Babbling Point

WONDERYEAR Now it's time for me to tell you about Young Nastyman, archrival and nemesis of Wonderboy, with powers comparable to Wonderboy. What powers you ask? I dunno how 'bout the power of flight? That do anything for ya? That's levitation, holmes. How 'bout the power to kill a yak from 200 yards away... with mind bullets! That's telekinesis, Kyle. How 'bout the power to move you? " Wonderboy ", TENACIOUS D Yeah, what about that? The Power to move you. At the risk of being too melodramtic, this power lies in the hands of writers and artists. The power to move readers to a place that's never been, to a place that never will be, to places in the past which they thought they forgot. It was quite a busy and productive year for our little comic book scene. May we continue to move forward and eventually become an industry again, just like the glorious golden age of komiks when it used to be read by millions. To be re...

. He’s gay. She’s bi. He’s neither. LEXY, NANCE & ARGUS: SEX, GODS, ROCK & ROLL Bittersweetness Comix 68 pages, b&w P 130 per copy For Mature Readers Now available at Comic Quest Megamall and SM City North. This one-shot special compiles all the 18 pages serialized in Pulp Magazine from 2001-2002, as well as 50 all-new pages. Follow the gang’s feel-good, indie-flavored and introspective non-adventures as they question tradition, celebrate diversity, and get groiny. Story and art by Oliver Pulumbarit. The cover colors are by Ryan Orosco. Published by Oliver Pulumbarit and John Toledo.

. "I want to thank anyone who spends part of their day creating. I don't care if it's a book, a film, a painting, a dance, a piece of theater, a piece of music, anybody -- anybody who spends part of their day sharing their experience with us, I think this world would be unliveable without art, and I thank you." –Steven Soderberg, during the 73rd Academy Awards. Merry Christmas to all comic book creators out there! Writers, artists, colorists, letters, editors, and publishers! Merry Christmas to everyone who’s saving up to get their stories Xeroxed, to everyone who hopes to get their stories published somehow, somewhere. Hoping that 2005 be a year filled with new comic book stories! May we find something new in the comic book stores each and every month! And many, many thanks to the readers who bought one copy of a local comic book and to those who bought everything that every came out of local publishers. Thank you very much for all your support. ...

. the streets of heaven FROM: The West Wing, " 20 Hours in America: Part II", Season 4 Written by Aaron Sorkin …securing peace in a time of global conflict, sustaining hope in this winter of anxiety and fear. More than any time in recent history America's destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek nor did we provoke an assault on our freedoms and our way of life. We did not expect nor did we invite a confrontation with evil. Yet the true measure of a people's strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive. Forty four people were killed a couple of hours ago at Kenneson State University. Three swimmers from the men's team were killed and two others are in critical condition when after having heard the explosion from their practice facility they ran into the fire to help get people out. Ran into the fire. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They're our students and our teachers and our parents ...

. Playing with Dice Budjette Tan He was the only one in the hospital cafeteria. The lady behind the counter had stepped out to go to the comfort room, leaving him and the day’s special that no one really wanted to order. He felt small seated at that long, white table. He chose the one near the window, hoping to catch a breeze since the lady turned off the air conditioning. The night air was stuffy, made worse by the antiseptic they used to mop the floor that just seemed to punch him in the nose. He adjusted his eyeglasses as he flipped open another book. His finger ran down the page, searching for the right spell. In his palm was a 20-sided dice. It felt warm in his hand, like a piece of M&M chocolate. The dice clattered on the plastic surface of the table. He got a 9. Not enough. He tried another spell. 13. Rolled again. 6 Not enough. He had been here since last night, since they brought his lolo to the ICU, and ever since then, he had...

