Man of Action (Figures)

Over the weekend I got myself three figures from SOTA Toys' Streetfighter series. These include of course, the two classic SF ladies, THE original kung fu lady cop Chun Li and British commando Cammy. The third is Dragon Punch-crazy Ken (actually I wanted Ryu but I couldn't find one at the price I wanted). The figures feature tons of articulation which should make for tons of great poses... if and when I actually open the packs. I might try to get a Ryu figure at Comic Quest, if they are selling singles.
The voting for the Series Four wave of SF SOTA figures is over- don't know yet if my favorite ninja girl, Ibuki, won or not, but I'm crossing my fingers. If she did, I'll be one happy camper at the prospect of having all the best SF ladies in an action figure set (schoolgirl Sakura is in Series 3). We'll see. Hope, hope...

Game Bytes


Powerful, honorable Rau and lithe, lethal Tati team up in Rise of the Kasai.

Rise of the Kasai was one of my most anticipated games last year. Both prequel and sequel to the critically-acclaimed fantasy-strategic action title Mark of Kri, ROTK once again takes us into the saga of Rau, powerful warrior of a tribe protecting the secrets of powerful magic. This time around, you not only get to use Rau but his hot, thong-wearing sister Tati as well (she was a 10-year old kid in the first game) and a couple of other veteran warriors. The plot is still pretty hazy, but happens both before and after the events in Mark of Kri. It certainly concerns events that lead to Rau's apparent death, and follows the fate of Tati, who has been cursed with powerful tattoos on her body that both give her great power and may lead her to a path of evil.

Mark of Kri made me sit up and take notice primarily due to the odd blend of high quality, Disney-esque character designs AND brutally realistic action and animation (think a Disney-made Conan the Barbarian animated movie). Rise of the Kasai looks to continue this mature streak. Originally intended to have an online gameplay component, ROTK is now a totally offline, one-player game, which is no problem to me. According to the official ROTK webpage, the game is set for a March 15, 2005 release. One more game to look forward to.

Death by Degrees: Nina Williams is shaping up well. The concerns from before, involving the somewhat stiff gameplay and controls, have reportedly been addressed. Aside from battling the various goons of the secret Kometa organization she's up against, the Irish-born assassin has to contend with several tough bosses. This includes Nina's 'beloved' sister Anna, which will most probably lead to the Mother of all Catfights between the two siblings. DBD will reportedly reveal many things about Nina and Anna's past, the biggest of which being the event that led to their separation from their father, and their subsequent rivalry.
Awesome CG cinematics and Tekken-sidestory drama aside, Death by Degrees will also feature- get this- costume damage. Yep... Nina's duds will get ripped and torn off as she gets beat up, which will undoubtably please fans. That the game is set on a ship makes DBD that much more similar to the old Sega Dreamcast beat 'em up, Dynamite Deka. Last but not least, gamers will want to check out Death by Degrees simply for the fact that it will come with a demo of Tekken 5. YOWZA! Wait for it, guys and gals, this February.

A new Inu Yasha fighting game is coming later this year from Bandai. Unlike the previous IY fighter, Sengoku Otogi Gassen, the new anime beat 'em up will be in 3-D. The game will also feature tag team action and of course a lineup that includes all the cool characters from the popular Takahashi fantasy drama series.

Team Ninja is hard at work on Dead or Alive 4. The sequel to the best fighting game on Xbox and the sexiest brawler ever still hasn't pinned down the actual platform it will appear on, whether that be XBox or XBox Next. According to the fickle Tomonobu Itagaki's interviews with some online magazines, we know the following:

DOA4 will have an online element, improved over DOA Ultimate

Lisa, who originally appeared in DOAX, will be joining the roster, and she will be fighting with a 'mysterious skill';

The main storyline will involve Helena's taking over of the DOATEC megacorporation as its second chairman.

There will be CG endings- Itagaki describes filming footage at the Great Wall for Lei Fang's ending.

Bah. Nothing really... expect DOA4 to hit perhaps next year. Oh well, at least we have DOA Ultimate...

Games on my Playing List Right Now: Champions of Norrath (PS2), Dead or Alive Ultimate (XBox), Inu Yasha: The Secret of the Cursed Mask (PS2), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 (XBox), Street Fighter 3: Third Strike (PS2), Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

MMORPG Newbie


Now this is my kind of party...

In the late, late hours of Friday (or the early, early hours of Saturday), I was getting my feet wet in the MMORPG genre, through the new 3-D online RPG Tantra. I got the game cd of the Tantra beta version free with a magazine, and since there aren't any fees (yet), I decided to try. The game looks pretty gorgeous, with really nice character models and backgrounds, though with my dial-up connection the animation was at best extremely choppy. I spent about an hour walking bout, trying to kill some basic monsters (and getting subsequently killed every time) and just trying to make heads or tails of the control scheme.
I'm not really an online RPG kind of gamer, but Tantras' world and designs interested me so I gave it a try. But unless I get a broadband connection to smoothen out the experience, I don't think I'll be making regular trips back to the Hindu-themed fantasy world, or any other online game for that matter. Most probably I'll be playing Champions of Norrath offline on the PS2 in preparation for Return to Arms this February.

Out of Touch

Wasn't able to update over the weekend since phone lines at the subdivision went dead and stayed dead since Friday or so. Don't know why... maybe some bastard stole the copper wires in the telephone wires AGAIN. BAH. Anyway, hope the phone company fixes the thing so I can surf from The Sanctum again sometime in this lifetime.

Sucky Movie

Last night, me and the ol' college buddies hunkered down in The Sanctum to chill, have our monthly dose of unhealthy pizza, soda and dessert, rummage through my stuff, and to talk about current events and old times. Somehow, even after all that, we still managed to watch the latest (and perhaps last) movie in the Blade series of films with Wesley Snipes. We watched the flick from a decently clear dvd, though the sound seemed oddly and slightly out of sync, making it kinda like an old kung fu movie. The third film, entitled Blade Trinity, has the 'Daywalker' Blade (half-vampire, half-human hybrid Snipes) returning with scraggly sidekick/weapons developer/mentor Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), still out regularly hunting vampires who prey on the human population.
The film begins though with a team of the bloodsuckers, led by evil hottie Danica Talos (Parker Posey), entering an ancient tomb in Iraq and finding something- scary. The CG monstrocity (which looks like a cross between Giger's Alien, Sauron from LOTR and the monster from Species) is actually THE vampire- the first of his kind, known to the world as... DRACULA.
Well, these days though, he's known simply as Drake (John Doe's Dominic Purcell), and for most of the film he appears as a foppy Euro-hunk. Not exactly the picture of Dracula you'd expect at all. Anyway, Drake 'allows' Danica and her crew to take him back to urban USA, where they concoct a scheme to take out their greatest enemy- Blade- and rule the world. In pretty short order, Blade is exposed to the public at large, hunted down by the authorities and left hanging in the wind alone.
But not for long. Blade Trinity marks the debut of The Nightstalkers, a network of vampire-hunters working in secret to aid Blade in fighting the bloodsucker threat. Chief among them are Abigail Whistler (a HOT Jessica Biel), ol' Abe's kick-ass daughter who loves killing vamps while listening to MP3s, and Hannibal King (Van Wilder's Ryan Reynolds), a former vampire who's equally at home shooting snappy funnies as he is shooting UV bullets. Despite some initial friction, Blade and the 'rookies' soon prove to be a potent team as they work to use the appearance of Drake as the way to defeat the vampire threat once and for all.

There are lots of good stuff in this movie. The action is still something to watch, though the quality of the fights is still markedly the least in the Blade series. Abby Whistler and Hannibal King are pretty cool characters, with King providing the movie with some pretty funny lines in between the action. However, we had our bones to pick.
For the most part, the fault lies in the baddies- Parker Posey's Danica Talos and her gang (including WWE superstar Triple H AKA Paul Michael Levesque as main henchman Jarko Grimwood) seem to drift around without really much of a plan, save to serve as straight men to Ryan Reynold's jokes. No one really stands out as too formidable (Triple H DOES get to do some wrestling moves, but is woefully underused- he's a LOT more menacing as his WWE heel persona). But the cake is taken by Drake AKA Dracula, who is simply the most unimpressive, not-scary, not formidable Dracula/Blade main villain in the trilogy. Stephen Dorff'sDeacon Frost in the first movie or Luke Goss' Nomak in Blade II, or even Ron Perlman's Reinhart were cooler, more dangerous and infinitely more fun than the Euro-trash man-whore main villain of Blade Trinity. Yawn.

In the end, we had a few laughs from Hannibal King, gaped at the hotness of Jessica Biel, watched the strangely by-the-numbers fights. Watching Trinity just made me glad that I decided to watch Kung Fu Hustle instead of this run-of-the-mill timesucker in the cinemas. Oh well.

Elektra

GORGEOUS. Simply breathtaking.

I saw it last night, and I was totally blown away. I totally recommend it to everyone.

Easily, THE best T-shirt I've bought at Comic Quest yet. The art, by Bill Sienkewicz (Damn is that spelling correct?), even surpasses the first Elektra shirt I got. My black comic book T-shirt collection is growing well. DAMN great T-shirt.

Unfortuntately, I can't really say the same thing for the Elektra movie, starring Jennifer Garner. I'm already pretty biased against the film for not capturing the visuals from the comic- yeah, Garner's in red this time, but it's still basically the same costume as in Daredevil, just lacey and red. Yes, a red body swimsuit and cloth wraps may not be the most practical in terms of covering up someone, but then again, how practical are HIGH HEELS for a matial arts fighter? Eh? Where the hell is the bandanna? Elektra has NEVER been seen without the bandanna. All we get is Jennifer Garner's brown hair flowing about like in some shampoo commercial.
Anyway, yesterday I saw the first 5 minutes of the movie downloaded online, showing Elektra's assassination of some guy played by Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter). There is comic book babble about how good Elektra is, like how she fought a group of The Hand's finest... and how she "cut them down like wheat". Though he also says, it took "ten to fifteen minutes, max" as well... that must have been pretty tough wheat.

