My Hero!

Yesterday I finally got my copy of Jet Li's Hero. I actually got my hands on a bootleg copy before, but it wouldn't run properly. The version I have now is an original Chinese/HongKong disc that is apparently, as of right now, the only legitimate version of the movie available. Anyway, we checked out a few scenes at Comic Quest, and the sound is razor-sharp. Haven't watched it yet... I will most probably watch this with the family over the weekend.
Along with this I kinda splurged and bought a DVD of The Ring (The US remake). The visuals and sounds are creepy-clear, though there are no extras except for a 15 minute short film feature by director Gore Verbinski (made from deleted scenes and snippets from the actual film) and a trailer for The Ringu. I guess I really like the spooky film.
Ah, a Friday. No shoots or anything set for the weekend, so it looks like I can relax finally. Gotta catch up on some art requirements, along with more pages for Angel Ace and Immacolata. I also may start writing and designing stuff for a new fantasy epic storyline that's been mulling about in the brain box for a while. Well, it's all going to happen soon.

I'm in Newtype!


The DOAX girls take a nap after a hard game of... pillowfighting?

WOOHOO! A fanart I made for Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball has made it into the fan art pages of this month's Newtype USA magazine! Woohoo! My fifteen minutes of fame. Heh. Anyway, my artwork, Pillowfight Aftermath, is also on the homepage of Team Ninja, the development team that handles the Dead or Alive franchise in Japan. Nice! If you can't get a copy of March's Newtype USA, you can still find a hi-res version of the artwork here.

Thundercats, WHOA!

I’m sure a lot of us here remember the cartoon Thundercats. The first and most popular of Rankin/Bass’s animal-themed superteam cartoons (Silverhawks, Tigersharks), The Thundercats is all about the adventures of the titular group of cat-themed characters. Refugees from the doomed planet of Thundera, the Cats (and later their rivals, mutants from planet Plundarr) are stranded on Third Earth (which may be a past or future earth). There, they must survive, preserve their code (Truth! Justice! Loyalty!) and protect new friends and allies from enemies such as the Plundarr mutants and the evil undead sorcerer, Mumm-Ra.
As in a sort of mold or template, the Cats of course include a young, main hero (Lion-O); a strongman (Panthro), a tactician (Tygra), a hot babe (Cheetara), and two kids (Wilykat and Wilykit). Oh, and don’t forget Snarf, the comedy relief mascot. Since most of the episodes (of which there are about 130 all in all in the 4 seasons of Thundercats) generally focus on young Lord Lion-O (the other cats usually only support him or appear at the end as backup when the Sword of Omens calls them), you don’t get to know the supporting cats too well.
In fact, often the villains get the meatier lines and parts; we actually know more about the Plundarr mutants and evil Mumm-Ra than the cats. As for the other denizens of Third Earth, from the amazon Warrior Maidens to the mascot-ish Berbils, they are little more than caricatures and archetypes.
Well, you can’t really ask for too much depth in a cartoon like Thundercats, I guess. The series delivers in cool action, lots of laser-blasting and totally bloodless fighting. And of course, LOTS of leaps in logic.
Why can’t the Cats just eradicate the THREE Plundarr mutants when any one of them could probably take down the flea-bitten scum? Is the samurai Hachiman really the ONLY human male on Third Earth? If so, how do the all-female Warrior Maidens breed? Why is Snarf given so much screen time when there are other, cooler Thundercats?! Is there anything the ubiquitous Thundertank CAN'T do? Isn't it strange that Tygra rhymes with lycra?
Another thing that strikes me from Thundercats is the voice acting; MANY characters, especially the females, sound WEIRD (the young and beautiful Willa the Warrior Maiden sounds like an old granny). Well, the reason for this is that in the ENTIRE series, all the characters are voiced by only EIGHT voice actors. ALL the mature females are acted by one woman, so naturally she had to give them weird, distinct voices. Talk about twisting your tongue.
Anyway, despite all this and more, I LOVE Thundercats. It had style. It had grace. It was sexy and furry at the same time. It had a GREAT anime-style opening animation (well, all the Rankin/Bass animal series had great intros). I'd give a lot to have DVDs of the episodes. Mmmm.
It’s great that Cartoon Network is re-airing episodes of Thundercats everyday after midnight, so I have my retro-cartoon fix. Also supporting the Thunderan resurgence are recent releases of Thundercats comics, from Wildstorm (Transformers). While I didn’t really find the initial releases exceptional, the recently-released Thundercats Return has piqued my interest. This 5-issue miniseries has a darker tone than the usual storyline. Apparently, Lion-O got trapped and exiled from the planet, disappearing for several years. When he finally escaped, he finds his home, New Thundera, ravaged and conquered by Mumm-Ra! With all of his friends and allies either dead, captured and enslaved, Lion-O must fight to undo the evil that has transpired in his absence.
With cool art and the fresh direction, this title has me intrigued. I guess I’ll this and see where it goes. Anyway, seeing a grown-up (and HOT!) Wilykit is worth the cover price. Heh.