. The big blood-drenched picture by David Hontiveros " James Wan’s SAW is the cinematic equivalent of a bear trap (to borrow an analogy from the film); once it begins, those rusty, razor-toothed jaws snap shut, and there’s little else you can do but sit riveted to your seat till the bitter, bloody end. "What if you woke up to find yourself chained to a pipe in a decrepit bathroom, without knowing who put you there, or why? From this seed, the twisted and gnarled script of Saw—written by Leigh Whannell, who plays Adam in the film—grows. And it turns out to be one of the best, most intense, and most involving English-language horror films made in quite a while." Read the rest of David Hontiveros' review here: http://www.philippinegraphic.com/cover28/regular/regular_film.htm

Fantastic Lastik Comic Book Why on earth would anyone want to get Mango Comics latest publication: MARS RAVELO’S LASTIKMAN? Well, for only P150, which is the price you’d pay for a regular 22-page super-X-whatever-bat-book, you get a complete prestige formatish 56-page full color slam bang extravaganza!!! Are you a fan of Gerry Alanguilan’s stories? Then you better get this book! Because if you want a dark, dramatic, blood and guts Wasted type story, then you better go get an extra copy of WASTED (still available in selected secret branches here and there). But if you’re a fan of Gerry’s CREST HUT BUTT SHOP, then consider this CREST HUT’s elastic spastic cousin. Yup, all the crazy, zany, wacko slice of superhero life (including chickens) have been crammed into the panels of this 56-page book. It’s a slam bang bang kerplang action packed story. Well, it’s more like slam bang bang HAHAHHA kapow kablam CRY CRY kablooey action packed type of story. Another reason you s...

Four color fan films By David Hontiveros "When it comes to superheroes, Hollywood just doesn’t get it sometimes. Which is why some comic book fans have taken what they felt were the necessary steps to see the heroes they care about “done right.” Downloadable from the Internet these days is a whole bevy of short fan films crafted with care and fistfuls of maxed-out credit cards, and, surprisingly, some of these look far more accomplished (and truer to the source material) than their big budget feature-length cousins." Read David's review of these fanfilms at: http://www.philippinegraphic.com/cover27/regular/regular_film.htm Other reviews by David: Exorcist: The Beginning http://www.philippinegraphic.com/cover17/regular/regular_film.htm Open Water http://www.philippinegraphic.com/cover19/regular/regular_film.htm

He's baaack! Just when you thought it was safe to go back to bloggin' Click for the return of the come back of Mark ... http://clickmomukhamo.com/blog/

myGlobe brings you the world premiere of Friendster Mobile . Be one of the first in the world to Friendster with your cellphone. Access your Friendster account using your mobile phone. Receive automatic alerts when you receive new friend requests, messages and testimonials. Search for friends and view your and your friends’ profile from your phone, anytime, anywhere! So, what are you waiting for? Register for FREE to Friendster Mobile now! HOW TO REGISTER YOUR MOBILE NUMBER: Text REG (email address) (password) and send to 2276 . Ex. REG tincute@yahoo.com gandako Note: The password should be the same as your Friendster Web password.

turning japanese Mysterious Lovely Haunting Fantastic Art by 22-year old Aya Kato http://www.geocities.jp/b_ba_a0530/cheval_noir_files/top00.html

she's so cute Mary-Louise Parker appears as Amy Gardner in WEST WING. And she's so cute! I had more words to describe her but I'm just too tired. I need to go home.

. Six books I wouldn't mind finding under my Christmas tree. Six comics collections are a trip down memory lane By Whitney Matheson, USA TODAY http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/reviews/2004-12-01-xmasbooks-comics_x.htm Comic books aren't all about capes and secret identities. n Several recent collections unearth rare, underground and early works that don't often get the Hollywood treatment. Though they're not appropriate for children, they may make adult readers recall childhood trips to the comic shop. Here's a roundup of the best offerings: The Comics Before 1945 By Brian Walker (Harry N. Abrams, $50) Devotees of Little Orphan Annie, Krazy Kat and other seminal comic strips will appreciate this hardcover collectors' volume, which presents works from the turn of the century to World War II. (Abrams published Walker's volume of Comics Since 1945 in 2002.) Along with detailed biographies of the era's most no table artists, Wa...

