Saturday, November 10, 2018

NETFLIX to adapt TRESE into anime series

You know that feeling when you’ve won a pitch and after all the screaming and jumping and high-fiving and fistbumping you go back to your desk and you realize the amount of work that needs to be done? That’s how the past 48 hours have felt like. And on top of all of that, things have been more busy than usual at the office. (Makes me wonder if Santa’s elves are this busy as we come closer to the holiday season.)

So, Netflix finally officially announced that we’re creating the TRESE animated series. http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/hobbiesandactivities/674002/netflix-just-announced-it-will-produce-an-anime-version-of-filipino-graphic-novel-trese/story/

Yes, I’ve known about this bit of news for some time but could not say a word about it. (I did leave some clues via emojis in some of my posts in the past.) We are extremely excited to have Jay Oliva as our director and executive producer. He directed the DC animated movies Justice League Dark, Batman: Bad Blood, The Dark Knight Returns and the list goes on https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0646515/. He was also a storyboard artist on Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, and Thor: Ragnarok. We can’t wait to see how he’ll bring Trese to life. Of course, all of this is happening thanks to our producers Tanya Yuson and Shanty Harmayn of BASE Entertainment.

And thanks to the Netflix announcement, we also reached and surpassed our Indiegogo goal! Thanks to the news sites and our friends who posted about the Netflix/Trese announcement and then gave the link to our Indiegogo campaign. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/trese-comics-1-global-edition/x/19244495#/

Of course, while of this was happening, me, Kajo, Tanya and Shanty were in three different countries and we couldn’t really do a lot of the screaming and jumping and high-fiving and fistbumping. And now we sit back down and look at the work that’s in front of us.

Before we dive into all this work, I just want to say a quick thank you to EVERYONE … to EVERY! SINGLE! ONE! OF! YOU!... who posted about it, shared TRESE art / their book collection / TRESE memes, sent their congratulation, sent their speculations, sent their disbelief and asked me if it was “fake news” – because at first glance it does feel like the sort of news you’d see on an regular basis. But yes, the seemingly impossible was made possible by Tanya and Shanty.

And just to give you another quick update, Kajo is still working on the new/updated pages of the TRESE GLOBAL EDITION, but we’re already planning on our next steps for Book 7. Somehow, by some miracle or magic spell, Kajo will be able to work on both books at the same time.

Meanwhile, you can all go back to the bar at The Diabolical. Have a few drinks while waiting. Tell Hank I sent you.

Friday, November 09, 2018

Where can I order / buy TRESE comics?

If you're based in the Philippines, you can now order these TRESE titles from Visprint's Shopee site.

If you're based abroad, you can order directly from our publisher at: bit.ly/visprintbooks

Monday, November 05, 2018

Who is the White Lady of Balete Drive?

(Variant Cover from our TRESE Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.
Learn more about it at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/trese-comics-1-global-edition/x/19244495 )

It seems like every generation (and some cultures) have their version of the Lady in White – that ghostly figure that haunts certain crossroads (as well as your usual haunted house).

In Manila, one of the most popular urban legends is the White Lady of Balete Drive. Balete trees line either sides of this long road. According to folklore, these trees attract elementals and spirits.

The story of the White Lady of Balete Drive has many variations, depending on who’s telling it. Since the 1950s, people have talked about a lady in white that would be seen hitchhiking on that road. If a driver does stop and let her in, she would direct them to a particular house and would vanish soon after arriving . Somehow, the driver later discovers that the lady did live in that house but supposedly died many years ago.

In other stories, the driver would not stop for the lady in white, but when he glances at his rear view mirror, he’ll suddenly the see the pale passenger in his backseat. This would supposedly cause the driver to panic and get into an accident.

Another story I read mentioned that the White Lady is supposed a diwata, an fairy-creature that dwells in balete trees, and is the protector of that land.