The Matrix, Samurai-style!

MY GOSH.
The second Animatrix episode, Yoshiaki Kawajiri's Program, is now online and available for free downloading and viewing. Program focuses on a young rebel fighter as she battles her way through a Feudal Japanese-themed combat training program. Among digital bamboo groves and palace rooftops, she must choose between her lover or the human race. Featuring incredible fighting sequences and the awesome, stylized art of Studio Madhouse (Ninja Scroll), this is one action-packed episode you cannot afford to miss!
The Animatrix anime collection will be released on DVD and video in June, right after and around the showing of the Matrix sequels. Can't wait!

Download Animatrix: Program here.

Immacolata Pages Preview part 2!

I'm on a roll! I have finished the final two pages of the next Immacolata update. In one, we see for the first time the nuno named Penduko, one of Imma's engkanto allies. In the next, we see our heroine once again... taking a dirt nap. Uh-oh. Anyway, I was also able to ink FOUR more pages, which is set for the third update. Suffice to say, we're getting into the action part, and the fun's just beginning. Anyway, enjoy the preview. Hi-res pages will be coming to the Hinirang website soon.

Immacolata Pages Preview!

Here are four of the possibly 6 new Immacolata pages coming in the next update at Hinirang.com. I will be submitting them for uploading later this week. Enjoy!

OUCH!

I woke up with a BAD pain down there at my waist, making walking quite an excruciating and slow process. It hurt so bad I decided to stay home and rest, and take some pain relievers. Good thing that I was able to get in some coloring, managing to finish and letter four Immacolata pages for the Hinirang website. I'll finish two more pages or so before submitting it for uploading. Will have to be better and go to work tomorrow. Can't afford to miss out too many days. Sigh. Now, gotta rest again... OUCH!!!

Saturday Group

I left before noon today to go to a production house where I attended an offline-edit of our new TV commercial. 'Offline' means a kind of preview version of our spot; no effects, rough edit, quickie music... offline. It could have taken from a couple of hours to... a lot more. Luckily, it didn't take the whole day away from me. In return, I was able to enjoy a free Sukhothai-catered lunch with thai rice (which came with shrimp, pork and delectably sour green mango strips... YUM!), thai beef steak, a noodle dish and thai shrimp soup. Afterwards there was leche flan and Cathedral gelatin for dessert, which I had in more than adequate portions. Heh. Of course, eventually we had to get inside the studio and see the edits. They were for the most part well-done, and it meant that we didn't have to stay the whole day and night for it. I took the production house service car to Greenhills, and I was free.
I ranged around the usual haunts, and disappointingly there was little in the way of new anime stuff for me. No Gatekeepers 21 2nd DVD, no new Rahxephon, no Inu Yasha movie 2. Arrgh. On the gaming side though I picked up quite a lot; The Disaster-Survival game Disaster Report, the new Biohazard: Gun Survivor game and the RPGs Dragon Quarter and Galerians: Ash. No Xenosaga yet, or any new Xbox games (Outlaw Volleyball is still several months away, but Tao Feng should be out later this month). I looked around for DVDs and picked up the quirky retro sci-fi movie-in-the-making film, CQ. Lots of cool extras, and the film looks both sexy and funny.

