Babbling Point

It's going to be a bloody Sunday at the Komikon! Join us for the launch of TRESE: MASS MURDERS at the Komikon 2009, Oct 18, Sunday, Megatrade Hall . 12 midnight at Metro Manila. Try to remain calm if you suddenly spot a tikbalang speeding down EDSA or a manananggal swooping across the Makati skyline. While partying at the Fort, never ever let the enkanto at the bar buy you a drink. Yet, there are deadlier things than walk the streets of this city. One of them now demands blood and sacrifice. When crime takes a turn for a weird, the police call Trese. TRESE: MASS MURDERS contains the following: Case 9: A Private Retaliation Case 10: Patient 414 in Mandaluyong Case 11: The Fort Bonifacio Massacre Case 12: The Baptism of Alexandra Trese Case 13: An Act of War This book has an introduction by Mark Gatela, who was my co-writer in that horror radio show "The World of the Unknown". Mark was the one who thought of the name Anton Trese, so I thought it was only appropriate for Mar...

The Universe was created in seven days. It took Ian and Mervin two years to finish this corner of Skyworld. Let us all pray to Bathala that it doesn’t take them another two years to finish the third and last book of this epic tale. I must emphasize that the creation of this tome required the summoning of god-like powers; wherein time was carved out of their impossibly busy workdays. Like heroes on some noble quest, there were days (and nights) when they had to forego sleep just to reach their destination. And I must say, the two years was worth the wait. And let us all pray to Bathala that … oh wait, I already said that. Of course, this issue holds a special place in my heart since this is the first time Trese and the Kambal crossed-over to another graphic novel. As kids, we’d have a geekgasm whenever superheroes from different teams would team-up. And our heads would just explode when Marvel and DC finally started doing company-wide-cross-overs. So, it was during one of those drunken ...

You are invited to take a trip to the other side and come face to face with your most horrible nightmares, your deepest secrets, your greatest fears. Follow the path down to the Underpass. THE SIM by Gerry Alanguilan What do you do when you find a cellphone SIM card? Do you try to find out who used to own and try to return it? Do you keep it and use it for your own? What do you do when you start receiving mysterious messages from the previous owner? KATUMBAS by David Hontiveros and Ian Sta. Maria When lost souls and wayward demons wreak havoc in our world, the Goddess of Death send her immortal warrior to set things right. His name is Kadasig. JUDAS KISS by David Hontiveros, Budjette Tan, and Oliver Pulumbarit In a secluded house in the hills of Antipolo, Peter hides a secret. He has murdered his wife and brother and buried them in the garden. Peter is about to discover that the phantoms of his past hold an even more terrible secret. THE CLINIC by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo Up-and...

Last Saturday, we were able to get our advanced copies of TRESE: MASS MURDERS from Visprint. Aside from our personal copies, we were also given the copies for the 48 people who prepaid for it at the Manila Book Fair. So, me and Kajo signed and doodled on those books-- which should be arriving at your doorstep on or before Friday. (I found it interesting that out of the 48 who prepaid, more than half were women.) Thank you very much to the 48! Hope you like it a lot and enjoy the extra treat we've slipped in the book. And as far as the rest of you are concerned... the book will be launched at the Komikon, Oct 18, Megatrade Hall! See you there!!!

meanwhile... at Powerbooks-Philippine Star Supreme Ideas Alive Seminar... i babbled about... Trese, comic books, and the importance of a strong, unique idea http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofw0h4z2hN8 my babbling continues... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGAR4Q920wY I shared the stage with Jomike Tejido, creator of the Foldabots and Robotars. Jomike's talk was more organized and fun and he didn't babble. Powerbooks-Philippine Star Supreme Ideas Alive: Jomike Tejido on Foldabots http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYrTpQx8LxA Jomike Tejido on Robotars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb4zhXD8UH8 Thanks to Jan Vincent Ong for organizing the IDEAS ALIVE seminar. And many thanks to Supreme Philippine Star, Powerbooks, K-Zone, and Jack N Jill Pretzels. And I would like to thanks Bruno's for my hair and nobody for my make-up.

Ideas Alive! A seminar and workshop on how to be a media creator. Speakers : comic book creators Budjette Tan & Kajo Balidismo (TRESE) and art entrepreneur Jomike Tejido (FOLDABOTS) A talk on how to make your creations come alive in different mediums. Your ideas don’t have to be boxed in one medium. Don’t just be a comic book creator or a toy inventor-- be a media creator! Powerbooks, SM Megamall October 10, 2009, Saturday, 3 – 5 pm Sponsored by The Philippine Star, SUPREME, K-Zone, Jack N Jill Pretzels, and Powerbooks

Text RED (the amount you'd like to donate) and send it  to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart) You can donate P5, P10,P50, P100, P300. So, if you want to donate P100 just text: RED 100 and send it to 2899 or 4483 And here are other ways to donate to the Red Cross http://www.redcross.org.ph/Site/PNRC/wtd.aspx Heal the Philippines: How to join the relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Ondoy http://site.globe.com.ph/web/guest/how-to-join-the-relief-efforts-for-victims-of-typhoon-ondoy?sid=2a4f32n9x1mx91254855111304