If the first five minutes are to reflect the rest of the film, it doesn't look good. The mediocre fight scenes and action look just as unimpressive as in Daredevil- shot too close and uninspiringly done. How she takes out Isaacs' character isn't anything special as well. Me and my officemates watched it and afterwards we all went, 'That was it?' Not good.

I could tell months ago that the Elektra movie would pass like a ship in the night. At best, it will be at least as good as Daredevil (which was, as a friend described, was a 'slick piece of dogshit'. At worst, it is yet another example of how Hollywood can take a great license and character and force-fit it into mundane, TV movie-grade crapola.

Damn, Elektra would have made a great movie. If it had a decent budget, someone who actually read the comic, and a director and designers who have vision. But noooo... Crap. Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap. Yet another lovely femme fatale given a disservice, joining the likes of Barbwire and other B-movie queens. Sigh.

Streetfighter Bible


No true-blue SF fanatic should be without this.

Last night, I made my first really satisfying blood donation of the year at Comic Quest. I only purchased one thing, but it was a doozy. It was Street Fighter: Eternal Challenge, a thick, softcover volume and the first english translation of the uber-cool Capcom Streetfighter art and material collection straight from Japan. The book is mostly in color and printed on high-quality paper, and contains pretty much EVERYTHING there is on Capcom's flagship fighting game. From the classic Streetfighter II to the latest game, Streetfighter 3: Third Strike, it's all here.

Inside are a treasure trove of some of the best videogame art and character designs EVER, with all the SF art from artists such as Bengus, Akiman, Shoei, Edayan and my favorite, Kinu Nishimura (who did my favorite artworks from SF3) and more. But this isn't just an art book- it's a historical archive of possibly the most important title in the fighting game genre. There's info and material on all the games, characters and even exclusive interviews with the artists, producers and designers of the games. Of course, the best stuff for me is the art- I've been searching in vain for a way to import these Capcom SF design and art books for years, and now I have the best of them, in one excellent translated volume. WONDERFUL!

If you're a Street Fighter completist or real fan, hie on to Comic Quest for your copy (and get 'em fast since I've been told the demand is high), or at least order if they run out. It's pricey, but darn worth every centavo. This is the only Street Fighter book you'll ever need.

Suikoden IV

The latest installment of Konami's Suikoden RPGs has been released in the US. Suikoden 4 for the PS2 once again puts players in the boots of a young hero who must gather together the 108 Stars of Destiny and battle a great evil. The latest Suikoden is set many years before the events in previous games, and will not be supporting any game saves from previous chapters. Set primarily on the high seas, Suikoden IV is about the adventures of a youth cursed with the mysterious Rune of Punishment. Players will have to gather allies, set up a stronghold, battle conspiracies and evil enemies while enjoying fun minigames like fishing, dice and other non-killing activities. Hmm.

I'll probably pick this up when I see it, though I have to admit I didn't finish Suikoden III, and this holds even less interest for me. No Viktor or Flick, most probably. Bah.

Heihachi's Demise

Famitsu of Japan has just posted part of the cool CG intro movie to the PS2 version of Tekken 5. The movie picks up seconds after Jin Kazama takes off at the end of Tekken 4, leaving his father, Kazuya, and grandfather, Heihachi, lying out cold. As the two older Mishimas awaken, a fleet of helicopters arrives over the temple compound, ejecting a small army of Jack robots to attack the leaders of the Mishima Zaibatsu. At first, father and son fight together, making mincemeat of the first wave of mechanical attackers. However, as more Jacks pour in, Kazuya betrays Heihachi at the last moment, hurling him into the throng of Jacks as he himself makes his escape. Heihachi curses as he is held down by sheer weight of numbers, as one of the robots' faces suddenly pops open, revealing an ominous timer counting down to zero...

The resulting explosion takes out the entire temple in a blaze of fire. Some distance away, the mysterious, Blade-lookalike Raven watches the events unfold. He whispers into a communicator the words "Heihachi Mishima... is dead." At which point, he turns and slices an approaching Jack robot into pieces the way only a ninja can.

Wanna see all this action yourself? Download the movie from here.

This is apparently only the first part of the PS2 version's intro movie, and just the first movie of a whole bunch of CG eye candy to be featured in the home release of Tekken 5. Each of the more than 20 available fighters will have a CG intro and ending to their Story Mode game. Something to watch for, when the game hits shelves in the next month or so. WOOHOO!!!

Commuter Constipation

One of the biggest things which makes riding the MRT irritating are the fucking bastards, assholes, bitches and sons of bitches who root themselves near the doorways, thus preventing people from getting into the usually spacious and roomy interiors of the cars. These good-for-nothings just stay there as if their worthless frickin' lives depend on being near the door, perhaps fearing that the MRT will derail so they'll be the first ones to escape. Blasted idiots.

If I had my way, I'd have guards with CATTLE PRODS to force these shambling mounds of crapola to make way for civilized passengers. Or maybe just plain and simple bamboo spears. The ones that the zombies used on Vilma Santos in her old Darna movies. The ones that make those neat 'Chk' sounds when they sink into some victim's back. Yes.

Obviously, I had just encountered these monsters on the way to work just now. Bah. VANISHING RAAAAYYY!!!!!!!

Ultimate Evil

It seems that Resident Evil 4 is THE survival-horror game to get. Major gaming sites such as Gamespot, IGN and more have given the latest chapter of the RE series high marks, with comments such as 'the best survival horror game ever' being heaped on the game. The reviews cite RE4's realistic graphics, memorable enemies, gripping moments of non-stop, white-knuckle suspense and incredible gameplay. Resident Evil 4 has players controlling RE hero Leon Kennedy as he enters a bizarre world of murderous, enraged villagers and inhuman beasts in order to rescue the President's daughter. Sounds like lots of bloody great fun.

Too bad the game's on Gamecube, or else I'd probably be rushing to get a copy. Anyway, the good news is that a PS2 version is in the works, so maybe I'll be gunning down crazed villagers and hooded cultists gleefully by mid to late 2005. Yay!

Burger Commercial Movie

Last night I watched the buddy comedy Harold and Kumar go to Whitecastle. The movie stars John Cho (American Pie) and Kal Penn (Malibu's Most Wanted) as the titular characters. Harold is a young Korean-American who is working as a junior analyst/investment banker, while Kumar is an Indian (from India) med student. Unlike most buddy team movies, neither of the pair is brain dead or comically inept. They're actually pretty normal guys, not deficient or repulsive in any spectacular way, other than perhaps being ethnic. Of course, this being a comedy they do have their share of stunts and wild moments, mostly having to do with smoking pot and getting laid. They also have their personal issues- Harold being that he lets himself be manipulated by his white officemates and can't seem to open up to the gorgeous girl next door; meanwhile, Kumar is rejecting his future as a doctor despite having natural medical talents.

While sharing a joint in their pad, the two find themselves getting the munchies. An incredibly coincidental commercial for Whitecastle hamburgers implants an undeniable craving in the two, and they set off on an epic quest to satisfy their rumbling bellies with a pile of the tasty burgers. On the way, they encounter a variety of characters and situations, and learn about life, love and overcoming white trash put-downers. Will they ever get to eat at Whitecastle? Can they exorcise their personal demons? Would you care?
Well, actually, the movie was an pretty funny watch, and I did find myself watching it through without touching the Fast-Forward button. It's my first time to see an ethnically-angled buddy comedy. The movie really piles on the terrors of discrimination along with the laughs, so it was pretty interesting to see and cool to have the Asians and Indians get back at the evil White Trash at the end. Oh, and there's also a liberal amount of flesh onscreen, the occasional gross bodily-function gag and a pretty out-there appearance by Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, M.D.) as himself. Right...

All in all it was a funny little diversion, though the best that I can say is that I really wanted a burger or two at the end of it. Good thing that I heard from someone that Whitecastle burgers taste just like Jollibee regular Yums, so I don't have to go through my own MADman goes to Whitecastle experience to satisfy my craving. Mmmm...

Finish Her!



Work on K.I.A. is still progressing, little by little. First of all, I've pegged down the final page count at 160, if all things work out (read: If I can afford it). I've finished the inking for a story written by Dean, and now I'm moving on to something I've always known I've had to do but delayed... the book's prologue and epilogue. Basically, the prologue will tie the special in with Angel Ace Next, while the epilogue will give readers a cause to look forward to in future K.I.A releases. But really, it's just my way of giving myself a bit more presence in this book, since pretty much 75 percent of the art featured is from contributors and guest artists. All things considered, I am still hopeful for a February production date, so we're still shooting for release by March. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
K.I.A. is an anthology starring Kai Mishima, the lovely femme fatale from Angel Ace. After being apparently liquidated while protecting her best friend Angel's secret, Kai is reborn as Agent K, a seemingly unstoppable super assassin. With no memory of her past and a ruthless new commander sending her on mission after deadly mission, can Kai survive long enough to regain what she has lost?

The first K.I.A. release, with the subtitle Daughter of K.A.L.I., will feature a list of contributors that include Taga-Ilog, Gerry Alanguilan, Arnold Arre, Wilson Tortosa, Jennyson Rosero, Dean Alfar, Nikki Alfar, Jeremy Arambulo, Elbert Or, Jon Mallari, Karen 'Katch' Cheung, Michael Seludo, Joel Chua, Honoel Ibardolaza, Chad Cabrera, Michael Banting, Carlo Vergara, Anthony Yap, Marvin del Mundo and Edgar Tadeo.