Anyway, I headed for Comic Quest and soon after arriving showed off the new pencilled pages of Angel Ace to Mike, as well as the inked new Immacolata pages. I had brought the whole kit and kaboodle along with the intention of drawing pages if I was forced to stay at the production house. Well, since I was at the shop now and had already expended my funds on doo-dads, I sat down and started drawing. I was actually able to do at least three new Angel pages. As I was sketching the panels, a customer walked over to the counter and took a look at the somewhat rough pencils. He then asked, 'Is that Angel Ace?'
I said yes, of course, and I found out to my pleasant surprise that the guy was an Angel Ace fan. Mike and I told him to bring his copies when he dropped by the store next, so I could sign them. He was quite pleased to learn that a new Angel Ace issue was in development, and was even musing that he would be telling his friends that he actually saw the Angel Ace artist drawing a page in front of him. Aww, shucks. That made my day. Heh.
Later, the rest of the gang arrived and we made plans. Since most of the other people already ate, the hungry souls (me, Gig and Mike) had the power of choice. We eventually decided on going to nearby Podium, and dining at Nina's (formerly known as 'N'). I had eaten a couple of hash browns from Potato Corner earlier, so I settled with a Caesar's Salad and some empanaditas. As I waited for my food, I drew on the large white paper placemat some drawings of my new Immacolata character/villainess, Del Sol Camorra. Jason and I talked about her as we waited for our orders, and while we ate.
The Camorra family, a powerful and wealthy clan in Hinirang, is composed of the father (Don Roberto), the adopted son (Gilberto) and the daughter, Adele Solera (Del Sol). Each is a powerful and dangerous individual. Don Roberto's primary power is the ability to bestow/cast curses (which alludes to his family name, Camorra, which may be read as Ka Mura; Mura being the Filipino word for 'curse') and affect reality. As his blood daughter, Del got some of this ability, though it has manifested in the girl's ability to animate and create constructs and puppets/golems. She has her own workshop in their hacienda where she creates these automatons, which she calls manica (a play on 'magical-mechanical', and the filipino word for doll, or manika).
Given their sinister powers, the Camorra are feared and respected, and use their powers and resources to get their way. They run a fleet of ships that transport goods, farms and mines. Off the record they also sell arms, support evil creatures and slavers and burn down forests; the latter being the primary reason that puts them into conflict with Immacolata. The first Immacolata story arc will pit Imma against this sinister clan, and serve as an introduction to the illustrated world of Hinirang.

After the meal at Nina, we headed down to UCC Coffee and spent the next couple of hours nursing drinks and talking about stuff from sex techniques and exercises to what a writer should and shouldn't write. What a spectrum of topics! Someone should film this and turn it into a short film. When we finally got up to go, I was able to hitch with Cams and Jason and Flim.
What a day. I am tired. Want to just vegetate tomorrow at home, draw some more pages, enjoy some Vanilla Coke and watch my one Kim Possible episode for the week. Ah, simple pleasures. They will be mine.

Vanilla Coke

In a direct contrast to last Saturday when everyone was present and only Mike and I were absent, everyone was out elsewhere leaving us in the shop. We eventually decided not to go out and just have some food for takeout (Tropical Hut hamburgers) and get some eats for home from a shop along Katipunan. Well, both of us found cans of Vanilla Coke which we scooped up en masse like we were stocking up a bomb shelter. I tried one, and it tastes nice... the vanilla comes out quite distinctly as an aftertaste, reminding me of cream soda. Really nice, subtle flavor. Ah.
Anyway, it's Saturday but DAMN, once again, work intrudes. I have to go to see the edited version of the TV commercial we shot just before noon. Depending on how good the edit is, I may have to stay there for a couple of hours or more. My Greenhills foray may be compromised if my luck turns bad. DAAAAAAMMMMNN. There is no justice...

Anyway, I should be able to join the Saturday nightout. I will try to bring along pages to show, both from Angel Ace and Immacolata. I hope the guys are in a good talking mood. Miss the pleasure.

Talk is cheap. Write.

I’ve said some pretty strong stuff on the recent Mars Ravelo’s Darna release, generally that I was disappointed that it didn’t do anything new. So, just WHAT constitutes new, or updated to me? Am I just ranting and blowing off words but not having anything to give constructively? Well, far be it for me to be like a crappy expat I once met who could do nothing but shoot down things without giving things back. If I had the reins and the moolah... How would I have done Darna? Here’s my take.

