| 10.21.2019 - The Super Manila Pop Culture event was a resounding success with other things happening around Metro Manila. It was the grandest homecoming for international comicbook artist and Image co-Founder in Whilce Portacio that reunited with his former colleagues from the 55 Balette art team.
This was also something special for those looking forward to an annual comicbook fan gathering that has been long-awaited, which is the collaboration between Filbar’s and Comic Odyssey that was considered a last minute event that will be the next big thing for years to come that signifies that comicbooks are relevant. |
There wasn’t any activities scheduled for Friday, but gives you a glimpse of the newly opened Podium Hall at the sixth level of The Podium Mall. It was definitely the weekend takeaway for the longtime comicbook fans and also a new beginning that would be considered an event inspired by the old days how San Diego Comic-Con was established in the early 1970s.
It might not have the biggest crowds to host a grandiose event, but it left something in the minds of comicbook readers and collectors that this opened the doors for something big that is organized by two of the well-known comic shops in Metro Manila that brought out the best Philippine-based authors and illustrators and also invited those who didn’t knew that made their marked in the international scene.
Super Manila breakthrough with highlights that defined what to expect in the next iteration with no shortage of talent and passionate fans there was a lot of gem the past weekend that you might have missed and here are some of those…
• 55 Balette Reunion Panel
• Rocketship Animation Preview
• Whilce Portacio Pilot Pen TV AD Reveal
• The Rafael Kayanan Fan Never Knew
• Filbar’s + Comic Odyssey Exclusive Covers
• Make Mine Marvel & Spider-Man Panel
55 Balette Reunion
Whilce Portacio, Gerry Alanguilan, Leinil Francis Yu, Jay Anacleto, Ed Tadeo and Gilberto Monsanto seated together again in one table talking about the glory days of 55 Balette that not only about these six artists coming together, but also expanded to music and movies.Whilce mentioned how local Filipino icons became part of this studio with the likes of hiphop artist named Chill, Michael V, and Francis Magalona became a local visitor of the house. Whilce also talked about the original inspiration for Bishop before appearing on Uncanny X-Men #282, which is based from Pool Master Efren Bata Reyes, and the concept that was planned to be a Filipino character. But due to overwhelming letter campaign from young African-American Fans, Whilce would eventualy 'tweak' the character and the rest was history.
The former Rivermaya band was a frequent visitors that they also collaborated in producing album covers that led to producing movie posters too. It was more than just about producing some of the best comicbooks that became part of Avalon Studios that produced Aria, Hellcop, and the well-received supernatural series called “Stone” published by Image Comics some of the popular titled in the mid-1990s.
It was a time where Leinil Yu and Jay Anacleto where the up and coming talented illustrators long before they were now making names from international comicbook publishers or even Gerry Alanguilan hailed for his “Elmer” graphic novel or his YouTube “Hey Baby” memes. 55 Balette was something more fans has never imagined being the core foundation of something bigger than just comicbooks. It started a revolution that put the Philippines in the map and it still continues now with the current crop of Filipino-based talents representing the country.
Whilce was asked if there’s any chance there will be another school going to be opened. This was asked during the time he visited the country in January 2014 as he said there are plans and he has spoken to two groups that he did not mentioned, which he is working behind the scenes in bringing back that same concept he established almost two decades ago.
Rocketship Animation Preview
Rocketsheep Studios is an animation studio and Avid Liongoren open up his panel giving a tease to his two major projects in the works. For those who haven’t heard of Avid he is the director of the project he worked on for more than a decade ago titled “Saving Sally” which was shown in local cinemas as part of the MMFF (Metro Manila Film Fest) in December 2016.
It is a live-action animated film that he produced and directed featuring Filipino actors Buhay Basket’s Enzo Marcos and Rhian Ramos. For his panel he has two new animated projects he is currently working on namely the much-awaited Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah based from the graphic novel by Carlo Vergara and “Hayop Ka!” an animated film about anthromorphic animals.
