PusaKopyal: (Street Copycat) The Philippines version of Arrow

I've had it. They done f****d this up. Damn you Philippine Local Media @&%#@#*!

 I may be late on the reaction here, but I just recently been made aware of the local remake of a DC tv series: ARROW, here in the Philippines. It's Alyas Robin Hood. That ticked me off at the first look. They didn't even acknowledge the comic book hero himself: The Green Arrow aka Oliver Queen. ARGH!!!! 

 Secondly, it looks like a blatant rip-off. With obviously lower production costs and phoned in acting by local "celebrities". Ugh. It pains me as a fan of anything from the comic book universe. 

 Here let's take a look at the steaming pile of excrement that Philippine local media has churned:

 Well I mean... GODD***IT!!! Sorry about that it just ticks me off to no end when people trash things of merit just to make a quick buck. I don't like GMA. I don't like Ding Dong. I don't like their effects. What I do love is Green Arrow as a character. Even Heatwave as a character. and to watch them be made into caricatures and poor quality production. I seek blood.

 Not to mention, they've ignored the proper treatment of Philippine local comic book stories. I've met creative comic book artists and writers at our conventions and they have characters that are worthy of more attention. The Trese series itself has a cult following. Why not make a weekly series about that? with proper production it would be awesome as an action horror series and something our country can be proud of. Wanokuro could be a short animation series. But please enough of the f grade copycat stupidity....

 Also we need a better re-telling of our classic Philippines comic book superheroes. Lastik man, Buhawi Jack and Capt. Barbell.And most of all, Darna. If we could make a comic book universe with our characters maybe then we can get the creative respect of the world. But Damn we get dumb stuff like alyas Robin Hood....

I await an evolution on local media in the Philippines...

Anyone have any comments about the Alyas Robin Hood abomination? Let me know in the comment section. Til then enjoy your comics!!!

I'm gonna get you AsiaPop

One way or another...

 So there's this thing called the AsiaPop Comicon every year in the Philippines. It happened last weekend and I wasn't able to go due to a number of reasons (money, job, time). 

 I really wanted to join that event and sell some of my stuff and be actually prepared for it. I always have this problem that I'm rushing to get my prints and stuff out by the time of a conventions. It is a nightmare.

 It would have been awesome to meet the actors from my favorite superhero movies and all the talented artists that I've been admiring for all this time. But alas, it was nigh impossible. SIGH!

 So perhaps this was not my time yet to join the AsiaPop Comicon. But I will get there, and I'm gonna hit it hard. So watch out APCC, Eventual Empire's Joker Inc. is on his way!... Maybe next year :))

 Will get my crew together for some ideas... Anyway til next time. Enjoy your comics :D

Hang the draftsmanship

You drew your comic the way it was meant to be drawn...

I know of a bunch of artists that never got into comic books out of the fear that they're drawing skills aren't up to par as those who have already made comics. I can most certainly understand. I went through it too. I would look at comic books made with the art of Jim Lee, Micheal Bendis, Greg Capullo and just weep at the thought that it would take me eons to match that kind of quality. Even with the cartoon styles that I admired so much especially from Chuck Jones, Sergio Aragones, Bill Waterson and Ozamu Tezuka, I would still curse my hands for not knowing any better.

But then I heard some great advice from Jack Kirby himself:

"It's not in the draftsmanship, it's in the man. Like I say, a tool is dead. A brush is a dead object. It's in the man. If you want to do it, you do it."

To put it simply, don't get hung up on how well you drew you comic. Just do it. If people can understand what your drawing was supposed to be then you've done the job. 

I loved this cuz it lifted a weight off me like you couldn't believe. I could just make stuff and then BOOM! In a span of one year, I've made 8 comic books which I've sold at conventions. Granted some were shorter than others but to look upon your time and know that you've actually created something is just priceless. 

I'm pretty thankful for the elation I get when I know somewhere out there someone was interacting with something I made. So I share this to my fellow artists so they can create! Go forth and Make Comics!!! I want to read them. :D Til Next Time Enjoy your comics...

Top 10 One Piece villains

The Golden Age of Pirates!

 Hey comic book fans! I've talked about One Piece before... Easy to say I'm a huge fan. One of the reasons I like One Piece is that the characters are so vibrant and interesting. From the main cast to the support characters there's always a touch of whimsy from creator Eichiro Oda. 

 Here I want to make a list of my top ten villains in One Piece. This list is my own personal opinion of who are the baddest and most deliciously vile of the villains Luffy and his crew has to face. So without further ado...

10. Spandam

 I hate this guy. What a wuss! He talks a big game because he has a special government assassin unit, The CP9, under his command. By himself, he only has his sword imbued with the Zo zo no Omi (Elephant Devil Fruit), Funkfreed, to defend himself with. He physically and mentally abuses Nico Robin when she was her prisoner. He eventually got bitchslapped so hard by her his face swelled up.

9. Gekko Moriah

 One of the warlords, Moriah, is one of the spookiest villains. He controls a ship as big as an island filled with zombies, ghosts and monsters. He puts no value in human life as he considers the living fragile and unreliable. He's a demonic looking vegetable shaped man with no qualms in damning random people in a life of eternal shade. His powers come from the Kage Kage no Omi (Shadow Devil Fruit), where he can steal someone else's shadow to become a battery for one of his zombies. He can also manipulate his own shadow to act as a warrior for him cuz he's too lazy to fight on his own. He is power hungry and diabolical in most senses.

8. Magellan

 The warden of Impel Down. Just look at him. He looks like the Boss of hell and he does a pretty good job at it. Magellan isn't as evil as the other villains. He just does his job of keeping criminals in his torture pit. But his power is just so nasty. He ate the Venom Devil Fruit and can poison anything he comes into contact to. Although it does give him an awful case of diarrhea... which I find hilarious.

7. Capt. Kuro

 This guy is a straight up turncoat. He is sneaky and murderous and slimy. He couldn't care less if he ends up killing his crewmates. He has no problem killing children or sick people. What I like about Kuro is that he is the first devious villain in the series. He's dark. He's calculating. He pretended to care for someone for years when all he wanted was to kill Kaya and steal her family's money. Another thing is he has awesome sword claws that he can use to kill in super speed... So that's a plus.

6. Enel

 The former god of Skypeia. A major douche to boot. Enel has the power of the Goro Goro no Omi (Thunder Devil Fruit) and with his major god complex he rules Skypeia and its inhabitants as a tyrant. You just love to watch Enel get his comeuppance when he faces the one person his powers have effect on, Luffy. He still puts up a great fight though. And look at those ear lobes... I mean What the Hell?

5. Sir Crocodile/ Mr.0

 Talk about a mob boss! Crocodile is cunning, ruthless and just a relentless machine. He has contingency after contingency. He has an army of agents in Baroque Works under his bid and don't know who he is. He laughs like a crime lord and has a giant hook for a hand. He has the power of the Suna Suna no Omi (Sand Devil Fruit) while he tries to conquer the desert island of Alabasta. That's what I call Home Court Advantage.

4. Rob Lucci

 Rob Lucci is a killing machine. He doesn't really have a dark motivation behind his actions. He's just an assassin and his orders are to take out his targets. But he does so with such ruthless efficiency that it's scary. That and he ate the Neko Neko no Omi (Cat devil fruit) Model: Leopard. A cold ruthless predator in as a human made much worse as a beast.

3. Arlong

 It takes a special kind of dick to kill a mother in front of her kids and then practically enslave one of those kids. Arlong is a hardcore speceiest, if that's a word. He considers humans with far less worth from his fellow fish men. He bribes government officials while he bleeds Nami's home village dry. He is vile and represents a lot of things I don't like in humanity itself. Also he's a freakin Sharkman. He can bite through anything and has super human strength. Watching Luffy snap his nose brings me loads of joy.

2. Donquixote Doflamingo

 Dofy is a step up from Arlong's ego. Dofy used to be a Celestial Dragon, ancestors of the founders of the World Government. So in short, he's a giant dick to his fellow humans and to everyone else. He gets his kicks from controlling everything especially with his power from the Ito Ito no Omi  (String Devil Fruit) that makes anyone his virtual puppet. He even has his own brother killed for betraying his "family". He's flashy and thinks he's the smartest richest douche of them all.