If I could, I’d draw Darna myself, perhaps though slightly more serious than the style I use in my own comic, Angel Ace. Not too manga-ish, but it would be recognizable as my style. I want expressive faces, facial expressions and impishness.
Now, who would our protagonist be? How would the story open? What would be the enemy she’d face?
First of all, my Narda wouldn’t be uber-gorgeous. At least, not right away. She’ll be reasonably attractive, but understated. She’s more brains than looks, punctuated by her conservative attire. She wouldn’t stand out from her barkada of pretty girls. In fact, I would go to great lengths to have her best friend be a GORGEOUS Krush ng Bayan girl, who other people would think is actually Darna out of costume. Narda’s smart, she’s not very sociable and a bit of a loner; but this conceals a good heart that is always looking out for her more frivolous friends, and someone who has some funny quirks; perhaps she loves reading comics. Perhaps she likes sappy ballads. She’s a romantic and a dreamer. There’s a guy who likes her, but on a curve note, he seems to be fixated on finding out who Darna is, and Narda is the LAST person he would suspect. He'd try to help out and generally be like a sidekick (perhaps like a more helpful Ron Stoppable to Darna's Kim). Oh, and I’d name the guy Ding. Heh.
Anyway, Narda inherited the magical stone from her grandma. She was told the secret when she became a young woman at 13, and ever since she has been using the power to avert crisis and catastrophe, stopping supernatural menaces and threats to the people. In between all that, she has to go through college and live in a dorm with some ecclectic characters; her whistlebait best friend, a hippie girl and perhaps a goth girl. Kinda like MTV’s Real World. Heh.
The enemy I guess should be Valentina, or a descendant of the original. Valentina may be the daughter or offspring/clone of the earlier villain defeated by Narda’s grandmother. The rivalry lives on.
Anyway, Valentina will have her organization (Cobra!!!) or cult that follows her and worships her as a goddess. Have faceless snake-themed minions, and of course an elite cabal of higher-ups to directly serve the Big V. Their goal is world domination of course.
Since political, entertainment and religious quarters have already been used as a vehicle for the snaky villainess, let’s try something different.
How about Cyberspace?
Recently, a wave of powerful and deadly viruses called snakes (more powerful than worms) are infesting hard drives, and manifesting a hypnotic screensaver that is causing youths to perpetrate crimes in Valentina’s name. Who is doing this? Where is the Snake coming from? Is Valentina really behind it?
Aside from having a younger incarnation of Valentina, she will have her followers protect her hacker ally and search for Darna.
Fighting should be dynamic, taking cues from manga (get from the best). There should be hard hitting battles and fights, instead of one-panel punches and splash pages. Darna will have strength, flight and fighting skill, plus probably the power to heal or repel evil. She should be aware of her enemy, and vice-versa… this is a war of wits as well as fists.
The stakes get higher as the crimes of the mesmerized youths begin to escalate. Narda will have to find out how to trace the source, eventually perhaps trying to infiltrate the Snake cult. Will she be able to do so without falling herself under Valentina’s spell? In the end it will be Narda’s personality, her grounded self, which will allow her to resist, and that’s why SHE’S Darna in the first place.
But what if her friends get involved as well? The climax or a major battle will be a rave where Valentina herself will manifest from the screens (Shades of Sadako) and incite a wave of violence throughout the city… unless Darna somehow manages to save the day.

Rough, top-of-mind, spur of the moment. That’s how I’d do Darna. Is it necessarily better than the released comic? Maybe, maybe not. Just wanted to show that I can give out as well as I give in. Or something like that. Whatever. Moving on...

Where there's smoke there's...