Storm's gone. Back to work.

. StormWatch http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/Asia/sat.html Everyone please keep safe and dry. It doesn't help that this super typhoon is named after a singer know for his novelty songs. Ready or not, here comes Typhoon Yoyong. God bless us all.

. The Fantastic Mr. Bach FROM : http://www.portlandmercury.com/2004-11-25/feature2.html If you were forced at gunpoint to have a three-way with two comic book characters and one had to be a man, who would they be? SEBASTIAN BACH: I'd have to say Valkyrie from the Defenders--she was fuckin' hot. I find it somewhat weird that I get turned on by a comic book character, but anyway... Oh, I forgot, Cherry Poptart. You should pick up one of those--they're X-rated, but she's a little minx. Or Gwen Stacy, who the Green Goblin killed in Spider-Man #101 I think, or maybe #99--I can't remember the exact issue. Green Goblin threw her off a bridge--she was absolutely awesome. So that's three chicks, and then one of them has to be a man? Huh... Oh, it definitely has to be Mr. Fantastic. Reed Richards, from the Fantastic Four. He has the ability to stretch any part of his body as big, long, or wide as he wants. I'd like to see some party tricks with that fuck...

:-( CCHQ CLOSING SALE 30% to 50% off on Comics and Manga December 1 - 18 Store Hours: 10am to 530pm Monday to Saturday "It has been a pleasure serving you for the past three years. We have met so many wonderful people and learned so much about life, business and ourselves. We thank you for your loyal patronage." Khristine and Katya Cheng-Chua CENTRAL COMIC HQ 3rd floor, FBR Arcade, Katipunan Avenue, QC Tel (632)433-0898 http://www.cchq.com.ph/ I always thought that CCHQ would've been perfect except it didn't have a coffee shop. But they said they didn't want to smell of food and coffee to mix with the books. Very understandable. There's nothing like the smell of a brand new comic book. Especially those glossy graphic novels. They didn't have the flat smell of newsprint comic books. The graphic novels had that precious scent, otherworldly, a strange mix of the printing chemicals and the airplane's airconditioning system. Althou...

. TOP 5 Things Heard in Baguio After Authorities Burn P1.3 worth of Marijuana 5. Whoa! Why is Kenon Road is all straight? 4. Everything's sooo GREEN! 3. Wow! These pine trees smell so good. 2. Why do I suddenly have a craving for ube jam and strawberries? 1. LOOK! I'M THE BARREL MAN!

. YOU ARE HERE i'm now at the GAMEFROG . (Is it THE GAMEFROG? Or just GAMEFROG?) Anyway, it's a nice quite place. As quiet as netcafes get. Right beside it is a bar called Aruba and they now have some showband singing some Top 40 song. Ohhh... I like their keyboards. Nice and black and has that nice clickety-clack sound if i type fast enought. Another good thing about GAMEFROG is that it's not dark like most netcafe, which seem to think they have to look like some 80s disco pub. Now, if only they serve coffee this would be a really great place.

. THE LINKING GAME I don't know if anyone noticed, but alamatcomics.com was offline for awhile. Well, we're back online. (Finally paid the bill, he he he). Nothing new in the site, I'm afraid. Soon. Soon. Now, on to the new stuff online. Found Jim Lee's blog . I think it's Jim Lee's blog. It has his pictures and art, but other guys from Wildstorm are also posting their artworks. Check it for some behind the scenes fun. Comic Quest also now has a blog and mailing list . (Now, if only Mike can set-up a text alert to tell me the new stuff has arrived... or a service that would let me reserve and pay for my comic books just by texting!) Jason's uploaded a whole bunch of his comic book stories and you can all read it for FREE! Wheee! Time magazine columnist Andrew Arnold reviews the new French-Japanese comic book connection, which you to French comic book artist Frederic Boilet's " Nouvelle Manga Manifesto ." How long befor...