It still boggles my mind when I think of the numbers, but if I somehow pull it out, K.I.A. should be something to see when it's finally finished. Wait for it.

Valentine Treats

The home version of Tekken 5 will be hitting shelves in the US on February 22 (A Japanese release has been slated for March 31). Wow! This really is exceptional, for the home version to come home so quickly after the release of the arcade game. Just goes to show how important the home console market has become.
The home release of Tekken 5 coincides with the series' 10th Anniversary, and a bonus remake of the original Tekken will supposedly be included on the disc (YAY!). The game will include unlockable characters, the ability to customize the look of your fighter, a mini-game featuring hero Jin Kazama and more CG movies than ever before in a Tekken game. Coolness.

With Tekken 5, Champions: Return to Arms and Frank Cho's Shanna the She-Devil coming in the month of hearts, I should be well occupied enough to totally ignore the February dating crowds. Heh.

Weekend Warriors

The gang (well, mostly just me and the Alfars, with Vin bringing up the rear halfway into the movie) watched Kung Fu Hustle at The Podium on Saturday. This was the second time I saw it, though the first time I watched it from beginning to end (I missed the Axe Gang's dance number the first time around). The movie just rocks.

Love the story, simple as it was. I love the concept of the kung fu masters in hiding. I love the casting of the various characters, from the "Warriors Three" - Coolie (Xing Yu), Tailor (Chiu Chi Ling) and Donut (Dong Zhi Hua) to the damn cool strumming assassins (Jia Kang Xi and Fung Hark On), The Landlord and Landlady, Ice cream lady Fong (newcomer Huang Shengyi), the venomous Axe Leader, Brother Sum (Chan Kwok Kwan) and the disturbingly powerful Beast (Leung Siu Lung).
The fight scenes and action in KFH kick arse, both parodying and surpassing the masturbartive fights in the Matrix sequels and even the Showdown in the House of Blue Leaves in Kill Bill Volume 1. The CG works great, in all its overblown craziness. And of course, the laughs come fast; not as fast as in some of Stephen Chow's earlier films, but when they come they come great.

I'm getting a DVD of this classic as soon as I can. But I actually still wanna see this baby in theaters again, one more time. And anyone who hasn't seen it yet should make it a point to see it in a theater, and not on the small screen. This is meant to be enjoyed big time. Do the hustle, people! Heh.

Doing the Hustle


Stephen Chow brings us the first cool movie of the year.

Fans of Hong Kong director-actor Stephen Chow have been waiting for the follow-up to his mega-popular Shaolin Soccer for a while, and now it's here. Kung Fu Hustle revs up the laughs and the thrills with more fantastic CG-enhanced martial arts, slapstick, sight gags and a nice story to boot.

Set in 1940s China, Kung Fu Hustle tells the story of Sing (Chow), an inept wannabee gangster who wants to be a member of the dreaded Axe Gang (a syndicate of top hat and suit-wearing, hatchet-toting, mobsters). To prove himself, Sing and his chubby sidekick (Nino Muhlach-lookalike, Lam Chi Chung, one of Chow's chums from Shaolin Soccer) try to extort some money from the residents of a run-down apartment complex known as Pig Sty Alley. Needless to say, their efforts fail miserably. However, they DO cause the real Axe Gang to crack down on the place, causing some of the resident martial artists to reveal themselves in a flurry of fists and kicks. From there on it's an escalating battle of killer kung fu as the residents of Pig Sty try to fight off the criminals and their hired assassins.

I won't go any more into detail, suffice to say that Kung Fu Hustle throws combos of laughs, chills and thrills at you pretty much from beginning to end. KFH isn't rocket science; there are slapsticky bits which work best when watched in a theater, with a whole audience laughing to get you in the fun. There's lots of kung fu with overblown CG work that looks quite awesome, and tons of playful nods to various movies from Spiderman to The Matrix and even The Shining. In the midst of all this, there's a sweet romance story so guys can bring along their dates to watch as well. Parents should take note though- there are a couple of bits which might be a bit too scary for really young kids.

KFH is currently doing the rounds in theaters around the world, to rave reviews. The icing on the cake for me is that KFH is such an Asian-flavored movie through and through, yet a big change of look and feel from the recently serious batch of martial arts features like House of Flying Daggers and Hero. Chow and crew gives us a classic, simple story that's imaginatively and refreshingly told, with a likeable cast that gives great performances (even the non-actors have funny little touches) throughout. Big props to Wah Yuen, one of Hong Kong's most famous comedy actors, and Yuen Qiu, a former Bond Girl, who play the Landlord and Landlady of Pig Sty, and Leung Siu Lung who plays 'The Beast'. Chow himself is in hilarious form as always.

If you love Stephen Chow's past works, you'll be in stitches with this one. Bring your friends, your workmates and see it in a good theater. If you haven't seen Shaolin Soccer or God of Cookery, just have an open mind, think 'anything goes' and just enjoy the show.

Kung Fu Hustle is now showing in theaters in the Metro. Don't wait for the Axe Gang to break down your door- Rustle up your friends and catch it over the weekend.

Addendum: The fight scenes in Kung Fu Hustle were choreographed by Yuen Wo-Ping and Sammo Hung. Well, that explains the Matrix similarities. The Chinese titles for 'Kung Fu Hustle' are 'Gong Fu'/'Kung Fu'.

MIA

Tekken 5's been out in arcades overseas for some time now, but I still haven't found squat in any of the local places. I guess the local Rino's or Time Zones don't really find it profitable to invest in new games anymore. So gamers here will probably have to wait for the PS2 version of the latest Tekken to play it. Which shouldn't be a bad thing, given that the game may be coming in the next couple of months or so, along with almost arcade-perfect graphics and gameplay, more CG movies than any Tekken before and lots of customization options to dress up your fighter. Till then, all we can do is hie onto sites like Tekken Zaibatsu to watch videos. Sigh...

Vendetta


Comic turned Film coming in late 2005.

I remember reading some bits of V for Vendetta years ago, as it was part of a European comics magazine anthology, which included Marvelman and Laser Eraser and Pressbutton. While it wasn't my favorite in the mag, I really liked the art and the moody atmosphere. The image above is the teaser poster of the movie, slated apparently to come out in late 2005.
V for Vendetta is set in a future, totalitarian England, with a mysterious masked vigilante dodging the authorities as he cuts a deadly swath of revenge throughout Fortress London. So far, the only star to be confirmed in the cast is Natalie Portman. Yet another comic-to-movie translation to watch out for this year.

Return to Arms


Good and Evil clash once more in the lands of Norrath.

Last year's Champions of Norrath for the PS2 was a surprise hit, giving even us nonline players a taste of the addictive MMORPG world of Everquest. In CON, you played a hero called forth to battle the increasing threat of evil growing in the realms of Norrath. Victory however only resulted in a fallout that continues to fester in the realm in the sequel game, Champions: Return to Arms.

This time, you answer the call of Firiona Vie (the infamous blonde elf sorceress and Everquest's poster girl) to put a stop to the threat of evil once and for all. The schtick this time in CRTA is that you don't actually have to follow the path of good and play white knight. Like in the recently-released Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II, you can actually opt to don an evil hat and serve the cause to resurrect Innorruuk and bring him back to power. Your decision will bring about distinctly different quests, enemies and goals through the game. This pretty much doubles the already mammoth amount of replayability in this game, and that's always great.
Aside from the dual-path of storyline, CRTA also ups the ante with improved graphics, new mini-games and two new races of characters to play as; the Van Shir are a race of humanoid cats, specializing in berserk warriors. On the other hand, the reptilian Iksar specialize in magic-using shaman. Players who built up characters from CON will be glad to hear that RTA will allow for you to transfer your heroes to the new game- the experience cap has now been raised to a whopping Level 80, so even characters you've maxed up from CON will have lots of room to improve further.

Champions: Return to Arms is slated for release this February. I'll be sure to keep the peepers peeled for a copy asap.

A Taste of Prosperity

Yesterday I had dinner with Vin and Andrew at McDo, and we tried their new Beef Prosperity sandwich. The prosperity consists of saucy, peppery beef with onions in a slightly longer bun than usual. I found it quite delicious (even buying one to take home), as good as Jollibee's Peppercorn burger but more on the beefy side, with a nice tangy taste of onions with later bites. Really nice, though it comes with a price; at P88 by itself (P108 with Orange Fizz and 98 with softdrink), the Beef Prosperity is on the expensive side as McDonald's sandwiches go, and it's a bit on the light side too (I can easily finish two in one sitting). I'd place the satisfaction factor at about slightly over KFC's Chicken Fillet sandwich (the one that inspires greed). Still, quite delish and something to try if you pass by McDo anytime soon.

Tomorrow Angel

Ate dinner last night with Vin at Wendy's for his favorite spicy burger, the Big Mexican Melt which I really can't finish without taking out some of the tongue-searing jalapenos. We talked about stuff, including the future of Angel Ace. While I am busy right now with the Kai anthology, I have not forgotten my first lady of flight. The storyline for the next issue will move the whole plot forward, at the same time revealing stuff that should have been out long ago- particularly the relationship between Angel and the series main villain, Mondebaine Gallowglass of Gallowglass Mass Industries, Inc.

Aside from the usual pinups and perhaps a short back-up story from contributors, I'm fully intending to do this book myself. It's been a long time since I've put pencil to page seriously for a while... gotta get my drawing chops back into gear or I'll get really rusty.

Lola

My Lola, or grandmother (on my Mom's side), was the only grandparent I knew growing up. I remember her fondly, sometimes sadly, as she would occasionally come to the house to live with us for a while. I remember the aged, wrinkled face (she was ALWAYS old to me), the smell of pulbos (baby powder) and the way she would hug me.

