I mentioned in December that an existing publisher
was set to give PTS and Al-Ameen a run for their money
in the graphic novel category early this year.
Check out the announcement by Moskito in Pergh yesterday:
http://pergh.com/forum/index.php/topic,14294.0.html
Alaf21, a subsidiary of Karangkraf, will launch three
graphic novels at the KL International Book Fair (where
the PeKOMIK convention will also be held). The size, from
what I have been told, is not novel-size like PTS' graphic
novels but bigger, like Aie's graphic novels. And I believe
they are in colour (unlike PTS' graphic novels) and about
80 or so pages (which is like PTS' GNs).
If you're interested to have your graphic novel published,
call Apai at 5101-3322 or email: fadzli@....
(This is from the Pergh announcement)
The royalty should be the same as, if not better
than, PTS', I believe, given that there's more work involved,
including the larger art size and colouring.
I heard quite a few artists have decided to do graphic
novels under the Alaf21 banner, though I'm not going to
mention any names here. Don't want to spoil the surprise.
Will Alaf21 be as successful as PTS? Only time will tell.
I hope both companies do well, 'cos it's good for the industry.
And I hope to see a friendly competition, not a cutthroat
one with rampant price-cutting and other unsavoury tactics
that would eventually lead to the industry's downfall.
Hopefully, a comics creator is not "bonded" or restrained
from drawing for the competitor's imprint. The publishers
should not brand an artist a traitor just 'cos he/she also
wants to try doing freelance work for another company (unless
the artist is employed full-time).
Hello! Shazam by Jeff Smith still available?
--- In IACAScW@yahoogroups.com, "gibraltar_devlin" <gibraltar_devlin@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Everyone!
>
> It's been a long while since the last time I posted in this forum. I hope all
is well and doing more great things this new year.
>
> Well it's almost the end of January 2010 and I have done another shelves
clearance. There are some old and new comics, graphic novels and art books up
for sale with a bargain price. Here's the list:
>
> Comics and Graphic Novels:
>
> 1.Batman: Broken City by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso,RM 25
> 2.Amazing Joy Buzzards Vol.1: Here Come The Spiders by Mark Andrew Smith and
Dan Hipp, RM 25
> 3.The Amazing Joy Buzzards Vol.2 by Mark Andrew Smith and Dan Hipp, RM 25
> 4.Shazam & the Monster Society of Evil TPB by Jeff Smith, RM 25
> 5.Surrogates by Robert Venditti and Brett Welde and RM 25
> 6.Pigeons From Hell by Joe R. Lansdale, Nathan Fox and Dave Stewart RM 20
> 7.The Punisher: Dead End (Hardcover) by Nick Remender, Tan Eng Huat and Jason
Pearson, RM 35
> 8.X-Men: Blinded By The Light, by Mike Carey, Chris Bachalo, Humberto Ramos,RM
25
> 9.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 2 by Various, RM 35
> 10.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 3 by Various, RM 35
> 11.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 4 by Various, RM 35
> 12.The Origin of Generation X by Various, RM 30
> 13.The New Avengers: Search For The Sorcerer Supreme (Hardcover) by Brian
Michael Bendis, Billy Tan and Chris Bachalo, RM 35
> 14.365 Samurai: And A Few Bowls of Rice by J P Kalonji, RM 25
> 15.Superman: Day of Doom by Dan Jurgen and Bill Sienkiewicz, RM 15
> 16.Ultimate Iron Man Vol.2 by Orson Scott Card and Pasqual Ferry,RM 25
> 17.The Metamorphosis by Peter Kuper and Frank Kafka, RM 15
> 18.Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz (hardcover)
by Peter Kuper, RM 30
> 19.Blankets by Craig Thompson, RM 25
>
> Illustration Books:
>
> 1. APPLE: Creative Illustration No. 2, RM 50
> 2. Katsuya Terada ZENBU (in Japanese), RM 40
> 3. Ashley Wood's Art of METAL GEAR SOLID, RM 30
>
> All used books are in good (if not perfect) condition, and some are pretty
new. If anyone interested in buying or want me to reserves any of the books,
don't hesitate to contact me
> Tan Faezal by email: gibraltar_devlin@...,
> or phone: 012-6222614.
> Or just post a reply in the forum.
>
> All prices are negotiable of course.
>
> I wish all of you the best in life!
>
> Cheers!
> Tan Faezal.
>
DAMN!
i just bought Blanket last month at Kino! (siap order lagi tuh)
i want Terada Zanbu
On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 7:46 AM, jedyy73 <sheldon.goh@...> wrote:
>
>
> I'd like Blankets please! :)
>
>
> --- In IACAScW@yahoogroups.com <IACAScW%40yahoogroups.com>,
> "gibraltar_devlin" <gibraltar_devlin@...> wrote:
> >
> > Hello Everyone!
> >
> > It's been a long while since the last time I posted in this forum. I hope
> all is well and doing more great things this new year.
> >
> > Well it's almost the end of January 2010 and I have done another shelves
> clearance. There are some old and new comics, graphic novels and art books
> up for sale with a bargain price. Here's the list:
> >
> > Comics and Graphic Novels:
> >
> > 1.Batman: Broken City by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso,RM 25
> > 2.Amazing Joy Buzzards Vol.1: Here Come The Spiders by Mark Andrew Smith
> and Dan Hipp, RM 25
> > 3.The Amazing Joy Buzzards Vol.2 by Mark Andrew Smith and Dan Hipp, RM 25
> > 4.Shazam & the Monster Society of Evil TPB by Jeff Smith, RM 25
> > 5.Surrogates by Robert Venditti and Brett Welde and RM 25
> > 6.Pigeons From Hell by Joe R. Lansdale, Nathan Fox and Dave Stewart RM 20
> > 7.The Punisher: Dead End (Hardcover) by Nick Remender, Tan Eng Huat and
> Jason Pearson, RM 35
> > 8.X-Men: Blinded By The Light, by Mike Carey, Chris Bachalo, Humberto
> Ramos,RM 25
> > 9.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 2 by Various, RM 35
> > 10.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 3 by Various, RM 35
> > 11.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 4 by Various, RM 35
> > 12.The Origin of Generation X by Various, RM 30
> > 13.The New Avengers: Search For The Sorcerer Supreme (Hardcover) by Brian
> Michael Bendis, Billy Tan and Chris Bachalo, RM 35
> > 14.365 Samurai: And A Few Bowls of Rice by J P Kalonji, RM 25
> > 15.Superman: Day of Doom by Dan Jurgen and Bill Sienkiewicz, RM 15
> > 16.Ultimate Iron Man Vol.2 by Orson Scott Card and Pasqual Ferry,RM 25
> > 17.The Metamorphosis by Peter Kuper and Frank Kafka, RM 15
> > 18.Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz
> (hardcover) by Peter Kuper, RM 30
> > 19.Blankets by Craig Thompson, RM 25
> >
> > Illustration Books:
> >
> > 1. APPLE: Creative Illustration No. 2, RM 50
> > 2. Katsuya Terada ZENBU (in Japanese), RM 40
> > 3. Ashley Wood's Art of METAL GEAR SOLID, RM 30
> >
> > All used books are in good (if not perfect) condition, and some are
> pretty new. If anyone interested in buying or want me to reserves any of the
> books, don't hesitate to contact me
> > Tan Faezal by email: gibraltar_devlin@...,
> > or phone: 012-6222614.
