Komura; Creator's Grant

In 2018, I won the first Komura; Creator’s Grant for a zine project I made with Ivan Reverente and Abi Dayacap (my wife). We called it Takatak Komiks—inspired by the sound ambulant street vendors made when selling cigarettes and candies.

June 2018, I saw an online call for zine proposals for a newly formed grant. I’m always on the lookout for things to fuel or fund some of the ideas that have been percolating in my head for years. I felt this was a great thing to get into. The barriers to entry were very few and I already had an idea that was in my head for over 10 years.

For years, my friend Ivan Reverente, my wife Abi, and I had been tossing around an idea for a packet of mini-comics. We’d never gotten around to doing it because real life always got in the way. I decided to go ahead and enter it as a proposal for the Komura; Creator’s Grant. If it got in, we’d get an extra push to do because of the money and the deadline. If not, well…no harm done.

Below are pages from the proposal I sent.

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Here’s the final design and some of the mini-comics we included inside.

3rd World Snow in Motion

Way back in 1991, the eruption of long dormant Mount Pinatubo spewed out enough debris and particulates into the air that it lowered global temperatures. Over a hundred kilometers away in Quezon City, where I live, the sky had begun to darken by around 3 or 4pm. The following morning, the city was covered in white ash. It was as if, for the first time, there was snow in the Philippines. I was 13 years old at the time.

Many years later, I made a silent comic inspired by that little moment in history. I entered it into the 2nd Fully Booked / Neil Gaiman Graphic Fiction Competition and it didn’t win anything. Didn’t even get into the shortlist. Too bad. Boo hoo.

Anyway, a couple of months ago during one of our regular INK (Ilustrador ng Kabataan) meetings, I presented the comic, but this time with a couple of transition effects.

It’s like a very primitive motion comic. Hope you enjoy it.

Lingua Comica Reloaded: In which a long-delayed book finally arrives

Last week, I got a notice from the Quezon City post office to pick up a package. I had an idea what it was. Although it was only late by almost 2 years. Our anthology book, Lingua Comica Reloaded had arrived.

Book design by Plastic Soldier Factory.

What I did.

What Amelie did.

Amelie and I collaborated on a game board based on the Game of the Goose.

The book also has a poster/comic insert entitled “Numbers” made by another team.

The book was a collaboration by artists from Europe and Asia and funded by the Asia Europe Foundation (ASEF). Several groups pitched their story ideas before ASEF finally chose the line up for the project. I teamed up with French Belgian Amelie Clement when we realized we were on the save wavelength after a couple of emails.

When we got the grant from ASEF, we decided to spend it by going to Angouleme and conducting a mini-residency. Angouleme is a sleepy town in southwestern France and known for festivals such as the Circuits des Remparts and the Festival International de la Bande Dessinee (wiki here) – or the International Comics Festival. Too bad we couldn’t visit Angouleme on a January when the Comics Festival is held. Although we were on hand for the Circuits des Remparts, when fancy cars from all over Europe came roaring into town. I, unfortunately, am not a car geek. So the festival was wasted on me.

So in September of 2009, I flew into Paris and met up with Amelie at the Jardin du Luxembourg.

Belabored Day

I spent the entire holiday doing a comic page. There must be an easier way to make comics. But I don’t know what it is yet. Hopefully I’ll find out this year.

Two pages digitally pencilled and inked took me one whole day. My hand hurts. Here’s a page from my long delayed comic, warts and all. This page was done completely in Photoshop with the help of my trusty pen tablet. It’s frustrating to know that I still have so much to learn. I’m thinking of changing my process for future projects and abandoning this style completely. We’ll see how it goes.

The Remark

Click to enlarge

Words by Ramon de Veyra / Pictures by Rommel Joson