Getting Comic

A couple of months ago, I saw the first issue of Kwentillion in a bookstore, a magazine featuring young adult literature pieces and an anthology of original short comic stories. Featuring familiar names of comic artists I have come to respect, I immediately bought my copy. It was a milestone in the publication industry, and I truly hope this first issue will not be the last. Also last week, I finally saw the premiere issue of Trese, the detective/horror/crime comic series I have always meant to begin reading but couldn't find the first issue in the bookstores I usually visit. Maybe I haven't been looking well enough, but needless to say, it was an important buy and just in time for the coming convention I will attend this June.

These recent buys made me remember the feature I wrote two years ago during my internship. I just did a man on the street interview with the comic artists present during the Comic-con last May 2011 and got fortunate that I got to talk to some of the biggest names in the industry.

---

Artists share their two cents on the local comics scene

May 2011

What many popular culture historians dubbed as the Philippine comics industry’s Golden Age has been since decades ago. However, the local comics scene is gaining momentum once more due in part to the recognition of the craft of Pinoy artists abroad working for popular international publishers, but more so due to the rich pool of talent of our local artists.

Despite competition from their foreign (and immensely more prevalent) counterparts, as well as from other forms of entertainment, our komikeros continue to create comic stories that are closer to home. They continue to tell stories about our culture, about our own dreams, about ourselves.

Three of these Pinoy comic writers and artists gave a few words about their craft and their advice to the hopefuls.

Going for it

Photo by Alea Gomez

Budjette Tan describes himself as a “copywriter by day, comic book writer by night.” He is the writer behind the comic series Alamat, Batch 72, and Underpass.

Collecting comic books since grade school, Tan has always dreamed to be in the comics industry. His latest project is Trese, a horror/crime comic series, with Kajo Baldisimo (Alamat, Defuser, Starwars) as the artist. Trese, according to Tan, is his most favorite work so far. “People seem to be happy with it, and I am, too,” he said.

As a writer, Tan would like to work with artists like Carlo Vergara (Zsazsa Zaturnnah), Gerry Alanguilan (Wasted, ELMER), and all the many Pinoy artists here and in the United States. He dreams of writing more stories “that can reach more people here in the country and the world.”

The Filipino talent in comics is undeniable. For Tan, aspiring artists should not be discouraged. “Whether writing or drawing, nothing should stop them. We're in the best time now to create comics. You can self-publish them online as webcomics, or have them photocopied. There are no excuses,” he advised.

For more of Budjette Tan’s work, visit tresekomix.blogspot.com.

Keeping it humble

Photo by Alea Gomez

Gilbert Monsanto is an illustrator noted for his work in Hazard, Hellcop, and the 2003 revival of Darna, among others.

Monsanto’s latest endeavor is the comic series Bayan Knights. For him, it is the most remarkable work in his career as a comic artist, both in its goal of pioneering the superhero comic scene in the country and of helping fellow Filipino artists.

Bayan Knights is a comic book project featuring the superheroes created by artists from an online art community. By publishing these characters, the artists’ works become copyrighted and protected.

Despite already being an accomplished artist, Monsanto strives to be better by creating more memorable characters “at makatulong sa bagong mga comic artists tulad ng ginagawa ko ngayon sa Bayan Knights (and helping new comic artists like what I’ve been doing in Bayan Knights).”

Monsanto has been inspired by the comics since childhood, and has worked his way up to become a top caliber artist of the country. He advised aspiring illustrators to go out and discover the art as well as people. “(Dapat silang) makakilala ng mga taong makakatulong sa kanila. (They should get to know people who can help them.) Go for people they can work with, at hindi lang sarili (and not work by themselves alone),” Monsanto said.

For more of Gilbert Monsanto’s work, visit bayanknights.com

Taking it to greater heights

Gerry Alanguilan is another prolific Pinoy comic artist who created Wasted, Johnny Balbona, Humanis Rex!, and ELMER, among others. He also worked in DC Comics and Marvel in the United States.