ART BY PHILIP TAN. Artist of FINAL CRISIS:REVELATIONS, GREEN LANTERN, BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE OUTSIDERS ART BY LEINIL YU. Artist of ULTIMATE AVENGERS, SECRET INVASION, WOLVERINE, UNCANNY X-MEN, SUPERMAN BIRTHRIGHT ART BY EDGAR TADEO. Inker of NEW MUTANTS, X-MEN: WORLDS APART, X-MEN: LEGACY, WOLVERINE

"...the true measure of a people's strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive. "...every time we've measured our capacity to meet a challenge we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for heroes. We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for heroes and we reach for the stars." The West Wing "20 Hours in America: Part II" Season 4 Below are links to the Inquirer's special report / tribute to the ordinary people suddenly became heroes during those crucial hours when Ondoy flooded our cities. Click on the links to read the complete articles. THERE was a cry for help they answered. There was a need and they responded. They braved murky waters, drained their own resources and kept working despite exhaustion. And they want nothing in return – not publicity, not recognition. Super pays tribute to these real-life heroes. We can all learn a...

A Hero’s Thoughts by Kevin Smith No toll, No price, No loss greater than This: One of Our Own. No smoke, No flames, No challenge greater than this: To maintain hope. No oath, No pledge, No Vow greater than this: To never give up. Here is the story of Muelmar Magallanes, 18 years old, who rescued 30 people from the floods caused by Typhoon Ondoy and died trying to save more. CLICK THE LINK: http://www.theage.com.au/world/philippine-man-loses-own-life-after-saving-dozens-from-floods-20090928-g8o4.html Here's how you can help the Typhoon Ondoy Victims in the Philippines http://www.google.com/landing/typhoon-ondoy.htm You can also donate via the UN World Food Programme https://www.wfp.org/donate/ondoy The quick way to help the people affected by ONDOY is to donate to the Red Cross via text. Text RED (the amount you'd like to donate) and send it to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart) You can donate P5, P10,P50, P100, P300. So, if you want to donate P100, just text: RED 100 and send it t...

Hosted by Kevin Smith, with guests Jason Lee, Stan Lee, Mark Hamill and JJ Abrams. DINNER FOR FIVE was show conceptualized and hosted by Jon Favreau. My cousin Oliver gave me a copy of the first season. I lent it to someone and now I don't remember who has it. Thank God for YouTube and I was able to find this episode where Kevin Smith played guest-host of the show. I like the format of the show. It's very informal. Not the usual host behind the desk and the guest is seated on the couch. I think more interesting stories are told over food and drinks. The guests end up talking about things they wouldn't normally mention during an interview. Ever since I saw this show, I thought it would great to replicate it locally. I have seen some local shows attempt something like this, but somehow it doesn't come off as interesting. I think what makes DINNER FOR FIVE work well is the editing. They've chosen all of the good parts of the conversation and edited out the boring part...

No... no... this is not the latest incarnation of the Justice League. This is a picture of me and Kajo at the Visprint booth at the recent Manila International Book Fair. (Thanks to Wella for taking the pic) And before you ask, "Who's that character beside Gloomy Kambal?" ... let me tell you that that's Bob Ong. I meant ... that's Bob Ong's KAPITAN SINO character. (Now that I look at all these characters together, it might be a bad idea to do a "marvel team-up" starring all of them. Maybe we can do that next year.) Anyway, we just wanted to say thank you to every one who dropped by the Visprint booth while we were there. Thanks to every one who pre-paid for Book 3. Thank you for being so excited and for being so patient. We're just putting the finishing touches to it right now. The Book Fair also gave us the chance to sit and chat with Alan "Girl Trouble" Navarra , David "Penumbra" Hontiveros , Carlo "Ang Kagilagilalas n...

GOOD NEWS! The MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR aka MIBF is happening this week! September 16-20, 2009 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City http://www.manilabookfair.com/ GOOD NEWS! Visprint will have a booth at the MIBF. http://visprintpub.blogspot.com/ BAD NEWS :-( Trese Book3 will NOT be available at the MIBF. (sorry!) GREAT NEWS! You can pre-order Book3 “TRESE: MASS MURDERS” at the MIBF! We’ll deliver your autographed copy free of charge*, 1 week before the book's commercial release! You’ll even get the chance to win an original Trese artwork from Kajo Baldisimo. You can also pre-order these upcoming Visprint books: CRASH, a Not Quite Unreal sequel , by Carlos Malvar 12 , by Manix Abrera MECHANICS: 1. Promo applies to Metro Manila addresses only*. 2. Advanced order and payments should be made during the MIBF. 3. Promo forms available at the Visprint booth. See you at the Book Fair!

