-and-slash dungeon crawler in same vein as Diable, though it is far closer in look, feel and play to the console-only Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance game (which is itself an excellent game).
The story is pretty basic; 150 years ago in the fantasy kingdom of Baele, an evil force threatened to extinguish all life. This menace was confronted by four valiant heroes, and in a climactic duel to the death, they managed to defeat their enemy. Unfortunately, this victory came at the cost of their lives as well.
Now, a century and a half later, the ancient evil stirs once more, raised by a group of misguided, ambitious clerics. In order to save the kingdom, the heroes who fought the evil have been resurrected to fight once more.


Predictably, the elven wizardess is a hottie.

A game for one to four players (taking full advantage of the Xbox's 4-player ports), DnDH puts you and your mates in the boots of a bold human fighter, a rock-hard dwarven cleric, a beautiful and powerful elven wizardess or a stealthy (and cute) halfling rogue. After you get used to the controls (which is pretty easy), you're off into the monster-infested dungeons, killing monsters, throwing spells, using special powers and feats, trying on armor and weapons you find and steadily working your way to the final Boss.
DnDH is a pretty game, with quite nicely-detailed character models, settings and monsters. The spell effects are pretty cool and the sounds are well-done. There are some CG cinematics and the story is just enough to keep you hacking away. The controls are excellent, and you'll be customizing your character in weaponry, armor and skills to make your own badass hero/heroine in no time. It's really not that far away from Baldur's Gate, which itself is getting a sequel that's due out very soon as well. Action fans will do well to sign up for this exciting and addictive hack and slash adventure.

Okay, back to Project 100. REALLY! Heh...

Sand through my fingers...

October is almost halfway gone and I have only done ONE page for Project 100's 20-page quota.
...
AAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!

Well, actually, I really think that if I cut down on the downtime and just hunker down in The Sanctum and work on them, I can finish the stories within the week or so.

That still leaves about 30 or so pages to be done for Angel Ace Next. This includes colored covers, character art, pinups and layouting.
...
...

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHKKKKKK!!!!!

Damn! Gotta speed things up!!!

Dragon Flick

Last night I watched the movie Dragonheart on Star Movies. While HBO showed a bad sequel (TV movie crap), I stuck with the original firebreathing adventure starring Dennis Quaid as the valiant knight Bowen, David Thewlis as the evil King Einon and the voice of Sean Connery as Draco the dragon.
To all those unfamiliar with this title, the story is set in a midieval-type world where dragons and fantasy are waning; an evil king is slain by rebel peasants, leaving his son, Einon, on the throne. Though mortally wounded, Einon is saved when his mother asks a dragon for a favor. The favor entails that the dragon share his heart with the dying prince, hereby granting the human immortality as long as the dragon lives. Unfortunately, the new king proves to be more evil than his father, starting his own evil reign. Bowen, once the young prince's fighting mentor and bodyguard, vows to find and kill the dragon, thinking that the reptile's heart caused Einon's turn to the dark side.
Anyway, years later, Bowen has become a wandering dragonslayer, killing the wyrms for money. He has apparently killed the last, save one- a shrewd and wise dragon named Draco who soon teams up with his hunter for mutual survival. Eventually though, the two join up with rebels to once again clash swords with King Einon, and meet their respective destinies.
Now, Dragonheart came out with fanfare years ago thanks to the participation of Mr. Connery. To be fair, it's a decent fantasy-flick, though magic and fantasy elements are limited to Draco and the whole heart thing, and some subplot involving knights and Avalon. That means no spells, non-humnan races or other D&D trappings.
What you have though is an entertaining action flick, with lots of swordfighting, some cool peasant vs. soldier battles, and some nice dragon-fighting stuff. I still think to this day that Dennis Quaid is a bit miscast (he seems young for the part of a veteran, older warrior), and David Thewlis' King Einon really really strikes me as looking like an evil, bratty Rod Stewart,, with a thoroughly irritating look (which is not bad since he is the villain). Aside from them, the rest of the cast is pretty forgettable, though there's a monk/priest character played by Peter Postlewaitt who interestingly becomes a master archer (predating Legolas) who's pretty hilarious. Another thing I realized watching the movie again is that Jason Isaacs, who played the lead baddie in Mel Gibson's The Patriot and Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets appears in DH as a snivelling evil vassal. Heh. He's movied up in the world since then.

Watch the original Dragonheart for some not-so-draggin' fun. Forget the sequels though; they'll burn you to no end. Heh.

Modem Madness

I'm BACK!

Darn, I seem to be saying that a lot these days. Anyway, I wasn't able to log in for most of this weekend since a freak lightning storm on Saturday apparently fragged my old internal modem. Today, I went off to Greenhills with my friend Pot. We walked around looking for our own stuff; I eventually got an external USB modem instead of another internal device. We met up with Alex and retreated back into the Sanctum to have pizza (courtesy of birthday-boy Pot) and just chill out with a DVD movie or two.

Over the weekend I also got myself the whole Onegai Sensei anime on DVD; it's a really sweet romance-comedy series between a short guy and a tall, beautiful and utterly loveable alien girl. It's actually pretty short at just 13 episodes, and story looks a lot more involved than the more popular and similar series, Oh! My Goddess ever got- at the very least, the lead hero in Onegai Sensei gets to kiss the girl and then some (HOHO!).

This weekend I also started on the pages for Gig's Project 100 story. Hopefully I will be able to work on the pages within this week, so I can start work on my own story, and then later on Angel Ace Next. Deadlines are steadily getting closer; have to start cracking the whip and working.