CAPTAIN CROSSBONE

Ahoy, maties! This day of September the 19th be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and for this edition of ye olde blog we take a gander at a bold buccaneer of our very own...

   

Captain Crossbone sailed through the pages of Aguila Qualikomiks (published by Graphic Arts Service, Inc.) in the year of our Lord 1986. Created by the finest illustrator on these southeastern shores, Hal Santiago, this valiant voyager took to the seas to avenge the (consensual?) rape and murder of his wife (but don't feel too bad for him, laddies. The faithless cold-hearted wench had it coming). 

 

THE BRAVE AND THE BOULDER

 If any of ye landlubbers caught the second Pirates of the Caribbean film, you might recall the scene where ol' Captain Jack battled atop a giant rolling wheel. Well, they ain't got nothing on this sequence from Aguila Qualikomiks #31 and 32 (October 4-11, 1986), as our fearless captain and his arch-nemesis dueled each other atop massive rolling boulders!

 

 

Worry not, fair maiden. The best man won.

SUPER LOLO

 

Created by writer Fern Lucero and artist Eric Evangelista, Super Lolo ("Super Grandfather") appeared from 1993 to 1994 in the pages of Kidlat Superheroes Komiks, published by Sonic Triangle Publishing, Inc.

 

 

ANG ALAMAT NI SUPER LOLO ("THE LEGEND OF SUPER GRANDPA")

 

Lolo Insiong was a wealthy old man who dedicated his life to helping the less-fortunate. Eventually, his charity work would exhaust his riches, but he never regretted giving all his wealth to help those in need. 

 

Lolo Insiong elects to spend his peaceful retirement at a modest hut in the countryside. He attracts the attention of the King of the Dwarves, who comes to admire the old man's kind-heartedness.

  

Hearing news of the landslide in Ormoc City, and then the eruption of Mount Pinatubo (although the 1991 Pinatubo eruption actually occurred months before the Ormoc landslide in real life), Lolo Insiong is saddened and frustrated that there is nothing he could do to help. Sensing Insiong's sentiments, the Dwarf King reveals himself to the old man and bestows him with a magic ring. Upon wearing the ring, Insiong gains supernatural powers, which he uses to aid the helpless and protect the innocent as Super Lolo.

 

 

 

SUPER LOLO KNOWS BEST

 

Super Lolo's adventures usually had an environmental slant to them. In this story, his very first appearance from Kidlat Superheroes Komiks #23 (November 22, 1993), he takes on the issue of kaingin or slash-and-burn farming.

   

Happy Grandparents Day to all Lolos and Lolas everywhere!

HARIBON

When Lastikman temporarily vacated Aliwan Komiks for his own book in 1995, Haribon (Hari="King", Ibon="Bird") was brought in as the magazine's new resident superhero. This high-tech winged warrior was created by writer Jeffrey Marcelino Ong and illustrated by artist Ariel Padilla.

   

By his nature, Haribon is primarily an airborne hero. But in this installment from Aliwan #2133 (March 17, 1996), he proves that he can be just as formidable under the sea. 

 

Incidentally, September 3 is International Vulture Awareness Day.

TABAK NI BULALAKAW

   

Tabak ni Bulalakaw ("Sword of Meteor") was a 32-chapter serial that appeared in Shogun Qualikomiks, published by Graphic Arts Service, Inc. Running from Shogun #24 (August 17, 1986) to #55 (March 22, 1987), it was written and illustrated by internationally-acclaimed Filipino artist Vic Catan, Jr (Vicatan).

 

 

 SCI-FI EPIC

Combining science-fiction with ancient Philippine culture, the epic series chronicled the saga of Bughaw, the blue-skinned half-breed son of the alien prince Yudhistir (known on Earth as Bulalakaw) and the tribal princess Lakambini Paramisuli.

   

A mighty warrior, Bughaw possesses devastating psychokinetic powers and is armed with his father's sword, Anantavijaya. 

 

  

THE RETURN OF THE PRINCE

Exiled as an infant, Bughaw returns years later to free his mother and reclaim their kingdom from the treacherous usurper Sultan Dumalogdog. 

 

 

COVERS 

 

 

 A happy Philippine National Heroes Day to all.

