The other day, in my Booksale scavenging, I saw this book that made me think really hard. It costs around Php300 plus, WAY beyond my Booksale budget (php20) but it was so thick and useful and interesting and cheap enough for this kind of book that I couldn't resist it. I had to have it.



Look how detailed the instructions are inside:




It inspires me to create a comic of my own (another thing I want to do before I die--I used to do this secret comic series about a teenage girl and her rainbowy life in an exclusive school for girls) and I'm excited to read it and learn more about the technical side of things. Maybe then I'll further appreciate these comics I already love.


Here are the comics/graphic novels that I'll never forget, some lumped together because of the awesomeness of the artist:

Rented comics My love affair with comics really started with those comics for rent at some enterprising neighbor's house. Displayed like clothes on a clothesline, one can choose from these bestsellers: Nightmare, Love Stories and Fantasy (which was my favorite, since I was too scared of the gore in Nightmare). I was about 7 or younger then, and I saved up and sold stationery (which I also collected back then) so I could have my weekly fix. I can't remember a moment when I read everything on display, which probably meant that they had a lot of comics for rent back then.

Funny comics and Bata Batuta The small neighborhood salon had a huge stack of these comics for their customers' reading pleasure which would probably explain why I never had long hair, ever. They also sold it every Friday in front of our school, something I obsessively bought and looked forward to.

Archie comics! That was my fantasy, finding a soulmate who loved Archie as much as I did when I was about 8 years old. I loved them so much some copies have embossed marks, with me trying to trace them, putting a piece of carbon paper behind each page and tracing them to a coupon bond. I can't stand how stupid both females are now, fighting over this wishy-washy playboy (who isn't even kind or funny or cute), but I still have fond memories of my Archie phase.

Gospel comics What? I thought Gospy was cute. Hahaha. :) We were probably brainwashed by the weekly analysis and readings of this certain comic, but I somehow remember that I collected these too.

Pugad Baboy But it was so much funnier then. Remember that aswang chapter in Pugad Baboy 4? That was what I loved the most, those stories, but I can still remember how Brosia was asked to buy 'de lata' for pulutan, and she did buy something in can--"It's de Liberty Condensed Milk!"

Free comics from Sunday newspapers You know, the ones that came with puzzles and trivia? I had a huge stack of them fastened together, unanswered, because I was too OC to write on the pages, haha.

Lynda Barry Part-Pinay, I love her unique, gritty drawing style and sense of humor. I forgot where I first saw her work but I've luckily stumbled upon most of her comics and books in Booksale. Oh, Booksale, thank you so much for these awesome buys, especially the comics by my beloved...

Ariel Schrag Her comics should be renamed into "The incredibly true misadventures of a budding lesbian in love", because each time I read her graphic novels I am reminded of that movie with young Tina and some episodes of the L word. I found out about her through an issue of BUST and heard her name in Le Tigre's girl power song "Hot Topic", so I researched her some more and was really dying to buy her superpricey book found in Sputnik, Cubao X. It was around a thousand, which made me sad. But then I found a copy of Awkward and Definition and Potential at Booksale for only around a hundred pesos, which made me extremely jubilant (I almost hugged the ates there) and happy. Sigh, Booksale = ♥
I love how honest she is with her storytelling, how her art has also evolved (she made the comics when she was around 14 and sold it) and how she captures the rollercoaster of emotions teenage lesbians go through in a few frames. Are you reading this Ariel Schrag? Hi, I love you. :)

Y The Last Man Oh wow oh wow oh wow. Fantastic artwork, gripping storyline about how there's this guy who is supposedly the last guy in the world, with lightning-fast pacing and snappy dialogue to boot? Yes please. I saw this in one of my National bookstore trips and was intrigued by the romantic storyline between the women characters. I wasn't disappointed with the whole story, although I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed. It was still a great read though, and will probably be my second favorite, because I really really love:

Strangers in Paradise I think I might have obsessed about this with matching images a year ago in this lj. I find myself rooting for the Katchoo-Francine loveteam, being surprised by each issue with its where-did-that-come-from twists and just being um, touched by this heartwarming series. I don't know if it was just me, but this was a really nice love story for me. The heartthrob also has a realistic figure, which makes me happy. I think my respect and adoration for Terry Moore is right there with my adoration for Joss Whedon. See this AfterEllen interview with him.