> > Or just post a reply in the forum.
> >
> > All prices are negotiable of course.
> >
> > I wish all of you the best in life!
> >
> > Cheers!
> > Tan Faezal.
> >
>
>
>
--
http://azharsketch.blogspot.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I'd like Blankets please! :)
--- In IACAScW@yahoogroups.com, "gibraltar_devlin" <gibraltar_devlin@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Everyone!
>
> It's been a long while since the last time I posted in this forum. I hope all
is well and doing more great things this new year.
>
> Well it's almost the end of January 2010 and I have done another shelves
clearance. There are some old and new comics, graphic novels and art books up
for sale with a bargain price. Here's the list:
>
> Comics and Graphic Novels:
>
> 1.Batman: Broken City by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso,RM 25
> 2.Amazing Joy Buzzards Vol.1: Here Come The Spiders by Mark Andrew Smith and
Dan Hipp, RM 25
> 3.The Amazing Joy Buzzards Vol.2 by Mark Andrew Smith and Dan Hipp, RM 25
> 4.Shazam & the Monster Society of Evil TPB by Jeff Smith, RM 25
> 5.Surrogates by Robert Venditti and Brett Welde and RM 25
> 6.Pigeons From Hell by Joe R. Lansdale, Nathan Fox and Dave Stewart RM 20
> 7.The Punisher: Dead End (Hardcover) by Nick Remender, Tan Eng Huat and Jason
Pearson, RM 35
> 8.X-Men: Blinded By The Light, by Mike Carey, Chris Bachalo, Humberto Ramos,RM
25
> 9.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 2 by Various, RM 35
> 10.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 3 by Various, RM 35
> 11.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 4 by Various, RM 35
> 12.The Origin of Generation X by Various, RM 30
> 13.The New Avengers: Search For The Sorcerer Supreme (Hardcover) by Brian
Michael Bendis, Billy Tan and Chris Bachalo, RM 35
> 14.365 Samurai: And A Few Bowls of Rice by J P Kalonji, RM 25
> 15.Superman: Day of Doom by Dan Jurgen and Bill Sienkiewicz, RM 15
> 16.Ultimate Iron Man Vol.2 by Orson Scott Card and Pasqual Ferry,RM 25
> 17.The Metamorphosis by Peter Kuper and Frank Kafka, RM 15
> 18.Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz (hardcover)
by Peter Kuper, RM 30
> 19.Blankets by Craig Thompson, RM 25
>
> Illustration Books:
>
> 1. APPLE: Creative Illustration No. 2, RM 50
> 2. Katsuya Terada ZENBU (in Japanese), RM 40
> 3. Ashley Wood's Art of METAL GEAR SOLID, RM 30
>
> All used books are in good (if not perfect) condition, and some are pretty
new. If anyone interested in buying or want me to reserves any of the books,
don't hesitate to contact me
> Tan Faezal by email: gibraltar_devlin@...,
> or phone: 012-6222614.
> Or just post a reply in the forum.
>
> All prices are negotiable of course.
>
> I wish all of you the best in life!
>
> Cheers!
> Tan Faezal.
>
I made a mistake in the last para of the last email.
The biggest-circulation magazine in the
children & teenagers category, according to the
Audit Bureau of Circulations, is "Remaja" at 63,479,
followed by "Kuntum" (52,832) and "Kawan" (21,822). Sorry
about the error, guys.
For those who are curious, the top 10 magazines
by circulation for July '08-June '09 are:
"Mastika" (209,419), "Mingguan Wanita" (137,224),
"KL Lifestyle" (76,186), ADSclusive" (70,000),
"Keluarga" (69,268), "Mangga" (67,533),
"Vision Four Viewing Guide" (64,183), "Remaja" (63,479),
"Rasa" (56,877) and "Kuntum" (52,832).
"Mastika" is probably the fastest growing magazine
in the country. Its circulation, according to one
report, was only 6,000 copies in 1992.
"Gila-Gila", if I recall correctly, used to be the most
read local magazine after "Wanita". That was many years ago.
Today I'm not sure where "Gila-Gila" is, but "Wanita" has
an average circulation of 32,532 based on the latest
ABC report.
As one of the leading players in the comics industry,
the Art Square group is a barometer for the industry's
performance. But is it painting an over-optimistic vibe?
On the Gempak Starz website, "Gempak"s circulation was given
as "74,190 (ABC)".
Is this the latest figure? The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC)
gave "Gempak" average circulation at nearly 50,000 in the year
ending June 30, 2005, while "Utopia"s was 60,000. That was way
back in 2005, and all indications are that the circulation of
the two magazines has fallen -- not increased -- since then.
By 2006/07, their circulation figures were down to 29,852 and
32,146 respectively, according to the ABC website.
Interestingly, the ABC website doesn't provide figures for
"Gempak" and "Utopia" for 2007/2008 and 2008/2009. The ABC site
still lists the two magazines as ABC members, however (though
I note that the ABC logo no longer appears on Gempak's cover).
Has there been a delay in auditing the 2008 & 2009 figures?
Any which way, there is a big gap between the figure
quoted by Art Square on the Gempak site and the figure quoted
by ABC on its website (for 2007). Even if I double the
figure cited by ABC (if I assume that Art Square is quoting a
monthly circulation figure for its fortnightly mag), the
multiplied figure only comes to 59,704 -- still short of 74,190.
"Kawan", the biggest Bahasa children/teen magazine listed in
the latest ABC annual report, sold 21,822 copies per issue in the
year ending June 30, 2009. So, if "Gempak" sells about 30,000
copies per issue, it is actually still a respectable figure.
(Though still lower than what many in the comics industry
may have estimated.)
Hello Everyone!
It's been a long while since the last time I posted in this forum. I hope all is
well and doing more great things this new year.
Well it's almost the end of January 2010 and I have done another shelves
clearance. There are some old and new comics, graphic novels and art books up
for sale with a bargain price. Here's the list:
Comics and Graphic Novels:
1.Batman: Broken City by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso,RM 25
2.Amazing Joy Buzzards Vol.1: Here Come The Spiders by Mark Andrew Smith and Dan
Hipp, RM 25
3.The Amazing Joy Buzzards Vol.2 by Mark Andrew Smith and Dan Hipp, RM 25
4.Shazam & the Monster Society of Evil TPB by Jeff Smith, RM 25
5.Surrogates by Robert Venditti and Brett Welde and RM 25
6.Pigeons From Hell by Joe R. Lansdale, Nathan Fox and Dave Stewart RM 20
7.The Punisher: Dead End (Hardcover) by Nick Remender, Tan Eng Huat and Jason
Pearson, RM 35
8.X-Men: Blinded By The Light, by Mike Carey, Chris Bachalo, Humberto Ramos,RM
25
9.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 2 by Various, RM 35
10.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 3 by Various, RM 35
11.X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse Vol. 4 by Various, RM 35
12.The Origin of Generation X by Various, RM 30
13.The New Avengers: Search For The Sorcerer Supreme (Hardcover) by Brian
Michael Bendis, Billy Tan and Chris Bachalo, RM 35
14.365 Samurai: And A Few Bowls of Rice by J P Kalonji, RM 25
15.Superman: Day of Doom by Dan Jurgen and Bill Sienkiewicz, RM 15
16.Ultimate Iron Man Vol.2 by Orson Scott Card and Pasqual Ferry,RM 25
17.The Metamorphosis by Peter Kuper and Frank Kafka, RM 15
18.Stop Forgetting to Remember: The Autobiography of Walter Kurtz (hardcover) by
Peter Kuper, RM 30
19.Blankets by Craig Thompson, RM 25
Illustration Books:
1. APPLE: Creative Illustration No. 2, RM 50
2. Katsuya Terada ZENBU (in Japanese), RM 40
3. Ashley Wood's Art of METAL GEAR SOLID, RM 30
All used books are in good (if not perfect) condition, and some are pretty new.