Unlike the two previous artists, Alanguilan did not consider being a comic artist when he was still a kid. According to him, he had many various dreams, but “drawing comics was a hobby for a long time. Hindi ako naniwala na pwede akong maging comic artist. (I did not believe that I could be a comic artist.)” He held the profession in high regard since childhood and believed that “magagaling na tao lang ang pwedeng maging comic artist. (Only outstanding people can become comic artists.)”

As proven by his numerous accomplishments in the field, he has become an outstanding artist himself and has made a name as one of the top Pinoy comic artists of this generation. This may be attributed to his relentless drive to create better works.

 Even with a lot of achievements to his credit, Alanguilan says, “Hindi pa ‘ko masaya. Hindi pa ako kuntento. (I’m not yet happy. I’m not yet satisfied.) Even if I’m happy with my previous works, gusto kong gumawa ng mas maganda pa (I want to create something better). I keep moving on.”

This attitude is what he wants to share to young hopeful artists. “You can’t afford to be half-hearted. Either bigay na bigay or wag na lang. (Either you give it your all or none at all),” Alanguilan added.

For more of Gerry Alanguilan’s work, visit komikero.com.

---
I wish I could write a more in-depth piece on this topic, if circumstances permit. Anyhow, I'm excited for the coming con!

Isdaan: Fresh fish, bamboo huts and bridges, and the Tacsiyapo Wall

In the town of Gerona, Tarlac is a unique restaurant aptly called Isdaan. Also known for the Tacsiyapo Wall, it boasts of theme park-like statues, a vast fish pond over which nipa huts connected by bamboo bridges serve as the dining areas.

Giant fish statues welcomes visitors and diners

From the entrance visitors are welcomed with giant fish statues, life-sized figures of a security guard and even of former President Joseph Estrada. In fact, the whole place is filled with a curious hodgepodge of various enormous statues—from the Buddhist-inspired monuments, Aztec-looking sculptures, different dinosaurs, monkeys and other sorts of stone giants.

However, what sets Isdaan apart from other dining places is its being a floating restaurant. Below and between the nipa huts is the fish pond where hundreds of brightly-colored carps and other fish swim about. Once settled, diners are given free fish food that can be fed to the fish while waiting for the food to be served. Isdaan also has roaming musikeros in groups of three who sing and even dance for the customers’ entertainment. For a tip, visitors can even request for songs, and the musikeros, dressed in coordinating outfits, would pull the performance off accompanied by a guitarist.

Musikeros sing while you wait
(Photo by Dawn Fabrero)

Isdaan offers a wide array of Filipino cuisine dishes, and the menu is made up of the usual fare of adobo, bulalo, and inihaw dishes among others, to meals with playful-sounding names such as “Pinaputok sa Dahon,” “Inapoy na Hipon,” and “Chicken na Ginataan with the Magic Dahon Flavor.”

Curious about the how the magic dahon tasted, my companions and I ordered the latter, plus lumpiang bukid, rice and a bilao of fried seafood which included, tilapia, hipon, tahong, bangus, tawilis, alimasag, and a dish of finely diced green mango, bagoong, and whole boiled tomatoes at the center of the bilao. The seafood was delectable and fresh, and the uniquely Filipino setting was unmistakable. The chicken with the magic dahon flavor was also surprisingly tasty because of the combination of coconut milk, ginger, and the sweetness coming from the banana leaf.

The floating restaurant concept of Isdaan is both an advantage and a disadvantage. For the most part, the ambiance is unique and the floating huts above the water added more the dining experience. However, because the areas are a little far apart from each other, the service crew members are a little inefficient when it comes to taking orders and responding to the customers’ requests. It was a good thing that there were many things to be preoccupied with while waiting for the extra bottled water or following-up the order for a side dish that wasn’t served.

Hit the wall. The Tacsiyapo Wall.

(Photo by Dawn Fabrero)

To cap the Isdaan experience off, visitors queue up for a chance to use the Tacsiyapo Wall. Coined from the Northern Luzon term for “Shame on you!” the Tacsiyapo Wall is famous for allowing visitors to vent out their anger by hurling mugs and plates (and even vases and wall clocks) to the wall for a price. Inscribed with issues Pinoys are usually frustrated about such as “5/6,” “Mother/Father-in-law,” “Ex-boyfriend/girlfriend,” “Taksil,” “Intrigera/Tsimosa,” “Boss, Managers, Supervisors,” and many others, the predominantly red wall had become battered and cracked over years of cathartic shouts of “Tacsiyapo!” and throws from customers.