Buffy, season 8 And the Buffy love lives on! Long live the Slayers! Long live Willow with her adorable geekiness. I couldn't care much for Kennedy though. I wish Willow ended with someone more...likeable instead. The recent issue was getting weirder and weirder though, but I still love this. Which reminds me of another Whedonesque series I love:

Runaways Kids with evil parents and superpowers? A lesbian character with alien metaphors? Witty witty dialogue, reads just like a Whedon show? Hurrah! I haven't finished this yet. It's so good i'm taking my sweet time, since this series is already finished.

Fables I think of this series like this: Fairy tale characters meets Gotham City.

Asterix series My family is a huge fan of the Asterix comics. I think we have the complete series, some hardbound, some in paperback, some mini-sized, some huge. We're not really that OC with the collection. :) We love it so much my father bought home an Asterix stuffed toy in one of his trips. Obelix reminds me of him.

Dykes to Watch out for This was how I discovered this series. We were in Baguio, in the guestroom of my mom's friend's house. I found this comic book peeking from the side of the bed and promptly read it. I think it about changed my life. Alison Bechdel is a very hot genius.

Tammy Pierce is Unlovable Because there's definitely a little bit of Tammy Pierce in all of us. How fascinating is it that Esther Pearl Watson based this on some teenager's diary she found in some gas station?

I forgot your name, but it was locally-made and had this gay guy, this bisexual girl and this straight guy getting it on in the end. It appeared at the back of Pulp magazine. I cannot say I adore you, but you were pretty interesting also.

Kikomachine I have all the books, I love this. Manix, if you can read this, do you remember when your dad used to bring you to his office and my mom would also bring me and we were told to play? Remember those vague incidents? Did I just imagine them? Haha. Anyway, great work, man. I have a crush on that bald teacher. Plus, did a romance exist between that bespectacled girl and the ponytailed one? You know, when they were having this sexual tension and the other girl whispered why to her punk boyfriend? What are their names anyway? I need answers! I can't sleep thinking about it!


Any amazing comics/graphic novels you'd like to recommend? :)

On obsessing about reading



The very first thing I do when I get my hands on a book or a magazine, regardless of whether it's new or old, is to open it to a random page and inhale the comforting smell of its binding.

It instantly transports me to a happier place, where there are no looming deadlines or other worries--just me and bound paper, with a smattering of words I have yet to get acquainted with. I particularly love the scent of our local magazines--a smell I've come to associate with "me time" and possibilities, owing this perhaps to my previous job at a magazine publishing company.

I cannot recall when my love affair with books and magazines started, but I do know that since I was small I have religiously collected young adult paperbacks, magazines found lying around our house like Food, or Parents, and obsessively filed those kiddie supplements found in our newspapers.

I had bad grades in elementary since I'd rather max out my library card than study. I think I was "Borrower of the month" in our library a bit too often. Instead of socializing, I hurriedly ate my packed lunch at my chair, and spend time at the library with those imaginary friends found between pages, who lived in far more interesting worlds, I thought then. I'd lug home those thick, hardbound books with a mishmash of stories and varying illustrations that are really for kids abroad, and ignore jeering comments of "Nerd" by my classmates and comfort myself with the thought that I could instantly escape school bullies and bad grades and friends who are not really friends the moment I open my books. This might be the reason why I am hooked on fairytales and happy endings and avoid the grittier Palahniuk-style works. Shallow as it might seem, my reasoning is simple--real life is already harsh sometimes, and I wouldn't want to escape to something equally horrifying. Horror stories are different, though, since it's equally comforting to just shut the book when things get too scary. Since I also have a short attention span, I could easily teleport from one fictional world to another, in just a simple flick of a finger as I open another book.