If anyone interested in buying or want me to reserves any of the books, don't
hesitate to contact me
Tan Faezal by email: gibraltar_devlin@...,
or phone: 012-6222614.
Or just post a reply in the forum.
All prices are negotiable of course.
I wish all of you the best in life!
Cheers!
Tan Faezal.
NST today (Sunday) carries a 2-page article on 3 major
animation companies: Les' Copaque, Shock3D! and Animonsta.
Check out the story here:
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/22anim-2/Article/index_html
Les' Copaque's MD Burhanuddin Radzi says it is working on
another 42 episodes of "Upin & Ipin" for television. Earlier
episodes have been translated into English and shown over
the Disney Channel. That's a lot of episodes already committed.
In terms of merchandising, World of Geng (its merchandising
store) made sales of RM2 million last year and expects RM5 million
this year. Not too bad!
"Animation houses cannot sustain themselves bu just making
films. If you have a popular product with characters that are
widely recognised, merchandising can help recoup the initial
investment in film," Burhanuddin is quoted as saying.
The store sells T-shirts, key chains, notebooks and school
bags, among others. Licensing of "Upin & Ipin" and "Geng"
characters is another area the company is looking into.
It is considering making snack food as well.
Meanwhile, Shock3D! reveals that its "Alamaya - Garden of
Beautiful Creatures", the country's 1st English animated feature,
will cost RM4.9 million to make ("Geng" had cost RM4.7 million)
and it will need another RM2 million to "commercialise our
product overseas."
Jian, the 9-year-old central character, will be introduced
in a short TV clip during the Chinese New Year period.
Syed Hezri Syed Hisham of Shock3D! laments the lack of support
from the government in marketing. He says the Japanese animation
industry started at the same time as Malaysia's, but it has grown
by leaps and bounds due to its government's tremendous support.
Syed Hezri says the e-content fund provided by the Ministry
of Science, Technology and Innovation does not provide for
marketing.
He notes that Singapore depends on talent from Malaysia to liven
up its animation industry and the Singapore government is
aggressively marketing their animation works.
The NST article menrtions that Animonsta's "BoBoiBoy" TV
series will be shown in June. Production cost is RM2.6 million.
Then the movie will be rolled out in both BM and English.
Animonsta MD Mohd Nizam Abd Razak says that although the govern-
ment doesn't allocate specific funds for marketing, it has
been supportive in providing funding for production work,
mentorship programmes and facilities.
long live Popcorn!
On Sun, Jan 24, 2010 at 1:21 AM, hafidzm <hafidzm@...> wrote:
>
>
> Half a year after the last issue, "Popcorn" issue 4 is
> finally out! The highlight, to me, is the interview with
> Australian comic artist Ashley Wood, one of the best
> artist interviews in the magazine so far.
>
> Wood comes across as a confident artist who wants full
> creative control and who doesn't really care what others
> think of his work as long as he is being true to himself.
> There is a lot of quotable quotes in this interview which
> readers/artists can either take as advice or insights into
> Wood's way of working (you may not agree with some of the
> stuff that he said).
>
> "Popcorn" 004 also contains an interview with Malaysian artist
> Billy Tan, who talked about how he broke into the US comic industry
> as well as on his recent projects, including "New Avengers"
> and "Thor."
>
> Another interview featured is with Puyuh (Leong Wan Kok),
> who talks on his character designs plus his hobby of sculpting
> figurines. There is even a demo on how to create figurines. One
> notable thing about Puyuh is he has maintained the quality
> of his work though he just draws comics in his limited free time
> (he is a concept artist who works from 8.30am to 6pm). He gets
> up very early in the morning to draw comics, before he goes off to
> work. Btw, this issue's cover art is by him.
>
> Comics-wise, this issue fits in four comics, including by
> Puyuh and one by Scho, who won the award for Best Short Story
> at the Malaysia Mandarin Comic Society Award 2009. (This reminds
> me, if you haven't submitted your entry for Anugerah PeKOMIK,
> please do so soon!)
>
> The Ashley Wood interview is quite interesting, so I hope
> Gempakstarz wouldn't mind if I reprint just one piece of advice
> from him here. On Deviant Art, Wood has this to say:
>
> "You could be printing on napkins or on the best websites
> in the world; all that matters is the quality of the art. Take
> Deviant Art for example. They spend more time there talking
> and interacting, building a nice little community, when they should
> just focus and get down to work. They should be painting and
> working, and not go "yo man, your stuff is awesome" every time
> someone showcases his/her work. That doesn't help. The
> opportunities there are great, and they are very supportive of
> each other, but I also believe it's not real. These guys need
> to just sit down and paint.
>
> "When I started, there were no Internet communities. You just
> suck it up and do it and look for books to draw inspiration
> from. At first, I was kind of jealous thinking about the
> wealth of information available on the Internet, but now I am
> glad that I was isolated doing my own thing. People now are
> so connected that their work all looks the same. It's kind of
> like a virus and they have infected each other. They copy
> each other, copy each other's aesthetics and their speech. The
> uniqueness is not there anymore. They even listen to the same
> music because they feel that's the sort of music they should be
> listening to."
>
> Uh, Mr Woods, I listen to the Bee Gees...
>
> This issue of "Popcorn", in my view, is an improvement over
> the last issue. It feels more like a labour of love, rather
> than something done in a hurry. Like the comics editor Slaium
> said on the editorial page:
>
> "Lately, a lot of people have been asking me: when is the next
> issue of POPCORN coming out? Always, a little embarrassed, I
> answered: Well, there were a lot of comic events going on in the
> last half of 2009 and, with our limited time and resources, we
> are trying our best to finish it as soon as possible.
>
> "To be honest, part of that answer is just a lame excuse but a
> large part of it really is the truth. POPCORN is a labour of love
> for us, although it adds a lot more extra workload to our busy
> working schedules. We do it willingly out of the love we have for
> comics art. Hopefully you'll feel the effort we put into making
> every issue of POPCORN better and continue to look forward to
> future issues."
>
> May "Popcorn" continue to inspire the comics community and
> keep on improving!
>
>
>
--
http://azharsketch.blogspot.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
The ICV2 pop culture site features a 3-part interview with Viz
Media vice-president of sales and marketing Gonzalo Ferreyra
on the state of the US manga & anime markets, including mobile manga
and publication of original material.
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/16702.html
Meanwhile, it was announced at Pergh that a 1Malaysia comic is
in the works and artists are being sought. The aim is partly
to enter the Malaysia Book of Records as the comic with the
highest number of artists. Terms & conditions will be revealed
next month.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=mf&gid=259687940484
Half a year after the last issue, "Popcorn" issue 4 is
finally out! The highlight, to me, is the interview with
Australian comic artist Ashley Wood, one of the best
artist interviews in the magazine so far.
