Take a walk on the wild side: Mervin Malonzo's excellent horror graphic novel -- Tabi Po

Take a walk on the wild side: Tabi Po

by rick olivares

Have you ever met anyone who would dispel the fear of ghosts or the supernatural by admonishing, “Beware of the living.”

True. All too true. Now what if those things that frighten us are not only alive but also looked just like you and me and lived among us?

That is the premise of Mervin Malonzo’s Tabi Po where he deconstructs the myth of the aswang by giving them human form instead of the frightening monsters told by our elders during our youth. Malonzo places them in the midst of everyday life in the province and makes them absolutely chilling.

During Studio Salimbal’s “Let’s Talk About Comics”, a free wheeling discussion about the trade and where the industry is headed last April 6 at Fullybooked Bonifacio High Street, there was buzz about the book.

I had also heard about the book from friends. “If there is one book that you buy from the Komikon,” said Norby Ela, “get Tabi Po. You won’t regret it.”

I had only learned of it recently and resisted taking an online peek not when the first printed version would be released during Komikon that was a few days away. I didn’t want my reading pleasure curtailed.

And so that was my introduction to Malonzo’s work. And after spending part of the evening reading it, all I can say is, Tabi Po is the new 30 Days of Night (Steve Niles’ and Ben Templesmith’s excellent version of vampires in a story that is absolutely frightening).

Tabi Po tells the story of the mysterious Elias who wakes up in the middle of a tree in a forest with no recollection of who he is or what he’s supposed to do. All he knows is that he is haunted by a vision of a woman and at the same time has this maddening and overriding craving for human flesh. Elias then meets Tasyo and Sabel who are like him but have been around much longer. As they help him come to grips with his life as an immortal, they move into a nearby town with faked identities and where they have access to a steady supply of victims.

Malonzo’s painted art is like what you’d see in galleries where idyllic scenes from provincial life -- “buhay bukid” if you will – or even a bygone era abound. And that is what makes it even more visually arresting – savage even -- when monsters are placed in the midst of all this serenity. When it’s feeding time, the blood and gore rip apart all notions of peace and safety.

There are religious undertones and the way Tasyo and Sabel are illustrated, they look like nightmarish version of Jesus and Mother Mary/Maria Clara. When they take refuge in a rectory or even attend Holy Mass, that further shatters whatever illusions of safety and sanctity there is. Then your mind races to the first few pages when Elias finds work in a carnival; a place that is supposedly fun and where you can cast your cares away on thrilling and fun rides. So now you ask, is there nothing sacred left? 

But that is exactly what Malonzo is trying tell with Tabi Po. It takes you out of your comfort zone and what we all supposedly know about aswangs and blows it all away. That it is written in the Filipino makes it all the more “biting” (pun intended).

The book is daring. It jars you, disturbs you a bit (well, that depends on your comfort zone), and leaves you thinking about the story and certain images. They stick to your mind. And that is what a darn good story is supposed to leave you.

Whether you believed in Filipino folklore or not, you said, “tabi tabi po” when you passed by a punso. You know, just to be on the safe side. After reading Tabi Po (that is easily a classic-in-the-making, a must-have in anyone’s collection, a winner, and a story that begs for cinematic treatment), you wonder if the aswang who in the days of our youth only came out at night is that man at the corner who eyes you as if you were prey.

Tabi tabi po.

 

With TABI PO creator Mervin Malozno at the Summer Komikon.

Rodski Patotski is a Level 60

Rodski Patotski is a Level 60

by rick olivares

At the end of the animated film Ratatouille, disgraced film critic Anton Ego casts smiles at Chef Remy and says, “Surprise me.” It caps off a film that is – to borrow the New York Times’ A.O. Scott – “a flawless piece of popular art.”

That feeling of gleeful satisfaction of reading a gem and holding a treasured one at that in my hands is what I felt after putting down Rodski Patotski by Gerry Alanguilan and Arnold Arre.