My short attention span is partly to blame for my magazine fetish, though. And my love for color and typography. There's just something decadent about opening a newly-bought magazine on your favorite topic leisurely, taking time to absorb the beautiful photographs, or over-analyzing the profile interviews, or feeling that winkle of pleasure to know that someone is also as obsessed as you are with a particular topic as represented by that magazine.

I read magazines I love from cover to cover and relish even ads and letters to the editor. NYLON magazine readers are particularly creative, with handmade cards declaring their love for NYLON and for the NYLON mag lifestyle. Bitch zine readers, on the other hand, are a feisty, opinionated bunch. If you know me well enough, you'd know that I have plenty of tiny obsessions and these are encouraged by the variety of affordable mags on related topics found in my usual bookstore haunts. I obsess to the point of obsessing about my obsessions (if that made any sense) which led me to reflect on why I love each unique mag. (Plus I also love creating lists, haha).

My favorite magazines and why they rock my socks:
1. BUST- They always feature girls who deserve to be featured on the cover, and they have an extensive interview with thought-provoking questions. They contain articles about modern feminist movements all over the world and inspire me to start a revolution myself. Plus they have a DIY section, a well-researched review section, unique fashion editorials featuring real girls, funny comics and illustrations by modern up-and-coming artists. Bust, for me is the perfect blend of modern feminism (and ideals) and old-school nostalgia, if you ask me to describe it. As a bonus, also has that infamous "one-handed read" section that makes it different from your usual glossy mainstream mag.

Also see: Venuszine and Bitch - Venuszine is like a thinner version of Bust, since it has less pages but is equally enjoyable. Bitch is the angrier, less glossy, more informed version. Reading Bitch is like reading an investigative report on a theme, since each issue is focused on themes like "Genesis" or "The Wired issue". There's just so much injustice towards women discussed in Bitch, and I often end up angry at mankind after reading it. But still, you have to admit it's a gutsy and very informative magazine.

2. Craft zine and Readymade- Both are craft magazines, but Craft is quirkier and funnier, with projects ranging from deconstructing shirts into skirts to japanese juggling toys. Readymade is more focused on industrial design/woodwork and construction themes, with lawn chairs from old crates, or lamps from cd cases etc.

3. Blueprint and Domino- They're both sadly out of print, which saddens me to no end. Blueprint, from Martha Stewart publications is a mishmash of interior decorating tips, household tips and also appears like a catalog that revolves on a theme, a la Domino. Domino features cool homes, offers decor tips too, and is just like a dream house book, since most of the stuff here are pricey. I look at both magazines for decor inspiration, since both feature cheap decor ideas, like blowing up a picture of the simple things you love and framing it against a brightly-colored wall.

4. Martha Stewart Living- When Martha means "Good things" I believe her, especially since the diy ideas here are simple but lovely, inexpensive but impressive, proving that 'good' doesn't necessarily mean expensive. The styling and photography within these pages amaze me, with its bold and effortless color combos.

5. Women's Health- I'm not an exercise and fitness buff, nor do I engage in miracle diet plans. I do wish I could revert to my college weight though, only with more muscle. Women's Health makes me want to devote myself to achieving my healthy ideal weight NOW. They have useful facts about which food and exercise combination suits you most and they suggest dishes that are tasty and easy to cook. All those buff toned women inside are great motivators too. I'm so glad they have the local version from Summit, with healthy food that you can actually buy here. Not so keen about the price though, the back issues from abroad are much cheaper.

6. NYLON- I first saw NYLON fresh from college, when I was filled with idealism and had high hopes for my future. A lot has changed since then, but I still love NYLON. Not as much as I love Lula or BUST, but love it just the same. The fashion spreads are glorious and very inspiring. Sometimes, however, I feel old when I read NYLON since it's too scenester-y and indie--guess i'm not a part of that scene. haha.

7. Lula and Frankie- Already posted about my obsession with Lula and Frankie in a previous post. They give me sweet dreams, they're modern fairytales in magazine format. If they were real girls I would be crushing on them majorly, maybe stalking them, like a creep. Big time.

Looking at my reading list is enough to give me good vibes: