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National (Comic) Book Store

National Book Store, Greenbelt 1 now has a bin filled with P25 comic books and trade paperbacks that range from P150 to P200. I don’t know if they’re got the same type of comic book bin in the other National Book Stores, but if they do, it might just usher in a new batch of comic book writers and artists.

Back in the 80s, National had a lot of badly reprinted Marvel and DC Comics. But the great thing was, they brought in a whole bunch of British and European comic magazines and graphic novels. They must have bought it from some wholesale bargain bin, because we ended up with issues of WARRIOR and TRIDENT, which contained the early works of Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and Neil Gaiman. We were also able to get Mobius graphic novels and some odd numbered, water-damaged issues of AKIRA and THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS.

Now that I think about it, National Book Store didn’t offer a single issue of manga.

I still have a theory that the reason the 80s kids didn’t get into their whole draw like manga and anime is because Marcos cancelled all the so-called violent Japanese robot anime and we ended up with “Care Bares” and “The Smurfs”. With the cancellation of those 80s anime, manga never got a foothold on the local comic book reading market. So, we ended up digesting all those Western comic books. (Of course, the opening of stores like Comic Quest and Filbar’s in the late-80s helped mold us into Marvel Zombies and DC Disciples.)

If you go to National Book Store now, the comic book bin contains a mix of DC Comics, Dark Horse, Milestone, Wildstorm, and Shonen Jump. Add to the fact that kids today are collecting all those P80 “true Filipino ghost stories”, I can only hope this will result to some really interesting, never-before-seen Filipino comic books and graphic novels.

POLYSACCHARIDE: The Dollhouse Drama
a solo black & white photography exhibit
by WAWI NAVARROZA
at BLACKSOUP PROJECT ARTSPACE
June 11 to July 12

BlackSoup is at Shop 61, Shoe Expo, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City. Call them at 439-8838 for more info.

See more of Wawi's photography at:
http://darkelfmanila.com/Gallery4.htm

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Congratulations Harrison!



EMAIL FROM: TEENY GONZALES, Executive Creative Director, Harrison Communications

Last night, at the Creative Guild's Ad of the Year Awards, both McCann and Harrison made a fantastic showing. First, for craftsmanship, the BIOGESIC "GRADUATION" PRINT won BEST IN COPY. Then it was followed by McCann's SONY "REINFORCEMENTS" that got the BEST ART DIRECTION and BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARDS.

That was just the appetizer. Later, Harrison's PDI CANNES LION PRINT SERIES won the SILVER FOR PRINT CAMPAIGN and for TV, McCann's COKE "BEAT GAME" got the GOLD for TV CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR.

Then came the best part. SONY "REINFROCEMENTS" got the SILVER for TV then our very own BIOGESIC was announced PRINT AD OF THE YEAR 2004.

Congratulations are in order for the the teams that made the award-winning ads:

PDI CANNES LION SERIES
RUSS MOLINA - CD
SABEL GAMBOA - CD
JULY MALANTIC - AD
DAN MATUTINA - AD
LOU BOGNOT - BUD
SINTA ROSALES - AE
AYN MONSERRATE - TRAFFIC
MEO REMALANTE - PRINT PROD

BIOGESIC "GRADUATION"
SONAM MEHRA - CD
NANNI AGUILAR - ACD/AD
JE DE ASAS - COPY (best in copy 'yan!)
TEY SAN DIEGO - BUD
YVONNE SALCEDO - AE
MONICA MORELOS - AE
YOLLY LIBAN - TRAFFIC

Unfortunately, Sonam and Nanni are now both in other countries but if anyone knows their email or knows how to get in touch with them, please do let them know of this wonderful news.

We have been officially accredited as a 4A's member last June 1. I'm looking forward to the next awards night where they will call us HARRISON and everyone will know our name.

Congrats uli! :-)

Teeny

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It's Clobberin' Time!

Last Sunday, after lunch, I went back to room and was planning to go to sleep when my cellphone rang. Caller ID told me it was: Moy&Dunds. I answered and Dundee said,"Hey! What you doing?"

"Well, I was about to go to sleep and..."

"Wait, Tim wants to talk to you."

Tim? Their five year old son wanted to talk to me? Tim' s my godson, actually.

On the other end, I could hear Moy and Dundee say, "Go ahead! Tell Tito Budj what you told us. Go on!"

"Hello? Hi?" said Tim.

But before I could say hello, Tim dropped the phone.

Liam, their 10-year old son, picked it up.

"Hi there!" he greeted me. "Do you have eleven?"

I didn't know how to answer his question.

"Number eleven," Liam clarified. "Number eleven of Fantastic Four?"

And I immediately realized what he was talking about. During Moy and Dundee's last wedding anniversary, I gave them the complete run of Marvel Knights "4" series. The other day, Liam and Tim saw their dad reading it and they started to read it as well and came to a stop when they finished reading #10 and couldn't find #11.

I promised Liam that I'd look for #11 and bring it out their house. And then, one-by-one, the kids said goodbye; Liam first, then Tim, and finally little Nina.

So, that cancelled all my plans to go to sleep.

To my dismay, I could not find my Marvel Knights "4" #11 anywhere in my room! (I did find a lot of back issues of other titles which the kids might like.) So, if anyone out there spots a #11 i the back issue bins, please do tell me and help make two kids (and their father) very happy.

It's interesting to note that it was Dundee who got me collecting in the first place. We've been friends since grade school and he was the one who gave me UNCANNY X-MEN #188 and 189 during my birthday. And that started to it all. During the summer, Dunds and the guys would usually come to the house and borrow my comic books. Now his kids are borrowing / asking comic books from me.

It's nice to know that some things never change.