the neXt men (and women) Agenda Magazine, Issue #8, 1997 You all know Darna, Panday, Dyesebel, and Zuma, those superheroes and mega-villains who are staples of Filipino pop culture. What you didn’t know is that they have spawned either twins, cousins, or children: Metalero has his Sword of Justice to match Panday’s kris . Xandara owes her powers to a magical gem, just like Darna. Kamandag keeps company with icky, green snakes, the biggest of which is Zuma. Izzabelle is the child of Dyesabel. Of course, these twins/cousins/children are products only of artists from the Alamat Group of Comics, that brave bunch of Pinoy comic book artists whose avowed mission is to elbow out Marvel and DC from the shelves. “It’s hard but we’re doing it, inch by painful inch,” Alamat president Budjette Tan. Well here’s giving them another of those inches. IZZABELLE Izzabelle is the child of Jezzabelle, queen of the mermaids and Arthur Santos, a Philippine Navy sailor. When Izzabelle’s father was killed by ...

. EMAIL FROM ADMIN: Ate hi!! gud am!! c sheryl po i2, Ate tanong ko lang kung merong mago-O.T mamaya sa creative, tinatanong ng admin sa baba, kasi magbubuhos daw ng dicklogger or something, di ko sure kung tama yung spelling, sorry if not. Para sa barang CR or Sink po ito. Thanks! Sheryl=) Hmmm... it's now 6:41pm and everyone's waiting for the Dicklogger to arrive. I wonder if he wears neon spandex.

Well, it looks good to me! Hope the rest of the book is as good as this pin-up. They just seem to be a bit delayed, eh? Anyway, click here for more new art by Whilce Portacio.

. Hi! How are you? Anybody out there? I've been somewhere elsewhere floating trying to look busy with work been coming to work late been not going to work slipping sliding sick. wrote a story sent it off, emailed it, didn't get a great reaction from the guys hack hack hack need to go back and find the real story in the meantime (will try to figure out the Identity Crisis Killer) here are some happy links i found ready! get set! draw! More info about it at: http://www.sketchcrawl.com/ I used to draw. I have the sketchboooks to prove it. They're here somewhere. Really. Darn. Almost There Found at: http://sundialgirl.blogspot.com/ Tentatively set for a June 2005. I don't know if this is the same comic book project that I've been hearing about for the past three or four years. If it is, congrats kids! You're almost there. I Guess We Did Something Right ...

. what a cool job! Michael Chabon is back with a brand-new collection that reinvigorates the stay-up-all-night, edge-of-the seat, fingernail-biting, page-turning tradition of literary short stories, featuring Margaret Atwood, Stephen King, Peter Straub, David Mitchell, Jonathan Lethem, Heidi Julavits, Roddy Doyle, and more! McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories Margaret Atwood- Lusus Naturae David Mitchell- What You Do Not Know You Want Jonathan Lethem- Vivian Relf Ayelet Waldman - Minnow Steve Erickson- Zeroville Stephen King- Lisey and the Madman Jason Roberts - 7C Heidi Julavits- The Miniaturist Roddy Doyle - The Child Daniel Handler - Delmonico Charles D’Ambrosio - The Scheme of Things Poppy Z. Brite - The Devil of Delery Street China Mieville- Reports of Certain Events in London Joyce Carol Oates - The Fabled Light-house at Vi–a del Mar Peter Straub - Mr. Aickman’s Air Rifle

. XXXII 32 is supposedly a magical number. 3 + 2 is a 5. Compounds of 5 (14 and 23) are “usually associated with combinations of Nations and People. If the person representing it holds his own judgment and point of view, it is a very fortunate number. It is favorable when it appears in connection with future events, dates and name numbers.” This is what Astrospeak said about the number 32. Today is Day One of my 32nd year. Will this be a “magical” year for me? Today is Neil Gaiman’s birthday. Neil Gaiman has a cat. T.S. Elliot had a cat. J.R.R. Tolkien had a cat. Maybe if I get a cat for my birthday I will become a great writer. Maybe. I texted July last night. I asked him, “It was a good year, right?” J: Your asking me? ME: Yeah. Well, I think aside from the fact that I didn’t get to do a comic book or an award-winning ad, I think it was a pretty good year. J: Hahaha! Then you can start writing your comic book and award-winning...

