A Pinoy Blog About Nothing

Komiks as Propaganda
You know it’s nearing election time in the Philippines again once you have comic books or komiks being printed out by ‘private individuals’ purporting one expose or another. Like this one. Why komiks? Well supposedly it’s easier for the masa to absorb the content if it’s illustrated, it’s cheaper to produce and sell, and there’s no editorial slant like in a newspaper and TV/radio other than the publisher’s to consider. (link from the wily filipino)

Intellectual Property Rights Exercise for Komiks
Something interesting is happening over in showbiz and the local komik book scene. It seems that OctoArts Films doesn’t want to cough up 2 million pesos
to the family of Mars Ravelo for the right to use the creator’s Lastikman for the sequel.

Instead, OctoArts is doing a movie called ‘Fantastikman’. Whether or not this Fantastikman will have the same body stretching ability of Lastikman remains to be seen. Mars Ravelo’s daughter Rita wants to make sure that this doesn’t happen citing this would be in violation of their intellectual property rights to the character.

The first movie took in 20 million in the first two days. I think it’s reasonable for the Ravelos to ask 2M for the use of the title character which will ensure return business for people who watched the first movie. Sure, the Ravelos might not have written the story or produced the movie but it’s still the touching on the use of the characters which Mars Ravelo created.

I think for the local showbiz industry to mature, it should realize that creating movie franchises isn’t just about the name but the whole ‘reality’ which those characters exist in. It’s the same as taking care of a brand or a popular product. This should be an interesting case to follow.

Zaturnnah: Winner!
Congratulations to Carl Vergara for winning the best comic book award at the National Book Awards this weekend for Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah! Isn’t that enough motivation for you to do the follow up book? :)