Wood comes across as a confident artist who wants full
creative control and who doesn't really care what others
think of his work as long as he is being true to himself.
There is a lot of quotable quotes in this interview which
readers/artists can either take as advice or insights into
Wood's way of working (you may not agree with some of the
stuff that he said).
"Popcorn" 004 also contains an interview with Malaysian artist
Billy Tan, who talked about how he broke into the US comic industry
as well as on his recent projects, including "New Avengers"
and "Thor."
Another interview featured is with Puyuh (Leong Wan Kok),
who talks on his character designs plus his hobby of sculpting
figurines. There is even a demo on how to create figurines. One
notable thing about Puyuh is he has maintained the quality
of his work though he just draws comics in his limited free time
(he is a concept artist who works from 8.30am to 6pm). He gets
up very early in the morning to draw comics, before he goes off to
work. Btw, this issue's cover art is by him.
Comics-wise, this issue fits in four comics, including by
Puyuh and one by Scho, who won the award for Best Short Story
at the Malaysia Mandarin Comic Society Award 2009. (This reminds
me, if you haven't submitted your entry for Anugerah PeKOMIK,
please do so soon!)
The Ashley Wood interview is quite interesting, so I hope
Gempakstarz wouldn't mind if I reprint just one piece of advice
from him here. On Deviant Art, Wood has this to say:
"You could be printing on napkins or on the best websites
in the world; all that matters is the quality of the art. Take
Deviant Art for example. They spend more time there talking
and interacting, building a nice little community, when they should
just focus and get down to work. They should be painting and
working, and not go "yo man, your stuff is awesome" every time
someone showcases his/her work. That doesn't help. The
opportunities there are great, and they are very supportive of
each other, but I also believe it's not real. These guys need
to just sit down and paint.
"When I started, there were no Internet communities. You just
suck it up and do it and look for books to draw inspiration
from. At first, I was kind of jealous thinking about the
wealth of information available on the Internet, but now I am
glad that I was isolated doing my own thing. People now are
so connected that their work all looks the same. It's kind of
like a virus and they have infected each other. They copy
each other, copy each other's aesthetics and their speech. The
uniqueness is not there anymore. They even listen to the same
music because they feel that's the sort of music they should be
listening to."
Uh, Mr Woods, I listen to the Bee Gees...
This issue of "Popcorn", in my view, is an improvement over
the last issue. It feels more like a labour of love, rather
than something done in a hurry. Like the comics editor Slaium
said on the editorial page:
"Lately, a lot of people have been asking me: when is the next
issue of POPCORN coming out? Always, a little embarrassed, I
answered: Well, there were a lot of comic events going on in the
last half of 2009 and, with our limited time and resources, we
are trying our best to finish it as soon as possible.
"To be honest, part of that answer is just a lame excuse but a
large part of it really is the truth. POPCORN is a labour of love
for us, although it adds a lot more extra workload to our busy
working schedules. We do it willingly out of the love we have for
comics art. Hopefully you'll feel the effort we put into making
every issue of POPCORN better and continue to look forward to
future issues."
May "Popcorn" continue to inspire the comics community and
keep on improving!
mainstream box ofc has always bn depending on hype. i m glad i hav grown
tired of even finding out which flick is doing well financially nowadays.
so glad to meet u yesterday just b4 ur long trip off. hav a great
experience, Hafidz. God be with you.
On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 12:43 AM, hafidzm <hafidzm@...> wrote:
>
>
> In case anyone later wonders why I'm not
> writing in this forum for two weeks, it's because
> I will be going to Saudi Arabia from Tuesday and
> return to Malaysia only on Friday the following week.
>
> Will be covering the PM's visit to Saudi Arabia,
> after which I'll extend my stay to do umrah (small
> pilgrimage) in Mecca.
>
> Btw, I just watched "Bandslam" at Mid Valley Megamall
> cineplex, a charming romantic teen flick revolving around a band
> competition. Lovable underdog characters (people you'd like
> to be friends with), entertaining music, a few twists towards
> the end that hit your emotions like a sledgehammer, and a great
> triumph-against-all-odds feel-good ending. It's one of
> those under-promoted little movies in the sea of
> blockbuster films like "Avatar" and "Sherlock Holmes".
> You probably haven't even seen its trailer. But it deserves
> a wider audience.
>
> I had watched both "Avatar" and "Sherlock Holmes", and
> I really wanted to see "Three Idiots", a blockbuster
> Hindi movie, tonight, but the tickets were sold out
> except maybe one seat in the front row. Tickets for
> "Cirque du Freak" also were almost gone and only terrible
> seats were left. "Avatar", "Sherlock Holmes", "Three
> Idiots", "Cirque du Freak" and "Old Dogs" saw almost
> full house, but the hall showing "Bandslam" was empty
> except for the last two rows!
>
> What an injustice for a movie that managed to get a rare
> 90% rating among the top critics listed on Rottentomatoes!
> Compare that to "Avatar" (94% among top critics),
> "Sherlock Holmes" (53%), "Cirque du Freak" (16%), and
> "The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus" (62%).
> So if you are tired of the blockbuster films and
> want a small but intelligent, spirit-lifting movie, you
> may want to seek out "Bandslam."
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
In case anyone later wonders why I'm not
writing in this forum for two weeks, it's because
I will be going to Saudi Arabia from Tuesday and
return to Malaysia only on Friday the following week.
Will be covering the PM's visit to Saudi Arabia,
after which I'll extend my stay to do umrah (small
pilgrimage) in Mecca.
Btw, I just watched "Bandslam" at Mid Valley Megamall
cineplex, a charming romantic teen flick revolving around a band
competition. Lovable underdog characters (people you'd like
to be friends with), entertaining music, a few twists towards
the end that hit your emotions like a sledgehammer, and a great
triumph-against-all-odds feel-good ending. It's one of
those under-promoted little movies in the sea of
blockbuster films like "Avatar" and "Sherlock Holmes".
You probably haven't even seen its trailer. But it deserves
a wider audience.
I had watched both "Avatar" and "Sherlock Holmes", and
I really wanted to see "Three Idiots", a blockbuster
Hindi movie, tonight, but the tickets were sold out
except maybe one seat in the front row. Tickets for
"Cirque du Freak" also were almost gone and only terrible
seats were left. "Avatar", "Sherlock Holmes", "Three
Idiots", "Cirque du Freak" and "Old Dogs" saw almost
full house, but the hall showing "Bandslam" was empty
except for the last two rows!
What an injustice for a movie that managed to get a rare
90% rating among the top critics listed on Rottentomatoes!
Compare that to "Avatar" (94% among top critics),
"Sherlock Holmes" (53%), "Cirque du Freak" (16%), and
"The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus" (62%).
So if you are tired of the blockbuster films and
want a small but intelligent, spirit-lifting movie, you
may want to seek out "Bandslam."
have a good journey
good luck in your studies.
On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 5:42 PM, Haryati Mohd Ehsan <delonix_yu@...>wrote:
>
>
> Thank you Mr Hafidz! it's been a long journey after I received the
> scholarship from UiTM in June till I got my place in Guildhall this Monday..