. Look who's back... minus his fractal cow Dino Ignacio is back online with a site that's optimized for viewing on a really small screen. Click and bring your magnifying glass, please.

. Found at THE BEAT *** press release*** ST. MARTIN’S PRESS AND BYRON PRIESS VISUAL PUBLICATIONS COME TOGETHER TO CREATE A NEW ANNUAL ANTHOLOGY THE YEAR'S BEST COMICS AND MANGA In the tradition of St. Martin’s venerated anthologies such as the Locus Award- winning The Year¹s Best Science Fiction edited by Gardner Dozois and the World Fantasy Award-winning anthology The Year¹s Best Fantasy and Horror edited by Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link & Gavin Grant, comes The Year¹s Best Graphic Novels, Comics and Manga. Since 2000, graphic novels, comics and manga have been one of the largest growing areas in the book industry. It maintains one of the most diverse readerships -- from fortysomething male superhero fans to girls 14-25 and has been growing annually since its emergence as a mainstream bookstore commodity. More significantly, graphic novels and manga have garnered critical acclaim from every major national publication for such works as Maus, Persepolis and Aki...

. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world." --Pres. Bartlet, WEST WING Well, we haven't really done anything earth-shattering... at least, not yet, but the writers and artists of ALAMAT have not given up telling stories through pictures and words. Circa 1994.From left: Mark Gatela, Budjette Tan, Mr. Manabat's nephew, Arnold Arre, Brandie Tan, Gerry Alanguilan, Whilce Portacio, Ian Orendain, Chris Bernardo, John Toledo, Oliver Pulumbarit and Alex Manabat. Alamat's second major exhibit, held at the Robinsons Galleria. (The first Alamat event was held in Megamall at Gift Gate's MEGA-B-NANG-LAGIM. Does anyone have pictures from that exhibit?) More pictures in Gerry's blog .

. Yesterday, All Saints Day, at Mt. Carmel Church I met Spider-Man. We went there to visit my dad’s grave and attend mass. Brandie and I were eating fishballs at the car park outside when a little boy in a red shirt and baggy green pants approached us. He put on a sad face and begged for money so he could buy some food. I told him that if he kept watch of our car, I’d give him some money after the mass. He looked around to check for something and asked if he could have the money now because the other, bigger kids would just get the money from him. I repeated my offer and said that if he did a good job of protecting our car, I’d give him the money. If our car got stolen, then it meant he didn’t do a good job and I wouldn’t give him any money. The kid smiled and said (in Filipino), “You know what I’d do if someone stole your car? I’d turn into Spider-Man! And I’d swing from the roof of the church and run after them!” He started to pretend he was shooting web fluid from...

the Batch72 gallery Check out my phlog for a mini-gallery of the gang.

. Two weeks ago, Mr. Silva sent out an email concerning one of Globe's services. Below his letter is Emily Abrera's reply. QUEER EYE FOR THE DUMB GLOBE GUYS! By John L. Silva 10/11/2004 12:06:46 PM “How enlightened” I initially thought when I saw the big Globe print ad offering the soundtrack from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. (For the absolutely clueless, “Queer Eye…” is a current American hit show on cable tv about five gay guys redoing a straight slob and making him presentable at the end of each episode.) The print ad uses a cute looking guy having a facial (read: gay) wearing headphones ostensibly listening to the music. There were other offers in the ad. If you text Queer you get a chance to win half a mil. If you text Spot, you get “…daily funny tips on how to spot a queer guy.” I texted Spot, curious to know how Globe spots a queer. The first text I got back was “YOU’LL KNOW HE’S QUEER IF… he recognizes the brand of your expensive, new s...

FRM THE CRAZY IDEA DEPT: Given the chance, I'd get Dolphy and make him star in a sci-fi-sitcom. It would be called... JOHN `N MARTIAN Home Along da Wormhole He'd play this astronaut who goes to the Mars or some oribiting space station. But he loses all his money when he gets there because he gets robbed, so he becomes a squatter in the base. He ends up marrying an alien just go he can have a "green card" to make his stay valid. When the in-laws arrive, chaos and hilarity ensues (well, we hope). All of his sexy starlet co-stars will be dressed in Star Trek mini-skirts... or just green paint. (thanks to Avid for the show's subtitle)

. PANELED PINOY offers diverse viewpoints regarding comics. Some essays are academic papers while some are humorous essays not to be taken that seriously. Wisdom comes from deciding which is which. We will also include invaluable links to those doing online research on comics and bibliographic entries for those looking for published materials (books, journal, newspaper, magazine articles and the like). If you have written essays regarding comics and wish to see them published here, you may submit them through email. We shall evaluate your essays accordingly. If we find you work suitable for posting, we will inform you. Please take note that no monetary compensation is available, all work is pro bono.Please submit your work at paneledpinoy (at) yahoo (dot) com. PANELED PINOY is the project site of Randell Aquino and Gem Gacho. I met Gem a couple of years ago in Cyber Cafe, Galleria (which goes to show that it was a long time ago). She was writing a research paper on Phil...

Saturday Finally finished several meetings here the office. Now if only I have a Saturday gimmick. If only I have money for a Saturday gimmick. Bummer.

. “where’s the fun in that?” From the website of ABONO COMICS Rules are simple. (1) We'll help you, you'll help us, we'll help others, others will help us in return. And we need a lot of help =) (2) No rivalry between members and other group. Peace tayo, slaman lang '_'V (3) wag career-in ang pag-gawa ng komiks, enjoy lang. [don’t make a career in making/creating comic books. Just enjoy it] (4) at tandaan na walang pera sa komiks. [and remember, there is no money to be made in comic books] I don’t really know how to feel about this. I think it’s good to always keep in mind that you should have fun in what you do. Gaiman said as much. But I’d also like to believe that you should have goal in what you do. That we need to have a little optimism that our little comic book scene will eventually boom into a full-blown industry. (I’m beginning to sound like an old man.) Neil Gaiman talks about doing what’s fun: Whenever I do things because I want...

. words found from someone else's blog by now i've seen your face from every possible angle yet for some reason i can't stop staring and though things just kind of flowed and there aren't any exact dates let's just celebrate the day it was clear i loved you

. For those of you going to Comic Quest this week, you might get that strange feeling of traveling back in time when you see Dino Igancio's TOWER OF MISUNDERSTANDING back on the rack. Yup, it's back. And only for P100! For the past year, I've been getting email from people asking where they can buy it. So, I finally got around to delivering copies last Saturday and even Mike was shocked to see mint copies of the book. I remember the first time Dino ever showed us TOWER. It was during a rave party in some warehouse near the Philippine Daily Inquirer. At the car park, Dino brought out his laptop and started the slideshow of TOWER's pages. Ahhh... the great old days.

. FROM THE FWD EMAIL DEPT: 10 Biggest Brain Damaging Habits 1. No Breakfast People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration. 2. Overeating It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power. 3. Smoking It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease. 4. High Sugar consumption Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development. 5. Air Pollution The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency. 6. Sleep Deprivation Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells. 7. Head covered while sleeping Sleeping with the head covered increa...

. THE COLOR OF MONEY The press con happened Monday. The corporate launch was last night. And now the news sites are full of stories / press releases about GLOBE G-CASH . I'm still waiting for the message boards and blogs to start buzzing about it. http://technobiography.blogspot.com was one of the first to start blogging about it. In http://claimingalexandria.blogspot.com/ , Justine talked about paying for her Max Fried Chicken using G-Cash.

