Babbling Point

I found an old journal entry, the year I turned 30, where I was sulking about how I wished that I was going to celebrate my birthday with a book launch – a comic book launch! Of 100-page comic book! In full-color! Which, of course, didn’t happen because I had not written a single page of said comic book. Which reminded me of the joke about the guy who kept going to mass every Sunday to pray to God to make him win the lotto. One Sunday, he was so frustrated, he yelled, “Dear God! Give me a break! Let me win the lotto! Please!” And God finally said, “Give ME a break and go buy a lotto ticket!” So, kids, the lesson here is you gotta go out and buy your own lotto ticket -- or maybe the better lesson here is -- you have work hard to make your own luck. On my bookshelf now sits the first three Trese books and a copy of Underpass . (I guess the universe heard my birthday wish and granted it seven years later and didn’t exactly get all the details right, but I’m not really complaining.) Aside...

I got this in the mail a couple of weeks ago. It still feels great to receive snail mail; to see a package on your desk with stamps from far away countries, to wonder what might be inside the envelope and hope it's not a bomb or an ancient curse passed on to you. KARAVAN is literary magazine published in Sweden. One of their writers thought of doing a shirt review about Trese and here it is: Many thanks to Anna Gustafsson Chen, who originally reviewed TRESE in her blog: http://baodaobooks.blogspot.com/2009/08/trese-gothic-horror-fast-fran.html KARAVAN http://www.karavan.se/ a literary magazine that travels between cultures

It's somewhat strange yet wonderful to see Neil Gaiman on stage with Amanda Palmer and to see supers crawl on the bottom of the screen to explain to you that she's "Neil Gaiman's girlfriend". Which sounds like a high schoolish thing to do. Grade school, even. Also great to know how he keeps himself busy; how he seems to be moving from medium to medium, genre to genre (now that he's writing non-fiction). And how he looks so happy (and somewhat tired). Was fun to hang out with the Dream King again. Thanks to RAZOR.TV http://www.razor.tv/ for uploading all these videos! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Welcome to Volume 1 of KOMIX 7107! This online comic book anthology features... The complete first issue of SKYWORLD. http://komix7107.blogspot.com/2009/11/skyworld-apocrypha.html Preview pages of THE FILIPINO HEROES LEAGUE. http://komix7107.blogspot.com/2009/11/filipino-heroes-league-preview-pages.html The complete story of THE LAST DATU, a project that me and Kajo worked on before Trese http://komix7107.blogspot.com/2009/11/last-datu-lawanas-story.html We have a lot of stories to tell. Give them a read. Tell us what you think. Come back for more! KOMIX 7107 is a launch pad We hope that the stories we tell in this site will take flight; that the creators of these stories be inspired to keep writing and drawing and that their works find new readers out there. We hope to tell, not just 1,001 stories, but to tell 7,107 tales. And just in case we do reach that seemingly impossible number, we’d like to tell 7,107 more. KOMIX 7107 is a laboratory This is also the placed where we’ll also try...

custom munny by JAN CALLEJA http://www.flickr.com/photos/30677525@N07/ These are one-of-a-kind customized dolls commissioned by Brandie. A sort of early birthday gift for me. :-) But don't you worry, we're now trying to figure out how to mass produce these babies.

As of this writing TRESE: MASS MURDERS is now available in Comic Odyssey. It will be available in bookstores and other comic book shops by next week and will be available nationwide by the end of November. While you wait for it to arrive in a store near you, here's a preview of the first chapter of the book. Enjoy! TRESE: MASS MURDERS 15-page preview More diabolical treats for you! TRESE: The Devil's Playground http://tresekomix.blogspot.com/2009/10/trese-devils-playground.html TRESE: Masquerade (preview pages) http://tresekomix.blogspot.com/2009/10/trese-gone-rogue.html More TRESE art from Kajo: http://exhibit13.blogspot.com/search/label/Kajo

PAGE 1 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 Happy Halloween! This TRESE story was put together by the one-man production crew of Melvin Arciaga. I first met Melvin online at DeviantArt. He sent me a message, asking permission to cosplay Trese. I said yes and half-expected to see pictures of a girl wearing a trenchcoat taken in some dark alley. The pictures and scenes that Melvin later sent me just blew me away. (CLICK THIS LINK TO SEE THE PIX) Couple of months ago, Melvin told me he'd like to do a four-page fumetti story featuring TRESE. He also made one request: his nephew Prince, a big Trese fan, wanted to appear in the story as an aswang. How could I say no to, probably, Trese's youngest fan. (Actually, he's a fan of the Kambal, according to Melvin.) Anyway, this is just practice for Melvin, who's now gearing up to do a 200-page fumetti for his thesis. We've seen the preview art/pix and it looks great! Hope to eventually see that epic in some future Komikon! Photographed and pro...

While you're all patiently waiting for TRESE: MASS MURDERS and UNDERPASS to be delivered to a bookstore near you, might I direct your attention to the lady black. In the month's issue of ROGUE (with the bewitching Ornus Cadness on the cover) you will find a brand new, 6-page TRESE mystery. Kajo was busy working on Book3 and The Clinic when we got this assignment, so I was lucky enough to track down and dig up Mark Torres from his underground lair and convinced him to do this story with him. Mark had done a Trese pin-up before and we collaborated on another horror story (which has yet to see print), so I thought I already knew what kind of pages to expect from him. You can image how blown away I was when he started to email me these pages featuring his new art style. Aside from the Trese story, the issue also feature six haunted spots in Manila, as well as more pictures of Ms.Cadness. The October issue of ROGUE is now available in bookstores and magazine shops everywhere. See...

During the 2005 Komikon, we launched the very first issue of TRESE. We sold that Xeroxed edition of TRESE: AT THE INTERSECTION OF BALETE AND 13TH STREET for P30. Six hours after the gates of the Komikon had opened, we had already sold out all the copies of TRESE. I excitedly texted family and friends that my comic book was sold out. Great! Wonderful! Congrats! How many copies did you sell?, they all asked. I replied : 50 copies! In the recently concluded 2009 Komikon, we launched TRESE: MASS MURDERS. Two hours after the gates had opened, we had already sold all the copies. I leaned over to Ella of Visprint to ask how many copies did they bring. 180 copies, she replied. That did not even include all the copies of TRESE Book1 & 2 that were sold. So, if my 2009-version traveled back to talk to my 2005-version and told him we’d sell almost 1,000 copies in a single day, I would’ve probably told him he was insane! Which would not have been surprising considering this whole TRESE experie...

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