Home Blog Page 12775

A comics anthology answers the question: ‘Are people still willing to work for free?’

By Sam L. Marcelo
High Life Associate Editor

A YEAR FROM NOW, a recently published comics anthology, exists online as an answer to a question Lyra Garcellano and Merv Espina asked themselves while stuck in traffic: “Are people still willing to work for free?” This question, on the other hand, was posed in answer to yet another question asked by Salcedo Auctions, which hosted a talk in 2014 titled “Who determines the value of art?” (The very reason Ms. Garcellano and Mr. Espina were stuck in traffic: they were on the way to Makati City to listen to the talk.)

AYFN_cover
LM Final A4 02
“Everything was serendipitous,” said Mr. Espina, the day before A Year From Now went live on the Internet. Fifteen illustrators from all over the world are gathered in this collection, which features both old and new work that run anywhere from two pages to 37. It’s an impressive roster that includes both well-known and emerging names. You have Tommi Musturi of Finland, who has been in the business for more than 20 years and whose work is regularly published by Fantagraphics, and Kwon Yong-Deuk of South Korea, who just had a book translated into French.

“It was great that people were kind enough to share their stuff for free since half of them are professional comic artists who have their own deadlines,” said Ms. Garcellano. “Guys like Tommi Musturi and Kwon Yong-Deuk are big in their own countries. Let’s put it this way: they have fan bases there.” You also have the likes of Luna Beller-Tadiar, a Yale student who posts her comic strips on Tumblr, an online blogging platform. Ms. Garcellano saw Ms. Beller-Tadiar’s reflections on queer identity, which are told in a manner reminiscent of Joe Sacco’s graphic reportage, and asked her to develop a story for A Year From Now.

<i>Samuel</i> by Tommi Musturi of Finland
Samuel by Tommi Musturi of Finland

Those who know Ms. Garcellano for her installations and paintings should also know that she created Atomo and Weboy, a comic strip that ran in the Philippine Daily Inquirer for almost a decade. Many of the contributors to A Year From Now are people she met in 2006 through the Asia-Europe Comics Project, a residency in Singapore organized by the Asia-Europe Foundation. “We kept in touch. There was no Facebook then but we had e-mail,” she said. “When Facebook popped up, we all got together online.”

A panel from <i>Setagaya Drifter</i> by Cozacana of Tokyo
A panel from Setagaya Drifter by Cozacana of Tokyo

A Year From Now is the second anthology to spring from that residency. The first was Go Home: 12 Moving Stories, an actual print publication released in 2008 that was published and organized by the Asia-Europe Foundation in 2006. “This is a reunion of sorts,” said Ms. Garcellano, who added that the decision to shift the distribution of A Year From Now online was easy. “We don’t have money for an actual print publication and it would entail too much work. Besides, how else would somebody from Europe get to read a comic by somebody from Cambodia or from Indonesia. If it were a book, it could still happen but it would be harder.”

Available in different formats and different resolutions, A Year From Now is composed mostly of travelogues with an existential edge (as Ms. Garcellano put it) and autobiographical stories. Shieko Reto, a transgender artist from Malaysia, a country that has an anti-transgender law, tackled issues within her community with levity and humor.

Toilet tips courtesy of Shieko Reto from Malaysia
Toilet tips courtesy of Shieko Reto of Malaysia

“I have a lot of friends who do not read comics but who are intrigued because of A Year From Now,” said Ms. Garcellano. “Their concept of comics is Marvel and that’s it. A Year From Now is not Marvel. There are no superheroes but there are stories and narratives. I hope people see the possibilities of comics in terms of art, writing and narration.”

The fate of the project is up in the air. Neither Ms. Garcellano nor Mr. Espina know if there will be a follow-up. Despite the personal costs — time, effort, energy and money spent on beer and food — they both agree that putting together the first (and perhaps only) edition of A Year From Now was a valuable experience. “It’s worth it,” said Ms. Garcellano. “I’d be the first one to say ‘forget it’ if it weren’t.”

(For more information and download links visit A Year From Now‘s Facebook page, or peruse the entire anthology below.)

[scribd id=289446239 key=key-LPMIEPnX3OZEgGH5kcnr mode=scroll]

Etsy third-quarter sales miss estimates as competitors move in

ETSY, INC. reported third-quarter revenue that fell short of analysts’ estimates, signaling that the online marketplace for handmade and vintage goods is struggling to accelerate growth amid increased competition.

‘Super-agers’ study may reveal secrets to staying young

MIAMI — Mary Helen Abbott, 77, paints her lips bright pink, still smokes the occasional cigarette, keeps up on all the gossip at the retirement home and wears a short skirt to fitness class.

Closing Time: one last staycation at the InterCon

By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman

WITH THE HOLIDAYS and the long weekends coming, now is the best time to book a staycation at InterContinental Manila hotel — after all, it is offering a 50% discount until December on its flexible weekend room rates for MasterCard cardholders.

Watching Burnt, the new Bradley Cooper movie, with a Michelin-starred chef

By Tejal Rao, Bloomberg

CHEFS don’t have time to pop out and see a movie in the middle of the day, Don Draper-style, but Elise Kornack’s restaurant, Take Root, happened to be closed for renovations recently. So she agreed to join me at a screening of Burnt, a new film directed by John Wells (August: Osage County).

Sundown Singapore

AMONG the ranks of Asia’s powerhouse players, Singapore is often depicted as the squeaky clean poster girl for gleaming glass modernity, priggish protocol and no-fuss efficiency.

Rocker Rod Stewart continues songwriting return with new album

LONDON — Singing about a soldier serving abroad or bedtime for his young son, rocker Rod Stewart continues his comeback to songwriting with new album Another Country and says his attitude to penning tracks has changed with age.

The 70-year old singer, who gained fame with the band Faces before enjoying solo stardom, has previously said songwriting was a slow process for him.

Time, released in 2013, was his first self-penned album in years, following several covers, including the popular The Great American Songbook album series.

“In the old days, when I was with the Faces and my solo albums, (songwriting) was more like being at school doing homework,” Stewart told Reuters. “But actually now, I enjoy the process. It’s something, I think, has come with age.”

With his spiky hair and raspy voice, Stewart is known for hits such as “Maggie May” and “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?.” He says his new album is “pretty varied.”

“There’s… ‘Way Back Home,’ which although I wasn’t around… (is) memories I’ve garnered from my brothers, sisters and parents about what London was like after the war,” he said. “Otherwise there’s a song on there about putting my son to bed.”

Stewart has long been candid about his rock and roll party lifestyle. Today’s music scene is a lot tamer than his 1970s heyday, he said.

“There’s not quite this spontaneity that there was when I was coming through and also there wasn’t mobile phones with cameras so obviously we got away with a lot more than new artists do,” he said.

“But generally speaking, I don’t think you can shock the public anymore, I think they’ve been shocked enough.”

Along with a new album, upcoming Las Vegas and European performances, Stewart says he has no plans on retiring and would even like to play Glastonbury music festival with Faces.

“What I do is who I am, so I would like to keep it going as long as possible,” he said.

“As long as the voice is still there and the lungs have still got plenty of energy, then I will keep doing it.” — Reuters

Potential health hazards of ‘smaze’

Medicine Cabinet — Reiner W. Gloor

The haze from the burning Indonesian forests reached parts of Mindanao and the Visayas region a couple a weeks back, and may slowly and eventually reach Metro Manila with the arrival of the prolonged El Niño.

Agusan Marsh: A biodiversity hot spot

LONG BEFORE 6.17-meter crocodile “Lolong” became an icon of Agusan del Sur and landed in the Guinness Book of World Records, the province was already the toast of the world’s naturalists thanks to the Agusan Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Selecta’s core values

ADS & Ends
Nanette Franco-Diyco

EVERY YEAR, as we celebrate All Saints Day, one of my best friends has their maids begin distributing a cup of steaming hot coffee and biscuits to anyone and everyone who happens to walk past their gate.

What to see this week

4 films to see on the week of Nov. 6-Nov. 13, 2015:

Your Weekend Guide (nov 6)

EVENTS

The online shopping discovery platform Takatack kicks off the holiday shopping season with its E-Deals Carnival, which will give consumers up to 80% off from purchases on over 40 different lifestyle brands, until Nov. 15. The shopping carnival on Takatak.com features items ranging from clothes and shoes to fragrances and bicycles. Consumers can find discounted products from a variety of merchants, including Zalora. Zalora shoppers can also use the discount code “ZCARNIVAL” to get an 18% discount on a purchase of P1,000 or more during the promo period. Other lifestyle brands include Tern Bicycles, Scent Swatch, Hickok Leather, Del Mundo Body Jewelry, Style Compass, Fashion Hub, Angeline Shoes, OMF Literature, Chaser Action Sports, Fledge Clothing, and Sophia Love Fragrances. All merchants participating in Takatack’s E-Deals Carnival can be found in the special promo page www.takatack.com/pages/e-deals.

EXHIBITS

On Nov. 16, the nation celebrates the 125th Birth Anniversary of Elpidio Quirino, the 6th President of the Philippines, who rebuilt a Philippines devastated by war. To celebrate the man, a commemorative exhibit will run from Nov. 7 to 28 at the Ayala Museum, Makati City. Largely drawn from the Filipinas Heritage Library and the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation’s rich collection of papers and memorabilia, Defining Quirino highlights stories of one statesman’s journey from teacher to president, his vision and achievements, and his deep sense of humanity. Designed to resemble a dictionary, the exhibit features words associated with Quirino and gives their meaning through vignettes of his life and legacy. It will also feature a tribute wall of 125 portraits of the President, contributed by 125 artists, friends, and family in honor of Quirino. A series of events will also be held on all Saturdays of November: A lecture by Manuel Quezon III during the exhibit opening on Nov. 7; a talk by former White Russian refugee Natalie Sabelnik, and a concert featuring Russian Folk Singer and former refugee Nikolai Massenkoff with the Manila Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 14; a lecture by historian Ambeth Ocampo on Nov. 21; and the book launch of Elpidio and Alicia: The Love Letters on Nov. 28. This exhibition at the 2nd floor of Ayala Museum is free and open to the public. Group tours to the exhibit are also available upon request. For inquiries and group tour reservations, e-mail asklibrarian@filipinaslibrary.org.ph, or call 759-8288 local 36.

