Babbling Point

HAPPY BDAY KAJO!!! Just wanted to greet my partner-in-crime and in the dark arts Ka-jo Baldisimo a happy new year. (That's not really Kajo's pic up there, but that was his initial design for Trese.) Considering it's his birthday today, I promise not to bug him about the lettered pages of TRESE #5. (Hopefully, he won't remember that I'm also late in submitting the script of TRESE #6) It was almost a year ago when Kajo texted me, asking if I'd want to do a monthly, 20-page comic book. He said, if I could write it, he'd devote an hour a day to make one page. (At that time, I thought it would impossible to do considering the workload we both faced everyday.) So, we did a little test. I went away from my desk, away from the AEs that were bugging me to finish some print ad, and wrote down a little fight scene. I emailed it to Kajo, who emailed me back after an hour or so. And this is what I received: Yup, originally, Trese was supposed to be a man, a cop named Ant...

Somewhat connected to my last post, here's a speech that was given by Emily Abrera, McCann-Erickson's Chairman-Emeritus about work in the ad agency and creativity in general. THE VALUE OF THE INTANGIBLE by EMILY ABRERA Albert Einstein said, " Imagination is more important than knowledge." Prophetic, even visionary words from a great scientist. Come to think of it, the greatest scientists were so because they had the ability to generate theories… and what are those, if not imagined outcomes? By now, the second day of this forum, and after the tremendous inputs from Mr. Richard Glover, Professor Desmond Hui, and Mr. Baey Yam Keng, I am sure that everyone appreciates and agrees that especially today, creativity drives value. As the world zoomed past the industrial age and entered the Knowledge Era (also called the age of technology and communication), companies soon discovered that technology itself, easy to replicate and prone to early obsolescence, was not the point. ...

MAKING MAGIC Hello Kids! Just wanted to take you behind the scenes on the making of one of our recent TV Commercials was made. The brand is URC's MAGIC CREAMS. We were tasked to communicate to tweens this particular Jack `N Jill snack. One of the insights we had about tweens is that, being in that in-between age, they want to already show the world they're ready for bigger things. They want to be treated like adults, but still want to have fun. They want to do grown-up things, but still don't have that teen-age angst. So, we came up different storylines that followed this insight. We showed our boss several ideas, which got cut down to three ideas, which we still had to revised based on new ways on how to make the stories funnier or more interesting. We had a story of a 10-year old kid trying to impress an 18-year old girl. We also had this story of a boy and girl who always met online in a Ragnarok-type game. Then, there was this one story which was inspired by the Two Chi...

Overheard at Fully Booked, Powerplant This 30-something geek guy with his female companion were looking at some graphic novels. He picked up one of the books and started to lecture his girlfriend. MR. GEEK: See this? This is Iron Man. See the jet boosters on his feet. That's how he flies. He doesn't really have any powers, but he wears this armor. And when he flies into outer space, he turns into a rocket ship. I wanted to pick up the heaviest book in the store and throw it at Mr.Geek and yell at the top of my voice, "Shut up! JUST SHUT UP! You're giving comic book geeks a bad name!!!"

monday / 10:30am / near the entrance of a 7-11 branch There she stood, facing the cement column, cellphone in one hand, a white handerkerchief in the other. She used the white patch of cloth to cover her mouth as she spoke into the phone and also used it to dry her tears. I was rushing to work but I wondered what it was all about. Some piece of news that couldn't wait. Some words that just needed to be said. Some tears that just needed to be shed.

and the band played on Art by REINARD SANTOS For the uninitiated (a phrase I picked up from Chris Claremont), Reinard is the creator / artist of SUPER BUBOY. He has also illustrated several childnren's books which has been a constant on the shelves of bookstores. Reinard is also one of our art directors here at Harrison Communications and co-created the Globe Gizmo kids, along with Ian Sta. Maria. Quite recently Reinard has decided to flex his artistic muscles and has started to draw something non-ad related everyday. It's his little exercise of doing, doodling something quick, something that he wants to do, something that wasn't dictated by a Job Order. The Batch72 pin-up you see above was something he did the other day. It would really be great to see a B72 adventure drawn by Reinard, as well as other adventures that might be drawn by Ian and Kajo. It's just that the band hasn't been talking to me for quite sometime time. These days, it's Alexandra Trese who t...