> phew! I'll be doing Master in Interactive Technology, Game Design
> specialized in art and design creation... (now that's a long name to type)
>
> I'll be in Dallas, Texas for 2 years and I hope I can gain as much
> knowledge as I can when I get there. Being the only girl, alone and travel
> to the world with no Malaysians around is like jumping into tiger cage but
> I'll do my best! :) if you all have facebook you can add me there, just type
> 'Haryati Mohd Ehsan' then you'll find me
>
> "Guess the next time we see you, you'll be wearing a cowboy hat and
>
> speaking with a Texas accent..."
>
> you're not the only person who said that to me lol!:D
>
> wish me luck and all the best in 2010!
>
> xanseviera
>
> --- On Tue, 1/5/10, hafidzm <hafidzm@... <hafidzm%40yahoo.com>>
> wrote:
>
> From: hafidzm <hafidzm@... <hafidzm%40yahoo.com>>
> Subject: [IACAScW] Au revoir, Xan!
> To: IACAScW@yahoogroups.com <IACAScW%40yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 1:41 AM
>
>
>
>
> It's time to bid farewell to Haryati (Xanseviera) ,
>
> who has written her last journal entry in Deviantart
>
> prior to leaving for the United States to study (The
>
> Guildhall at Southern Methodist U in Dallas).
>
> Once in a while I like to drop by her Deviantart site
>
> (though I don't even watch "Supernatural" !), but I
>
> guess a lot of us will miss her at the various comics-
>
> related gatherings in Malaysia.
>
> Xan, hope you'll make a lot of friends in the US and achieve
>
> a lot of success. Enjoy yourself, but do remember to
>
> also be careful 'cos you're in a foreign land. And always
>
> remember who you are and where you come from. Guess the next
>
> time we see you, you'll be wearing a cowboy hat and
>
> speaking with a Texas accent...
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
--
http://azharsketch.blogspot.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
agree..
comics nowdays should attract young readers.
On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 1:13 AM, hafidzm <hafidzm@...> wrote:
>
>
> Newsarama is running a series on the comics industry outlook for 2010, and
> it has reached the article featuring comic creators:
>
>
> http://www.newsarama.com/comics/091229-outlook-2010-challenges-creators.html
>
> There are some good comments here.
>
> One of the challenges is attracting new audiences. Research shows that if
> children don't read a comic by the time they're 10, they're much less likely
> to ever pick one up.
>
> Creators said too few current comics – particularly superhero comics – are
> even able to be read by young people.
>
> Artist Brad Walker ("Guardians of the Galaxy") said a concerted effort
> needs to be made to make the regular, mainstream titles fun and entertaining
> for a wider age range, and once those readers are hooked by superheroes,
> they can try other, more mature titles when they grow up. But Walker said
> the superhero comics can't be "dumbed down" or marketed only for kids.
>
> Ron Marz, who writes "Witchblade" and "Angelus" for Top Cow, said: "We
> can't just keep preaching only to the ever-shrinking fanbase that shows up
> at their local comic shops."
>
> Writer Chris Roberson said: "I think one of the biggest challenges that the
> 'Big Two' have been facing for a while now is the fact that they can't
> survive on the Direct Market alone (the old school, 'Is it Wednesday yet?'
> fanboys like me), but they can't survive without the Direct Market, either.
>
> "This leads to a lot of second-guessing and half-measures, in the attempt
> to do the kinds of comics that will appeal to the mythical 'mainstream'
> audience while not offending the traditional fanbase. The problem is that in
> the majority of cases, those two audiences are looking for different things,
> and the risk that publishers run in chasing that strategy is to end up
> pleasing neither while trying to appeal to both."
>
>
>
--
http://azharsketch.blogspot.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Thank you Mr Hafidz! it's been a long journey after I received the scholarship
from UiTM in June till I got my place in Guildhall this Monday.. phew! I'll be
doing Master in Interactive Technology, Game Design specialized in art and
design creation... (now that's a long name to type)
I'll be in Dallas, Texas for 2 years and I hope I can gain as much knowledge as
I can when I get there. Being the only girl, alone and travel to the world with
no Malaysians around is like jumping into tiger cage but I'll do my best! :) if
you all have facebook you can add me there, just type 'Haryati Mohd Ehsan' then
you'll find me
"Guess the next time we see you, you'll be wearing a cowboy hat and
speaking with a Texas accent..."
you're not the only person who said that to me lol!:D
wish me luck and all the best in 2010!
xanseviera
--- On Tue, 1/5/10, hafidzm <hafidzm@...> wrote:
From: hafidzm <hafidzm@...>
Subject: [IACAScW] Au revoir, Xan!
To: IACAScW@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 1:41 AM
Â
It's time to bid farewell to Haryati (Xanseviera) ,
who has written her last journal entry in Deviantart
prior to leaving for the United States to study (The
Guildhall at Southern Methodist U in Dallas).
Once in a while I like to drop by her Deviantart site
(though I don't even watch "Supernatural" !), but I
guess a lot of us will miss her at the various comics-
related gatherings in Malaysia.
Xan, hope you'll make a lot of friends in the US and achieve
a lot of success. Enjoy yourself, but do remember to
also be careful 'cos you're in a foreign land. And always
remember who you are and where you come from. Guess the next
time we see you, you'll be wearing a cowboy hat and
speaking with a Texas accent...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
It's time to bid farewell to Haryati (Xanseviera),
who has written her last journal entry in Deviantart
prior to leaving for the United States to study (The
Guildhall at Southern Methodist U in Dallas).
Once in a while I like to drop by her Deviantart site
(though I don't even watch "Supernatural"!), but I
guess a lot of us will miss her at the various comics-
related gatherings in Malaysia.
Xan, hope you'll make a lot of friends in the US and achieve
a lot of success. Enjoy yourself, but do remember to
also be careful 'cos you're in a foreign land. And always
remember who you are and where you come from. Guess the next
time we see you, you'll be wearing a cowboy hat and
speaking with a Texas accent...
Newsarama is running a series on the comics industry outlook for 2010, and it
has reached the article featuring comic creators:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/091229-outlook-2010-challenges-creators.html
There are some good comments here.
One of the challenges is attracting new audiences. Research shows that if
children don't read a comic by the time they're 10, they're much less likely to
ever pick one up.
Creators said too few current comics – particularly superhero comics – are even
able to be read by young people.
Artist Brad Walker ("Guardians of the Galaxy") said a concerted effort needs to
be made to make the regular, mainstream titles fun and entertaining for a wider
age range, and once those readers are hooked by superheroes, they can try other,
more mature titles when they grow up. But Walker said the superhero comics can't
be "dumbed down" or marketed only for kids.
Ron Marz, who writes "Witchblade" and "Angelus" for Top Cow, said: "We can't
just keep preaching only to the ever-shrinking fanbase that shows up at their
local comic shops."
Writer Chris Roberson said: "I think one of the biggest challenges that the 'Big
Two' have been facing for a while now is the fact that they can't survive on the
Direct Market alone (the old school, 'Is it Wednesday yet?' fanboys like me),
but they can't survive without the Direct Market, either.
"This leads to a lot of second-guessing and half-measures, in the attempt to do
the kinds of comics that will appeal to the mythical 'mainstream' audience while
not offending the traditional fanbase. The problem is that in the majority of
cases, those two audiences are looking for different things, and the risk that
publishers run in chasing that strategy is to end up pleasing neither while
trying to appeal to both."
I would think that both comics publishing and games fall under this fund.