1. Blackbeard / Marshall D. Teach

 Who else can come first? Blackbeard rose himself and his crew up the ranks with the biggest treacheries in the whole story. Thanks to his power from the Yami Yami no Omi (Darkness Devil Fruit), he captures Ace, kills Whitebeard and steals his power, becomes a warlord then quits to become an Emperor. Ugh, I'd hate him so much but he did such a good job making the story more balanced and unpredictable that I had to make him my top pick. He is darkness himself though he can be funny at times. He is just straight up baddest of the bad. Blackbeard everyone!

Hope you enjoyed the list. If there's a villain you want to make a case for please mention them in the comments. Til then, enjoy your comics.

Iron Man is now a 15 year old girl.

Why give the iron mantle to someone else?

 I don't know how to feel as a fan of the character. Iron Man has always been iconic to me ever since I first learned how to use the Proton Cannon in Marvel vs Capcom 2. So when I read about his incoming replacement, Riri Williams, I started to wonder. Are the gender and race swapping with the superheroes a good thing?

 I guess, to me, it's 50/50! 

 I'll start with the bad. As a huge fan of superheroes and comic books, you start to familiarize yourself with the characters. To me, Iron Man has always been Tony Stark. Thor has always been the Shakesperean muscle-head guy from Asgard. Spiderman has always been Peter Parker. When they start calling something else the same name, I get confused and a little frustrated since the icon i knew now has to share their name with someone else. Feelings aside, it will still cause a lot of confusion with new fans and old. "Which Iron Man are we talking about right now? The girl Iron Man?" "Which Thor? The Buff Guy or the Hot Chick?" See what I mean? I liked that each superhero could be recognized and have their reputation be instantly known just by looking at them. Now there's gonna be some weird, out of place, comparisons made between the people the share the name. 

So much chaos.

 On the other hand, the diversity it does present offers some opportunities. Maybe some girl who loves robotics can find a kindred spirit in Riri Williams as Iron Man. It does open up a lot to more audiences. Kids love to discover about something especially in a nice story so maybe it's harsh to condemn the gender-bender redesigns. Also I guess, I don't want to adhere that there should be less stories and characters made.

 On my final note, I do welcome and encourage much diversity in comics, especially in superheroes, which are my favorite ones. But they could just have their own story. And their own names. What's the need to piggyback on the already established storylines? Also when we can make our own? Sure there have been done-to-death origin stories, but who cares? We just want more original content that can stand on its own.

 What do you think? More characters with the same name or just more characters? Let me know in the comments. Til then, Ciao!

The Mask: Hunt for Green October

Sssssssmokin...

 I'm a big fan of The Mask. Jim Carrey portrayed him so amusingly that I wanted to be a trickster god at some point. Along with the cartoon series, The Mask is easily on of the most wacky and hilarious characters I've ever come to know.

 Then I stumbled upon a comic book featuring the Mask and oh boy was he different. First off the actual mask looks like it was made from Killer Crocs hide :D As you can see on the cover here.

 Along with that, the story is a lot darker than the characterization we've been accustomed to. I've only read the first one so I'm gonna dive into that first. So fair warning, SPOILERS AHEAD.

 It starts off with a tribe of witch doctors trying to cast a spell to create the mask. They get killed off by hunters and ninjas and other strange people in search of the mask as well. The person that tried to put it on dies and it was revealed that this mask was another fake.

 It jumps to a scrawny man who runs a pawn shop reluctantly buying the mask off some lady. I'm not sure if this man is Stanley Ipkis like in the movie and show. But he's had some dark times. His wife died and the shock rendered his daughter unable to speak. Also he's an artist that's lost full control of his arms due to an accident. Dark Dark Darky already.

 Then pseudo-Stanley finds out the man behind his wife's death is starting a new business fixing up the city. This drives the main character mad and when he sees his daughter looking at him while he yells he felt even more crushed.

 Later on, the main character tries to make a Halloween costume for his daughter and decides to try on the mask. Then BOOM! Mayhem insued. He becomes the mask and starts wrecking up the town committing violent acts up and around the city. He does so with the usual mask antics and featuring The Mask's many impersonations. He even manages to stop a robbery.

 The main character awakes to find that his "dream" was being reported on the news. The media dubs him as the Big Face Killer and a menace to society. However, he finds his daughter watching the news as well with a smile on her face. This encourages the father to continue using the mask.

  There were some character reveals along the way with Walter (The pale zombie man who chases the Mask) and Kellaway (The police lieutenant that tries to arrest the Mask) but their part of the story has not been shown yet. 