Thanks to a surprisingly light load (relatively), I was able to slip out of the office early. On the way to Megamall I decided to stop at EDSA Shangri-La to check out some VCDs. As I was browsing, Camille texted me with some alarming news; There was a fire at the mall. Apparently, people were scampering away from the building, and she and Jason were already out of the area. I called Mike at Comic Quest to see how he was doing in the 'inferno'. Predictably, it was business as usual, so I decided to brave Ground Zero and get my weekly bloodletting.
Well, apart from some hurried walkers here and there, Megamall seemed all's well despite the so-called fire. As I crossed over from building B to A, I began to see closed shops and darkened floors above me. Yep, something happened, yet I did not know what. I got to the store and chatted with Mike and got to tell some tasteless fire jokes. Anyway, I picked up the latest Previews, Elektra and a Wizard Anime Insider mag. Afterwards, I went over to The Podium to have dinner with Carl, Jason and Cams.
We stayed at Thai In a Box, and I had a really tasty Thai T-bone Steak with Mixed Fried Rice. Yum. Over the spicy food we talked about stuff, including recent stuff like the Darna comic, Carl's progress with Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah and the recently-released Hinirang article in Computerworld Philippines magazine.
After dinner, we walked around the mall, stopping by at Best Sellers (the mini-National Bookstore at Podium), the Beauty Bar for Cams, a toy and games shop and Data Blitz.

Later, we piled into Cam's car and headed off. I got dropped off at my usual place, and the night was done. Later I would find out from the news that the whole commotion at Megamall was due to a fire in the Singing Cooks and Waiters restaurant at the 4th Floor. It took firemen an hour to get things under control, but in the meantime surrounding shops closed down. Despite this though, it was pretty much business as usual as even the cinemas remained open. At least, no one got killed or even hurt in this little incident, which is all that matters.

Elektra Lives! (Some Spoilers Ahead)

Twentieth Century Fox has announced that there will be a pseudo-sequel to the recently-released Marvel Comics movie adaptation, Daredevil. However, this new film will focus not on the titular blind superhero. Rather, it will be all about the sexy, formidable and deadly Elektra, whose life and adventures will continue despite having gotten herself KILLED at the end of the movie.
In the comics, Elektra Natchios, the daughter of Greek tycoon Nicolas Natchios and the girlfriend of Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil, is killed in battle with the assassin Bullseye. She is later resurrected by the ninja cult known as The Hand, and turned into a killing machine. These events will most likely be the material to be used for the future Elektra movie. Actress Jennifer Garner will reprise her role in this new film.
The Elektra movie is set to begin script development immediately. Also, a proper sequel to the Daredevil film is also in the works.
All I can say is... They'd better get the costume right THIS time.

Shooting Day 2

Yesterday I attended the second and last shooting day of our new TV commercial. As the day before I had to go all the way to the boondocks of Rizal. For the most part all I had to do was sit around, watch TV monitors, wait for shots to be set, eat catered meals and get sunburned. On the way home though it was kinda nice to just look at the very pastoral scenery of Antipolo City. Despite being a 'city', Antipolo has a very rural feel, in the size of the buildings and shops and the smallness of everything. It's very quaint, especially when you consider large parts of the place are still uninhabited stretches of mountain road, unlit by lampposts. There are though a large number of resorts, motels and restaurants/grills which are islands of light in the darkness due to the copious amounts of pinlights that decorate their premises like it was Christmas. Heh.
Anyway, I got back home pooped again. Good thing today's another 'normal' day. Back to the salt mines at work, not in the boondocks. Got a lot to catch up on. Gotta remember to keep taking those vitamins...

Shooting Day

Today, I got up in the morning when I should have been sleeping till noon. I had to go to a shoot for a TV commercial we had done at the office. Well, that pretty much means I have to stand or sit around as our production crew set up a shot, wait for adequate sunlight to pop out of the clouds, and shoot. Unlike some other shoots, this was an on-location shoot that had us all packing to got to the literal boondocks in Rizal. There the work commenced at what I learned was a quarry. With goats, ducks, turkeys, pigeons (How John Woo!) and curious barrio folk watching, the production crew, cast, agency and client did their things to finish the commercial as soon as humanly possible. Of course, that pretty much means the WHOLE day.
Well, I really didn't have to do anything save stare at a monitor, nod and mumble approvingly and wait for the next free meal, or grab a drink from the ice box. That's the good thing about TV shoots; since we're clients, the production house crew treat us like kings. Well, like VIPs, anyway. To an extent. The bad thing was, I was pretty much trapped there when I would have much preferred just getting shut-eye at home to catch up on my comics, DVDs and sidelines. No such luck. Oh well.
Anyway, the shoot involved some stunts, so we had paramedics on standby (who looked like SWAT for some reason), stuntmen and of course, attractive talents. In particular I'd probably remember our female talent, who seemed to be hyper the whole time; pretty amusing. Generally, everything went smoothly, though by the time we called it a wrap it was about 6 PM.