If you check out the BSN website, you'll notice that "interactive", "online
content", "mobile" and "publishing" are included.
http://www.bsn.com.my/pinjaman/DanaIndustriKreatif.asp
--- In IACAScW@yahoogroups.com, shahrin <ubertaker@...> wrote:
>
> How about making comics or videogames?
>
> --- On Thu, 12/31/09, hafidzm <hafidzm@...> wrote:
>
> From: hafidzm <hafidzm@...>
> Subject: [IACAScW] Creative industry fund details
> To: IACAScW@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Thursday, December 31, 2009, 5:44 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Information Communication and Culture Minister
>
> Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim launched the RM200 million
>
> Creative Industry Fund today (Thursday).
>
>
>
> The details are given. For one, it will not be a "free" fund
>
> such as in the form of a grant. According to a Bernama wire
>
> report, it will be a credit facility of between RM50,000
>
> and RM5 million meant for commercial creative activities.
>
>
>
> It offers competitive interest rates (2-4 per cent) and
>
> flexible conditions.
>
>
>
> Rais said applicants could seek financing up to 90 per cent
>
> of their cost from a special committee set up by the ministry.
>
>
>
> "The contract documents can be pledged as collaterals, which
>
> could be handed to the banks subject to conditions imposed, by producing
eligible guarantors or by determining the adequacy
>
> of company assets," he said.
>
>
>
> Bank Simpanan would fix the instalments throughout project
>
> period, loan period or fast track repayment for those
>
> posting "blockbuster" revenue.
>
>
>
> According to Rais, the credit facility could be taken in stages
>
> or one lump sum based on the conditions set by the bank.
>
>
>
> The fund is meant for filmmaking, musical production, animation,
>
> and related activities.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
How about making comics or videogames?
--- On Thu, 12/31/09, hafidzm <hafidzm@...> wrote:
From: hafidzm <hafidzm@...>
Subject: [IACAScW] Creative industry fund details
To: IACAScW@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, December 31, 2009, 5:44 PM
Â
Information Communication and Culture Minister
Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim launched the RM200 million
Creative Industry Fund today (Thursday).
The details are given. For one, it will not be a "free" fund
such as in the form of a grant. According to a Bernama wire
report, it will be a credit facility of between RM50,000
and RM5 million meant for commercial creative activities.
It offers competitive interest rates (2-4 per cent) and
flexible conditions.
Rais said applicants could seek financing up to 90 per cent
of their cost from a special committee set up by the ministry.
"The contract documents can be pledged as collaterals, which
could be handed to the banks subject to conditions imposed, by producing
eligible guarantors or by determining the adequacy
of company assets," he said.
Bank Simpanan would fix the instalments throughout project
period, loan period or fast track repayment for those
posting "blockbuster" revenue.
According to Rais, the credit facility could be taken in stages
or one lump sum based on the conditions set by the bank.
The fund is meant for filmmaking, musical production, animation,
and related activities.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Information Communication and Culture Minister
Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim launched the RM200 million
Creative Industry Fund today (Thursday).
The details are given. For one, it will not be a "free" fund
such as in the form of a grant. According to a Bernama wire
report, it will be a credit facility of between RM50,000
and RM5 million meant for commercial creative activities.
It offers competitive interest rates (2-4 per cent) and
flexible conditions.
Rais said applicants could seek financing up to 90 per cent
of their cost from a special committee set up by the ministry.
"The contract documents can be pledged as collaterals, which
could be handed to the banks subject to conditions imposed, by producing
eligible guarantors or by determining the adequacy
of company assets," he said.
Bank Simpanan would fix the instalments throughout project
period, loan period or fast track repayment for those
posting "blockbuster" revenue.
According to Rais, the credit facility could be taken in stages
or one lump sum based on the conditions set by the bank.
The fund is meant for filmmaking, musical production, animation,
and related activities.
One of the world's most respected movie critics gives his views on the best
animated flicks of 2009:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/12/the_best_animated_films_of_200.html
And hey, you get to watch one of his top picks, "Sita Sings The Blues", for FREE
on the Web!
Quite a few of the over 100 comments that Ebert's blog entry received mentioned
"Mary and Max", which was left out of Ebert's list (perhaps because it would
only be released in the US in 2010 though it was released a few months ago
elsewhere). In my view, this film should really be in the top 10 of 2009. In
fact, I'd put it probably near the top of a top 10 list, one of the year's best.
I saw this smart film on DVD 'cos it wasn't shown in our cinemas (as far as I
know).
Ebert, upon hearing so many comments on "Mary and Max", wrote: "Inspired by
many, many comments, I now have a screener of "Mary and Max," am viewing it, and
loving it."
Highly recommended!
not sure what this means :)
but cuba aje
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [BU4] Fw: Perspective Artist WANTED - help
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:02:45 +0800
From: Alex <alexandalex@...>
Reply-To: BU4@yahoogroups.com
To: <BU4@yahoogroups.com>
*Dear Friends,*
**
*Kindly e-disseminate to your family and friends*
*Dear Friends of the Vihara,*
**
*/For Further information please call the BMV office./*
*BUDDHIST MAHA VIHARA*
*123, Jalan Berhala *
*Brickfields, 50470*
*Kuala Lumpur*
*Tel No : 03 22741141*
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
There was a great turn-out at Comic Fiesta today (Sunday) but
the body heat didn't help much 'cos it was freezing like winter-
time at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre! I don't know how
those cosplay girls in tiny skirts could stand it; I wished
I had brought an overcoat. But the cosplayers seemed to have a
darn great time, and unluckily for me, I don't even own a camera
to take their pictures. :(
PeKOMIK shared a booth with MDeC, and the association had great
booth people like Fieza, Halit and one artist who dressed up like
a jihad terrorist. Hehe. Yes, the latter was very popular, and
cosplayers in the hallway wanted him to give them five. Don't
know whether he inspired Dinjerr to accidentally call Osamu
Tezuka "Osama" Tezuka during his PeKOMIK talk...
Various people stopped by the PeKOMIK booth, including Tako,
Icesoul, Lefty, Kie-san and Apai from G3. I learned from Slaium,
who was also at the centre, that though "Popcorn" is slightly
delayed, it is still alive and will probably be out next
month. You'll want to grab a copy 'cos it'll feature, among others,
Ashley Wood and Billy Tan (who is now taking over "Thor"
art duty and seems to be doing one of the best work of
his career)!
An existing publisher is set to give PTS and Al-Ameen a run
for their money in the graphic novel category early next
year. That's also a little something I learned at Comic Fiesta,
but I have to respect the wishes of the person in charge not to
reveal the details. All will be announced in Pergh in the
coming weeks, so do wait for it. This will open up a new avenue
for Malaysian comic creators, so it's darn exciting news!
And that brings us to the talks at Comic Fiesta today for budding
comics creators. Dinjerr, representing PeKOMIK, was the first
to take the stage at 11am, and he did a great job, ad libbing
a good part of the way. Among others, he talked about the
history of webcomics in Malaysia, mentioning the Malaysian
Amateur Artists Online, and what might be the first known manga
doujinshi in Malaysia, in the 1990s. (Let's face it, some of
us older folk did "doujins" when we were just kids, some using
carbon paper to make more than one copy. So theoretically,
that couldn't be the first doujin -- "manga" doujin for sale
publicly, maybe. The Amateur Press Association of Malaysia (APA),
with people like Ahmad Fauzi, David Lai and Alan Quah, paved
the way for amateur artists in the mid-80s with "APAzine: A
Collective Showcase of Original Comics Art", which sold for RM5
and had 100 pages. And for the record, manga had been in Malaysia
quite a while before there was a craze for it among youth.