. Behind the scenes of the GLOBE G-CASH TV commercial. Just give my phlog a click, please.

. here we go... G-CASH Can you imagine the possibilities? This is going to be great. :-)

:-) 85 DAYS LATER We got the brief for this project way back in July. Cut-to: tomorrow. Tomorrow we launch. We're finally launch it! A service that might just be considered life-changing. And even as we launch PROJECT: SUPERBOWL tomorrow, it does not mean the end of the work but the beginning of a very large campaign (which would hopefully be given to another team as I hope to take a very long break). Names have power, they say. SUPERBOWL definitely felt like the mother of all football games. Our amazing competitors tackled us by launching first, so we had to come back with something bigger and better. At every point, at every stage of the project something would tackle us and take us down, and we hit the ground hard. But everyone just kept standing up and kept running for the goal. (In my case, it was more like dragging myself to the goal.) When we stepped out of the Adboard buidling this afternoon, with permit in hand, my boss got a text from her sis...

. FROM: TRACE issue no. 35 http://www.trace212.com SUNDAY: to some, a day for Jesus or prayer. To others a different god, or even a belief in fundamental rites of passage, of paying tribute to existence—ceremony if you will. In Tokyo there are no churches, only shrines, idols, pop stars, cartoons, and the dreams of obsessed teenage girls believing in defying the social norm of ritual and honor by becoming the rock star images that they see while playing the park. The faith is laid on the forward sidewalk edge of super Tokyo’s capital of fashion: Harajuku . Teenage girls group like a school of fish in a feeding frenzy, the common ground being the arena of Yoyogi Park, an exhibitionist whirlpool and paparazzi showdown. Once inside the beepbopped, heart-throbbed, Hello Kitty freight train phenomenon circle, you are beside yourself. These models are legends in their own lunchbox, as if eclipsing the real world amidst their temple-shrine, involved in the ritual and faith in be...

. HOTELBOY'S LIFE JOURNAL PROJECT I'm starting a project. Every month I will ask people to fill one page with anything and everything that really really really really really matters to them. Not just to fill one's time but something to fill one's life. Parang utot baga, paghindi nailabas ikamamatay mo. If I like it, I will publish it. Promise. Since I'm spending money on this, I am the only judge. Tough shit, but that's life. Fresh, resonant, memorable, with a high level of craftsmaship - these are my criteria. There is no marketing agenda behind this project so if you're looking for a sale this is not the venue for you. I can hook up photographers with models with people with clothes with places with things with whatever I can within my power - but ultimately it is your own production, time and expense. I can only promise a blank page, printing, and getting it out to as many people as I can. I am not looking for consensus nor agreement. If you...

. Saturday. At the office. It's 10:15pm. Haven't had lunch. Waiting. Working. Waiting. Revising. Waiting. I need demand require to take a really really long break after all of this. Please. Saturday nights used to be fun.

:-) REVISING HISTORY Text message from Maricel about her eight year old kid: Joey so funny. He was bored doing a report on Filipino heroes based on what he read. He wanted to change their life stories and invent stuff. Bagong idol nya si Gregerio del Pilar. Bat daw si Rizal ang national hero. Dapat yung idol nya. ( Joey might grow up to become a great spin doctor)

. Ang guitara ni Pammy Baka mas trip ni Pammy ito... Found these in http://www.daisyrock.com/ Made me remember BATCH72. Wonder when we'll see them again.

FINALLY! The last chapter of David Hontiveros' CANTE ISTA is now available in the latest issue of QUESTOR. It's just too bad that QUESTOR EXTREME got cancelled. There were some interesting stories in that book. And Marco's ninja story was supposed to appear there too. Now, I wonder if Questor will compile CANTE ISTA into trade paperback. (thanks to Fero for posting the CANTE ISTA page)

As little as one cup of coffee a day can result in caffeine addiction , according to new research. "Caffeine is the world’s most commonly used stimulant, and it’s cheap and readily available. The latest research demonstrates that when people don’t get their usual dose they can suffer a range of withdrawal symptoms, including headache, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. They may even feel like they have the flu, with nausea and muscle pain." http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=1145562004 Damn! That explains everything. I AM AN ADDICT! DAMN YOU STARBUCKS! DAAAAAMMNNNN YOU!!!

