Happiness is a Funny Animal

The title of the article is a homage to Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts book, Happiness is a Warm Puppy.

Happiness is a Funny Animal

by rick olivares

“Learn to laugh at your troubles and you'll never run out of things to laugh at.”

The late Walt Kelly wrote that in the pages of Pogo, that satirical comic strip of modern day living as told through the eyes of its anthropomorphic funny animal characters. And for as long as people have done comics, this art form has stayed with us in one form or another.

And the sons and daughters of Pogo, Peanuts, and Calvin and Hobbes are alive and well in the pages of Philippine comics today.

There’s Robert Magnuson’s Hero Kitten, Elbert Or’s Bakemono High, and Carlo San Juan’s Callous Comics to name a few. It would be easy to dismiss funny animal strips as “kids’ stuff” or “whimsical” but Ariel Dorfman and Armand Mattelart wrote in How to Read Donald Duck (published in 1971) that cartoon animals are “exempt from the vicissitudes of history and politics and are a convenient symbol of a world beyond socio-economic realities. And the animal characters can represent ordinary humans.”

However, not all comic strips like that present slices of life. Sometimes, they are what they are – merely children’s stories. Meant to entertain or even teach and communicate good values.

These stories make the local comic scene well rounded because superhero, horror, or romance fare isn’t for everyone.

Here’s a sampling of some of the good stuff out there.

Hero Kitten (OMF Literature/Hiyas)

Good Morning Dog’s world is rocked when Professor Flores brings home a wandering kitten from the rain-soaked streets of Marikina. Who said that man cannot have two best friends? It’s a story of friendship and youthful mischief. Did curiosity kill the cat? Nope, it just got Hero Kitten into more adventures.

What I look forward in Magnuson’s work is how – as of the cliffhanger ending to “A Sinking Feeling”, the free comic given away during Free Comic Book Day – is how this story could be moving into unchartered country with the scheming eyes of one kontrabida kat in the house next door. I don’t expect Magnuson to go into Ren and Stimpy country because that would greatly change the tone of Hero Kitten but I look forward to a little light-hearted villainy because that can teach a few more things to kids.

Bakemono High (K-Zone magazine)

Trese’s Budjette Tan would sign my comics with “You don’t have to be afraid of the dark.” And Elbert Or’s fun Bakemono High (“bakemono” is Japanese for monster) is the Peanuts of local fare. The strips follow the adventures of young monsters who get caught up in all sorts of school high jinks. There’s Max, the insecure and neurotic vampire, Chuck the werewolf, and Amy the Mummy.

The friends deal with school bullies, pets who steal the Show and Tell session, the perils of eating cafeteria food, pranksters, detention, and – horrors -- young love.

Was high school ever this fun?

Or’s work is fun, highly imaginative, and puts back the groovy in the ghouly.

Callous Comics (www.callouscomics.com)

Carlo San Juan draws from his experiences as a medical doctor in telling the life and times of Rhianne Nicah, a struggling physician, and her guardian duck, Cal Duck. There are others in the cast but the two are the main characters. Has there been any more synergy between a human character and a funny animal since Eddie Valiant and Roger Rabbit?

This one is more in tune with the works of Walt Kelly and Charles M. Schulz as there are references to the modern world we live in from Rhianne’s lack of IT savviness to Cal’s witty remarks and views on life.

I love it for its lightness without being silly and because it isn’t sardonic. The day-to-day challenges even as something as befuddling as Sudoku finds its way into the strip. Clearly, San Juan draws from his own experiences as a physician and I am sure there are quite a lot to tell.

If you enjoy Pogo, Peanuts, or even Liberty Meadows, check out Callous Comics.

Sometimes, one need not read heavy stuff to find fulfillment or enjoyment. As Walt Kelly also once said in the panels of Pogo, “Don’t take life so serious. It’s ain’t nohow permanent.”

You can find these titles at Comic Odyssey, www.callouscomics.com, www.omflit.com and www.elbertor.com

An epic journey: Aaron Felizmenio's Minkowski Space Opera

An epic journey: Minkowski Space Opera

by rick olivares

Minkowski Space Opera was one of those books that stood out during the Summer Komikon. The title alone evoked those classic Japanese manga/anime in the vein of Stardust Memory and Fairy Navigator Runa looked and the use of watercolors made it stand out from the sea of mostly black and white fare of local indie creators.

Grandiose? Ambitious? But aren’t all epics?

I am somewhat of a sucker for watercolor art having loved J.M. DeMatteis’ and Jon J. Muth’s Moonshadow for Epic Comics and all of Kyle Baker’s works (from the comic book adaptation of the Dick Tracy film to the recent graphic novel, The Fifth Beatle). So I picked up Minkowski Space Opera. However, creator Aaron Felizmenio’s art style reminds me of Mike Grell whose works I have been collecting since I saw him on Legion of the Super-Heroes and followed all the way to Warlord, Starslayer, and Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters. And that was a huge part of what got me to pick up Minkowski Space Opera.

Minkowski Space Opera is a sci-fi/fantasy epic about loner named Randall who in a Hayao Miyazaki way (a nod to the classic Spirited Away) suddenly finds himself displaced from the modern world he knows into the fantastical world of Arcadia where science and magic co-exist. He befriends a warrior monk named Artus who pledges to help him find his way home.

Artus relates the tale of Aeon who frees a powerful celestial being called the Minokawa (that will remind you of Marvel’s Phoenix – the force of nature and not the Jean Grey character) from its prison in order to tap a fraction of its energies to save his beloved who is dying.

Randall suddenly finds himself mysteriously appearing in another part of Arcadia where he meets the mysterious Nathaniel who supposedly tells the truth about the Minokawa that is a devourer of worlds. Having feasted on all the world sin the solar system, the Minokawa met its match when it failed to consume the planet of Arcadia whose peoples used their collective will to imprison the being in a cage called “the panorama”. Now the being is free and is seeking to finally consume Arcadia.

There’s promise in Minkowski Space Opera that according to the author was loosely inspired by the Bagobo tale of the Bakunawa that consumed the sun hence the cause of eclipses. Felizmenio’s art is lush and gives life to Arcadia. He is young and can you imagine how good he could be when he gains further mastery of his already good illustration skills.

The dialogue though needs a little work as does certain parts of the story in order to move it along. The mash of science, mech, magic and fantasy is certainly challenging. If Felizmenio can pull this off it could pave the way for the fantasy genre in Philippine comic books that is currently dominated by mythology, horror, and Japanese comic book inspired stories.

Whether Randall is a modern-day Luke Skywalker who allows his imagination to run wild as a means of escape from boredom or is an unlikely hero who lands in the midst of a Narnia/Westeros-like land as its savior has yet to be established. And who is telling the truth – Artus or the mysterious Nathaniel? What is going on? Or should Randall be penning the next Lord of the Rings?

Minkowski Space Opera definitely bears following.

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Notes: One of the cool things about Aaron Felizmenio’s Minkowski Space Opera is he includes a soundtrack that is available for free download online. It helps to listen to it while reading the comic.

The 40-page Minkowski Space Opera is now available at Comic Odyssey at Robinson's Galleria for P150 bucks.

With Aaron Felizmenio

A stash of indies from Free Comic Book Day

A stash of indies from Free Comic Book Day

by rick olivares (with my two sons' stash as well)

The first Free Comic Book Day I went to was in 2004 at Midtown Comics and the two comic books I took home with me were the Image Comics Sampler and a Star Wars Clone Wars comic from Dark Horse.

Unlike the last several years where FCBD is held in the first Saturday of May, that year it was in July. It didn’t occur to me until much later that this usually coincided with the showing of a comic book film. That year it was Spider-Man 2. It was a treat back then to be able to see some of the film’s scenes shot in New York then watch the finished product.

But FCBD…. I didn’t even know it was a yearly thing until a few years ago. I guess you can chalk that up to a heavy workload where I’d just buy my stuff then get out. It was only recently that I started to hang out some and make new friends.

I think FCBD is a marvelous idea. The fall of the speculator market (and justly so) saw who the real comic book fans were. The hundreds of thousands and million copy print runs were over and so were the outlandish back issue prices. However, that left publishers in search of new audiences.

The earlier generation of fans of like me had gotten older and with that so did our tastes of reading material. While I enjoy reading some childhood faves from Marvel and DC, I purchase a large number of independent titles. Not every thing that I read is for a mature audience. I enjoy just as much the simple and fun fare that I did when I first learned to love the medium.

As much as I read all these independents, Free Comic Book Day allows me to discover newer titles from indie companies that normally aren’t even sold here. So this is the first year where I chose to pick up more indie fare than the usual stuff published by the major players.

And here’s what I liked:

The Adventures of Jellaby (Capstone Press).

I heard of this Eisner Award nominee and Joe Schuster Award winner for Best Comic for Kids back when it was published by Hyperion (since out of business) from several years ago. Much to my everlasting regret, I saw one of the graphic novels at Kinokuniya in Kuala Lumpur several years ago but was unable to pick it up.

