Pacquiao meets Trese

Thanks to GenSan-based writer Gilbert Tan, Manny Pacquaio now has a copy of Trese Book 4. 

Gilbert met up with Manny for a magazine interview and he thought of giving Manny a copy of "Trese:Last Seen After Midnight". 
 

The inspiration for the story of "Manuel the boxer" in FIGHT OF THE YEAR was, of course, inspired by the many wins and championship belts of Manny Pacquiao.

Whenever I'd hear the news report about the country having "zero crime rate" and rebels calling for a ceasefire during a Pacquiao fight, it made me wonder if the Philippines would have lasting peace if Pacquiao just fought everyday. Or maybe, just like in the olden days, the NPA or the MILF can send out their best solider to fight Pacquiao. If Manny defeats them, their entire army would have to surrender. It was crazy thought that slowly became the story. We've received many a lot of good feedback about FIGHT OF THE YEAR. We hope Manny liked it as well.

You can read the entire story of FIGHT OF THE YEAR at
ComixTrips on Facebook 
(click the link please)

Kajo art for charity auction

UPDATE: Kajo's artwork got sold for P5,000! Thank you very much to very one who placed a bid on it!


The original illustration of Señor Armanaz, Datu of the Tikbalang Tribe" by Kajo Baldisimo, will be auctioned of at the heARTworks event. 

March 10, 2012. 1 - 4pm. Powerbooks, Greenbelt.

you say duende, i say duwende

My cousin Oliver, another Stephen King fan and horror freak, tweeted me this link the other day; and I was surprised to see that Merriam-Webster's Word for the Day was "duende". Here's their definition:

duende, \doo-EN-day\ noun, the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm

• EXAMPLES

The magician was not only a talented illusionist; he also had the duende that kept the audience rapt throughout the entire show.

"It took all my nerve to dance in front of people who have been steeped in this tradition their whole lives. It was over in a flash, and in that moment tears filled my eyes. Maybe what I felt wasn't duende -- nobody ripped a shirt or slapped his face -- but it was close enough for me." -- From an article by Toni Messina on NPR.org, August 10, 201

The word "duende" refers to a spirit in Spanish, Portuguese, and Filipino folklore and literally means "ghost" or "goblin" in Spanish. It is believed to derive from the phrase "dueño de casa," which means "owner of a house."

The term is traditionally used in flamenco music or other art forms to refer to the mystical or powerful force given off by a performer to draw in the audience.

The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca wrote in his essay "Teoria y Juego del Duende" ("Play and Theory of the Duende") that duende "is a power and not a behavior . . . a struggle and not a concept."

Nowadays the term appears in a broader range of contexts to refer to one's unspoken charm or allure.

where it all begins

This is my desk at home, where I do most of the writing for Trese. This picture was taken by Mitch Mauricio and it's part of her Anik-anik Love project.

You can see more pictures of my work space, my comic book collection, and read a short interview at : http://anikaniklove.blogspot.com/2012/02/budjette-tan.html

Kriss. Claws. Bats.

"This is another fine mess you've gotten us into, Logan!"

"Don't call me Robin."

A year or so ago, I asked Kajo if he was ever going to make a new portfolio to show to DC and Marvel editors. He said he wanted to do a story where Trese teams-up with Batman and Wolverine and all the action will happen in Manila. So, in one of my notebooks is an outline for that very short story, but we got busy with our dayjobs and finishing Book4, and I forgot all about it.

Today, Kajo sent me these sketches based on a story he's never read and yet he drew one of the scenes that was in my head. (But, as usual, Kajo comes up with an even better idea and he dressed up Wolverine in a barong tagalog!) 

So, here's a sneak preview to that unwritten story.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Thank You 2011

the sun has set on 2011

we are a week into 2012

we take a cautious look at what we’ve left behind

to make sure there’s no one following us

to see the mysteries that have baffled us and we have solved

to check on the mysteries still left unsolved

to review the clues that we have and hope to figure it all out in the next twelve months

and where we give thanks to the people who helped us along the way

Thanks to the Komikon Krew who never fail to invite us to their great events

Thanks to the National Bookstore Super Team for organizing the best Trese launch ever!

Special thanks to Mike Carey, Paul Levitz, and Neil Gaiman for taking the time to email and give feedback about the book.

Thanks to Nida and Visprint, who remain to be our willing accomplice

Thanks to the diabolical denizens of the Trese Facebook page! LIKE! I am amazed and amused at how active our readers can be in this page. They never stop asking questions about Trese, they've deciphered our plans for the Trese covers, and they never stop asking for more Trese stories, which just pressures us (in a good way) to keep on writing and keep on drawing.

Thanks to the bloggers, news reporters, and book reviewers who helped promote Trese.

Thanks to all my fellow comic book creators -- your work continues to inspire me and urges me to improve my work and tell better stories

And to all our readers who made this possible

my Trese Christmas Gift

It's been quite awhile since my brother Brandie has drawn an art piece like this. The last time he did something that came close to a comic book was something he did for their RE:VISION exhibit in 2010.

The very first comic book collaboration we ever did was the story PAYASO, which we did back in 1994!

So it was great to get this original artwork from him this Christmas :-)

Hoping to see him draw more in the new year!

Trese in Inquirer's TOP 10 Books for 2011

“Trese Vol. 4: Last Seen After Midnight” by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo (Visprint)
The newest installment of the wildly successful “Trese” comic-book series carries its trademark spooky inventiveness proudly as Alexandra Trese and her bodyguards, the Kambal, look into the truth behind comatose dorm mates, missing monsters, and even a certain world-famous prizefighter. Tan writes and Baldisimo illustrates with poise and polish. Like the best of its earlier incarnations, “Last Seen Before Midnight” lures readers into looking at their surroundings and finding the weird as well as the amazing. (from  Our Top 10 books for 2011 by Ruel S. De Vera Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 19th, 2011)