I say that I remember her with a bit of sadness because I was told that Lola, in her old age, gambled away her fortune. Back then, Lola owned houses and property aplenty. In another world, she would be the Lola of anybody's dreams, having great wealth that would be passed down to her heirs when she passed away. However, the gambling bug hit her hard in her later years, and as a result she sold house after house, property after property, to use in the casinos.

Lola ended up having to go from house to house among her sons and daughters, to live in until her strong character would clash with the in-law or spouse, and off she'd go to the next place to stay. I remember feeling sorry for her, thinking that she should have saved at least one house for herself so she could live comfortably and without worry for her retirement.

Eventually, she more or less settled in the province, where she passed away peacefully several years ago at over eighty years of age. And so, she was buried there, far away, and not in my family's personal grounds at Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina. My Mom decided to go alone to the burial- we weren't able to see my Lola laid to her rest.
And so, I remember Lola as the last time I saw her.

Last night, I had a dream, and Lola was there.

I wasn't scared at all, despite the fact that I thought she was a ghost. In fact, I even brought out my cameraphone to snap some pictures. Since I never see ghosts in real life, I seem to see them all in dreamtime. Weird, eh?

Thankfully, my dream did not have the somewhat disturbing overtones of a dream her old driver had a few months ago- the old man, sick in bed, dreamt that my Lola appeared, beckoning for him to 'go with her'. Don't worry- He's still alive. He came out of the dream quite scared though, saying to his former boss that he didn't want to go just yet.

I saw Lola as she was the last time I saw her, shuffling about, looking over the house. It was our old house in Pasig, not our present residence, which eventuallly clued me in that it was all a dream. I remember looking at Lola for a while more, and then eventually the dream faded and I woke up. Was there meaning in the dream?

Just recently, I remember talking about my Lola to some friends, and saying how I felt sorry for her. Perhaps Lola is telling me that all is well now. She lived life the way she wanted, no matter what. Now, she's at peace, and I should just remember her with love.

With the warmth of the scent of baby powder, and tight hugs.

Thanks for the visit, Lola.

Film Fatale


Charlize Theron dons black for the role of Aeon Flux.

MTV Liquid Television's risque futuristic action-espionage series, Aeon Flux (by Peter Cheung) is in the process of being turned into a live-action movie for 2005. The role of the titular mercenary assassin is being filled in by the gorgeous Charlize Theron, recently awarded best actress by the Oscar Awards for her performance in the film Monster (where she played a disfigured female serial killer). As per the TV series, the movie is set in the future, where mankind has almost been wiped out to extinction. The last remnants of humanity live in a bubble-domed city known as Bregna, which is ruled by a council of scientists. Aeon Flux is a slinky, acrobatic assassin hired by the group known as the Monican Underground to assassinate the city's leader, Trevor Goodchild.

Aeon Flux the animation was known for many things- for episodes filled with psychobabble, risque animations, lanky Peter Cheung character designs and often fatal endings for the titular heroine. I loved it, for what it was; it was kinda but not anime- brainy and gritty and sexy. I'm a fan and I was hyped when I heard that a movie was being made.

But honestly, seeing the pics of Miss Theron in costume, I have to say that I am disappointed. As with Elektra, the costume defines the character a lot, and here once again, we have cutbacks. The costume just SUCKS like HELL. It's not like the original costume was impossible to do; it showed off skin, but not impossibly so. The costume on Miss Theron is like a full black body stocking, and it looks totally frumpy, un-sexy and crappy. CRAPCRAPCRAP!!! From that costume alone, I can predict that this is going to bomb, and bomb bad. I hope I'm wrong, 'cause I really like the Aeon Flux character. Right now though, it does not look good. Not good at all. BAH. We'll see.

New Suit

Last night, I got off Cam's car after Dean's birthday bash and I heard something clatter on the asphalt. I looked with horror to see my O2 XDA II Pocket PC Phone lying on the ground! It apparently had fallen from the clip on my belt. Slightly panicked, I got it and looked it over. Fortunately, the metal jacket was good as gold... or as steel, as the case may be. My smartphone was unscathed. Unfortunately, it seems that my beltclip for the metal case was now useless. The plastic nib, which keeps the phone held securely to my belt, had apparently been worn down and was now unable to 'bite'. In effect, it takes little effort for my phone to slip out of the clip's catch and fall from my belt.
I had spend about 1,500 pesos on the thing just this past December, and it was now pretty much useless, unless I get a replacement belt clip. And that, I guess, is something I probably will not do.

So when we went out for lunch today at Wok Inn, it was to my good fortune that we passed a new PDA shop in Park Square. I looked through the various PDA cases and accessories, and eventually settled on a cheap (P290) PDA case with a belt loop (unremoveable except by taking off your belt) that I like. The XDA2 fits snugly into the padded case, and there's even a nice elastic band catch which secures the device when you're on the go. And it hugs my side well, reducing the bulge it makes at my side. Perfect! So now, while I have downgraded from plate mail back to leather/cloth armor, I feel safer. At least, for now. Of course, only the eternally vigilant can be truly far from harm. Heh.

Back to the Salt Mines

It's the first day of work in 2005! WOOHOO!!!

Bah.

Anyway, the day didn't start off too bad. The commute was actually pretty easy, with the MRT crowd being pretty light- I was actually able to sit down from the get-go. Don't really expect too much for today... work will probably pile up as the week goes along, though, and I might actually have to work into the weekend on something. Oh well. At least I can expect some new stuff at the ol' Blood Bank tonight. Stuff like Batman/Danger Girl, the latest Street Fighter comic and some more odds and ends. Yay!

PSP

I found a PSP at Theater Mall in Greenhills the other day. It was the value pack, which includes the unit itself with several accessories (no games). At 30K, it's pretty pricey, and I easily found myself turning away from it. No matter how spiffy and cool the Playstation Portable is, I'm really not an on-the-go gamer, and it will take a bunch of incredibly great games to get me to fork over the moolah for it.

By the way, Virra Mall, the center of dibidi and gaming goodness in the Greenhills area, is now closed for renovation. Heartbreaking, but then again I guess it's been a long time coming. Certainly, whatever will replace the former VM will be brighter, fancier and cleaner- but then, the black market charm of the old Virra will be something I'll miss. I hope the old shops and stuff that made the place cool will still be there when it reopens... whenever.

Appleseed


Deunan and Briareous return in CG form.

Here's a good way to start the year in anime.

Appleseed (2004) is an update based on the original manga and anime by Masamune Shirow (Ghost in the Shell). The movie is set in a future where a world war almost sent man into extinction. Years after, mankind now lives alongside Bioroids- artificial humans who many see as a superior race. The world is now governed from Olympus, with Bioroids serving to protect and lead man to a brighter future.

Human female soldier Deunan Knute is saved/captured from a battle-ravaged wasteland by Olympus' ESWAT squad and recruited to become part of the new world government's special forces. She is assisted and protected by her former partner Briareous, who has now become a cyborg working for Olympus. Unknown to Deunan, she is about to become a tool to carry out the secret agendas of various groups seeking to eradicate either Bioroids or normal humans from the face of the earth. Which future life takes lies in Deunan's hands... and that of a mysterious object known as Appleseed.

Instead of regular cel animation, the new Appleseed movie is done completely in cel-shaded CG animation (which has been seen before in videogames such as XIII). This gives the feature a pretty slick and impressive visual style, and the motion-captured animations allow for some pretty cool action scenes, from the starting battle between Deunan and some enemy mecha troops, to the final battle against some mammoth walking war machines. Along with the action, the characters also convey emotions well, so this seems to be a pretty cool direction for anime to take.

Fans of the original will surely love seeing Deunan and Briareos in fine CG fighting form. The movie is a spectacular work and anyone who loves mecha and high octane sci-fi action adventure anime would do well to grab a dvd copy of this film from the better-stocked anime or movie sources.

Looking forward to...

Releasing K.I.A.

My very own PSP (Playstation Portable, for those not into gamingspeak)

Hot new games for PS2 and Xbox

More nights-out with the Usual Suspects

Seeing Siglo Passion released

Shanna the She-Devil by Frank Cho

Working on a new comic project

A DVD drive for The Sanctum's PC

New dibidis

New restos and food to discover

New anime and manga to tug at the heartstrings

Doing new ads and commercials

My next phone

More trips to the Blood Bank

Happy New Year

I didn't want to make any resolutions 'cause I'm sure I probably won't be able to carry them out. Just damn happy to be alive, healthy (more or less), hale and hearty, a family around me, a good roof over me and hopeful dreams inside me.

Let's all hope for a bigger, better, brighter and safer 2005, everyone.

Full Metal Marathon

Yersterday I spent almost the whole day watching episodes of Full Metal Alchemist. In fact, of the 51 episodes, I watched up to episode 49. By the stroke of worst luck, the dvd I had of the last several episodes was apparently defective, not allowing play of the last two eps, despite the availability of two different models of mutant dvd players.

With the New Year celebration tomorrow, perhaps the earliest I can get the finale is on Sunday. Well, I can always revisit the the couple of dozen episodes I watched before.

After watching, I can pretty much say that FMA did not disappoint; the series retained the flavor it had in the first season I watched, mixing in continued action, drama, conspiracy, mystery, guilt and a dash of tragedy every now and then for a pretty gripping watch. It was simply impossible to keep from watching the next episode. Unlike most series, FMA seems to have pretty much everything wrapped neatly, with plots and characters consistently having connections that eventually are revealed towards the end. Of course, I still have the actual last two parts to see how it all ends, but even up to this point I am pretty satisfied with how the series has come. Again, highly recommended for mature anime enthusiasts.