I arrived home a couple of hours later; I had the service car drop me at home. No more strength or appetite to go out. I just plopped into bed and turned my brain off as I watched The Blair Witch Project on cable (still creepy after all this time, but diluted. Now THAT is a shoot I would be sure to beg off of...). Another thing I caught on cable was Fist of God (I think), a Samo Hung Hong Kong movie that was, once upon a time, supposed to be the live-action Tekken movie. The story is, Namco disapproved of the project and one lawsuit later, everything Tekken-ish was taken out (though two of the heroes still resemble Jin and Hwoarang from the game). What is left is a far-out futuristic tale of evil super-powered dictators, mutant monsters, deadly toxic gases and of course, lots of bad CG. Oh well. Samo got screwed by Namco, but at least the game makers got their desserts with that HORRID Tekken anime. Heh.

Anyway, tomorrow we shoot again. Then it will be back to the office. And normal desk work. I should enjoy these outings whenever I can. Too tired to do so most of the time though.

Got Darna Redux (Spoilers inside)



I spent the after work hours with Mike at Comic Quest, and we talked about stuff. One of the things we discussed was the recent Darna release. I have to admit, while I really would like them to succeed and meant everything I said in the earlier post, even this latest and probably greatest interpretation of the Darna character has its glaring flaws. After reading and re-reading the issue, I have to give some more in-depth comments.

For one, the script, while having no grammatical errors or anything that made me laugh for a wrong reason, was pretty unspectacular. It broke no new ground, explored no new avenues or plots twists for the character. Almost everything in the story is expected and pretty much 'been there, done that', from an opening sequence of a terrorist attack and Darna's entrance and subsequent pummelling of the baddies, to the eventual cliffhanger ending with a familiar villain making an appearance. Generally there's a lack of any feeling of tension or dramatic pacing/timing; there's a scene of carnage which is supposed to communicate terror or something sinister, but all I can recall is an overly-sexy mayor fainting.
In terms of the art, I'm all for fan service but I think the art went overboard with Narda and her friends' wardrobes. No wonder they got targetted by some rich kid maniacs for kidnapping. Anyway, said-abduction was apparently just a way of flashing back to Darna's origin, which I am told is the original version (though I do not recall earlier Darna incarnations appearing). Anyway, Ryan Orosco's and Gilbert Monsanto's work is clean and well done, but again, like the writing, surprisingly unspectacular. Expressions are vacant and lack personality and character. Overall, sexy but we've seen it before, but better, in comics like Fathom and Witchblade. A little more dynamic panelling, action scenes and angles could have done wonders. As it is, the fight scenes are through-the-motion ordinary; a kick here, a punch there. Nothing special.
Also, IMO they should have used the art for their cool poster (one of which apparently got stolen from Comic Quest today) for the cover, to evoke a 'new' feel and the coming of the new take for the heroine. The present cover image is adequate, but doesn't blow me away as it should. It just doesn't. Oh well.

For me though, I am most disappointed with the fact that this newest Darna once again fails to give me a humanized, unique, personable character in Darna/Narda. Who is Darna? Who is Narda? We don't see any personality in her, nothing to latch onto or like. Once again, she's just an archetype. If that's really the way it is, then so be it. But I had wanted to see something new. Oh well. That's why I prefer manga in my comics, and in how I DO my comics.

Mars Ravelo's Darna is an okay novelty purchase for fans of the character or just for those feeling nostalgic. The art is indeed nice and the colors will no doubt impress those who aren't too sophisticated or picky. However, I don't know if masa readers can stomach a 120-peso purchase for a 32-page comic that isn't 'sulit' in my opinion since it's not a finished story. I wish Mango Comics all the luck and despite all my gripes, I hope that Darna finishes it's whole 3-issue run.
Colored pages, sexy but empty art, plain story and bland writing. Is this the best Darna can be? All I need is to look at Carlo Vergara's Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah to see that this doesn't necessarily have to be so.