FCBD was my chance to finally pick to get a copy of Kean Soo’s work. And this free comic features three short stories and sketches and a Q&A with the creator. If you like Calvin & Hobbes then Adventures of Jellaby is right up your corner. One is from the early years and has a dark overtone that seems compatible with Emily Strange or Gloom Cookie (from Ted Naifeh who does Courtney Crumrin and the upcoming Princess UGG). But the next two stories have that Day-Glo atmosphere and something that fans of Calvin and Hobbes will appreciate.

Courtney Crumrin (Oni Press)

I picked up Ted Naifeh’s Courtney Crumrin after I began reading The Sixth Gun from Oni Press. The Sixth Gun, that most excellent western horror story,  introduced me to Stumptown, Queen and Country, Wars in Toyland, and Courtney Crumrin.

Naifeh’s Crumrin is about a young girl whose family moves in with her spooky Uncle Aloysius. It is there that she learns witchcraft. This is not a little’ girl’s story. If you like Mike Mignola’s Hellboy and are suffering from a sever lack of James Robinson’s and Paul Smith’s Leave It to Chance or Lemony Snicket you will love Courtney Crumrin.

Atomic Robo (Red 5 Comics)

Atomic Robo is a long time participant of FCBD (seven times already). I managed to get a copy of one in New York some time ago and me being a fan of Astro Boy and Sean McKeever’s Sentinel for Marvel, I checked it out. Atomic Robo for me is a robotic version of Tom Strong and I love Tom Strong.

For this comic, there were three stories in one – Atomic Robo, Bodie Troll, and Haunted. However, I don’t think that the Atomic Robo story included was something that would reel in new fans. Nothing great really. But again, if you like Astro Boy or Sentinel, you might want to check this out.

If you loved Russell Myers’ comic strip Broom-Hilda then you’re going to love Bodie Troll. Throw in some of the weird stuff from Arthur Suydam’s Cholly and Flytrap (but not that radical), then it’s a hilarious read.

Haunted… four pages aren’t enough. Intriguing but am not going to be bugging my comic book specialty shop for copies of issues here.

Megaman X/Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics)

I’ve seen the videogame as my son plays it but don’t really know anything about the character or its background. It’s something that appeals to kids but I tried it out nevertheless. It got me thinking. The first comic books I can remember reading are of the Justice League of America, Captain America, Thor, and the Fantastic Four. I did read one issue of Hot Stuff but other than that, it was all superhero fare for me as a youngster.

And “X-Factor” the story here is a perfect jumping on point for newbies.

It’s got a synopsis to guide new readers along.

The flipbook format features Sonic The Hedgehog and provides a back-story for this video game adaptation.

Not something I’d buy but I don’t mind in my collection as it’s free.

Uber (Aavatar)

This alternate reality series about a world at war and where superhumans are introduced has become a surprise hit for Kieron Gillen and artist Canaan White whose style takes some getting used to. This free comic book is for the completist and might not bring in new readers as it’s mostly prose (in the guise of interviews with the book’s characters) with some illustrations thrown in.

I collect Uber so I picked this up. Not sure others will though.

Skyward (Action Lab Entertainment)

This is like a grown up Jonny Quest story set in a different world. The story follows the adventures of Jack and his dog Quinn. The preview story in this free comic book is not the ideal way of introducing Skyward to new readers. A disappointment because I am intrigued by Jeremy Dale’s book.

There’s a second story included – Midnight Tiger that is about a boy who receives a transfusion from a wounded if not dying superhuman. That obviously changes his life.

Again intriguing stuff but the story contained isn’t compelling enough to hook me.

Dual Identity/Pandora’s Blogs (Red Giant Entertainment)

I picked this up because of the painted cover of Dual Identity that looked like an indie Wonder Woman. And it’s a story about Andromeda who is a superhero by day and a super spy at night. Has this feel of some of the Malibu Comics from the early 1990s.

Pandora’s Blogs is about a blogger who is investigating all these supernatural occurrences in her town somewhere in Florida.

One thing I noticed about Red Giant Entertainment’s comics is they have a lot of Filipino writers and artists. So this bears watching.