Within Isdaan is also a store where visitors can buy pasalubong such as fresh goat milk, carabao pastillas, and quesong puti.

Indeed, visitors can come to Isdaan not just to simply eat authentic Filipino cuisine but enjoy the ambiance and the setting quite unlike what can be usually found in the Metro.

Carvajal Street Market: More than what meets the eye

Situated between two towering buildings along Juan Luna Street and some meters worth of walk from the Binondo Church is Carvajal Street, a quaint alley barely three meters wide. Nestled between a bank on the left-hand side and a Western-style fast food restaurant on the other, Carvajal Street is one of the go-to places in Binondo for quick food finds and a unique Chinatown experience.

The unique and busy alley of Binondo's Carvajal Street. (Photo from here)

Unless one specifically looks for it, this street closed to vehicular traffic is barely noticeable to an unobservant eye. However, even heavy rains cannot prohibit a plethora of pedestrians, buyers, and sellers from coming and going to and from the street.

According to Ivan ManDy of Old Manila Walks Tour, Carvajal Street was first called “Ho-Sua-Hang,” which means “umbrella alley” in Fookien, during the days when the main product traded in the place were umbrellas.

Drivers of pedicabs and kuliglig (sidecars powered by motors used for fishing boats) call on to passers-by, code-switching between Filipino and a handy dose of Chinese. Strong-built men go about the street, carrying stacks of boxes on their shoulders while Chinese-looking mothers usher their children, still clad in their school uniforms, in and out of the shops.

Roderick Manansala, a resident of Binondo for twenty years and a seller at Carvajal Street, recalls that there were drug stores first before food became the primary attraction of the alley. Today, the street is lined with wet market-like stalls and eateries, among many others.

Upon entering the street, a vivid display of colors welcomes potential customers. The walls are lined with cases heaping with fruits of various kinds not usually seen in regular supermarkets and groceries. On both sides, green and red apples, plump mangosteens, cherries, kiwis, pears, lemons, exquisite-looking dragonfruits, lychees, huge watermelons, papayas, and watermelons are sold by vendors who, unlike in most wet markets, do not beset the customers with unsolicited offers and remarks.

A fruity feast for the eyes.

Carvajal Street's selection of gastronomic delights welcomes visitors and "suki" alike

Alongside the fruit stalls, other establishments can be found showing how the residents and proprietors at Carvajal Street succeeded in mixing modernity with traditional practices, most notable of which are the drug stores. On one side of the street is the usual kind, gleaming in white light with stern-looking pharmacists. On the other side are traditional Chinese ones with cabinets of bottles filled with herbs and curious-looking concoctions, giving off a slightly pungent smell.

One of these is the Lui Chuon Tong Chinese drug store, which its manager Bonita Uy claims to be the original drug store in Carvajal Street. “We’ve been here for 60 years,” said Uy in her heavily-lilted English. Visitors who wish to buy authentic and traditional Chinese medicines are sure to find what they’re looking for in shops like Lui Chuon Tong.

There are also vendors selling meat, poultry, and fish displayed casually on low tables beside air-conditioned meat shops with glass doors, uniformed crew, and big signage. There are also travel agencies, side-by-side optical shops, bookstores, health clinics, and “convenience stores” which sell Chinese figurines and knick-knacks visitors can buy as souvenirs.

Going further inside, one can attest to Carvajal Street’s claim as an all-in-one stop in Binondo, especially for food adventurers. Hole-in-the-wall stores offer both Chinese and Filipino delicacies, both for those on the go and those who wish to stay and eat inside the shops. Some stores sell Chinese street food and some sell Pinoy rice cakes such as suman, bibingka, and sapin-sapin.