Addendum: Apparently, a FMA movie is coming, and it is supposedly set after the events in the series. This probably means that any loose ends will be answered in the theatrical feature. Now I really really really need to watch those last two episodes...

Stretch


Lastikman gets a bashing.

I just got a copy of Mars Ravelo's Lastikman, read through it, looked at the pages. As I've heard from early reviews and comments, the art, by Arnold Arre (Mythology Class, After Eden) is excellent, and as always has that 'Arre' look which I particularly like. The colors, on the other hand, while quite good, give me an impression of being muddy and subdued- I don't know if it's because of the palette used or the printing, but overall it seems a bit off-tuned to the supposedly comedic and lively tone of the title. Perhaps brighter colors would have been better? As it is, the book evokes to me that it is the comic adaptation of the Film Festival movie, which it is NOT, fortunately.
The story, by Gerry Alanguilan, does a good job of introducing the character of a stretchy alien coming to Earth and becoming a crime fighter, though perhaps the word of it being a wacky tale of comedy made me expect too much. In truth, the comic overall isn't laugh out loud funny, despite Arnold's portrayals of Lastikman's wilder contortions. Secondly, I found several scenes depending too much on narration, taking away from the character story. I also found the use of english and tagalog a bit jarring- it worked as a comedic vehicle in Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah, but seeing it used here just made the Filipino language look like inferior speech- something I am sure is not the intention, but in the end, whenever english is used it is spoken by a scientist or an alien. Maybe I am reading too much into it. Oh well.

Anyway, it really didn't help that I don't like the character at all. Never liked stretchy characters, don't like the shades for eyes (not even the art could make him likeable for me). No, Lastikman will always be that creepy character in the old tagalog movies that freaked me out when I was a kid- not scared, mind you- just freaked. He's just too weird. So I don't like the character. Don't like how he's an alien. Don't like his look. Don't like how he's such a WUSS in the comic and everyone else has to come to his aid- having the masa rise up towards the end and come to the aid of the hero is getting old. I hated that kind of scene in the first Spiderman movie, hate it here. Sigh.

The best thing in the comic for me is Atomika, an original character created for the comic by Gerry and Arnold. Unfortunately, she really shouldn't have had the clout she has in this book. That she has two pinups dedicated to her just shows where Gerry and Arnold's love in this work really went. Heh.

All things said and done, Lastikman is still a fine comic in terms of production. The art is great, the story good, the colors are nicely done and it's a one-shot and long enough to be worth 150 pesos. I just don't like it. Give me an Atomika comic and I'll take that over this anytime. So, Gerry and Arnold, hop to it!

Mars Ravelo's Lastikman from Mango Comics is available in bookstores and comic stores all over the Metro now. Go get it!

Sweet Jam


The I-Mate Jam, the smallest Pocket PC Phone around.

It's my new object of lust; it's the I-Mate Jam AKA the O2 XDA II Mini, the world's smallest Pocket PC Phone to date. It basically gives you the capabilities of a Personal Computer, PDA, Video and Music Player, Handicam, 1.3 Megapixel Digital Camera, gaming console AND mobile phone. DAAAAAAMMMNNN!!!! Of course, I have all that already with my O2 XDA II, but the schtick with the Jam is that it's so incredibly SMALL. Smaller than an I-Pod. It's positively tiny and oh, so cute. I want it!!!

Of course, it's also a bit of a paradox. The smaller size also means, inevitably, smaller real estate for the Jam's screen- it's far smaller compared to the bigger PPC devices, which is a negative in a way. Paradox, I tell you- what makes it so desirable is also it's weakness. Oh well, you can't have everything. Aside from the much better camera, the only thing it one-ups my PPC is the size. Darn, it felt so nice and light in my hand (I was able to check out a unit in Mega).

If I could trade in my XDA II for the Jam (or the O2 XDA II Mini), I would probably do so. But then again, I'd probably have to decide what's more important- screen size, or portability.

Let's see what happens as the new year comes in. Heh.

Overstuffed Taco

I went out yesterday to keep from going MAD from staying in The Sanctum. The traffic is still pretty horrid, despite the fact that it's supposed to be holiday season (or perhaps that's the reason why?). I took the MRT to Cubao and decided to have merienda at Taco Bell. Bad idea, turns out. The place was PACKED, and throngs of people kept flooding in. I thought I'd be able to sit down and have a quick meal easily since I was alone, but DAMN. It turned out that every single seat in the place was either occupied or reserved by stinkin' family groups. GAH!!! So la-de-dah, I ended up eating my taco and quesadillas standing near the door, on the service counter (which is also the trash deposit area).

As I ate, the guard (who probably was in as much frustration as me since he was consigned to wear a Santa's hat along with his serious security guard uniform) gave me some apologetic words. The symphathetic fellow took off a bit of my miffedness, and I commented that they should either extend their area or get more seats since the demand is so high. Darn! It's only TACOS, people! What's the reason for the crowds? The food really isn't that great, there aren't any cool mascots nor is the place cheap. Is it all because the place is just new? Or is it the name 'Taco Bell' that strikes a chord? Well, for some reason or other, the place is doing outrageously good business, which should make the Pizza Hut people (they own the franchise) happy... and should herald more Taco Bells to come eventually.

So I finished my so-so food and was off for the rest of my day.

Cabin Fever

I've spent three days in The Sanctum since Christmas. Gotta get out tomorrow and do something. Thinking of going on down to Greenhills to pick up new anime, particularly the rest of the episodes of Full Metal Alchemist and some other stuff. Should also check out the new comics at the ol' Blood Bank, in case they do arrive in time. New Year's coming up, and then back to work. Gotta make good use of the last half of the vacation.

Full Metal Alchemist


The Elric Brothers, Al and Ed.

It's been quite a while since I first watched the first several episodes of Full Metal Alchemist. I've put the series aside since then since I got put off a bit by the flashback episodes, but this holiday break has finally allowed me to revisit the series in earnest. It helps that the series is now a big hit in the US, where it has been recently released. Aside from the anime (and the manga, still a Japan-only release), there are a couple of PS2 games out, so it's testament to this title's appeal.

Full Metal Alchemist concerns the adventures of Edward and Alphonse Elric, the young sons of a famous alchemist. After their mother dies, the two exceptionally gifted children use their powers of alchemy to try and bring her back. The attempt, a forbidden act as dictated by the Law of Conservation ('In order to gain something, you must give something of equal value'), fails, costing Edward his arm and leg and Al his entire body. In order to save his brother's soul, Ed binds it to a suit of armor. Years later, the two- a diminuative cyborg alchemist and a walking, talking suit of armor, search the world for the legendary Philosopher's Stone, in the hope of gaining back what they had lost. Despite what may be first assumed, the title of 'Full Metal Alchemist' refers not to Alphonse (the suit of armor), but to little (and elder) Ed, an alchemist genius who can use his powers even without drawing an array, or special alchemist's circle.

This unusual, and somewhat dark premise forms the backbone of a complex saga that involves powerful magic, action adventure and themes of sacrifice, loss, guilt, brotherly and familial love and always going forward no matter what. For an anime that has an exceptionally clean and 'cute' look to it, FMA is a predominantly melancholy, even sad, series. There are points in the title that are heartbreaking and emotionally powerful, offset slightly by a few moments of comedy and the brothers' inherent cheerfulness (and Edward's exceptional sensitivity to any remarks about his height). However, the story proves to be quite engaging and gripping once you get into it.
Aside from the brothers' quest, there are subplots that involve the agenda of Roy Mustang and his cohorts, a group of military alchemists who may or may not be allies to Ed and Al. Then there are enemies, such as the mysterious Scar, a man with a magical arm who seems to have made it his crusade to kill every alchemist in the world. And then, there are the Homunculi, a group of inhuman, behind-the-scenes villains who are named after the Seven Deadly Sins.

Mixing a coming-of-age saga with complex conspiracy and pretty cool magical powers, Full Metal Alchemist is an exceptional series that mature fans of anime should definitely check out. I've already cleared 18 episodes and I'm ready for more. Find it on VCD or DVD at your favorite anime and toy shops in the Metro.

From the Sanctum...

May you all be with the ones you love tonight.

May your tables be laden with the bounty of your labors.

May you be safe and happy and filled with joy at a year well done.


Merry, Merry Christmas to Everyone.

Last Minute

I'm in a net cafe in Megamall. Came out of the house to finish up my last bits of Christmas chores, buy a couple of esoteric items, and deposit blood at the Blood Bank that is Comic Quest. The lines and crowds are still as thick as ever, and working ATMs are pretty hard to come by. Anyway, I don't expect to leave The Sanctum after tonight until well after Christmas- so I've got to finish it all now.

Darn, I'm hungry.

At Last

Today's the last working day of 2004.

WOOHOO!!! YYEEEBBBBAAAA!!!!

From tomorrow till January 2, I'll be on vacation. That's about ten days of vegetating. Yum!

So, I hope to accomplish the following:

1. Read my unread comics pile.

2. Finish the last few K.I.A. pages.

3. Unlock all the costumes in Dead or Alive Ultimate.

4. Finish Metal Gear Solid 3 again.

5. Try to play some other games on Xbox and PS2.

6. Start writing some scripts and storylines for my 2005 projects.

7. Watch some of the Film Festival movies, particularly Enteng Kabisote, Sigaw, Lastikman and Spirit of the Glass.

8. Enjoy the new Sanctum.

9. Figure out how to send pictures to my parents' 3100s.

10. Watch some DVDs.

YEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!! 5:30 already. Gotta go.

Boxed Fantasy


Box full of troubles.