Aren't they just adorable! (Of course, if you're aswang then you better start running because they're cute guns will blow your aswang-ass away!) These Munny KAMBAL were designed and created by Jan Calleja . Jan is part of BLACKMATTER CUSTOMS. Read more about them at: http://theblackmatter.blogspot.com/ Many thanks to Brandie , who commissioned Jan to do these pieces. Wait... I sense a question in your mind... ... and the answer is, YES! There is Munny TRESE in the works. Stay tuned!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1riOyA5WQw THE AGENCY BOARD This board is the effect of eating too much Magic Coated, which is a chocolate cracker with chocolate cream filling and ... wait for it... and it's coated in more chocolate!!! The effect is you get a board that's just to crazy to produce! (And way too expensive, if we were really going to animate all those characters using different animation techniques) Thankfully, Direk Avid showed us the way and gave it a twist-ending that made it more funny! THE DIRECTOR'S BOARD Credits Client: Jack N Jill, URC Product: Magic Coated Agency: Harrison Communications Creative Team: Alex Arellano, Budjette Tan, Sunny Dumayas, Jay Pangilinan, Mark Pahate, Louie Aquino, Bonsai Fojas, El Lorenzo Accounts: Maricel Pangilinan-Arenas, Monday Gonzalez, Jello Tan-Goloy, Ethel Diño Producer: Krischelo Delgado & Bambi Gonzales Production House: Straight Shooters Director: Avid Liongoren LP: Chris Esguerra...

These days, it's interesting how you post something on your Facebook, Twitter or Plurk and even at 2 in the morning, someone will reply to you. Which made me ask the question, before all of this came online, what were we doing at 2AM? And they answered... BLUE EAGLET: There are naughty answers to that... and then there are geeky answers like mine--reading. Haha JPANGILINAN: nothing good happens after 2 am GIZOPHRENIA: staring at space Gavin_E_Hoh: talking to each other face to face at some cafe or roadside stall? Gavin_E_Hoh: some do ... But they're sitting there sms-ing someone else. Or at least that's what one sees in KL psychoCOW: we'd rent out like a dozen VHS tapes and have movie marathons. Or get plastered. Or both. jovefrancisco: reading comic books, watching tv, listening to music and eating. Merlinda Betorin: sleeping our hearts out... Telly Arce: reading books Krischelo Delgado: why, WORKING, of course! Erica Kaiserin: Watching tv or movies on CD... After midn...

You can vote by going to: http://www.komikon.org/ If you're a member of DeviantArt, you can vote at: http://komikon.deviantart.com/ Or you can do it the old fashion way and fill up VOTING BALLOTS at: Comic Odyssey •Robinson’s Place, Level 3 Ermita,Manila •Robinson’s Galleria, Level 3 Expansion Mall,Edsa cor. Ortigas Comic Quest •Lower Ground Floor Bldg. A, SM Megamall •2nd Floor Main Bldg., SM City North Edsa

You can thank your stars all you want but I'll always be the lucky one Tell me something When I'm 'bout to lose control How do you patiently hold My hand And gently calm me down? Tell me something When you sing and when you laugh Why do I always photograph My heart Flyin way above the clouds? You can thank your stars all you want but I'll always be the lucky one "Your Universe", Rico Blanco

Congratulations to the organizers of the first METRO COMIC-CON! From out side of the conventional hall, everything was pulled off without a hitch. (I think the only untoward incident of the event was when Chez Fidelino's Powerbook was stolen from the Sputnik Comics booth .) Thanks to everyone who bought copies of TRESE. Thanks to the ones who already had copies but decided to buy new ones because they forgot their copies at home and they really, really wanted us to vandalize their mint condition copies of Trese. It was great to finally meet the people we originally met online, especially the ones we’ve met on DeviantArt. Thanks to everyone who also got the Trese Amulettes (and to everyone who laughed at my joke about the amulettes having magical powers – yes, I know only two of you laughed, but I kept telling that joke anyway). If you were not able to get any Trese Amulettes, we’re planning to make them available soon. Just give Ronnie and Ceres time to make more. (Yes, each one is...

THE MAGICIAN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z0_pWHkr2E THE ASSISTANT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC_zYqH9b8c THE STAGEHAND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yat3oPmOmxI THE DATE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg4iAkUx-oo 21st Philippine Ad Congress TVC http://www.adcon.com.ph/ (article from the adcon website) Fitting with the theme of this year’s Philippine Ad Congress (PAC), Perspectives, the PAC has called upon four of the industry’s top directors to come together for a historic collaboration. Each director takes on the perspective of a single character on the night of a mysterious magic act. Henry Frejas , director of Nescafe’s “Home/Batanes,” Nestle Cream’s “The Offering,” and McDonald’s “Simbang Gabi,” tells the story as seen through the eyes of the Magician; Sid Maderazo , director of the C2 Green Tea TVC’s, the Coke “Beat Game” commercial and the Roadrunner short film “Power,” takes another view of the events on stage through the Assistant’s eyes; Carlo Directo , director of th...