A Chinatown must-have: Siopao in various colors, sizes, and flavors

In the middle of this cultural fusion are restaurants and eateries that serve quick and delectable meals for people dropping by in Carvajal Street. Rita’s Native Food-Lutong Bahay offers Pinoy favorites such as sinigang, menudo, adobo, and dinuguan, among others. Quick Snack, on the other hand, has a wide array of Chinese dishes. For as low as 70 to a couple of hundred pesos, foodies can try the sumptuous noodle dishes, dumplings, fresh spring rolls (or lumpia), and an assortment of Chinese cakes.

Towards Yuchengco Street to the other end of the street market are stalls selling vegetables neatly lined on wooden trays. It is noticeable, however, that unlike in usual wet markets, vendors in Carvajal Street do not put price labels on their products. Selling a kilo of apples at P100 and a kilo of cherries for P600, they must be trying not to baffle newcomers with the price of their goods.

While the products at Carvajal Street aren’t the cheapest, a stroll in this unique alley is a must-do while in Binondo. The assortment of sights and sounds, the hodgepodge of Filipino-Chinese culture and cuisine in such close proximity behind the unimposing façade can disarm both natives and tourists alike.

Manila is special because Rizal is my hero

Written for J195:

------

As part of the country’s celebration of the national hero’s sesquicentennial birth anniversary this year, over 200 participants tasted some of Jose Rizal’s known favourite foods and revisited some of the most historically significant landmarks in Metro Manila.

On the morning of May 20, the Department of Tourism launched the tourism campaign honoring Jose Rizal. It featured a heritage trail to the places in the Philippines where he had set foot on, as well as a special breakfast capturing the tastes from more than a century ago. The itinerary was not fancy, but the places were memorable because they have stood witness to the significant moments of our history.

The program of the heritage trail launch and the pasaporte for Lakbay Rizal @ 150

The most obvious landmark is of course the dutifully-guarded Rizal monument at the Luneta Park, visited not only by Filipinos but even by foreign tourists as well. That morning, a bunch of Koreans were huddled in front of the Park. There was also the improved Rizal Lights and Sound Museum that aimed to bring to life the last moments of Rizal with life-size statues.

For a Filipino who hasn’t visited the Rizal Shrine at Fort Bonifacio, the Hispanic-themed museum was by far the most interesting. The Shrine houses some of the most treasured Rizaliana relics such as some of the clothes he wore displayed in glass cases and permanently stained with time. The walls and the floors were filled with his writings—both from his personal letters and journals, and from his published literary masterpieces.

Probably what caused the most “oohs” from the visiting crowd was the display of a spinal bone of Rizal which a bullet from the firing squad pierced through. It was to me, a concrete and physiological evidence that the national hero was, indeed, a human like all of us—extraordinary, yes, but human.

Unlike other thematic tours, the Lakbay Rizal @150 offers gastronomical treat to the participants with a special buffet of the national hero’s favourite food. As the tour guide explained the bases for selecting a dish to be included in the menu, everybody experienced the tastes Rizal favoured himself during his time. There was the starchy but flavorful pancit miki Maria Clara and Tiya Isabel from Noli me Tangere prepared for Ibarra. There was also the famous tinola with papaya that aggravated Padre Damaso after he was purposedly served with the scrawny neck part of the chicken in El Filibusterismo. There were also sardenas seca tuyo, itlog na pula, and adobo Rizal spoke of in his letters to his family.

To cap the sumptuous meal was a cup of hot rich and bittersweet tsokolate e. As opposed to the bland tsokolate a (with “a” standing for “agua”), tsokolate e was described in Noli as a drink served only for important people, mostly the friars.

The iconic monument of the National Hero at Rizal Park
(Photo from here)

The tour also included a visit to Intamuros, particularly to the Rizaliana sites such as the original location of the Ateneo where Rizal studied and the location of the court where he was tried and sentenced. Ultimately, the last place to be visited was the circular Paco Park where Rizal was unceremoniously buried after he was executed by the firing squad.

The thematic tour all over the Philippines includes a total of around 25 spots. I like history as much as discovering new things, and tracing Rizal’s steps from Laguna to Pampanga to Zamboanga seems like a great adventure waiting to be had.