sweet, smelly nothings We see a Guy and Girl coming out of Misson:Impossible 3. Girl leans against Guy, holds his hand and says, "Honey, can I go to your place and take a dump?" Guy looks at Girl, not so sure how to reply to her request. Guy finally says, "Wow. That's got to be the most romantic thing you've ever told me." (overheard at the Greenbelt 3 movie theater last Sunday)

LET'S BURN THE MAPS. Let's get lost. Let's turn right when we should turn left. Let's read fewer car ads and more travel ads. Let's not be back in ten minutes. Let's hold out until the next rest stop. Let's eat when hungry. Let's drink when thirsty. Let's break routines, but not make a routine of it. LET'S MOTOR.™ This is the copy for the MINI “Let’s Motor” campaign. The creatives who created this campaign said they weren’t just writing copy on how great it would be to own a Mini, they were writing a manifesto, a way of life for people who drive a Mini. I just love how the copy has rhythm, how it just flows and rolls off the tongue, how it just wants you to go out and drive and just keep driving. Makes me also wish I could write copy like that. More wonderful copy ads can be found at: http://www.libraryofmotoring.info/miniprintads.html

welcome to wawi's wonderland Follow the white rabbit down to Wawi's photostream where she recently posted her work for CANDY magazine. It was actually a very non-CANDY looking lay-out. It was also quite refreshing to see a fashion spread lay-out done that way, especially for a magazine lifke CANDY. Check out more of Wawi's McKean-esque photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wawinavarroza/

JLIan's Ian Sta. Maria's revamped BLUE BEETLE design recently got featured in the PROJECT: ROOFTOP blog. Below are his designs for Dr. Fate and Booster Gold that didn't get featured. Check out the other redesigned heroes at: http://www.tencentticker.com/projectrooftop/

ANOTHER BRIGHT IDEA I was trying sleep when Brandie came into the room because he wanted to bounce off ideas about his new campaign. His story was about how Great Taste instant coffee tastes as good as brewed coffee or as great as espresso. I hid under the blanket and told him to go away. He proceeded to tell his storyboard anyway. It was supposed to star Leo Martinez and another lady and they were supposed to be husband and wife. A classy, rich neighbor came over to visit and asked for espresso. Leo Martinez’s wife wanted to impress the society girl neighbor and told her husband to make espresso. Leo Martinez then runs into the kitchen and starts to mix the Great Taste in a cup of hot water while imitating the sounds of an espresso machine. Of course, like most commercials, we have the “happy ending” where the product saves the day because it tastes so good… in this case, tastes like espresso. By this time, I had sat up and started to pitch ideas on how to make the commercial funnier....

LET'S HELP SAVE SALLY CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE "SAVING SALLY" MOVIE TRAILER / MUSIC VIDEO While everyone's been working on their little Xeroxed comic books and graphic novels, Avid Liongoren has decided to take the MirrorMask-route and release his story in the form of a movie. When I first read the script, I told him it would make a great graphic novel. He shook his head and said wrote the story with the intention of telling it through film. Well, one can definitelty argue with the creator. So, please do take a look at the movie trailer/music video featuring Sandwich's song "Back to Center". (You might want to take a Bonamin after the video, but it's still a kick-ass video. ASTIG!!!)

TRESE 4 (now online) Since it might take several weeks before we can get TRESE back in Comic Quest, I've uploaded the complete story at: http://tresekomix.blogspot.com/2006/04/trese-4-complete-story.html Just helping you fulfill your summer reading requirement :) Enjoy! On a side note, I recently found an proposal I sent to Marvel back in 1999. It was pitch for a new mini-series under their MARVEL KNIGHTS imprint. It's interesting how much of TRESE was based on that story, where I used several B-grade heroes and villians and even included twins who wore masks. Just goes to show that sometimes, a rejected idea can become the source of your next material.

TRESE: OUR SECRET CONSTELLATION, reviewed by Ruel de Vera in Sunday Inquirer Magazine The best work yet from Alamat founder Tan, this moody mini-comic series starts out smart and gets even smarter. Investigator Alexandra Trese, holder of the supernatural secrets of the city as passed down from her grandfather, helps the local cops by tracking down the magical misdeeds with the help of her wickedly cool bodyguards, adroitly furnished by Baldisimo. The previous issues dealt with catchy ideas like tikbalang in a drag race, but this superlative issues, grisly murders lead to an unexpected interpretation of an iconic figure. (RUEL DE VERA, Sunday Inquirer Magazine, April 9, 2006) Since TRESE #3 has been declared as required reading for the summer by the Sunday Inquirer, let me help you fulfill this requirement. I’ve uploaded the complete third issue at the TRESE site . ***** As a bonus, I’ve also uploaded preview pages of the fourth issue, TRESE: THE TRAGIC CASE OF DR. BURGOS , which shoul...