PLANET OPDI EYPS - Cowboys & Apes

Here's another helping of Roni Santiago's Planet Opdi Eyps. In this strip from Pilipino Funny Komiks #248 (March 18, 1983), the mustachioed Matsutsu takes after the masked rider of the Old West...

 

PLANET OPDI EYPS - Bardagol en da Smarps

Debuting in 1978, Planet Opdi Eyps was perhaps the longest-running series in Pilipino Funny Komiks (published by Islas Filipinas Publishing Co., Inc.). A spoof of the classic Planet of the Apes film series, it was created by cartoonist Roni Santiago. The strip was recently revived in the indie comic anthology Boink! Comics (published by CoRE Studios). 

 

 

One of the series' popular characters is the overgrown baby ape, Bardagol. Strong and kind-hearted, this gentle giant is a superhero in his own right. In this strip from Funny Komiks #387 (November 15, 1985), Bardagol meets a family of tiny blue creatures who look awfully familiar... 

 

ATOM MAN

 

Atom Man was the 1st place winner in Super Action Pocketkomiks' Original Super-Hero Drawing Contest. Unveiled in Super Action #26 (February 12, 1986), the character was created by Ramon G. Gimena of Bacolod Irosin, Sorsogon. 

 

 

As part of the prize, Atom Man was made into an 8-page story which appeared in Super Action #32 (March 26, 1986), written by Edwin Samonte and illustrated by Manny Pantaleon. 

 

 

The son of a brilliant scientist, Ram explores his late father's old basement laboratory. There, he finds his father's greatest creation: a "wonder pill" containing the elements of atomic energy. 

 

 

Upon swallowing the pill, Ram becomes imbued with superhuman abilities. He also finds a specially-made costume which he wears to become the atomic-powered superhero, Atom Man.

 

 

Atom Man posseses super strength, invulnerability, ultra telescopic vision, supersonic speed, and the power of flight. 

 

 

The atom sign on Atom Man's palm is a warning system that beeps when danger is afoot. 

 

CAPTAIN BARANGAY CAPTAIN

To mark the end of the Captain Barbell TV series (Good riddance!) and the release of the Captain America movie (is it wrong to like Captain America if you're not American?), here's a parody of both characters. Ang Kapanapanabik na Origin ni Captain Barangay Captain ("The Exciting Origin of Captain Barangay Captain") is a 2006 (barely) animated short featuring the artwork of Kikomachine creator Manix Abrera.

KROKO - Takas sa Zoo

In 2007, controversial "komiks king" Carlo J. Caparas attempted to revive the flagging mainstream komiks industry by launching a new line of comic magazines published under Sterling Publishing. One of them was Klasik Komiks, which debuted on September 14, 2007. Among the anthology title's featured serials was Kroko: Takas sa Zoo ("Kroko: Escapee from the Zoo"), about a giant crocodile on a deadly rampage. Caparas himself wrote the series, which boasted of some incredible artwork from the rightfully-proclaimed Philippines' Greatest Illustrator, Hal Santiago.

CJC'S LOAD OF CROC

Klasik Komiks lasted for only 9 issues, while the rest of Caparas' komiks line likewise failed to catch on. As he is wont to do, "CJC" again leaves the local comics industry for the film industry, taking his creations with him. Last year, he produced and directed a TV adaptation of Kroko, which was broadcast on IBC 13. Unfortunately, Hal Santiago's magnificent monstrosity in the original comics was reduced to a laughably obvious fake rubber crocodile in the TV version. But it seems as though CJC just has an affinity for crocs (political acquaintances aside). Just last week, TV5 premiered a new television series, Bangis ("Fierceness/Ferocity"), which is supposed to be an adaptation of an earlier Caparas croc-comic, Pangil ("Fang" or even "Jaws"), itself filmed in 1986 as Matatalim na Pangil sa Gubat ("Sharp Fangs in the Forest/Wilderness"). The difference, however, is that Pangil was a straight-up thriller, while the fantasy-oriented Bangis is about the friendship between a young boy and a giant, friendly, TALKING crocodile. I watched a few episodes, and it's basically, meh. Gotta admit, though, the giant CGI crocodile looks kind of interesting.