. While four hurricanes hit Florida, seems like a different kind of storm is hitting the team. The projects --and revisions-- just never seem to end. Which is the reason for my not being able to blog and phlog. So in place of my ranting and raving, here's something which I found thanks to the almighty Google. Something Tals used to read during those times in Dredd and Malate. Space by Natalia "Tals" Diaz There is a space Between eyeblinks Between breaths between fingers on a hand Between hands clasped in prayer There is a space Before laughter becomes a sigh, An infinite excitement Within the space of a soul-kiss There is a space Between a devil’s horns And an angel’s wings A space between The slivers of rain And the rays of the sun Between words Between sentences Between chapters And volumes There is a space Between the left and right side Of the brain Before the thought and the action Between today and tomorrow There is...

. It's 1:30 in the morning and I'm supposed to be writing this script but don't really know where to begin. So, I walk around the office and find the July issue of YOUNGSTAR on some A.E.'s desk and flip through it. And who do I find sandwiched in between the articles of rock star Rico Blanco and MTV VJ Sarah Meier? CARLO VERGARA! Branded as a POST MODERN HERO! Naks! Astig!

LOAD 4 LIVE SHOW CEBU CITY — The Internet Café Association of Cebu (ICAC) has discovered a new kind of online pornography which Internet users can pay to gain access to private rooms with naked women through their mobile phones. This has alarmed the group which noted that most of those patronizing the "load-per-view" online live shows are college and high school students around the country who have cellular phones and extra money to spare, said ICAC president Felix Cogal. In the load-per-view online live show, a woman opens a chat room account then turns on her web camera to entice other online chatters. When a number of male users start to chat with the woman, she will then ask them to send her cellphone load so she can start undressing and do lewd shows. Read the complete article at: Manila Bulletin Online. We've also heard stories of traffic cops getting paid-off with prepaid load as well. It's an almost "invisble" transaction. Da...

She was, he said, an aristocratic eighty year old French lady and he loved her with a passion that bordered on the physical. The young receptionist reached for her pen. The called went on to explain that he would be coming to Singapore during the first week in March. And his traveling companion would be arriving a few days earlier. Could arrangements be made to look after the old lady in his absence? Despite her impeccable French pedigree, he said, she was liable on account of her great age to be a touch cantankerous. The receptionist explained that the hotel was always delighted to look after elderly ladies, cantankerous or otherwise. Let’s hope so, the called added. She was the one true love of his life and had survived all three of his marriages. Somewhat taken aback by this demonstration of gallic candour, the girl inquired if the gentleman had any particular suite in mind? Just put her in the garage he said. When she finally arrived, the gleaming 1908 Peugeot quietly excelled all ...

:-) To whoever finally approved the reprinting of this story arc, thank you very much! DOOM PATROL VOL. 2: THE PAINTING THAT ATE PARIS TP Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Richard Case & John Nyberg, Cover by Brian Bolland The long-awaited second collection of superstar writer Grant Morrison's groundbreaking run on DOOM PATROL, this new trade paperback reprints issues #26-34. This collection includes the rise of the legendary Brotherhood of Dada - the only team of super-foes ever strange enough to rival the Doom Patrol itself - as well as the menace of the Decreator and the return of Monsieur Mallah and the Brain from the original Brotherhood of Evil. In addition, THE PAINTING THAT ATE PARIS features never-before-seen character conceptual sketches drawn by Morrison and a new cover by Brian Bolland. On sale Sept 22 / 232pg / FC / $19.95 Way back in 1995 or 96, I was in a comic book convention and got to ask someone in the DC Comics panel if they’d ever re...