A recent splurge I did recently was on a boxed set of Fighting Fantasy books, an 8-box set consisting of titles written by writers Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. Sure, they're derivative, cliche and really probably don't count as high fantasy literature, but they're damn fun. And they made my elementary and high school years quite entertaining. These books are part of the interactive-book rage that included Be An Interplanetary Spy, Choose Your Own Adventure, Which Way, Time Machine and countless other lines of pocketbooks. I purchased the set at Powerbooks at Greenbelt 3, while picking up gifts for friends. Good thing I was flush with Christmas Party prize money so I could afford the 2K set. Heh. I hope I get to read these books before they become classics AGAIN. Gotta make a point to at least browse through the hills of uread reading material I've amassed in 2004. Or at least put reading them into my New Year's Resolution. HOHO!

Ninja Babe needs your help!


"Who, me?"

Every so often, SOTA Toys, though action-figure.com, holds a vote on which characters from the Street Fighter universe gets included in the releases of their SF Series action figures. I only found out recently, and AFTER the voting for Series Three. I found out then that my favorite SF character, Ibuki the ninja girl, lost to Sakura by only a narrow margin.

Well, THIS time, I wanna make sure my super-cute SF assassin gets immortalized in action figure form. I ask you, gentle blog reader, to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE vote for Ibuki to be included in Series Four of SOTA's Streetfighter figures.

To vote, just fill out an e-mail with your votes for the following categories:

Category 1 "The Headliner" - Akuma, Zangief
Category 2 "The Big Guy" - Birdy, Hugo
Category 3 "The Female Fighter" - Ibuki
Category 4 "The Good Guy" - Guy, Charlie, Fei Long
Category 5 "The 3rd Strike Character" - Remy, Necro, Oro

Now, of course, I don't care whom you choose in the other categories, as long as you VOTE FOR IBUKI.

In case you don't know shit about Street Fighter, I can save you the trouble of choosing from the other categories- you can just cut and paste this generic vote.

1. Akuma
2. Hugo
3. Ibuki
4. Guy
5. Oro

Send your e-mail to streetfighter@action-figure.com. Put as the title 'Series Four votes'.

I really need your help on this one, gentle blog-readers. Please don't let me and my favorite ninja girl down. Deadline for the votes is on January 16, 2005 so vote now! Thanks in advance!

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.

Ghosts of Christmas Present

I've written before that this year's Christmas was melancholy. That's being optimistic.

All month long we've been seeing misfortune heaped upon misfortunte on people, big and small. The people in villages destroyed by storms. Fans and supporters who lost an admired icon. Parents who've lost children to disasters. Men stranded far from home by circumstance. Countless people won't find Christmas cheery or comforting this year.

But of course, when you go out into the streets and the malls, it seems as if everything is business as usual. The songs are still playing. The shoppers are still crowding. The decors are still up and shining. But perhaps, just a bit, they're a little subdued this time.
This year hasn't been kind to many, but what can we do but live as well as we can, pray that the bad things don't happen to us, and try to lend a helping hand when we can. If you've been lucky enough to reach Christmas unscathed, take that as a gift already. Everything else is profit and waffle.

Just check your plugs, switches and fuses, and don't leave the Christmas lights on through the night. Keep your purses and doors secure and your houses cozy and tight. Greet your friends and your family and give the gifts that come from the heart. With only a few days left till the day, let's not take any chances.

Headquarters



It took a while, but the Sanctum's done. But though I have unloaded quite a bit of stuff and had new shelves installed, there was just barely enough space to go around. Still, the place looks a lot better than ever before. Once the paint fumes fade completely, it'll be home from now on.

Now... to start thinking up the next diabolical scheme to rule the world... MAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!

Shopping

I finished the bulk of my Christmas Shopping today. Got my parents their new Nokia 3100 phones, which they really loved (yay!). Despite being a total technophobe, even Dad seems to be getting into the new, easy-to-use Nokia. As for Mom, she's taking to the new mobile like a fish to water, since her old phone, a 3530, seemed to work pretty much the same way.
Bought apparel for my bro and sister, and their spouses. I'm giving cash to the kiddies. All that's left are the household help, whom I'll probably get gift baskets or something within the week. I really made it a point to get things done today, since I really don't relish wading through the mobs at Greenhills or Megamall again very soon. All these saps just sap away your strength so quickly.

Well, I've got three days to rest and relax till the last couple of workdays for the year. Nice. Today's ROTK Sunday, with the college gang. Should be fun. Heh.

Mint Green

The Sanctum's walls are mint green. Mint Green.

Turns out that's the only colored paint we had in the quantity required, and mom didn't want to buy any more additional paint. It's a nice color, I guess. Really.

I've heard a long time ago that the color of the walls of a room may actually affect how you feel.

So whenever I'm in The Sanctum from now on... I'm going to feel... mildly jealous?

Hmm.

Anyway, the paint's drying. The new shelves are up. The TV's in the alcove, snug as a bug in a rug. Just waiting for the fumes to fade away before I start cleaning up, putting comics, magazines, books, dvds, vcds, toys and other shit where they should go, install the DVD player and make the place liveable and lived-in once more.

Plus, I'm expecting guests later today. Let's see what happens in the Sanctum Warming later today.

It's early morning...

... and unfortunately, the Sanctum's not totally done.

Actually, it's ALMOST done. The ceiling's whole, and painted. The smell of it is strong in the air. Dust all about. Everything's still a mess. They'll be painting the walls and stuff tomorrow. I may have to move out ALL the stuff inside the room to make way.

Thinking of having the carpenters add some more shelf space. That would be neat. The Christmas break's started for me- four day weekend before I go to my last one and a half workdays of this year. Then it's all clear to Christmas and New Year. Should use part of that time to fix up the homestead. Then the rest to enjoy the bounty of the past year, and to finish up the last traces of 2004's plate.

It's been a long year.

It's about time.

Breathe.

Sanctum Sacrilege


Crash, crash. Crumble, crumble.

Early this morning, workmen came in and started tearing down the rafters. Don't worry, it was intentional... the Sanctum's being renovated. All month long my mom has had the house's old 'dirty' kitchen totally redone, extended and rebuilt (now it looks like a restaurant-sized kitchen). On the tail end of the construction, she had my room built as well. On the agenda was the ceiling, the creaky and cracked wood of which was to be replaced with new wooden beams, and the entertainment center area, which would be rebuilt to accomodate the new TV. The whole place would also be repainted, to do away with the unsightly tape-smears (and so, down with the anime posters...).

Well, I had to go sleep in my parents' room for the morning, I had to unplug all the equipment and move out some stuff, and the dust is going to cover EVERYTHING. But in the end, the Sanctum will be gorgeous and at the very least, dead cat-proof! WOOHOO!!!

Hopefully, all the construction would be done by tonight and tomorrow. If all goes well, I'll be coming home to a brand new Sanctum. Inconceivable!

Christmas Bash

Last night, the office had it's annual Christmas party at one of our officemates' residences in the south. As with our previous year's celebration, there was a theme which involves costumes, and this year it was famous pairs, or couples.

Well, I have a history with crappy costumes (pretty much since I prepare for them only about, oh, several hours before the event). Last year, with a 'carnival' theme, I came as a fortune teller using ANYTHING I could find in the house- tablecloths, a black armwarmer and some crystal globe I swiped from the living room. Well, this year I upheld that tradition.

My partner and I came as Crispin and Basilio, the ill-fated brothers from the Jose Rizal novel, Noli Me Tangere. Well, of course we had this grand idea of not coming in as your usual little kids in camiso de tsinos and tsinelas (old-style white undershirt and slippers). We had this whole concept of coming in as grownup versions of the two characters. I counselled coming in full barong tagalogs, but eventually my partner convinced me that a better storyline would be having Crispin and Basilio converted to Islam due to their persecution at the hands of the Spanish friars (which was their fate). So, we came wearing muslim attire (malong) and carrying deebeedees (dvds).

Suffice to say, we missed the whole point that you have to be recognized immediately on sight as who your 'pair' is supposed to be. And I guess it was quite obvious that two Muslim dvd pirates are worlds away from two urchins from the nation's most famous novel. So we WON Worst Costume of the night. But we got a cash prize!!!! YEEEEEAAAAAAHHH!!!!

Anyway, the night was nice with lots of food, music and laughter despite the overall melancholy feel of this year's Christmas. We're all hopeful of a better celebration next year. And a better cosutme, I guess. Heh.

Phone Folks

I've finally gone on and moved forward with my decision to get my parents both new cellphones for Christmas. Now, while I would have wanted to get them spiffy hi-tech convergence devices like myself, I don't have the funds, nor do they have the like for such things. No, I'm getting them some nice, all-around phones to enjoy for the new year. I've pretty much decided on either Nokia 3100 or 3120 units, which have color screens, MMS, clear polyphonic ringtones and good, compact form factor. They're inexpensive, easy to use and very nice... perfect! I'll probably try and get the gifts this weekend, and give them in advance... better to avoid the last minute crush. Perhaps next year, if business is a lot better, I'll get my mom a phone with a camera. She'd love that. Heh.

Lastik Fantastik


That's gotta hurt.

Mars Ravelo's stretchable hero Lastikman gets an update for the times with the Mango Comics release. The 56-page, full color prestige format book (Php150) was worked on by two of local comics' most popular names- Wasted creator Gerry Alanguilan reaches into the side of his psyche that spawned his own wacky Crest Hut Butt Shop for the wacky, action-packed story, while After Eden's Arnold Arre stretches even his distinctive skills to the limit (heh) to come up with some spectacular panels. All this with colors by Edgar Tadeo and Ryan Orosco to make everything come alive from the page.