And the other stranger that usual origin story I heard was that the White Lady was a C.I.A. experiment designed to distract the public from more important political things that was happening in the country at that time. (Although, now that I think about it, it might be more interesting to think about the possibility that the C.I.A. developed a way to use ghosts as spies in other countries.)

Growing up with all these different stories about the White Lady of Balete Drive made me want to write my “secret origin” of this infamous phantom lady, which is what made me write this TRESE story.

A trivia about the title of this story is that “13thStreet” actually does not intersect with Balete Drive. Although it’s in the same neighborhood, Balete Drive intersects with streets 3rdthrough 11thand 13thStreet is found on a parallel street. I just though the title would not have been so cool if the crime happened on the corner of “11thStreet”.

There is another supernatural story connected to 13thStreet – supposed if you walk down that street during the day, you won’t be able to find House #13, but if you go there at 3am, you’ll be surprised to find the 13thHouse on a lot which wasn’t there in the morning.

There have also been stories about mailmen and delivery men who had the misfortune to bring a package to that house. The owner of the house would supposedly invite them in and by some weird coincidence, the food being served on the table would be their favorite dish. If they took one bite of food, they would somehow be compelled to never leave the house. And when people tried to look for missing delivery men, their log book would say that they went to the 13thHouse on 13thStreet, which, of course, would not exist if anyone tried to visit that place.

These are the stories that helped inspire the writing and creation of this particular TRESE occult case. What’s your unforgettable White Lady or haunted house story?

(The artwork above is the Variant Cover from our TRESE Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Learn more about it at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/trese-comics-1-global-edition/x/19244495 )

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

TRESE BOOK 7 progress bar

TRESE BOOK 7 progress bar : Good news! We’ve started work on Book 7! Not-so-great-news … ummmm… we just started to work on Book 7. Starting today, you’ll see exactly how much work we’ve done for the new Trese story because we’re going to upload it at https://www.facebook.com/TreseComics/ and you’ll see a ONE NEW PANEL A DAY. Yup, that’s right! We’re uploading it one panel at a time.

I know. I know. That’s like watching a movie but only being allowed to watch one second of it for each day. So, if this slow “progress bar” is killing you, come back in … ohhhh, maybe 100 days, you’ll get to read the whole new case in one sitting. Or you can come back every couple of days and just see how far we’ve gone.

Why are we doing this? We’re not doing this torture you. We’re this to make sure that we (me and Kajo) get to do a bit of TRESE every day. Actually, Kajo already has two new scripts of TRESE, but I wrote it “Marvel style”, which means it’s a very rough outline of what happens in each page and not much dialogue. Kajo then sends me a new page every time he finishes the “pencils” of it, which I then take and write the copy for it. I send it back to Kajo, who then “inks” the page and puts in the captions and word balloons and then we upload it here every day… panel by panel.

So, sit back, relax (well, try), and enjoy! Should I ask Hank to pour you a drink? It’s going to be a bit of wait here at the TRESE BOOK 7 progress bar.

Many thanks for hanging around!

See you at https://www.facebook.com/TreseComics/

–budjette

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Kajo and TRESE featured in PAL commercial

Here's a #throwback post : Back in 2015, Kajo Baldisimo was one of the artists / creators features in Philippine Airlines Independence Day Celebration video.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

TRESE Komiks Edition

You can now order TRESE KOMIKS 1-3, as well as Books 1 to 6, at Visprint Direct Book Orders bit.ly/visprintbooks

TRESE KOMIKS features the first three cases of Trese, now in full-color, and translated into Filipino by Bob Ong. Each issue contains new artwork / pin-ups from Kajo!

Sunday, January 01, 2017

Have a Happy, Magical 2017

“Here’s to your New Year. May you find the road that will bring you further; discover the path that will bring you answers; find the one that will bring you home.”