“Hayop Ka!” is loosely translated in English meaning “You Sonnova Bitch!” that featured some interesting animals that was also teased in the panel as an upcoming project. But Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah was getting high praise from fans who have read the original graphic novel by Carlo Vergara and this was monumental.
Whilce Portacio Pilot Pen TV AD Reveal
This ad featuring Whilce was shown in-between the panels of the 55 Balette and Rocketsheep Studios. It was shot at the First United Building in Escolta Manila for Pilot Pens as Whilce was introduced as the new brand ambassador.
The short clip was inspiring enough to garner positive reactions from fans and exhibitors. It was like a fan film but as you see the clip it gives inspiration to who he was as an artist and it was definitely impressive.
The Rafael Kayanan Fans Never Knew
If you haven’t heard of Rafael Kayanan then you must not heard of the Filipino martial arts called “Sayoc Kali” system. He’s a fight coordinator for the film “The Hunted” and a comicbook artist with a long list of works featuring DC Comics Fury of Firestorm and Marvel published Conan the Adventure to name those titles under his credit. He almost stole the show in the panel revealing who he was and surprisingly he had found new fans in this event.
In the last day he had a panel with Whilce talking about visualizing fight scenes through comicbook art. His impressive resume certainly gave him new followers of his works and his panel had so much interesting stories how he met well-known Hollywood actors like Danny Trejo and Liam Neeson. The later was an interesting anecdote how he was introduced to Neeson, where he worked on the fight choreography for “Nonstop.”
Kayanan was certainly not just an illustrator everyone deserved even Avid Liongaren of Rockersheep Studios was so impressed he was so elated why he only knew Rob Liefield instead of Rafael Kayanan who became an immediate fan of this talented artist.
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Filbar’s + Comic Odyssey Exclusive Covers
One of the Sunday’s reveal is the exclusive Philippine cover for Archie & Frineds Travels #1 which featured the gang having a photo opportunity in front of the Jose Rizal monument in Lunate Park. This cover was illustrated by up and coming artists also Manila-based named Miguel Mercado.
Mercado’s work will also appear on the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #33 featuring Spider-Man 2099’s Miguel O’ Hara as teased during the Spider-Talk panel also during Sunday. But this reveal was a trailblazer becoming viral for most fans that have read or grew up on Archie Comics. This is collaboration with Filbar’s and Comic Odyssey as a Philippine exclusive that will be released soon.
Make Mine Marvel & Spider-Man Panel
Both panels gives you a view on the passionate fans for Spider-Man and how one fan grew up reading Marvel comicbooks as shared by Rick Olivares on his blog. The talk was both moderated by Jiggy Cruz giving you a window on both panels how they appreciate being fans of Marvel from the early days of the publishing giant to how popular Marvel Studios put the company in the map.
A Word from Filbar’s and Comic Odyssey
The event wrapped up with both organizers having a photo opportunity with the guest artists and revealing that Super Manila will be back for 2020. Jacob Cabochan and Sandy Sansolis spoke on-stage how this event came up. The “Super Manila” name came from Ivan Guerrero who also had a panel on-stage talking about his success campaigning for his LEGO Idea project that will now become a LEGO set by next year.
There was pure joy and enthusiasm for the fans that were there during the last day. It was really a pop culture event that will be heard by next year. Super Manila lived up to its potential as what Sandy quoted as an “experiment” that really focused on the local talent that represent the country in the international scene not only about comicbooks, but also through film and anything popular culture.
Wrapping up this was another monumental for the comicbook fan community that the medium is popular than ever thanks to the feature films from Marvel Studios and DC Comics. Although this was new expect something big in the horizon when it makes a return in 2020 and Super Manila is now taking flight.
Follow Super Manila via social media on Facebook for details!
You can also follow the two Comic Shops for updates about their respective store events:
Comic Odyssey:
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Filbar’s:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Super Manila was held on 18-20 October 2019 10 AM to 7 PM at The Podium Hall located at the sixth level of The Podium Mall!
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