Art Informal gallery presents several art exhibits that will run until Nov. 21: The Wit of the Staircase by Christina Quisumbing Ramilo, a collection of works that imaginatively re-purpose what is abandoned; Pam Yan- Santos’ Filling Up the Big Room, a series of paintings and installation; and, Violent Noon by Kitty Kaburo, who uses time-lapse video and mixed-media pieces. Art Informal gallery is located at 277 Connecticut St., Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City. For details, call 725-8518, or 0918-899-2698, or visit www.artinformal.com.

The Metropolitan Museum of Manila takes its turn in celebrating the 50 creative years of National Artist BenCab (Benedicto Cabrera) with a retrospective exhibition that will run until Feb. 27. The museum is located at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd., Manila. For details, e-mail info@metmuseum.ph.

Pablo The Fort presents Juni Salvador’s Artshistory until Nov. 28. The gallery is located at C-11 South of Market, 11th and 24th Sts., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. For details, call 400-7905, 0927-454-8442, or e-mail fort@pablogalleries.com.

In celebration of a recently launched book on the life and art of Roberto Chabet, considered the father of Philippine conceptual art, an exhibit of his works are on display at MO_Space, MOS Design, Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The exhibit runs until Nov. 22. For details, call 856-7915, 0917-572-7975, e-mail mospaceph@gmail.com, or visit www.mo-space.net.

Samsung Electronics Philippines and the Yuchengco Museum present a tribute exhibition to National Artist for Visual Arts Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera who is is marking 50 years as an artist. The interactive exhibit, dubbed BenCab in Two Movements, is on view at the museum until Jan. 16. The exhibition highlights handpicked works he created to capture the dance movements of London-based Chinese dancer San Lee, and Polish dancer and choreographer Paulina Wycichowska. Through Samsung’s SUHD and UHD TV technologies, BenCab in Two Movements hopes to provide museum visitors immersive experiences at the same time curatorial information on shared art experiences between a painter and a dancer. Yuchengco Museum is located at the RCBC Plaza, Ayala Ave. cor. Sen. Gil J. Puyat Ave., Makati City. For details e-mail info@yuchengcomuseum.org or visit yuchengcomuseum.org.

Until Nov. 21, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) presents The Vexed Contemporary featuring 16 Filipino artists whose practices lend themselves to a global compass. They are: Pio Abad, Poklong Anading, Victor Balanon, Yason Banal, Lena Cobangbang, Louie Cordero, Kiri Dalena, Leslie De Chavez, Kawayan De Guia, Patricia Perez Eustaquio, Cocoy Lumbao, Gina Osterloh, Gary-Ross Pastrana, Ikoy Ricio, Maria Taniguchi, and The Weather Bureau. MCAD is at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, School of Design and Arts Campus, Vito Cruz, Malate, Manila. For details, e-mail mcad@benilde.edu.ph, call 230-5100 loc 3897, or visit www.mcadmanila.org.ph.

The Mind Museum presents A Glass of the Sea, an immersive, interactive and constantly updated exhibition on the discoveries from the Verde Island Passage in the Philippines, also dubbed as the “center of the center of marine biodiversity.” The exhibit runs until the end of the year, then will go on tour around the country. The Mind Museum is at JY Campos Park, 3rd Ave., Bonifacio Global City. For details, call 909-6463.

PERFORMANCE

Michael Jackson impersonator E’ Casanova presents The World’s Greatest Michael Jackson Experience on Nov. 6, 8 p.m., at the Midas Tent, Midas Hotel and Casino, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City. Tickets range in price from P2,752.50 to P3,853.50 at TicketWorld (891-9999, ticketworld.com.ph).

The Tokyo Manila Jazz & Arts Festival 2015 will be held on Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m., at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Ave. cor. Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City; and on Nov. 7 at Aruga, Rockwell, Makati. The Nov. 6 performance features Charito, Mon David, Tetsuro Kawashima, Yuki Arimasa, Kamura, Andrew Dickeson, Igor, Baihana, Isabella Gonzales, Philippine Youth Symphonic Band, ETS Septet, and Cris Villonco. The Nov. 7 show focuses on Latin Sounds, with Charito, Mon David, Tetsuro Kawashima, Yuki Arimasa, Kamura, and Andrew Dickeson. There will be a Young Artists Jam (free concert), on Nov. 8, at Greenbelt 5, Ayala, Makati, with Bratpack, Verve, Charito, Tetsuro Kawashima, Yuki Arimasa, Kamura, Andrew Dickeson, and Tricia Garcia. Tickets for the Nov. 6 show range in price from P1,045 to P3,657.50 at TicketWorld (891-9999, ticketworld.com.ph). For tickets,