Guess it's high time the history of comics in Malaysia was
documented in a comprehensive book or website.)
But I must stress that Dinjerr did an admirable job. I envy
his public speaking ability -- he's cool. He answered several
questions from the floor, and one that I think he answered
quite well was the question from one woman who asked what
to do with parents didn't think comics was a good career.
Dinjerr gave the example of Zid, noting that Zid's mother
was there, proud of him, when he received the Best Digital Artwork
(Experimental) and Best Digital Comic at the MSC Malaysia
Kre8tif Industry Awards recently. (Zid wrote in his blog:
"I could never be happier with my decision to bring my beloved
mother along the moment results were announced.")
The next speaker was Azlan Pa'wan, head of BigBeak Pictures
which is set to launch some animation series next year,
including "Chummy & Champ", which combines CGI and puppetry.
There is one theme that runs through all the speakers, and
it's that one should try to develop a style of one's own
and not be a slave to the so-called manga style.
Azlan says "I feel there's too much manga and anime around."
That statement might make many manga artists jump, but he's
talking from the point of view of an employer of creative
people. And one of his animated TV series does have an anime
style.
"Experiment with more mediums and styles, not just
manga or anime. Whoever (a job-seeker) comes to see me, I
say I want to see your OTHER artwork which are not manga-ish
or anime-ish," he says, noting that an artist must know how
to switch styles on different animated projects.
He advised university students, who made up a good portion
of the audience, to use the 4-5 years in university to
experiment with styles and to take subjects like psychology
and marketing, which help to monetise art.
He said he went around the doujin booths at Comic Fiesta to
look at the products. "Nice artwork, but the storytelling is
weak. When you start writing in English, it's even worse!" he
said. (At this time, I thought he was being a bit too harsh
on the budding artists, even though I believed he was right.
But then again, I have said some critical stuff in this forum
myself, so who am I to judge?)
"I can't draw as fantastic as you guys (he's a marketing guy),
but I have a team. I got brilliant artists, wonderful marketers,
and scriptwriters. It doesn't mean that you have to both draw
and write. If you know your friend is a good storyteller, work
with him... You do the artwork, somebody else does the writing,
and someone else does the translation (to English, etc)."
The third speaker of the day was Stanley Lau, better known as
Artgerm, who co-founded concept art studio Imaginary Friends
Studios in Singapore, 90% of whose work are for US clients.
Artgerm said he was one of the victims of old-school parents.
"When I first chose to study graphic design, my parents objected,
(saying) 'what's the point?' So I told them, 'Just give me one
chance to prove myself.' I got a diploma in graphic design
and I've done well. Eventually my parents were proud of me."
He said parents needed to realise that being a creative is
a viable career path. "As a creative (person), you have to
manage your parents creatively as well," he advised. "Don't
lose your passion (even if you have to follow the path that
your parents want initially)." He says there are many ways
to get to your goal, not necessarily the direct route.
On why he chose the pen name Artgerm, he said: "I believe art is
contagious, and I want my art to be inspiring, to inspire other
artists to pursue their art."
Regarding style of art, he said: "When you first learn to
draw, you imitate someone's style, but you'd find yourself trapped
in the style. I encourage my artists to go back to the root
of all style, go back to the realism style. Look in the mirror
(to see your anatomy)."
He said style had to be done consistently; if not, it's not
your style.
"Every style has a formula inside and it's stylised interpretation
of realism... If you find yourself always trapped within a
particular style, usually the problem is you do not understand
your source of it," he said.
Artgerm said he started out being inspired by manga style, with
the big eyes. "Those are habits. You do it because you saw
someone did it. But that's not the right way to do it. If your
habit is not rooted in fundamentals, it's hard to interpret things
differently. You have to understand reality and realism. You
can't draw what you don't know."
He mentioned somewhere in his talk about manga characters
having shadow near the nose, but some artists don't understand
about lighting so they always do the same thing.
He said that while it's fun to look at artbooks, art is more
than that -- it's interpreting life. He suggested photography
books.
Artgerm said that one could learn by imitating other artists' styles,
but "the trick is, don't just choose one artist to get inspired.
Find your preferred approach."
Must you give up your anime style and go into realism? "Don't
do it (if you don't want to). Art has to have passion. But at
the same time, learn realism to help you learn and grow."
What if someone doesn't like your style? "If you're a fine
artist, you can (stick to your style). But if you're a
commercial artist, you can't. For manga artists -- it's hard
for me to find the relevance for that particular style.
Enjoy your style, but at the same time, learn to be flexible
to approach your art in different ways."
(I'd like to note here that Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki
found, at 18, that he had to struggle to rid himself of Osamu Tezuka's
influence on his own manga. In the book "Starting Point: 1979-1996",
he wrote: "I know that some people say that you should start
drawing manga by imitating others, but I always believed this
to be the wrong approach. Perhaps it's because I was the second-
born son in my family instead of the first, but I have always
believed that I should never try to imitate my older brother or
my predecessors. So when I was finally forced to admit that my
drawings actually DID look like Tezuka's, I took out the sketches
I had stored in the drawer of our dresser and burned them all.
I burned them and resolved to start over from scratch, and in the
belief that I needed to study the basics first, I went back to
practicing drawing and draftsmanship.")
Artgerm said art is not a subject or a profession. "It's a
lifestyle. I don't believe that you're an 'art student'. You're
either an artist or you're not. You don't 'transform' into
an artist. You have to include art as part of your life."
He gave some attributes of a "successful digital artist":
1) Strong passion and commitment in art
2) Understand his market positioning and commercial viability
3) Great portfolio with distinctive strength & direction.
On preparing the portfolio, he said that "less is more." Don't
just throw everything in. Organise it to emphasise your
strength. "Never ever shoot yourself in the foot by saying, 'This
(art) is rough and not very nice.' Don't put it in and don't
say it (negative comments about your work)."
He said that one must ensure that one grabs the prospective
employer's attention as fast as possible (if it's for a comics
job, put the comics in front). Don't just throw everything in.
Once they're interested, you can show them more artwork.
4) Solid art foundation with great flexibility in execution
5) Strong online presence and involved in your community
6) Good network of clients.
The final talk was by Lefty (Julian) and Michael Chuah of Gilamon,
an indie comics group formed in 2003. It's a wide-ranging talk
from the benefits of doing indie stuff as a team (as opposed
to doing it alone) to how to freelance.
I think I'll stop here 'cos it's getting late as I type this.
Hope what I've written above has been useful.
Oh, one last thing: the most enjoyable part of the day,
besides catching up with people like Lefty, Fieza and Slaium, was
to buy this doujin called "Life in Slices". When I
told the teenage girl who was the doujin team leader (and
only person at the booth then) that I wanted to buy her doujin,
her eyes went really, really big as if in disbelief, and she said,
"Really???" I suspected that she didn't sell many of the doujin,
which to me has cute artwork but to many, probably looked
a bit amateurish versus the other doujins around that
were drawn by established doujin circles. I hope I'd managed
to encourage her to continue producing doujins and one day be
as good as Aimo or Xanseviera. I was selling my non-manga
"doujin" at Comic Fiesta before, and it was really discouraging
when no one bought them (or maybe a few did, I can't remember).
