Local comic finds: Fantasya and other PSICOM graphic novels
After watching Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End at SM South Mall (Las Piñas) yesterday, I gleefully obliged to be dragged by Fluffy to National Bookstore. While he scouted for his dream unlosable marker pen, I began browsing through the books in the Filipino Fiction section, hoping to find reading items that could be of my interest. Two or three years ago, I found luck in a certain NBS outlet, when I found a copy of the double volume version of Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah (by Carlo Vergara).
I thought I was going through same old stocks of Filipino writings - Bulaklak ng Maynila, Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag, novels by Amado V. Hernandez, Liwayway Arceo, and other literature texts we have probably taken up in our 12-unit Filipino subject in college. There were the books by Bob Ong, one I’m familiar with, among the contemporary Filipino writers. I was expecting Pugad Baboy books by Pol Medina, Jr. (I don’t own any) but there was none. I no longer consider the Filipino romance novels (in pocketbooks) among my interests these days. (I used to read them in my high school days.) And so I overlooked the ones that seemed like romance pocketbooks displayed at the leftmost corner.
Little did I know that a little graphic novel called Fantasya: The Philippine Comic and Story Anthology has awaited there for almost 2 years. Heh, label me sabik (longing), but I really do miss getting my hands on material comics since my Culture Crash Comics addiction. (Let’s just say it’s not physically possible for me to go by places in search for Filipino comics.) What actually made me browse through the pages of the graphic novel were the names etched on its back page - Budjette Tan, Gilbert Monsato, Jac Ting Lim, and other big names in the local comic industry. I’ve always trusted their collective work and I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed with the book.
And of course, I wasn’t disappointed at all. Their works had always been inspiring as I am a sucker for fantasy themes, stories and artworks. (Though I had to be a bit more forgiving on the Taglish dialogue, which according to one of the authors, was done by the editor.) I also purchased a beautifully drawn (albeit quite off for my taste of a collectible) graphic novel called Basted: Tagos Hanggang Buto, which is also published by PSICOM.
I’d love to see more of these in the future. And I must help myself with the updates by subscribing to the local comic advocates’ blogs. 
Naalala ko lang na di ko pa rin binabasa ang Maynila sa Kuko ng Liwanag na “required reading” nung hs. hehe
Sayang pa rin ang CCKom ;_;
Mahal ba yung graphic novels? Parang gusto ko din nyan kaso pagpasukan na la na time kahit para sa comics.
Sounds interesting. I do that all the time, but sometimes I’m just not that lucky and the book doesn’t turn out all that great. Sometimes the author just slacks off and doesn’t produce something as amazing
@Ann: The PSICOM comics are PhP75, how’s that?
@Laura: That “slacking-off” thing is far from happening here. We have a lot of good comic writers and artists. However, the industry isn’t in such a good economic stand and so some good publications have no choice but to shut down.
Sana, kunin ng PsiCom ang CCCom. :p
@Ederic: Magandang ideya. Pero ang tanong, available pa kaya sina Taga-Ilog, Memer, etc.?