Mars Ravelo's Darna # 1 is available now at Comic Quest and leading comic and bookstores, Php120.00, full color, 32 pages.

There is no justice.

It's a non-working holiday tomorrow in commemoration of the People Power Revolution, yet I will be WORKING. We have a shoot for a TV commercial which will have us working for the day. Thankfully, we will probably be packing up before nightfall, though I will probably go home immediately so I can work on some pages. ARGH. BAH. Graggle-snaggle frumble-grumble...

New Immacolata stuff

I've finally finished inking the new pages of the Immacolata update. I'll try to color them within this week. Anyway, here's a peek at some of the new characters; Del Sol Camorra, some augmented Taoso hunting-beasts and Del's maniacal Manica. Hopefully we'll be seeing them all in full color on the Hinirang site soon.


Del Sol Camorra wants to play with Immacolata.


Cursed into even beastlier form, the Taoso want a second stab at Imma.


The Manica are magical/mechanical constructs that follow Del's every whim.

Odds and Ends

Yesterday we didn't have our usual Saturday Night Out (which so amazed my mom when she came home to find me in my room), so I just had my Greenhills foray and went straight home after. I was able to experience some odds and ends.

Combat Mission
For one thing, I was able to watch the new(?) reality-TV gameshow Combat Mission, on Studio 26. The game's host is Rudythe scrappy old navy seal who endeared himself to millions in the first Survivor. Well, apparently Mark Burnett (the producer of the Survivor shows and various others) was so impressed with Rudy, he made him the host of this military-themed game show. How can I describe it? Live Counterstrike. The show's contestants are all male and of more-or-less high fitness quality. There are two teams that embark on combat missions that may either be training exercises or actual battles which involve them accomplishing an objective with shadowy enemy soldiers providing opposition. Of course, they use only blank ammo but kills are easily registered when they happen, and as per the rules anyone 'killed' has to sprawl to the ground. It seems pretty difficult; one team totally lost control and got several guys killed before they were extracted. The second team was able to accomplish their mission without a scratch, but were ambushed on their way back, losing all but one man. Ouch.
Anyway, like Survivor, losing teams have to vote out a man at the end of the show (in this case, it's 'discharged'), though for a limited time they get to replace that loss with a fresh man they choose via dossiers. After a while though, losses will be permanent and a team will have to deal with going undermanned.
It was a pretty hammy show, and Rudy talks like a robot, but it looks fun. I got the impression though that the show's appeal is limited, and the contestants are ALL men (and apparently from law enforcement or military backgrounds). Not a show I'd make a point to watch.

Black and Bruised for PS2
I was able to get a copy of the new PS2 boxing game Black and Bruised. It uses 3-D graphics with cel-shading, resulting in very cartoony, over the top characters. The gameplay is suitably unrealistic, with power-ups like super punches and speed boosts mixing it up with combos. I don't usually like boxing games, but this one roped me in with fun character designs (my favorite is the geisha/martial artist, Maiagaru), a funny story mode and pretty smooth animation. You can read my full review of the game here.

Pages... More pages...
Continued drawing pages for the Immacolata update, and it should be done this week. Was able to pencil a couple more Angel Ace pages too.

Kim Possible
Ah. Got to watch a new episode of my favorite spy teen. A pretty cool episode where Kim has to go on a mission with her twin brothers. Best of all, Drakken and my fave Shego are in it too. I really love the anime/Hong Kong martial arts movie influence this cartoon has in the way Kim and Shego move and fight. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want a DVD or VCDs of this series. I like it that much. Someday...

Last Action Hero
Got to catch this classic stinker on AXN. It's an old Arnold Schwarzenegger film about movies coming to life, and with a fantasy story like that it should be great. But for some reason, it isn't. An uneven script which is too serious for it's own good a lot of the time, humor that falls FLAT all the time, an uncharismatic kid sidekick, bad execution and bad dialogue consign this as the movie that started Ah-nuld's fall from power. But guess what? Gandalf/Magneto is in it! Yep, I only realized last night Ian McKellen appears near the end as Death from The Seventh Seal. Funny.

Well that's that for now. Later then.