I have known Gerry since our immediate days after college and have been privy to a creative genius who has bucked what we deem is popular and gone about become a master storyteller on his own terms.

Only Gerry can write and illustrate stories about a deranged lovelorn man (that is a homage to his original indie comics line, Deranged Comics), bold stars, chicken, and now, a super genius of a young girl who builds weapons of a mass destruction then discovers the hunger pangs of the heart.

Rodski Patotski was launched last Saturday, April 12 at the Summer Komikon. In a nutshell, the 100-page graphic novel tells of a young lady who is blessed or maybe even cursed with a genius-level intellect that is used by the military to create a WMD while neighbors believe her gifts to be from the devil. In spite of her Einstein-esque brain, she’s still emotionally immature but that all changes as she gets older and falls in love.

As always, Gerry’s stories reflect the world he lives in. The on-going dispute regarding the Spratly Islands with the Chinese crops up; hence the need for a WMD as a deterrent. The gossipy nature of Filipinos rears its ugly head. And for long time comic fanboys like me, as much as Rodski is a paean to his wife, Ilyn, and a homage to the works of his father-in-law who also created a story for and about his wife, the comic character is also in my opinion a tribute to a heroine of our youth -- a Filipina Kitty Pryde (in some ways it also reminds me of Marco Dimaano’s Angel Ace that I enjoyed as well).

During those years when we used to hang out at my apartment in Cubao or Gerry’s place near UST, we oft talked of our favorite comics and creating comics (and life in general too). One of our common interests was our love for Chris Claremont’s sterling run on Uncanny X-Men that we grew up following. Pryde, then the youngest X-Man was extremely smart and quick on her head but when it came to more practical matters, she showed her age. Pryde was a fun character and so is Rodski whose moods change as quickly as the minutes tick away. When she dispatches the “oriental” navy that threatens the country’s security, I was thinking, “Akira!” Yet Rodski even in her more bratty moments is hilarious. She is dreamy and when she lets her hair down, is reflective; revealing a deeper and more passionate person underneath.

It is amazing to be able to write from a youngster’s point of view and both Gerry and Arnold seamlessly depict a young girl in that all-important age of growing up. More so with how the dialogue switches from English to Filipino to Tag-lish. It doesn’t read contrived at all making the book perfect.

And because of Rodski I want to like pistachio ice cream.

Regarding the diverse palette of Alanguilan’s comics, I can only compare him to Terry Moore and Craig Thompson who have both given us time and again a different milieu with every serving. But to give sole credit to Alanguilan for the terrific graphic novel that is Rodski Patotski is to damn Arnold Arre with faint praise.

Rodski Patotski is easily Arre’s best work. And I believe that. I’ve followed his work from The Mythology Class to Private Iris to Martial Law Babies and the evolution of his storytelling has grown by leaps and bounds. In Rodski Patotski, there is obvious love to the craft and the story in each and every panel. One of Arre’s strengths is his ability to convey a variety of emotions and he makes every page of Rodski fun to look at and spend long minutes taking in the beautiful artwork and those gorgeous colors. Oh, to have those original pages especially page 21 where you see “the evolution of Rodski” that breaks the chapters and page 22 where she is in scuba gear.

Rodski Patotski is a charming and read. Unlike Gerry’s Wasted and Elmer that you had to wait for some time to read the entire series, this time you get the whole story that you should finish in one sitting. It leaves you with a smile and after all that is how you should finish reading a comic book or a graphic novel (or a book or a film or a new album by your favorite band for that matter).

And in the end justifies Alanguilan’s dream of creating his own characters rather than expanding on the legacies of others because he and Arnold Arre just brought to life, one more memorable character that I would mind seeing again.

Surprise me again, guys.

With old friend and Rodski Patotski writer Gerry Alanguilan

 

With the uber talented Arnold Arre

Got back copies of The Elementals & Marada The She-Wolf

One of the magazines I read as a youngster was Epic Illustrated. That was Marvel Comics’ answer to Heavy Metal. While the latter was more graphic in terms of sex or even gore, the former told better stories.

