It's a mall world after all.

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

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

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

Busy Weekend Ahead

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

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

Crazy. Crazy. Crazy. CRAZY.

Pow Wow

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

Crossing fingers and praying that all goes well...

Cut me some slacks!

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

Angel Ace Guest Art


A refreshing new take on Angel, by Jeremy Arambulo.


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

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

Killer Schoolgirl


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

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


THE scene to watch in Kill Bill.

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

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

Hacking away in the Sanctum


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

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


Predictably, the elven wizardess is a hottie.

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

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

Sand through my fingers...

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

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

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

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHKKKKKK!!!!!

Damn! Gotta speed things up!!!

Dragon Flick

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

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

Modem Madness

I'm BACK!

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

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

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

Teacher, Teacher!


Ultimate Teacher: Mizuho Kazami from Onegai Sensei

My current desktop wallpapers (both at the office and at The Sanctum) feature this lovely anime lass. Her name is Mizuho Kazami, and she's the main character in the anime series Onegai, Sensei, or Please Teacher. It is about a young man named Kei who is a teenager but looks even younger due to his rare affliction which can put him into an apparent state of suspended animation (!). Well, one day he sees a strange and beautiful sight; an alien woman! The next day, that same lovely alien lass has moved next door, become his homeroom teacher and soon... His WIFE! What the HECK? Well, that's the premise behind this 13-episode series, which takes on the day-to-day activities of a young Japanese guy, his half-human, half-alien wife and the many unusual characters who make their lives even more colorful.
Onegai Sensei stars popular voice actress Kikuko Inoue, who voiced the mega-popular Belldandy character in the Oh! My Goddess anime. Fans of OMG will probably see many parallelisms between Onegai and OMG in story as well, though Onegai makes a niche for itself by being more intimate, realistic and earnest in it's own way.

Haven't seen this yet, actually, but thanks to the beautiful artworks I've seen of it (like the image above), I will be getting it very soon (Tomorrow or this evening).

A whole lotta Angel going on...


Angel got a lot more guys around her this time around...

Despite all the recent loads on work and stuff like Project 100, we've gone on and set the next Angel Ace issue for release this December. The issue (which will be subtitled Angel Ace NEXT) will contain not only my own art and pages, but will feature FOUR guest artists contributing their unique styles to chronicling the exploits and adventures of Angel and company.

First off there's Jon Mallari, who's been contributing art and pages for us since Angel Ace Again!#1. Jon's an up-and-coming manga artist who's working on his own comic, Variable Edge. For now though, he'll be illustrating an action-packed flashback story featuring Angel and Kai during the days when they were both SIVA cadets...
Honoel Ibardolaza is, hands down, the finest local comic book artist I have never met but worked with. Heh. The master of the 'fake manga', Honoel is a winner of several Palanca awards for Children's books/stories, and has what seems like a gazillion uber-cool online comics. You can see his work on his popular site, Homanga. Honoel is, incredibly enough, a longtime Angel Ace reader, and it was with great pleasure that I was able to rope him to illustrate an Angel story for Next. The story he'll be illustrating is a remake of a short story from the original series, Night Flight; in it, Angel 'sleepflies' one night and suddenly finds herself in the middle of nowhere... and later in a stripmall crawling with armed thugs! Angel does DIE HARD! Heh.
Jeremy Arambulo is my cousin who's based in the US. Even years ago when we were kids, I've always known he has talent falling out of his ears. Anyway, he's a comic artist himself, having collaborated with a writer recently to release the comic Styx Taxi. Jeremy's got a cool, expressive American Indie comic style that seems perfect for The Gift, a short and comedic story where Mike and Rip trouble themselves with finding a special gift for their lovely new housemate, Angel.
Finally, Angel Ace Next will also feature a fanga (fan manga?) made by Mike Ching, who's one of our longtime readers. The four-page work is an action-packed Kai story following our favorite martial arts assassin on one of her SIVA missions.


Ready to go solo? Next year, she will.