Anyway, haven't gotten my copy yet, but I will asap. I've heard good things, and I can't wait to see how it came out. The Mango Comic version, by the way, has no relation to the upcoming local movie of the same name. Lastikman the comic should be available in comic stores and bookstores in the Metro right by next week or so, thanks to some issues with printing. Grab a copy on sight!

Mini Stop

This morning I got to have some time to myself at a Mini-Stop, and I discovered a Choco-Nut flavored ice drop from Selecta Ice Cream. It totally captures the classic flavor of the 'masa' chocolate. YUMMY! I also got to taste the new Krispy Pao, which makes for a nice savoury meal along with the usual krispy wonton. I also saw, but was not able to try, the somewhat disturbing new combo sandwiches- SPAGHETTI sandwiches! As in, there's spaghetti noodles and sauce stuffed into a hot dog bun along with chicken or hot dog strips. Yeah, I eat pasta with bread alll the time... but for someone to actually sell a pasta sandwich is kinda new, I think. Something to try the next time I pass by our friendly neighborhood Korean convenience store.

What Could Have Been

Last night, despite having to do a bit of overtime, I was able to pop in a Features disc from the ROTK Extended Edition DVD Set into my new Sparkle DVD player for a bit of LOTR goodness. I watched several featurettes, all of which were quite interesting along the topic of bringing the Tolkien novels from the page to the script.

The coolest part involved an alternative yet ultimately abandoned scene which had the Dark Lord, Sauron actually taking to the field and battling Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) in combat. This was of course not in the books, though it was felt by the filmmakers at the time that they needed a suitable act of valor for Aragorn to accomplish on the battlefield before the Black Gate (since the creepy Mouth of Sauron character really wasn't a fighter).

So it was that they had this whole thing with Sauron appearing before the outnumbered Men of the West, first materializing as an angelic being of dazzling beauty. The apparition is supposedly that of Anatar, which was Sauron's guise thousands of years before when he tricked the races and created the One Ring. As the scene goes, Aragorn soon sees through the holy light, and Sauron reveals himself (pretty much as he was in the Battle of Golgoroth at the beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring). There are actual scenes showing Aragorn and the warriors of Gondor and Rohan battling a gigantic armored Sauron (though we don't see soldiers getting knocked into the air as in the FOTR battle) which was kinda neat.

In the end though, Peter Jackson and the writers felt that the whole thing just wasn't right, since it took the focus of the story and the weight of the problem to Aragorn, instead of to Frodo the ringbearer. So, the whole thing was eventually scrapped, with Aragorn's personal opponent being changed from Sauron to an Armored Battle Troll with CG, and the roles of the armies of men being relegated to fighting to distract the Eye and its forces from the real threat of the ringbearer.

Personally, I kinda liked the whole Sauron vs Aragorn thing. In the end though, I guess ROTK is better with what was eventually used. Just another cool little detail and footnote in this wonderful series of films. Can't wait to get deeper into the EE dvds and see what else I can discover.

Beyond Soccer

I loved the wild martial arts comedy Kung Fu Soccer with Stephen Chow. Fans of Mr. Chow are no doubt waiting for his next work, and I am too after seeing the hilarious trailer to Kung Fu Hustle.

Stephen plays Sing, a wannabee gangster who is somewhat hampered in his efforts to become a member of the dreaded Ax Gang because of his general incompetence. The Axe Gang in the meantime is continually being stymied in its goal to conquer and control a sacred street where almost everyone is a martial artist or has super powers. Sing finds himself trying first to take over the street himself, but later he finds out that he has an even greater destiny to fulfill.

The trailer to this movie is being shown often on AXN, and it's hilarious. There's super-powered martial arts stunts, slapstick humor and the wonderfully flashyl CG effects as only the Hong Kong filmmakers do. I'll be sure to check this one out when it becomes available here in our parts, by late December or early 2005.

GOT IT.


The end of an age is right here.

With this final acquisition, I have completed my Lord of the Rings Extended DVD Set Collection. The final film was the biggest of the series, with the most special effects shots and the longest additional scenes- almost a whole hour of new footage to further complement the already glorious story.
I'm looking to start watching the documentaries and featurettes tonight. Soon, very soon, I hope to hold a LOTR Marathon, watching all three extended cuts in a row. When? When I have time to, of course. Perhaps on a weekend or over the Christmas break. That's my LOTR event of this year, the last one before we all move on and the films make for the Grey Havens of movie history.

Will we see another film trilogy or series to match LOTR, as Star Wars (the original films) did for the previous generation? We'll see.

Mutant DVD Player

It's not a name you'd normally associate with DVD players, but that didn't keep me from snagging a Sparkle DVD player with that very name just a couple of hours ago. My old DVD player-component set is about three to five years old, and it's been acting up lately. So I decided to enter the new year with a new player. And at just 2,500 pesos, it's a great package! Not only does the Sparkle player play any region DVDs, it can play either PAL or NTSC discs and has scads of options and output options. Best of all, unlike the more popular Next Base players, even if the remote gets busted, you won't have to go through life without being able to navigate through DVD menus since there are controls on the player itself. Great!

I'll still be keeping the components installed, and perhaps use the speakers to augment the new player's performance. And of course, the ol' Promac VCD players staying as well for episodic anime watches.

Speaking of anime, I picked up several new series to check out. Bleach is all about a hotheaded guy who suddenly finds out one day that invisible demons and demon hunters are battling it out in modern day Japan. He soon gets involved in this secret conflict when he suddenly finds himself wielding the powers of one of the demon hunters. Grenadier is a western-fantasy adventure, starring a busty blonde heroine who wields a mean gun. Slayers meets six-shooters? Looks like it. Finally, Beet the Vandel Buster looks like a swords-and-sorcery action title starring some young adventurers, led of course by the titular hero.
On the DVD movie front, picked up Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, an Asian film entitled City of Lost Children, and Mulan 2 for the kiddies. I'll be getting my copy of the extended cut set of Return of the King tomorrow, so that's something to look forward to. Yay!

The PSP has landed

... at least in Japan. Sales of Sony's first handheld, portable console have been brisk, and the initial stock of 200,000 units is expected to sell out pretty fast. Available along with the unit are several accessories and 6 launch games.

Haven't seen it yet here, though I am told that the new mini-Playstation is already available, selling at about 12,000 pesos (which is a great price for such a new kit). I'm fully intending on getting myself a PSP, if not this Christmas perhaps in early 2005. We'll see...

Christmas Quest

Last night was the Comic Quest Christmas Party. The gang got together in a rented condo with chips and dip, lots of drinks and then later, a feast of KFC chicken, savoury and spicy pasta courtesy of Andrew, barbecue and White Chocolate Mousse from me and balikbayan Camille.
The majority of the night was taken up by a series of trivia games on the subject of Marvel, DC, Indie/Local Comics and Anime. Later, during the wee hours of the morning, the group got to playing rounds of the drinking games Deprivation and Specialist, sans the liquor. It was still pretty fun despite us all being sober (though a bit sleepy). Let's do it again next year!

Prelude

Last night, Jason brought his copy of The Return of the King Extended DVD Set, which he got from a local dvd dealer. Thanks to the big demand for the set, Vin's supplier messed up and I've had to go elsewhere for my own set. I'll hopefully be getting mine on Sunday.
Anyway, last night we were able to watch several featurettes. As before in the two previous Extended Version sets, the usual cast of producers, designers and cast members narrate the development of the film. This one though has an air of saying farewell, or finality and moving on. It's sad, but gloriously so. I can't wait for Sunday.

Tekken 5 in the Home


Take Christie Montiero (and the rest of the Tekken crew) home with you in 2005.

The PS2 version of Tekken 5 will be arriving in early to mid-2005, according to Namco. The development team is shooting for an almost perfect conversion, and this should be possible given that the arcade version is powered by little more than slightly enhanced PS2 hardware.
Aside from arcade-perfect gameplay and graphics, the home version will feature new modes of play including a totally new side-game (ala Tekken Bowl in the past), a simplified custom mode where you can outfit your fighter with various duds and accessories, and a story mode oozing with CG movies. In fact, Tekken 5 will have the most CG cinematics of any Tekken game ever, according to the Namco representative. Each character will have a CG ending to tell his or her part in the continuing Iron Fist saga.
Several time-release characters have already been revealed in the arcade versions- Anna Williams, the sister of blonde bombshell Nina, taekwondo expert Baek Doo-San (who was feared dead prior to Tekken Tag Tournament), and Roger the kangaroo.

Holy Smoke!

There's a HUGE billowing cloud of smoke rising in the distance, easily visible from our office along Ayala Avenue in Makati. Speculations on what is burning range from a building being constructed, and a squatter area. Anyway, we haven't heard any sirens so the firemen must be taking a nap right now as Rome burns. Oh well.

Rut Busting

One of the directions I am considering for my new comic project is an Asian Horror-Suspense title. I've never done anything in comics even vaguely resembling horror... not even a Halloween special for Angel Ace. Some would say that K.C. Strange with Nikki Alfar or Crystal with Jason Banico would count, but these are more action titles.

A horror title would require that the main character be unprepared souls being drawn or snared by a mysterious supernatural force. No special fighting skills, no enemies to battle, no heroics or certainty that it will all end well.

This would be pretty interesting to do, and horror titles are just so 'in' right now, given the hordes of both local and foreign horror movies lurking into theaters, and the runaway success of even shows like Nginiig: The Hidden Files.

Darn this is something totally new to me. How I'll go about it is still unsure at this point. Maybe I'll listen to some of my dreams. Whatever. I'll try to start looking in the darkness and see if something answers.

Yikes.