The TRESE Family

Monday, June 06, 2016

How do I get in touch with Budjette and Kajo? (june 2016)

Kajo Baldisimo's Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005620724990&fref=ts

Budjette Tan's Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BudjetteTanStories/

TRESE COMICS official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TreseComics/

TRESE Readers Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TreseComics/

The Dark Colony's Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheDarkColonyComics/
(created by Budjette Tan, Bow Guerrero, and J.B. Tapia)

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Instructions found written on an old tourist map

Instructions found written on an old tourist map: Towards the end of Ghost Month, there are places in the city where you can meet with your dearly departed. Bring a jacket. It will become very cold when they appear. Bring their picture. Bring their favorite food and drink. Find an unfinished building or house. Better if you find an unfinished bridge or road. At exactly 4am, hold their picture, think about the last time you talked with them, close your eyes, then take a step forward. When you feel that sudden chill and when someone says, "Hello." open your eyes. You will be able to spend time with that one soul until the sunrises. Offer them the food and drink but don't take any of it. When the sun begins to rise, tell them to head home. Then head home as well.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

MOVIEPILOT article about aswang and Philippine Horror Movies

"The Philippines is one of the countries that comprises various cultures and beliefs due to the numerous inhabitants or ethnic groups which resided to its different areas many years ago. The waves of ancient settlers across the islands have had a great contribution to the Filipino culture in present day. This includes customary beliefs, traditions, art, literature, religious practices and beliefs, and so on. All of these cultural traits have been passed through the generations, including tales and myths. With this in mind, here are movies that tell the tale of the Philippine's mythological creatures and the documentaries of these beings."

Philippine Horror Movies and The Spine-Chilling Legends Behind Them

http://moviepilot.com/posts/3448198?lt_source=external,manual

Saturday, September 05, 2015

GMA NEWS : The Aswang Diaspora

The Aswang Diaspora: Why Philippine lower myths continue to endure

September 4, 2015 6:04pm - See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535657/scitech/technology/the-aswang-diaspora-why-philippine-lower-myths-continue-to-endure#sthash.k7h65xjE.dpuf

The Aswang Diaspora: Why Philippine lower myths continue to endure

By BEA MONTENEGRO, GMA News

September 4, 2015

Read the complete article at:

Why do writers and artists decide to go back to supernatural beings for story source material? One reason is because no one’s writing the stories they want to share.

“[N]o one else was making stories about aswang in the city,” said Budjette Tan, writer of the Trese series. “In my case, I’ve always loved

- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535657/scitech/technology/the-aswang-diaspora-why-philippine-lower-myths-continue-to-endure#sthash.k7h65xjE.dpuf

Why do writers and artists decide to go back to supernatural beings for story source material? One reason is because no one’s writing the stories they want to share.

“[N]o one else was making stories about aswang in the city,” said Budjette Tan, writer of the Trese series. “In my case, I’ve always loved

- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535657/scitech/technology/the-aswang-diaspora-why-philippine-lower-myths-continue-to-endure#sthash.k7h65xjE.dpuf

The Aswang Diaspora: Why Philippine lower myths continue to endure - See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535657/scitech/technology/the-aswang-diaspora-why-philippine-lower-myths-continue-to-endure#sthash.k7h65xjE.dpuf

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/535657/scitech/technology/the-aswang-diaspora-why-philippine-lower-myths-continue-to-endure

“[N]o one else was making stories about aswang in the city,” said Budjette Tan, writer of the Trese series. “In my case, I’ve always loved writing ghost stories and have always wanted to write a detective story. So I ended up creating Alexandra Trese as my occult investigator, as the reader’s guide into Manila’s supernatural underworld.”

“It's the most natural subject to draw, really,” said Kajo Baldisimo, Trese’s artist. “As young as three years old, these creatures were already a part of my and most of our generation's subconscious thanks to our parents and grandparents who have a great way of disciplining us by making us believe in these stories and these creatures.”

“It's in the DNA of every Filipino,” said Baldisimo. “It’s one of the few things we can clearly say is very Pinoy, something that’s ours,” Tan said. “I think telling aswang stories is something we’ll always want to tell. There are so many variations on their story, depending on how tells the story. Someone will always have their own version to tell.”