New Literary Acquisitions + Cebu Zine Fest 2017 Haul

All right. Here's my not-so-regular update on my new books and graphic novels. Haliya Publishing recently launched Kabuwanan, an anthology of seven comics---all illustrated by komikeras. I pre-ordered online and saw that The Friend Zone is also available. I have extra money, so naturally I ordered that one too. Hahahahaha. God, I'm gonna die and rot in a pauper's grave.

 Anyway, read along now.

The Friend Zone by Noel Pascual and Mervin Malonzo is fucked up. That's all I'm going to say as I stare into space and contemplate on the extent of human desperation. 

Another signed copy from Mervin Malonzo! Yaay! :p

Now this, Kabuwanan, is awesome sauce! (expression taken from Andy in Parks and Recreation. lol.) A comics anthology all written and illustrated by women? Hell yea!

I love every story, but my favorites are "haiszXt" by Hulyen, "Majica Baja" by Laraine Gazmen and Hannah Puyat, and "Sutlang-Dila" by Emiliana Kampilan. <3 

 "Sutlang-Dila" made me tear up. Seriously. If "haiszXt" is everything that I am, "Sutlang-Dila" is everything I want to be. TT I've always fantasized that I was a babaylan in one of my previous lives. Sigh. How do I begin to explain "Sutlang-Dila"? It's . . . It's . . . galvanizing! Its combination of the country's history and mythology is exquisite. Ms. Emiliana can go on and write a whole series about Sutlang-Dila, and I swear I'll buy every fucking issue.

Come on, look at how badass she is! I love her almost as much as I love Alexandra Trese. <333

You can order Kabuwanan, The Friend Zone, and other Haliya Publishing/Mervin Malonzo titles at mervstore.com. 


Okay. Wooh. Moving on, I stopped by Zine Fest this evening, and I was glad I only brought a couple of hundreds because if I brought more, I would've spent every fucking peso on zines and artworks again. Hahahahaha.

PS: I got this anthology a few weeks ago, and there's only one story left before I'm done reading. Look it up in your local bookstores---that is, if you like having dark smoke hovering on your head before you sleep. :3

That's all for now. 
Later. Annyeong. Jaane. Hanggang sa susunod na kabanata. x

After Lambana (Book Review)

In diwata high! 

I feel like I am still in between the real and the magical and haven't quite emerged from it just yet. 

You see, after seeing Eliza Victoria's early promotions for After Lambana a few years ago, I patiently waited for its release---especially since I read her Fairy Tales around that same time. It is a short story that Ms. Eliza contributed to Daily Science Fiction, an online magazine. You can read the short by opening this link.

Going back, I won't spill any spoiler and will just exclaim that it's worth the wait! Ugh. Okay, fine, I'll provide a summary to give you an idea. After Lambana is a speculative fiction about a Philippine society where magical and nonmagical beings coexist---the former being discriminated against by anti-magic laws imposed by humans.

Featuring: Diwata, sirena, magical spontaneous diseases, and all-around badassery!

I was stoked when I first thought After Lambana was going to be a novel and was ecstatic when I found out that Ms. Eliza collaborated with Mervin Malonzo, the creator of the comic book series Tabi Po and one of my favorites in the Philippine komiks scene. It was such an amazing team up that I couldn't help but squeal in excitement every time they posted an update.

They launched the graphic novel in this year's Komikon, and pauper me wasn't able to go again. So instead, I ordered online via Visprint and resigned myself with an unsigned copy. *Sob

As always, Ms. Eliza's story line is brilliantly told. I am once again transported to this world she created and am left floating even after flipping the last page. Wooh. I also love Mr. Mervin's vibrant colors for this project. It is different from Tabi Po's dreamlike, almost nostalgic vibe but still emanates the lines and style that are uniquely Mervin Malonzo.

As you well know, I seldom write book reviews, so I don't really know how to end this. Heh. All right, I'll just paste the online order info and preview link that Ms. Eliza provided in her Facebook page:

E-mail bookorders@visprint.net.FREE DELIVERY NATIONWIDE (Philippines only) until December 15.
AFTER LAMBANA
Graphic Novel
Published by Visprint, November 2016
Story & Words by Eliza Victoria
Art & Book Design by Mervin Malonzo
PhP 500
Read the first 50 pages: http://salimbalcomics.com/chapter/after-lambana-preview
Visprint, our publisher, will handle book orders and delivery, so best to direct all questions and concerns to their Facebook page or their e-mail.

Post script:

This contains a little spoiler, so forgive me. Heh. Rose, the spontaneous disease in After Lambana, is strangely reminiscent of Terrorium's flora invasion. XD

Note:

Terrorium is one of the stories found in Beyond, a creative collaboration featuring Manix Abrera, Mervin Malonzo x Adam David, and Harvey Tolibao.

The Mythology Class (Book Review): I Snagged a Pinoy Classic! (Or How the Gods or Kismet or Enkantos Led Me to a Gold Mine of Enchantments)

The Mythology Class was first released in 1999. I was just nine years old then, and the only form of komiks I knew was the kind that sidewalk vendors lend to customers for like P3.00 per read. The popular komiks in our side of town in those days were romance komiks -- and my mama devoured them, poring on one every day. I was seldom allowed to read them though. Instead, Mama would get me children's komiks. But I've been fascinated with Philippine horror since I was a kid, so (even though it scared the hell out of me) I occasionally stole quick reads of the horror komiks available in the vendor's stand. 

This fascination with the Philippine horror genre grew enormously when I discovered its integration to the world of modern Pinoy komiks about five years ago. And now, I devour every novel, anthology, graphic novel that has aswang, tikbalang, and diwata in it. Then, I stumbled upon The Mythology Class. As I read through the blurbs and introductions to the book, I learned that in a niche specializing in Philippine mythos and lower mythology, Mr. Arnold Arre's The Mythology Class is an institution. Mr. Arre created this enchanting world of wonder and terror years before Mr. Budjette Tan and Mr. Kajo Baldisimo created the ultra badass world of Trese. That's why I feel fortunate to get a copy of the book's third edition and privileged to be one of the readers to be able to recommend this incredible story to future generations of comic book readers.

I'm not confident in giving expert reviews on anything, so I'll just paste Mr. Manix Abrera's blurb for the book here. I hope he doesn't mind. :)

Noong nabasa ko ang The Mythology Class ni Arnold Arre, nakita ko talaga ang kapangyarihan ng komiks, at ang kapangyarihan ng napakagandang kwento na naikwento sa napakagandang paraan.

Isa ito sa mga librong pinakamamahal ko, nakapagbigay inspirasyon; isang libro na maiisip mong napakaswerte mo at nabasa mo ito.

Hindi lang siya kasi ang kwentong pagkatapos mo mabasa, okay ka na; ito yung tipong mapapaisip ka, na ang sarap maging Pilipino, ang sarap maging tao, ang sarap makadama, ang sarap malaman na marami pa tayong makakalap at maipapamahagi sa sangkalawakan.

The Mythology Class by Arnold Arre Had to cut my monthly food and household budget to get this. Definitely worth it. :p Hey, don't judge. I'm just a crazed fanatic with a questionable logic and a soft, soft spot for Philippine lower mythology. #PhilippineLowerMythology #TheMythologyClass #ArnoldArre #GraphicNovel #myth #Philippines

A photo posted by Jennie Elloran (@ellorish) on Mar 13, 2015 at 9:43am PDT