Left Field

One of my officemates got herself a Nokia N-Gage QD recently. Actually, she started off buying one as a gift for someone else, then suddenly found herself totally crazy over the Finnish gaming phone. So now, she's installing games and apps up the wazoo, and having fun. This from a person who previously owned very business-like phone models. It's great to be able to let go and do unexpected every now and then. Like me wearing boots suddenly one day. Or having green hair. Or eating veggies. Right...

Hmm. Boots... Mmmm...

Crabby

I had to wake up extra-early today, thanks to a 9 AM appointment at work. Took a cold shower, hied off to the MRT and Cubao. On my way to the EDSA MRT, I decided I had time for breakfast at the nearby Dunkin' Donuts. Aside from myself, there was only one other customer at the counter. There were three DD personnel manning the place. There were no other people at the place at the time.
The counter-monkey attending the lady before me was taking a looooooooong time. This lady customer herself was asking for everything as well. They were taking their time. All this while, the other DD personnel were doing something else in the back room. I started thumping my fingers on the counter.

Still, the customer and the counter monkey continued their rambling. How long does it take to order coffee and a muffin?

After some minutes of thumping my fingers and looking expectantly at the other DD crew without response, I pulled up a chair from the nearby table and sat.

STILL the counter monkey and the customer weren't finished. From the time I entered to the time I pulled up a chair, it was four minutes.

One of the Dunkin Donuts crew came out finally from the back room and started polishing the tables, never mind that I was there waiting and not being attended. Five Minutes.

I snapped.

In the calmest voice I could manage, I spoke to the second crewperson, asking if it was standard procedure to have only ONE person handling the counter when there are other customers waiting. She looked at me blankly, not knowing what to do. I had to spell it out for her. SERVE ME, WENCH!!! Well, actually I didn't say that, I just motioned for her to go to the counter and get my order. VERY calmly. Finally, she jotted down my order and got to fixing up my stuff.

STILL the other counter monkey and the other customer weren't finished. After I finished giving my order, it was only then that the other customer left with her muffin and coffee. SEVEN MINUTES to order FUCKING COFFEE AND A MUFFIN. The counter monkey finally takes my money.

This early and I'm crabby. Well, I had a horrible ride on the MRT to deal with right after. The early morning MRT crowd was present in legion, with solid walls of enemy humans waiting for trains to arrive. Even before you get on board you are squeezed into a tight mass with sweaty, smelly Others. Three trains pass by, and none of us can get in. There's space in the last two, but the people standing by the train doors won't budge- it's a greed thing, really. By the time the fourth train comes by, the waiting crowd had enough. There was easily space in the cars, but AGAIN the sentinels at the doors don't budge. The waiting throng surges forward, totally pushing forward and forcing the way into the car. I spend the first half of the ride standing in the middle of the train, hands at my sides. I don't need to hang onto the safety rails- I am squeezed in so tight I couldn't move, much less fall over even if I wanted to. Just huddled in tight as cheese with smelly, sweaty masses. Gah.

It's times like these that make me hate early morning commutes. Someday I hope to have a car to go to work everyday. But I guess I have to get a driver to do the work for me. If I get this crabby just commuting, imagine my road rage if I get behind a steering wheel.

Scary.

War in the Pocket

I've been able to acquire a CD with tons of apps and games for my O2 XDA II Pocket PC Phone. Of course, my favorite is the full version of Age of Empires, which lets me go midieval on enemy kingdoms arses. Having such a classic and brilliant RTS game playable anywhere I go is simply mind-blowing, though I have to admit that playing it for prolonged periods of time would drain my battery pretty fast. Other games include the classic Battleship, Ms. Pac Man, Seven Seas and a simple but cool stylus-powered game called Reckless Thief- basically you just guide a dot through a maze while avoiding touching the walls or any of the moving obstacles. It's cool and strangely addictive to make it throught the maze in the given time limit, and it's great stylus training. Heh.

On the multimedia front, I've fallen in love with Pocket TV, a PPC app that lets you play MPEGs on your PDA. I've been so used to seeing the reduced-frame run of Smartmovie, that the clearer, more fluid movement of actual MPEGs totally blew me away. The only problem is that MPEGs are a lot bigger in size than Smartmovie AVIs, so a full movie would probably take up a huge chunk of even my gigabyte storage space. As it is, I've decided to retain full movies and episodes in Smartmovie, while special clips and shorts that I want to see in quality will be reserved for Pocket TV viewing.

So far I've gotten used to using the XDA II quite well, and so far I'm in bliss with it. Yep, three weeks almost and no temptations yet. Looks like the PDA Phone is it for me. Hope, hope.

Greater Evil


Leon takes out a cellphone thief with an appropriate level of force.

Capcom gives you another reason to pick up a Gamecube with Resident Evil 4.

Of all the consoles of the current generation, the Nintendo Gamecube is the only one I don't have. This is pretty much since I don't really like the 'kiddy' and 'cutesy' flavor of most of the Big N's franchises, such as Mario, Zelda and so forth. They don't even have great fighting games on the roster! The only games that I like on the GC are the few mature titles, often being creepy games such as Eternal Darkness.
Well, THE creepy game of them all, Resident Evil, will be coming out soon on the Cube with the latest chapter, Resident Evil 4. The game looks incredible, with really detailed character models, and apparently some fairly considerable leaps in gameplay and story.

RE4 stars Leon Kennedy, the former cop from Raccoon City-turned Special Agent. From what has been revealed, it seems that Leon has put the past behind him- the T-Virus, Umbrella, Raccoon City and zombies... all of this plays absolutely no part in this game and story (well, actually not totally no part- a certain female agent from Leon's past just may be appearing in the game as well). Leon has arrived in the mysterious European village of Pueblo to find and rescue the President's missing daughter. But of course, we all know that nothing will be simple or straightforward.

Soon after arriving in Pueblo, Leon finds that the villagers are not ordinary country folk... in fact, they're downright homicidal, burning his companions on a stake, and then later coming after Leon himself in frenzied, scythe and hatchet-wielding mobs. Leon has to use everything in his arsenal and skills to survive this rural nightmare. According to Capcom, these villagers are NOT zombies... but we think that they're not totally human either. Anyway, even being Un-Undead doesn't keep these hicks from getting blown away with Leon's available firepower, making for some pretty gruesome shootouts (clearly, this is going to be an M-rated game).
Resident Evil 4's gameplay now includes the ability to target specific parts of the body- arms, legs, body, head- and doing so will have various effects on your enemies. Enemies also sometimes drop items, or even money which you can use to purchase ammo and new guns from a mysterious merchant. The various menus, including the item menus, have been modified. In fact, it looks a lot like in Diablo's, where you have to manage your items to fit in an inventory with finite space. Pretty cool.

While RE4 really looks great, I have to say that there's pretty much no way that I am buying a Gamecube just for it. I hope that the rumors of PS2 and Xbox ports of the latest RE games is true... I'm bored with mowing down guards and commandos with guns. Wanna try the firepower on some townspeople for a change. Heh. Resident Evil 4 for the Gamecube will hit stores in early 2005.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

I learned yesterday that a friend of mine lost her brand-new cellphone to a thief over the weekend. This pisses me off to no end, since she really liked and deserved the upgrade. The theft occured right in Megamall, which is really not surprising since our malls are fairly crawling with these bastards (another friend of mine had his phone stolen right from the counter in front of him by thieves who posed as customers).

We're not safe anywhere; not really in our own homes, yet doubly more so wherever strangers and outsiders have access. The nicer our gadgets and toys get, the more expensive they become. And so, it's inescapable that we have to be a lot more vigilant. It's better to be a paranoid than to be a victim, that's what I say.

I really wish though that this event does not make my friend fearful of upgrading or getting good phones in the future. It's bad enough that you get victimized and lose a great gadget. For you to become traumatized and then make do with lesser stuff for fear of getting victimized again is adding insult to injury. Had a nice phone stolen? Get a nicer one. Just be a lot more careful next time though.
We should never let these blasted criminals make us change our ways because of them. We work hard to earn the things we want, so we should be able to enjoy them. We just have to be aware that in this day and age, extra-care is needed for us to keep our valuables out of scummy hands.

FUCK all these thieves. If I had my way, I'd bash their heads in with a gold baseball bat. All of them. The whole filthy lot. BAH.

Rut

I have to admit it, I've been stuck in one for some time now. I have to deal with these things every now and then, so it's really not a big deal. In terms of comics, I've been mainly just buying and not creating for quite some time now- K.I.A. is in a bit of production limbo, as I wait for the last few pages to be sent in, and then trouble over production. Whatever happens, the Kai anthology special is a go for 2005, but I really have to do something else. I haven't really drawn stuff in months. Over the weekend I worked on a nice little racket, which involved drawing a bunch of characters, and it really amazed me at how my hands have degraded thanks to inaction. I NEED to start drawing again, start thinking and creating. Inactivity is death for creativity, so I have to get busy.

Last night, I sat down and got a piece of paper, and set down the startings of a page. I stared at it for awhile and nothing happened. No, it won't be as easy as that. I've already got tons of pencilled pages just waiting to be actualized- in particular, a whole issue of Angel Ace. That will have its due time, like K.I.A. But apart from my bread-and-butter projects, I think I need something totally new to challenge my neurons and photons.

So I got to thinking about something new. Something totally unlike anything I've done yet. Well, probably not entirely new- it will still probably have a sexy female lead or two... but we'll see what happens as I think up something. Heeeey. I guess watching Paranoia Agent may have knocked something loose in the ol' noodle. Let's see what happens.

Coming Very Soon


Stretching your way before Christmas.

Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4, 4PM on December 14. Written by Gerry Alanguilan, with art by Arnold Arre and Edgar Tadeo. Scuttlebutt has been saying that the Lastikman pages are among Arnold's best ever. Can't wait to see it. Let's all meet there when it happens. Or at least get a copy of this obra when it comes out.