The previously unexpurgated Cholly and Flytrap (that seemed so lame when collected later on for Radical Comics) was subversive. That was my introduction to the artwork of Arthur Suydam.

They had the Sacred and the Profane by Dean Motter and Ken Steacy that was about extraterrestrial colonization with the Church playing a big role as they did during the voyages of discovery during the colonization era. Only now, Earth people were colonizing alien cultures. Amazing and highly imaginative story that was ahead of its time.

It had Young Cerebus by David Sim.

There was Rick Veitch’s Abraxas and the Earthman about a man abducted by space-borne whalers and hunts for the monstrous space whale Abraxas.

And there was Alan Zelentz and Charles Vess’ The Raven Banner; a story of Marvel’s Asgard but dealt with a young Asgardian who carried the Raven Banner to war. This story was my introduction to Vess’ artwork that I have loved and tried to collect since. I was able to get the graphic novel but have since lost it to calamity.

And there was another favorite, Marada The She-Wolf by Chris Claremont and John Bolton. This was Claremont’s answer to Red Sonja with gorgeous painted art by John Bolton. My only grip is that Claremont never did learn to give different voices to different characters he wrote. Marada The She-Wolf for all its sword and sorcery, it’s dialogue read like a conversation between Charles Xavier, Kitty Pryde, Storm, and Wolverine. That in my opinion prevent me from totally enjoying the series. Nevertheless, I also got the graphic novel. I just purchased a better copy from My Comic Shop replacing the one I have lost to a typhoon.

I have since gotten the collected Cholly and Flytrap from Radical. A new copy of Marada. The Raven Banner is proving tough to get. And hopefully, I can get The Sacred and the Profane soon.

In recent months, I have been buying back comics that I used to have and loved as a kid. I got the Captain America Omnibus, Madbomb that saw the return of Jack Kirby to Marvel where he not only drew but also wrote Cap stories during the American Bicentennial.

I also got the first trade paperback of Bill Willingham’s The Elementals. This, along with Mike Baron’s and Steve Rude’s Nexus from First Comics where titles that always drew my attention because they seemed so different from anything that Marvel and DC were doing. There were only two stories in Manila then that sold The Elementals – Filbar’s, but they only ordered like less than five copies, and this shop whose name escapes me but it was in Greenhills and the books were pricier than your average Marvel/DC title. I never did get them until much later.

But I am happy getting back parts and pieces of my younger days.

On James Robinson's and Paul Smith's The Golden Age

This was one of those series that was a sleeper hit. Being a long-time fan of the Justice Society of America, it was a no-brainer to pick up this limited series by James Robinson and Paul Smith. Previously, the JSA made a come back via the 10-issue limited series (by Len Strazewski and the late Mike Parobeck) and short-lived regular series that followed. With a dearth of JSA stories, I had to pick this up. At this time of this release -- 1993 -- I didn't know Robinson as a comic book creator. I knew only of Smith as he pencilled the X-Men, Nexus, and Leave It To Chance.

From the very first issue it was obvious that this one was going to be a darn good yarn. It might owe it's inspiration to Alan Moore's Watchmen but The Golden Age mines the JSA's rich history especially when it comes to its wartime villains who survive in a different form during peace time only to arise as a later threat. Robinson obviously knew his history and treated the characters with love and respect. I loved it so that I picked up his excellent Starman that remains to this day one of my favorite comic books of all time.  

Robinson juggled a huge cast and was able to give every one time in the sun without the story and the pacing feeling contrived. From book to book, the tension builds until Armageddon time when it is revealed who the real villain is. It's a surprise that no one will see coming. The final battle that is waged has the feel of the last issue of Crisis On Infinite Earths when every hero throws themselves into the fray without regard to their well being. Needless to say, the death toll is appalling. 

Paul Smith does arguably his best work on The Golden Age. I don't recall if any of the four books came out late as Smith is notorious for missing deadlines. But for a story this good, perfection is all there is.

