Why can't local comicbook/manga-making groups last these days?

[scifantanime]

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@scifantanime: wanna try to organize one?. you'll see why. hehe

Uh, sorry I don't really get your question... and no, I don't exactly "see why" after all I'm learning from your insights guys before my partners and I decide on jumping into this thing hook, line and sinker.

[scifantanime]

I don't think it's really that difficult to pass off Pinoy Culture as mainstream.

No offense, but I'd like to see you try or anyone for that matter. There are still some significant hurdles that I've thought of last night regarding this matter.

One is a lack of Cebuano identity (let's face it, we don't really amount much in terms of culture compared to other countries like Japan and the US). Well, I've also read my fair share of locally-themed and set works but they don't create a lasting impression among readers (especially to the Cebuanos; there are a few people like us @diem that appreciate it though). Well, our government is partly to blame on the matter since they haven't really exerted much effort in preserving and developing culture even in our backyards. What we just see in our governments are the negative aspects of our culture. Pugad Baboy is one of the works that have so far managed to overcome this hurdle. But suffice to say, it isn't made here and doesn't really focus on Cebuano culture. But it's a start.

I'm really honored to be corresponding with a SineBuano writer and a Faigao Fellow. I'm really grateful for the insights and yes, my group is serious into jumping into this one we're currently collaborating on our first project in the sci-fi genre... we haven't exactly gone past the production stage since we kept on overlapping work on the pre-production and the production stages of this thing. Thanks for the offer of help, I'll be conferring first with my 'boss' regarding this matter.

[diem]

In my humble opinion, Science Fiction is a tough sell to the local Bisayan/Filipino readership but that should not diminish its necessity. If we Filipinos ever hope to be "innovative", we should cultivate a culture of inquisitiveness and scientific leanings for young readers. Science fiction is an attractive avenue to bring that about.

Cases in point, Europe, Japan and the US have a rich collection of science fiction in their literature and mass media (films, TV) both classical and contemporary.

And in regards to the Filipino identity... Trust me, from all my years growing up in many parts of this country made of islands~ there is a national identity. True too, it is not evident to some people especially those who do not know where to look or listen.

Our identity lies in the language that we speak, the songs that we sing, the food that we eat, in our history, in the news we read at present. It's sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes pretty and can be said as ugly, but it's ours. Not many of us are willing to claim it, much more change it, but it is there, stuck like shadows.

And for your information, yes I am trying my very best to make local culture more mainstream that's why I don't think it's difficult. It has its challenges but difficult? Well most of the film projects I've worked with SineBuano have been favorably received by Filipinos in other regions as well as foreigners (as long as subtitles are provided) which inspires me to continue on this path. If you wish to see our earlier works, links are provided in the SineBuano thread of TV & Movies.

The independent film "Confessional" by Jerrold Tarug and Ruel Antipuesto also earns this distinction and appreciation in the armloads of awards it has won from both local (what I really mean is the many prestigious awards based in Manila ) and International (India, South Korea) film festivals. It is a film that is shot here in Cebu, the dialog of which is 90% in Bisaya/Cebuano and yes it does possess many audience-appealing elements makes the film "mainstream".

If one hasn't heard about the "Confessional" film or much more seen it, it's probable that one does not go much around the island of Cebu or most likely because of the most significant hurdle why local culture is not so well-broadcasted in mainstream media - one does not value the culture to risk it being known and be considered "different".

In Confessional's case, that applies to a major TV network whose Pinoy movie cable channel's contest was the avenue to which the film was able to be funded and shot. Despite the fact the film won numerous awards and positive reviews both locally and abroad, this network still appears hesitant in pushing the film the nationwide theatrical (or even just the VCD/DVD) release it so truly deserves. Why? The most simple answer I can come up with so far, because the powers-that-be doesn't believe in the film's potential.

I think a film and a comic is not really much so different, especially in the nature of its creation. Both use visual imagery to tell a story, and takes a group's to collaborate and complete the project.

Any hurdles, I believe, lies in our minds-- in the excuses we tend to make to explain our human limitations. What makes Confessional so both awesome and appealing and what makes my group SineBuano's projects at least appreciated is that we both rely on the good story/concept which uses our unique Bisayan/Cebuano identity as backdrop, basically built on it brick by brick.

And we just go the extra mile in delivering the good story/concept using the best visual images we can come up with and often enough we find that best is often to be in the simplest manner.

It all has to depend on the story. The visual imagery is the attractive physical part, the story however is the soul, the story is the part that lasts to be remembered.