Got Darna?


The first copy sold at Comic Quest Megamall.

I lucked out this night. Kensai Yonzon and the Darna crew came to Comic Quest delivering fresh, brand-new copies of Mars Ravelo's Darna. I bought the FIRST copy at Comic Quest Megamall, and perhaps all of Metro Manila. Heh. Anyway, the story is by Boboy Yonzon, pencils by Ryan Orosco and inks by Gilbert Monsanto.

SPOILER WARNING!

In the tradition of most debut issues, Darna #1 begins with a dangerous situation for our heroine to make her entrance and kick some criminal scums' butts. Later, there's some sticky situations with kidnappers, and piles of corpses apparently left by an attack by giant snakes (Hint, hint). We get to see Darna's origin, and the comic ends with a familiar face making an appearance.
Mars Ravelo's Darna #1 (of 3) is a decent entry into the characters' mythos, far better than previous attempts by other local publishers to resurrect the character. The initial issue is fairly well-written, with some touches of humor. The art is excellent, though I have to say that it could have been much better in terms of panelling and pacing; some pages, like the snake victim massacre, could have been portrayed more chillingly; and the fight scenes could have done with more dynamic moves.
Aside from that though, there is little to complain about the comic's look as this new Darna is a LOT curvier and sexier than before (along with several other ladies in the issue). Fan service aside though, the issue looks slick and impressive. with bright colors and effects.
Depending on the debut issue's success, Darna could possibly be making a flight to international shores. With that, I wish them all the success in the hope that this ushers in yet another Golden Age of local comics. I'm looking forward to the next issue, next month. Congratulations, Kensai and Mango Comics!

Mars Ravelo's Darna is now available at all Comic Quest branches, and other leading comic and bookstores, 32 pages (full color) at Php120.00. Get your copy now!


Hey, Marc! She's got a nice costume. I want a costume like that too! Heehee...

READ Or DIE



No, I am not telling you that my blog is necessary for your continued survival (though that would be flattering to hear). Read Or Die is the title of one of my favorite recent anime that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone wanting unusual action animation.
Yomiko Readman is a mousy, shy and unsophisticated young woman who perpetually hides her looks (and she IS quite attractive) behind thick glasses. She works as a librarian and a substitute teacher, and as you may expect, lives and breathes books. She lives in an apartment building all by herself surrounded by TONS of books. And with the exception of the bare minimum needed for living allowances, all her pay goes to acquiring even more books.
But Yomiko isn't just some solitary bookworm. The fact is, Ms. Readman is a super-powered secret agent often contracted by the British government's ultra-secret Royal Library to undertake dangerous missions that often involve world security. Her code name: The Paper (Or, 'Da Peh-Pah', as the Japanese voice talents say it). Can't see how a librarian can be a kick-ass super agent? Watch ROD.

Based on a manga, the animated Read or Die OVA (Original Video Animation- direct to home video release) consists of 3 episodes of about 30 or so minutes each. They basically tell of Yomiko's adventures against the mysterious I-Jin, or 'Great Men'; resurrected geniuses from history who have been bound to service by an evil, unknown power for nefarious ends. The Paper is teamed up with a slinky and sexy femme fatale named Miss Deep (can you guess her power?) and a commando named Drake to take out the I-Jin and stop their plans.
ROD features wonderfully vibrant animation, colors and character designs which once again prove how unusual and twisted anime can get. Where else can you find a bespectacled librarian and a leather-clad vixen fighting a glider-riding Otto Lilienthal (the historical inventor of the glider) over New York? This aerial battle in the first episode gets my vote for the BEST action sequence in an anime, ever.

Aside from the action and animation, ROD just has to have the coolest intro/opening theme music ever. It's got a retro feel that just exudes a James Bond-superspy feel that you just have to hear once to get into. Total COOLNESS.
Of course, ROD is hardly perfect; the biggest flaw for me being how the 2nd and 3rd episodes pale in comparison to the Uber-perfect first. Also, it can get pretty melodramatic and cheesy, but that's besides the point. This short series is truly a gem of anime, and is right up there with classics like Ninja Scroll.
So the next time you find yourself in an anime shop, ask for Read Or Die. It's to DIE for. Heh.