Aside from the single issues in prestige format, I also got The Golden Age in tradepaperback. I lost all of them to Typhoon Ondoy. DC Comics came out with another trade paperback version but this time it was labeled as "JSA". 

Like my Green Arrow The Longbow Hunters entry in this blog, I wanted to get the originals. So I ordered the four single issues of The Golden Age that arrived from the United States last Friday (all in near mint condition).

After losing my stuff to Ondoy and selling my collection that I had not taken care of owing to my time abroad, I am in the process of getting books and issues that I loved all these years. I am no longer the completist where I must have every single issue of a certain title. I know have rationally decided to just collect and keep my favorite stories.

And The Golden Age is one of them. 

Lan Medina’s having a ball drawing Aquaman and comics

Lan Medina’s having a ball drawing Aquaman and comics

by rick olivares

There was no rock star feel to the arrival of Rolando “Lan” Medina in the Comic Odyssey branch at Fullybooked, Promenade for the signing of the first issue of Aquaman and The Others. It wasn’t like the royalty feel of Leinil Yu or Stephen Segovia or the other Filipino artists currently taking the comic book industry by storm.

Medina looked very unobtrusive in jeans, a white t-shirt, and a grey baseball cap. He sat down, fished out some signing pens and began autographing the books laid out in front of him. While he was asked to pose for photos, he obliged but later admitted to being terribly shy about it.

He didn’t say much -- “kaya siguro nagging artist ako at hindi writer,” he opined.

And why not? This is a man who prefers to let his work do the talking.

In the afterword of Fables #1 (published by Vertigo Comics in July of 2002), creator Bill Willingham wrote, “You’ve already seen a full issue’s worth of Lan Medina’s amazing artwork – deftly aided and abetted by Steve Leialoha’s masterful inking and Sherilyn van Valenburgh’s colors. When Fables quickly takes its place among your short list of “must have” books every month, most of the credit (and glory) will go to them.”

Fables did make it to my “must have” list but aside from Fables’ hype, I tried out the book due to Willingham, who I first read in The Elementals, and Medina, who I first saw in Image Comics’ Aria a few months earlier.

Aria: Midsummer’s Spell (published March of 2002) was my introduction to Medina. At that time, another Filipino artist, Jay Anacleto, had put his stamp on Aria with his lushly painted work. When there were other fill-in artists for the book, I got upset because not only were they radical departures from what Anacleto established but they were in my opinion unfit for the book. Lan Medina appeased my anger with his artwork that – at least for Aria – reminded me of English artist, John Bolton.

When I mentioned this to Medina, he felt embarrassed to be mentioned in the same sentence as Bolton who worked with Chris Claremont on Marada, the She-Wolf for Epic Illustrated, Neil Gaiman on The Books of Magic, and Clive Barker on Hellraiser among many others.

His first inclination at illustration was from his father Segundo, who was a draftsman who drew schematics for carpentry and some such. However, it was only when he saw the work of Larry Alcala, Tony DeZuniga, and Mars Ravelo among others did he become inspired to really take up comic book illustration.

When Fil-American artist Whilce Portacio made his triumphant return to the Philippines in 1992 after his breakout runs on The Punisher, X-Factor, and Uncanny X-Men, Medina was one of the artists who was invited to become a part of a burgeoning studio being run out of New Manila. The studio was meant to provide artwork to American publishers.

Medina helped Portacio on art chores for X-Factor, Stone, and eventually Aria (I also picked up his second Aria series, The Uses of Enchantment). He went on to work on projects for Marvel, DC, and Image that included the X-Men, Iron Man and Batman to name a few. “Parang panaginip,” he broadly smiled. “Enjoy talaga lalo na comics fan ako.”

For all the superhero fare he has done, it is with Fables where he achieved popularity.

While Medina didn’t stay too long as he only penciled the first story arc (#1-5), I felt he set the tone and look of the book that was hyped to be the “next Sandman”.