I hope the established artists at Comic Fiesta did give some
encouragement to the newbies like Jo-Yen (the team leader
mentioned), and doujin buyers would also support the new doujins.
Lat is featured in the "Your 10 Questions" section in
StarBizWeek (The Star) today, so do check it out.
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/12/19/business/5319279&sec=b\
usiness
On manga style, he says: "In the many trips that I made to Japan since 1981, I
found that many successful cartoonists there were independent and doing
freelance jobs. I wanted to be like them in the sense that they were
freelancing. I didn't study under any Japanese manga expert.
"It's okay for our artists to draw manga style but let's make it Malaysian or
South-East Asian at least, with characters and stories that are really ours.
'Mat Som' has manga influence, but it's certainly our kind of story. Manga is
very Japanese and we have our own stories to tell. We don't have to draw
characters that look like foreigners, but characters who look like us."
Asked whether he thinks his cartoons are on par with international comic strips:
"Not really, but then that is not important to me. I draw for us folks, meaning
you, your friends and your family. I draw for people in this country as well as
for people from foreign land who are living here, or who have lived here, and
who understand the Malaysian way of thinking. I hope you understand what I
mean."
Remember ChesterQuest, the months-long Marvel global talent
search that ended early last year (in which Malaysia was skipped
by Marvel talent liaison CB Cebulski, and no Asian artist
made the final cut)?
Well, if you're still dreaming of breaking into Marvel
Comics, Marvel will be coming out with a book in March
next year called "Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way",
described by Newsarama as "a showcase that will not only
spotlight a group of up-and-coming 'breakout' artists,
but also serve as a resource book giving tools, instruction,
and advice to aspiring creators looking to become the future
generation of Marvel 'Young Guns'."
The two-issue series (56 pages per issue) is the outgrowth
of Cebulski's talent search covering 20 cities over nine months.
Cebulski tells Newsarama: "It will spotlight Marvel's new
policies on submissions for writers and artists, offer examples
of samples scripts and penciled layouts & pages, talk to
established creators on how they got their foot in the door,
and most importantly, feature new, in-continuity Marvel stories,
written by these established writers and illustrated by the 12
new artists I found during my ChesterQuest International Talent Search."
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/091217-breaking-in-marvel-way.html
Went to the comic shop today, and found
that "Anywhere", drawn by Alan (published
by Canada's biggest comics publisher, Arcana),
and GI Joe vs Cobra #2, drawn by Don (Baroness
cover by Greg Horn), had arrived!
For "Anywhere" cover, go to:
http://www.arcana.com/press/
For Greg Horn's Baroness cover, go to:
http://www.fpcomics.com/
X-Men has its Phoenix Saga. And for those seeking
Dr Strange's best epic story arc, I highly recommend
buying "Essential Dr Strange" vol 4 (RM68.20, now at Kino),
which collects, among others, the Roger Stern/Marshall
Rogers/Terry Austin run: Dr Strange travels
back in time to save his two loves -- disciple Clea
and author Morgana Blessing -- as well as mankind!!
It's an all-star cast featuring classic Dr Strange
villains Dormammu, Baron Mordo amd Nightmare as
well as heroes like the Fantastic Four, Sgt Fury &
the Howling Commandos, and Brother Voodoo! The doctor
meets Hitler and his occult henchmen, caught by the
Spanish inquisition in the 15th century, stumbles
in the Mayan empire of 800 AD, and fights Rama-Tut in
the land of the pharaohs. Sorcery and love entwine,
and in the heart-wrenching finale, Dr S's dearest, Clea,
decides to leave him.
This arc is contained in issues 48 to 53 of "Dr Strange".
The cover of issue 48 correctly boasts: "Beginning
a New Era of Greatness!" The "Life-Times" storyline brings back
the memory of the 1960s Stan Lee/Steve Ditko collab on
the classic comics featuring the occult master. Roger Stern
wrote lyrically (Chris Claremont also had a run on Dr S but he
couldn't touch Roger Stern by a mile), and Marshall Rogers (who
had completed his acclaimed run on "Detective Comics")
did a brilliant job with his detailed and atmospheric artwork!
Artist Michael Golden also did an exceptional job on a follow-up
story, "To Have Love..and Lost!" (issue 55), when Dr Strange,
consumed by his grief following Clea's departure, almost falls mad
courtesy of the destroyer of hopes, D'spayre! Artwork to die for!!
To enjoy this epic storyline, buy this book:
http://marvel.com/catalog/?id=12127
Thanks, Lia, for the reminder on Comic Fiesta. I'll
be at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre on Sunday,
probably around 11am. Pekomik will have a booth there,
so if anyone wants to submit their work, including doujinshi,
for Anugerah Pekomik 2010, they can do so then. :)
Â
Â
--- On Thu, 12/17/09, Angelia Ong <ong.angelia@...> wrote:
From: Angelia Ong <ong.angelia@...>
Subject: [IACAScW] Comic Fiesta reminder :)
To: IACAScW@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009, 4:14 AM
Â
http://klue. com.my/articles/ 2606-Comic- Fiesta-2009- Hits-Sunway- Pyramid
Cf2_std
Comic Fiesta 2009 Hits Sunway Pyramid
<http://klue. com.my/articles/ 2606-Comic- Fiesta-2009- Hits-Sunway- Pyramid>
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Tags: kl <http://klue. com.my/blog/ tag/kl>, sunway
<http://klue. com.my/blog/ tag/sunway>, comic
<http://klue. com.my/blog/ tag/comic>
Comic geeks of the world, unite!
With the endorsement of the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC),
as well as the success of last year's event, the Comic Fiesta 2009
<http://comicfiesta. org/> (CF 2009) promises to be bigger and better
than the year before.
CF 2009 is bringing back Live Art Demonstrations and the Portfolio
Review Pavilion. For local talents who are eager to work their way into
the creative industry, CF 2009 introduces the Industry Seminar
<http://comicfiesta. org/activities/ cf-2009-seminar/>. Speakers will
include IFS, Pekomik, Big Beak Productions, and MDeC.
Of course, it'll not be just all serious, industry-orientated stuff.
There will also be the obligatory art, cosplay and comic competitions.
Woo hoo!
This time round, countries like Australia, Japan, China, Singapore,
Thailand and Indonesia are here to join in the Fiesta. Invited guests
include internationally acclaimed Imaginary Friends Studio (IFS)
<http://www.imaginar yfs.com>, Malaysian fixtures Gempak
<http://www.gempakst arz.com/v2009/ events.php> -- as well as new
institutional participants like The One Academy <http://www.toa. edu.my/>
and Limkokwing University of Creative Technology
<http://www.limkokwi ng.net/malaysia/>.
Gamers should also anticipate some action. CF 2009's new sponsors
/GameAxis Unwired/ <http://gameaxis. com/> and /Hardware Magazine
<http://www.hardware mag.com/>/ will be having a booth -- this means
there'll be a load of videogames for visitors to check out!
So, when and where?
*Date:* 19 & 20 December 2009
*Time:* 10.30am
*Price:* RM15 (per day/per person)
*Venue:* Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre
Pre-order tickets are on sale now at selected retail partner outlets
around the Klang Valley. There'll also be walk-in ticket counters at CF
2009 itself. For more information, log on to the Comic Fiesta page.
Email <http://www.addthis. com/bookmark. php> KLue
<http://www.addthis. com/bookmark. php>
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