Mike's favorite character of course is Kai, so he, and a lot of other ninja girl fans out there, will be glad to know that I am planning on releasing a comic starring Miss Mishima sometime next year. It will be titled KAI:K.I.A. and will feature Danger Girl-esque action full of fighting, intrigue, stealth and of course, fan service up the wazoo. HOHO!

WHEW!
That's that. Well, Angel Ace Next is slated for a December release, if everything falls into place. Gotta start cracking myself to get all this stuff ready.

DAMN I'm excited. HAHAHAHA...

Song and Dance

Ah.

I've been busy for the past few days; too busy to update or blog or do anything after getting off work. Today marked the end of a two-day stretch working on stuff. In the afternoon, I went off to client to present radio scripts. Presenting radio scripts is a pretty funny thing. Other writers probably do it differently, but I pretty much try to act out everything as its supposed to sound. This was a new client for me; I had only met them twice before, and here I was making funny voices and facial expressions (I imagine) to try and get them to understand and accept our ideas.
I can't tell you how excruciating it is to finish a 'number' and then hear NOTHING. The clients had poker faces for a while, staring blankly at the scripts and saying NOTHING. Thankfully, after a bit they chuckled and started commenting. There were good comments, some things I had to rein in, some points I conceded, bartered and some I had to ease them back onto track. In the end, the radios were approved and I went off to have my LATE, late lunch at about five o' clock PM; my first meal of the day.
This pretty much consisted of an eighty-five peso meal of a tiny bit of baked macaroni and a few slices of boneless chicken, and a small glass of soft drink. Highway robbery but it tasted good, and I had to order an extra burger to keep from feeling 'bitin' or short with the meal.

After some more quickie bits of work I was finally able to run off and meet Carl, Vin and Jason at the store. Went to the Strip at Residencia and then off home.

Things seem to be settling well into the weekend, but things remain poised. Have to start on Project 100 already; have to get working on the Angel Ace pages. My weekend MUST make room for these things for the big pay-off this Christmas.

Ah. It's good to be busy. And giddy. Giddy and busy, that's me. Hee-hee...

Crazy Days

Last night I came home feeling pooped even though it was Monday and the start of the week. I stared at the TV screen, not even interested in whatever was playing. Wanted to sleep the moment I got home. Take a shower maybe and play some turn-your-brain-off videogame.
Instead, I fizzled some Coke into a glass and started writing. At the end of an hour I had a 12-page script for an Angel Ace backup story for yet another guest artist to do which will appear in the upcoming Angel Ace Next. WOOHOO!

Still tired. Work at the office tends to pile up. There are a scant few of us, but we're managing. I've got scripts to write and have approved, copy to fiddle with, suits to barter with, and lots of stuff to move around as we fix the office seating plan.
I haven't felt this good in months.

Somehow, someway I am gonna do what I have to do.

Finish Project 100. Finish Angel Ace Next. Finish my work. On time and with the best effort I can on all of them.

I'm doing stuff that matters, and that make all the difference. Heh.

Back to work then.

Pirate Savvy

Last night I was finally able to watch Pirates of the Carribbean, starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush. I have to admit that I had my reservations with a film based on an amusement park ride, but after a while into the film I was laughing and getting into this action-packed pirate yarn. Depp steals the show as the foppish, constantly half-drunk and totally hilarious Captain Jack Sparrow, easily one of the coolest pirate characters yet put to screen. Orlando Bloom plays solid support and matinee idol material, while newcomer Keira Knightley is simply a vision to behold. My only real complaints is that the story's pacing is a bit off, but otherwise it's entertaining and worth watching.
Egads, then there's that Haunted Mansion movie. I wonder if Disney goes all the way and makes a Space Mountain movie? Heh.

The Eyes Have It

Yesterday I went to Vision Express in Megamall to get myself a new pair of specs. I had my eyes examined, chose to get a more expensive but thinner glass lens, and then started picking a frame. The attendant showed me several small-eyed frames that looked cool... in some cases too cool (I looked like I was auditioning for The Matrix TV series... or for the role of a drug dealer). There was one frame that I liked simply because it was so loose (my present frame is biting into my temples since it is so tight). I was told that this pair had flexible stems- there was a kind of hinge at the spot where the stems connect to the lens, and it moved to accomodate your headshape. TOO COOL! That was, until I learned how much it was... Php4,400!!! GAAAAHHH!!!
I eventually settled on a nice, loose frame of just 2K. Anyway, I should be getting my new pair in a couple of weeks. So much for the 'One Hour-glasses' schtick.