“Salamat at ganun ang pananaw mo sa trabaho ko,” he sheepishly said.

While he has amassed quite a body of work, he admitted that his favorite character to draw is Batman. “Gusto ko yung grim and gritty stories,” he admitted. “Bagay kay Batman.”

While there aren’t any penciling jobs open for the Caped Crusader, he is happy to be concentrating on Aquaman and the Others -- that was released internationally last April 2 – at least for the first five issues.

Several dozens of fans were on hand to ask him to sign the new DC book as well as his past works. He signed and drew sketches for more than three hours straight without taking a break.

It isn’t too often that he agrees to do signing events as he’s busy with work. According to his wife, Mayette, it took a while to set this one up. With the release of the second Aquaman title, the timing seemed just right.

Harvey Tolibao, another young Filipino artist who has drawn books ranging from Star Wars (for Dark Horse) to Green Arrow (DC) to the Silver Surfer (Marvel) among many others, is in attendance. “Today, fanboy ako,” he quipped as he asked Medina to sign his copy of Aquaman as well as to do a quick sketch on a small notebook that has all these other famous artists chipping in their own ink.

Medina continued to broadly smile. “Enjoy to!” he later admitted about the event.

Behind the table where Medina sat were three sketches – one, of Snow White from Fables, and two characters from Aquaman and The Others: Ya’wara and Prisoner of War. Fanboys gush over the Ya’wara and Snow White art. The female form is something Medina does so well. In fact, his Facebook Fan Page posts many of his commissioned sketches. “Si Mars Ravelo yung inspiration ko,” Darna. Sino ba hindi nagging fan ni Darna?” he said of the famous Filipino artist and the local answer to Wonder Woman.

After the guest appearance at Comic Odyssey, it was his turn to revert to the comic book fanboy. The second Captain America film was on his itinerary.

“Hindi to trabaho,” he summed up about his two decade-long career in comics. “Kasi nage-enjoy ako.”

Unlikely titles I enjoy reading: She-Hulk, Thor God of Thunder etc

What do I enjoy reading today? As in really enjoy reading? None of the heavy stuff for sure that weighs me down.

And there are three unlikely Marvel titles. 

Thor God of Thunder - Norse Mythology has always been at the center of this character and Jason Aaron makes the best use of that since Walt Simonson was on Thor. Love Essad Ribic's art that sure has come a long long way. But the genius behind this story is Aaron. He perpetuates the myth and legend of Thor but at the same time shows him to be a beer-guzzling Viking and a womanizing deil-may-care god. 

Ms. Marvel - It's not just the diversity about this title -- a Muslim lead character -- but the manner in which it is told and the artwork. I didn't think I'd enjoy it because it looks like a girl's book but I do. And that leads me to the next. Solid writing and terrific artwork. This is a title that you don't mind is late as long as they deliver.

She-Hulk - Is one of the four quirky titles in Marvel's line-up. Hawkeye and Daredevil are two. She-Hulk is the other (Silver Surfer is the third). What I like about this book is the book has the feel of a lawyer's story who is incidentally a super-hero. Charles Soule and Javier Pulido take the "super" out of the hero and manage to make it fun, insightful, and one you can't wait for. Hawkeye has lost steam with it's seemingly interminable track suit draculas story and how it has become old that Clint Barton is some down on his luck hero who is a bum. Hopefully that won't happen with She Hulk. Soule has brought in Patsy Walker (Hellcat) in a supporting cast role and her character that sounds a little more psychotic creates all sorts of intriguing possibilities.

For the indies, theres…

The Mysterious Strangers. This book is like a time warp. It has that vibe that I got reading Alan Moore's great and unfinished "1963" mini-series or even The Untold Tales of Spider-Man. 

Image has a pair of books that I eagerly look forward to: Manifest Destiny, a re-telling of the historic Lewis and Clarke expedition, and The Mercenary Sea that reminds me of Serenity except its on a submarine in the days before World War II.