She's Ze Man! Not only does Zsazsa Zaturnnah have a Wikipedia entry , s/he's now material for tsimis in the showbiz section of the Inquirer. (So Carl, how does this all feel? hehehe ) Search for Zsa Zsa Z http://news.inq7.net/entertainment/index.php?index=1&story_id=70855 The movie version of “Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah,” the comic book, was reportedly acquired by Regal—and Mark Meily has been tapped to direct it. According to the grapevine, the lead role, which was played by Eula Valdez onstage, is a toss-up between “Ako Legal Wife” co-stars Zsa Zsa Padilla and Rufa Mae Quinto. Quinto supposedly has the edge because she also played a campy superheroine in Viva’s “Super B.” So how is this going to be decided? With a tape measure?

WE HAVE SITES TO SHOW YOU Sorry. Work load crazy. Overloaded. Not much chance to write / think / blog / breath. So, let me re-direct you to some interesting reading materials and pretty pics. Adam and Marco just read and reviewed Arnold Arre's ANDONG AGIMAT. I've read it as well. Might take awhile for me to write a review. But if you liked MYTHOLOGY CLASS and want to see it's darker, grittier side, then you should pick up ANDONG AGIMAT. I just uploaded three new /old movie reviews by David Hontiveros at his blog: http://iguana5legs.blogspot.com/ ADOBO MAGAZINE is now online! Reporting on the latest about the Philippine advertising industry, as well as what's happening in the region. http://www.adobomagazine.com/ Jeremy Arambulo did the great art for Dean's HOLLOW GIRL in Siglo:Passion. More of his art can now be seen at: http://jeremyarambulo.com/ One Day in Ongpin is my Flickr'd report of the time I spent in between set-ups of a TV commercial shoot we did la...

HEADLINE: WHAT'S MORE DISTURBING IS, THIS REALLY HAPPPENS. COPY: STOP THE KILLING AND EATING OF CATS. CALL 475-1688 ------------------------------------------------------- Client: PAWS Philippine Animal Welfare Society Agency: JWT Manila CD: Dave Ferrer Writer: Tin Sanchez Art Directors: Brandie Tan, Javey Villones Illustrators: Jun San Juan, Javey Villones See the rest of this print campaign at: http://phlog.net/user/Brandie ASTIG! Seems like my little brother has created another great campaign!!!

eto na ang pagkakataon di kailangan hintayin ang bagong taon ngayon at ngayon din sa takdang araw na ito simulan na ang mga pagbabago nasa iyo ang lakas simulan ang pag-aklas humakbang palayo mula sa mga bisyong napakasarap pagkaabalahan ang pagtambayan na walang hanggang ang mga tsimisang walang nahahantungan humakbang palayo mula sa iyong matinding pagkagalit sa iyong walang pagmamalasakit simulan na ang pag-aklas simulan na ang personal na rebulosyon nasa iyo ang lakas nasa iyo ang solusyon ngayon at ngayon din humakbang palayo sa mga bagay-bagay na wala namang saysay nasa iyo ang lakas upang mapalapit sa matamis na tagumpay sa minimithing mas magandang buhay. Above are the words that were supposed to be in a TV commercial, but my boss didn’t go for it. I remembered them after seeing all the things that happened today, after remembering all the things that happened 20 years ago.

Ces in WonderCon (PHOTO: Grant Morrison and Cecille Cabangon at Isotope Comics) Cecille is now stationed at the city where people have a tendency of leaving their hearts. She's supposedly there to study, but decided to skip school on her first week and attend the WonderCon. Her report on the talks given by J.J. Abrams, Kevin Smith, and Frank Miller can be read at... http://news.inq7.net/lifestyle/index.php?index=1&story_id=66962 More of Ces' pictures at the WonderCon can be viewed at... http://delirium81.multiply.com/photos/album/2

We Are Giants There's the latest commercial from Globe made by the fun-loving guys here at Harrison Communications . Reinard Santos , the art director, was the one who came up with main idea for this ad. Mervin Ignacio wrote the copy. Directed by Jun Reyes. SFX was done here in Manila by Unitel; additional SFX were done in Digit Digit in Hing Kong.