"Dumating... na sila..." (Arrived have them...)


Maya comes armed with both sword and spirit to aid her in her quest.

I first heard of Anito by Anino Entertainment (www.aninoentertainment.com) when I heard a CG cinema character speak in tagalog on TechTV's Extended Play when they showed a feature about independent game developers. It's been quite a while since that time, and thankfully these guys didn't just vanish into the ether. The game, perhaps the first serious Filipino-made fantasy RPG game for the PC, is coming.
Anito is set in Maroka, a world that is similar to 16th century Asia, with a Philippines-like archipelago populated by various tribes and dangerous beasts. Looming over all is the threat of invasion by armor-clad foreigners, of course modelled from Spanish conquistadores. This one-player, isometrically-inclined RPG-action game puts players in the shoes (or in this case, bare feet) of one of two characters.

Agila is a strong warrior he-man type who can use a spear and a bow, while comely Maya is the lass who can both slash with a sword AND use magic (or spirit power). Both characters have individual quests, though their storylines will apparently intertwine at various points. Aside from killing monsters like Tikbalang, Sigbin and such, you will have to solve some puzzles and try to complete the various tasks in the game. The more of the game you complete, the better your ending.

Probably similar in play and feel to games like Diablo, this should appeal to fantasy gamers who are looking for something different. The Pinoy element is a welcome one, and it should be quite a kick hearing tagalog-accented voiceovers (something I have heard only once before in a videogame, namely in Tao Feng for the Xbox) at the very least.

Anito is set for release for the PC in late November. You can visit their official website and read up about the game, see some cool wallpapers (the one of sexy Maya is available as a nice poster with the latest copy of Summit's Games Master magazine), screenshots and some more goodies. I'll be looking for this one when it comes out.

A Bloody Anime Classic


Yet to be equalled or surpassed.

Last night I got my own original copy of the Ninja Scroll 10th Anniversary DVD. It's a double-sided DVD that has two remastered versions; one fullscreen and one widescreen. The extras aren't anything to write home about (but I can blog about it); a few interviews and character data that you can pretty much figure out from watching the anime yourself. Oh, and a nice poster.
Of course, the treasure in this disc is Ninja Scroll itself. Even now after a decade, the animation and action still stands well, even in the light of Studio Madhouse's recent release, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Scenes like the initial ambush/ninja massacre are still as hard-hitting as ever, and the characters of Jubei, Kagero and the Eight Devils of Kimon are still as deadlysexycool as ever.
The movie also makes glaringly clear how lacking the new Ninja Scroll TV series is. Oh well. Anyway, I've been holding out on getting NS on VCD or bootleg DVD for some time now; this is the best version you can get of this bloody great anime. Got to watch it and savour the gore soon. Heh.

Procrastinator

It's October already, and I have two big deadlines in the comic world pending. One concerns my work in the Project 100 group work, in which I have to do two 10-page stories. The other of course is my own Angel Ace Next, which looks to explode to a whopping 80-page size. I've got three guest artists, a lot of pinups and art to put together and full color covers to fashion.
BOTH deadlines are at the end of October, for a hopeful release before Christmas.
If it seems much, that's because it IS. But it's possible, make no mistake. I just have to give it it's due time and just DO it.

Big pay offs await the brave and the bold. Nothing awaits those who do nothing.

Time Trip

Today I went off to be introduced along with the rest of our team in the agency to client. We drove to a building in Makati that seemed to have stopped in the 1940s. I mean, everything in the place seemed OLD, but in a good way; old like a museum. From the antique elevators with knobs and switches, to the hallways with their World War II-era architecture... Even the conference room and comfort rooms looked like they were out of a period flick like Pearl Harbor. I was thinking that everything should be in black and white while we were in that place. It just seemed right. Heh.