 It's funny to see what the mask was originally meant to be and what he actually turned out to be later on. I'm oddly titillated by this darker interpretation of the Mask. He's certainly more chaotic and dangerous and a lot less kid friendly.  But he still makes me laugh mostly because of his crazy personalities. 

 So let me know in the comments, Are you a fan of the psychoticly brutal yet still insane version of The Mask?

Character Spotlight: Mr.2 / Bon Clay

"Even in the depths of Hell... blooms a beautiful flower of friendship... leaving it's petals as mementos... bobbing back and forth in the waves... may it one day bloom once more... the Okama way!"

 I don't see a lot of comic book/ manga series that dive very deeply when it comes to their supporting cast members. Most of the time I find some if not most of the characters in a series are thrown away after they live their usefulness in the plot. But that's not the case in One Piece.

 One Piece is one of my top favorite manga series/ anime series. I recommend it immensely. I wanted to write about it in whole but then again there's plenty of articles that talk about it already. 

 So I wanted to talk about one of my favorite characters in the series. None other than... Bentham aka Mr.2 / Bon Kurei (Bon Clay) nicknamed Bon-chan by Monkey D. Luffy.

For those who don't know, an "okama" is a cross dresser and Bon Clay is an okama, even more so. Bon Clay is introduced as an agent of a secret criminal syndicate called Baroque Works led by a Shichibukai (a warlord pirate that works for the world government) named Sir Crocodile. He gained the powers of the "Mane-mane no omi" or the Copy-copy fruit where he can copy the appearance and voice of any character he touches with his right hand. He can revert back to his original form if he touches his face with his left hand. 

 From that alone, he can be considered quite the cross dresser. He also acts quite flamboyantly and dresses in a ballerina outfit with a swan theme while he pirouettes and jumps as he walks. Also his favorite word is "Ambiguous".

 He was eventually defeated by Sanji in a fight after he exploits Sanji's weakness to Nami's appearance. But having met the Straw Hat crew before realizing they were supposed to be enemies, Bon Clay renewed their friendship by acting as bait for the Marine forces letting the Straw Hats wait for their friend to reply to their invitation. He even told his own crew mates that even if they were allowed to leave their friends behind would they want to live knowing what they did. So he was captured by Lt. Hina and sent to prison. He escapes afterwards but challenged Lt. Hina to a rematch when they found out one of the former agents was to be executed. He was captured again and sent to Impel Down, the most secure prison in their world. 

 This shoots Bon Clay up my list. He's not just a goofy cross dressing villain anymore. He actually values friendship. At first, everyone thought he was just using the Straw Hats so he had a better chance of escaping Alabasta. But nope, he sacrificed himself just so the Straw Hats can have more time with their friend, Vivi. That takes some manly balls of steel.

 Later on, Luffy  breaks into Impel Down to save his brother and runs into Bon Clay for a joyous reunion. Bon Clay along with Buggy and Mr. 3 help Luffy go deeper into Impel Down to get to Luffy's brother, Ace. All the while freeing the prisoners and facing the dangers of the prison. Luffy collapses after facing off against Impel Down's warden, Magellan. Bon Clay brings Luffy to a hidden sanctuary in the prison run by the Queen of New-kama Land, Ivankov to be healed. After Luffy regains his strength he chases after the boat that takes Ace away while battling his way out of the prison with the inmates.

 They're almost at their escape only to find out that they won't be able to get through the Gates of Justice that block the exit to the sea. They are surprised that the gates start to open then they find out Bon Clay stayed behind to impersonate Magellan and order the prison to open the gates. Luffy and Bon Clay break into tears as Luffy thanks his old friend for saving him yet again. Bon Clay wishes Luffy good luck in saving his brother as he prepares to face-off against Magellan. 

 And his manly steel balls upgrade to platinum. I tried to hold back my manly tears when Luffy realized he was being saved again by Bon Clay. It was just so full of courage and friendship that you can't help but bawl. 

 So in conclusion, the reason why I like Bon Clay so much is that he is the epitome of manliness. Even if he dresses like a woman and a clown. His okama tendencies alone don't define his character as a stereotype. He is someone who sticks to his convictions and defends his friends to the death. And that is why he is the awesome sauce.

 Anyone out there that is also a fan of the spinning swan ballerina okama? Let me know in the comment section :D