ROACHES' ROAD TO MCC: DAY 100=THE MAKING OF BOY IPIS part 1

Hi! Kamusta kayo? Today is APRIL 29, 2009, and this day marks the 100th day before the much-awaited and higly anticipated first MANILACOMICCON 2009. If you have no idea what that is, it's a hobbyist' convention/event organized by HOBBYLINK PRODUCTIONS, INC. It will be held on August 8 and 9, 2009; at the SM MEGATRADE HALLS 1 and 2, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. More info here.

Incidentaly, it will also be the venue where we will hopefully release the first spin-off title to come out from the BAYAN KNIGHTS banner of SACRED MOUNTAIN PUBLICATIONS, "ANG ASTIGING BOY IPIS # 1". The book will come out supposedly with 36 black and white interior pages, Back and front laminated and digitally colored covers, in a 5.75"x8.25" size format.
Highlighting a story by (Me) Paul Michael Ignacio, and art duties by Bayan Knights head, Mr. Gilbert Monsanto (Tropa, Rambol, Hellcop). Aaron Felizmenio (Gwapoman2000, Alas: Ang huling Baraha) will also provide additional inking help. The decision to release the title is in order to further more expand the Bayan Knights' universe (where the character "Boy Ipis" is a part of) to current readers.

These series of posts will serve as a countdown of sorts towards the Manilacomiccon event. Join me as I relay to you updates, previews, interviews, and other news regarding the creative process of the Astiging Boy Ipis comic book.

Being this post as the initial installment of the said topic, I suppose I need to tell you how I came up with the Boy Ipis character.

BOY IPIS ORIGINS PART 1

It all started with my passion for comic books, sentai and superhero cartoons. It was 1994. I was 14 years old. Inevitably, my desire for this so-called superhero icons led me to create my own original character. Sometimes, school, girls and peer pressure would make you think of things you would not normally think of. Boy Ipis (who was initially baptized as something else those days) was one of those abnormal thoughts..

Everybody loves Spider-man. And everybody wants to be Spider-man. 14 year old Me wasn't an exception. I told myself if I were to make a superhero character, It should at least resemble or have Spider-man's qualities such as his speed, agility, heightened senses, and etc., but I already thought I have to somehow... be original and not use a spider as my character's source of power, either way, i thought it should also be some type of insect. I first started conceptualizing with "cool" bugs like bees, grasshoppers, scarabs and even fireflies.. But I couldn't seem to get any "spark" or some sort of connection with all of them.


(Right) Claire Danes: Perpetually banned by former President Joseph Estrada to ever step foot in the Philippines, because of her once "unpleasant" remarks about our country...... Oh well, let's just enjoy this photo of her in a bikini.

CLAIRE DANES.

Later on, I don't know if any of you remember her. She's the "Juliet" of Leonardo DiCaprio's "Romeo" in... well Romeo + Juliet. She was pretty popular in the early nineties. Do you guys remember when she came to the Philippines to shoot for a movie? I can't seem to recall the flick's title.. but I remember she was interviewed by someone asking her to say something about her time in the Philippines.. and she got quoted about our country being festered with rats and cockroaches....YON. It was her. I was like, what if I turned something so negative into a positive? And that's when I turned my attention to cockroaches.

WHY COCKROACHES?

Cockroaches..Icky. "Are you sure about that?" I asked that question myself so many times. Who the hell would like cockroaches? They bring all sorts of diseases and something else. What was I thinking about? Would that be a good idea?

Honestly, when I first thought of the concept, I also have no concrete or should I say "logical" reason. All I thought was that cockroaches are agile, FAST and mysterious insects. Of course, you have seen how a cockroach scampers across the floor.. Wouldn't it be cool to also have that speed in normal human size?Also, I thought of cockroaches as something who is a part of our everyday lives. "Walang bahay na hindi nagkakaroon ng ipis." I thought that by having a character based on an animal or something that is usually and commonly found inside the house, it would be a good idea for "character recall". Just like the effect on me when I was still a kid, whenever I saw a spider in the ceiling, I would remember Spider-man.

BUT THE TRUTH IS.

I only "realized" the impact and importance of cockroaches in my life when I experienced my first heartbreak.. Cockroaches is quite a good symbolism or epitome for "Survival". Roaches have been here in our planet for a long time and will continue to do so in the future...the most impressive thing was, they were able to do it, not because of their indestructible hides and very simple body systems.. They were able to survive the last million years because THEY KNEW how to "adapt" in the world, or the way I mildly put it in relationship terms.. "Move on."

(Top) A cockroach..... Just an ordinary household pest? Or our constant reminder that we are not the exact "rulers" of this planet?

So basically, what I'm trying to say is, it took me more than 10 years to actually settle that I am actually going to create a superhero character based on a cockroach.

Now that you guys know why I chose the cockroach as the basis for my superhero character, and picked speed and agility as part of my hero's power sets, in the next edition (Part 2 of this post), I will tell how I fully conceptualized the Boy Ipis character's costume, personality and
universe.

See Ya!:)