Tesla/Wayward Sons (Red Giant Entertainment)

A historical-sci-fi story about the late Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla who in steampunk literature is an inspiration for works such as Dynamite Entertainment’s Legenderry, Red 5 Comics’ Atomic Robo, America’s Best Comics’ Tom Strong, and Red Giant Entertainment’s… Tesla! Yep. If Seth Grahame-Smith brought back Abraham Lincoln for a vampire tale then Terry Keefe and David Lawrence have brought Tesla back and turned him into a “science hero.” If you like Spanish artist Sergio Fernandez Davila’s Legenderry for Dynamite Entertainment then you’ll love Bong Dazo’s style.

Wayward Sons is about the offspring of the gods and goddesses of myth banding together to protect the world from their parents’ whims and machinations. Interesting concept here.

Magika/The First Daughter (Red Giant Entertainment)

Picked this up because of Wilson Tortosa who is best known for his work on Top Cow’s Battle of the Planets. Like Whilce Portacio’s Stone and Budjette Tan’s and Kajo Baldisimo’s Trese, Magika mines Philippine mythology albeit in a fantasy setting where a young boy enlists the help of fantastical creatures to save his grandparents. Love the artwork (with a lot of help from Sebastian Cheng) but the writing needs some work.

The First Daughter…. Ah forget it.

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe (IDW)

Tom Scioli’s artwork takes some getting used to. There’s a Dave Gibbons/Rick Veitch feel to his style that would look great in an Alan Moore story. This is one of those stories because of the art takes time before you love it. Hated it at first but am growing into it.

Kaboom Summer Blast (Kaboom)

Picked this up for Mike Kunkel’s Hero Bear and the Kid that I enjoy. Again if you are a fan of Calvin and Hobbes, you’ll love Mike Kunkel’s Herobear and the Kid that is about a young boy who inherits an old stuff toy bear and a broken pocket watch when his dear grandfather passes away. But things aren’t what they seem. And the artwork is incredible.

Other stuff:

Bongo Free for All (Bongo Comics)

Spongebob Freestyle Funnies 2014 (United Plankton Pictures)

Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: A Matter of Some Gravity (Fantagraphics)

The Smurfs (Papercutz)

Archie Digest (Archie Comics)

Super thanks to Sandy Sansolis and Comic Odyssey for the stuff on Free Comic Book Day. It was a blast.

With good buddy Jason Inocencio

Nice to be a small part in Wasted's incredible history

I remember when Gerry Alanguilan first thought of the concept for Wasted. He went to my house and said, "I have a story that I don't think you'll like." The reason why he said that was we were all conjuring superhero stories (except for Richie Borromeo who was doing a dark story). He pitched the idea to me and I listened. I do remember asking, "Will it work?" 

When the first issue of Wasted came out, Gerry wrote me a long letter explaining the book. He even wrote a dedication on the cover. "I hope you like it," he scrawled.

I did. In fact, I liked it so much I wrote an article about the series for the Philippine Daily Inquirer (it was the first one ever written about Wasted). I felt honored when Gerry reprinted it (an edited version though because it was long) in the first collected edition of Wasted (you can see that above). It wasn't included in the next two collected editions. Luckily, I still have one left. Am no longer high on first prints/editions but this copy of Wasted means a lot not just because of the story and our long time friendship but also because it sure is cool to play a small part in the story's history.

Stuff I want to get on Free Comic Book Day

I have always read independent comics for as long as I have been reading. I got my share of those Gold Key Magnus Robot Fighter and Turok. When I got to college I became even more fascinated with more independent titles. I picked up Pacific Comics' Starslayer, Comico's The Elementals, AC Comics' Femforce, and Aircel's Dragonforce whenever I found them.

Of course, when Image Comics was founded, that blew up my reading habits out of the water. I began to get stuff from Dark Horse and Valiant. Today, I get titles from Avatar, IDW, Kaboom, Oni Press, and Dynamite. In fact, I purchase more independents than those that come from Marvel and DC.

For this year's upcoming Free Comic Book Day, here's what I am looking out for:

Rebellion/2000AD's Atomic Robo

Hermes Press' Buck Rogers

Oni Press' Courtney Crumrin. Written and drawn by the talented Ted Naifeh. The new millennium's Hellboy.

Capstone Press' fun title The Adventures of Jellaby by the talented Sean Koo!  If you like Jeff Smith's Bone then check this out.

Sonic the Hedgehog and Megaman X flipbook from Archie Comics! Why am I getting this? Because of artist Gary Martin who has inked Steve Rude in Nexus and has done stuff like DC's Blue Devil.

And lastly, there's Avatar Press' Uber.

Other stuff I wish I could get include: Action Lab Entertainment's Skyward and Midnight Tiger and Comixtribe's Epic #0!