For everyone's kind consideration.

[diem]

One factor that makes artists groups work long and produce is what I'd like to call "creative chemistry."

Members should more or less be compatible with each other's personalities, have fun working together or be able to hang out and laugh. At the very least, members or collaborators should be very polite and professional with each other. People should really get along and try to make the relationship, "a friendship" first and foremost.

Do one's best not to raise conflicts over minor matters. Though arguments can be healthy, too many could be detrimental to the artistic effort.

[scifantanime]

Thanks for the enlightenment, @diem. They were a mouthful.

But my point in bringing up those 'excuses' was the fact that I've gleaned them in most threads here in istorya and in other forums... they are glaring realities for me that have to be either faced head on or compromised to a certain extent. Sure there are limitations in terms of doing this craft and they tend to be lame excuses and pervasive coordination problems but this is what I've known so far and that's why by coming up with this thread I hope to air out these concerns and learn from people who have had experience especially with a local comic book group. They may be biased (i.e. their ideas and experiences) but at least I know where my group stands and where we stand to lose should we repeat those mistakes.

The sci-fi genre was chosen for our flagship title due to the "creative chemistry" in my group. Three of us are working already and the other three are still college students (two of which are attending their last few years in USC-TC). We all had a thing for the gothic, conspiracy theories, military hardware, romance and even aliens. We even included our "ugly" mugs into some sideline characters in this manga-inspired project (which is still being drawn by the artists). The fact that we intend to finish it (hopefully by 2010) and even add some Cebuano vistas or even pop culture references is proof enough that we intend to do away with those excuses. We needed to re-evaluate some of our long-term goals that's why I started this thread.

Thanks, guys. Keep them coming. Your experiences in this line of work will help us a lot.

[rwind64]

I think a good slice of life manga that's based on your typical Cebuano lifestyles. Hmm, or you could go for the whole Philippine Mythology and Folklore.

[diem]

Thanks for the enlightenment, @diem. They were a mouthful.

@scifa~ My last post was indeed an eyeful to read but hey I am a guy who is into this stuff passionately and still persisting in using art to tell a story, add to that I am a writer who writes everyday for a living and for fun.

Anyway, since it appears that you've got most of the matter really thought out, I would like to wish you all the best of luck on your project.

One last piece of advice, you might want to re-evaluate your project's time-line, though a year might be plenty of time to prepare and produce a very good comic, it is also enough time for a group to lose momentum, for its members to lose interest and for life priorities to pop up from out of the blue and press your members attention elsewhere, thus causing for more delays.

[rodsky]

One of the guys who made "PASIG", (from the now-defunct Culture Crash pinoy anime comic book), a guy named iagailog is a friend of mine at DevArt. Once we were exchanging PM's about this particular matter, and told me that it's simply all about economics--there simply wasn't enough money coming in.

-RODION

[rodsky]

...we should cultivate a culture of inquisitiveness and scientific leanings for young readers. Science fiction is an attractive avenue to bring that about...
[/B]

Before, when I was still quite active in my hobby (amateur astronomy) time and time again, I've heard people tell me that I'm just wasting my time talking to local schoolkids about the eccentricities of the Martian orbit, or how many object there are exactly, in the Kuiper belt, or is it worth the effort for a kid to spend an entire summer building a home-made telescope. They could be partly correct, because after I tell the kids about this, when they go back to their classrooms, their underpaid, overworked public school teachers will be teaching them obsolete information coming from obsolete textbooks, and worn out science and astronomy-related materials...

So, I did what I could do...I did more than talking...I simply did, and to this day, I still don't see it as a waste of time.

-RODION

[rwind64]

Before, when I was still quite active in my hobby (amateur astronomy) time and time again, I've heard people tell me that I'm just wasting my time talking to local schoolkids about the eccentricities of the Martian orbit, or how many object there are exactly, in the Kuiper belt, or is it worth the effort for a kid to spend an entire summer building a home-made telescope. They could be partly correct, because after I tell the kids about this, when they go back to their classrooms, their underpaid, overworked public school teachers will be teaching them obsolete information coming from obsolete textbooks, and worn out science and astronomy-related materials...

So, I did what I could do...I did more than talking...I simply did, and to this day, I still don't see it as a waste of time.

-RODION

Heh. That actually happened to me once when I was in elementary. My mom gave me informative children's book when I was a kid. Every time I shared info from those books, people would just raise an eyebrow and say. " What? "

On topic:

If you guys will do a comic, can I help as well?