TRESE DEVIATIONS: IUNCTURA 
ADDENDUM (1)

As I mentioned in the Iunctura announcement here, this is the Addendum to the text page in the comic.
Despite all you mighty fine folk not having read the comic (or the main text page) yet--since Iunctura launches at Komikon Grande 2019 some 10 days away--I think this post is still nonetheless readable, because it addresses the fundamental question...

“BUT IS IT CANON?”

It’s a question I anticipate will be asked about Iunctura, so I’ll do my best to answer it here.

Obviously, I can only answer that question with authority in regards to Dakila and the ‘Verse, and my answer: YES.

So all you mighty fine folk who’ve been following Dakila’s adventures in his own title, yes, this is the same Dakila.

For the record (and as I explained to Budjette during our conversations before I agreed to take on writing Fr. Matt), there is only one ‘Verse timeline.* No Elseworlds or What If’s.

In staying true to my belief that every story counts, not just from a narrative standpoint, but a character one as well, there is one single Dakila, and in every story that features him and that’s written by me, rest assured, it’s Brandon Ramirez underneath that mask, and not some alterna-Brandon.

It’s Brandon wearing that mask, and in the same way each of us learns a little (or a large) something from every encounter we have, every challenge we’re confronted with, every day we live through, there’s a single Dakila, with a single emotional throughline, a single character arc, learning a little something here, a large something there, as he goes along.

So yeah, Iunctura is canon, as far as Dakila and the ‘Verse are concerned.

And as far as Fr. Matt, who will be appearing in both Trese Deviations team-ups as well as his own “solo” stories: as I mentioned in the Iunctura text page, both kinds of stories work in tandem to build out the world that includes the Hilasterion and the Malevari.

We’ll meet the other members of the Mercy Seat; we’ll see the manner in which they operate and conduct their ongoing struggle against the Forsaken; we’ll learn what other kinds of Malevari are out there, as well as the origins of the entire demonic race.

All of these and more, secrets and revelations, to be found in either type of story, so the Big Picture can only be seen, the proverbial puzzle solved, from pieces gathered from each and every Fr. Matt story…

So we fervently hope you’ve strapped yourselves in, ‘cause we aim to treat you to a wild and wonderfully horrific ride as we take you into the midst of the Hilasterion/Malevari conflict…

* Note though that not all characters who appear under the ‘Verse banner are singular like Dakila.

I’ve addressed this in the past, but I’ll repeat it here since it seems to be germane to what we’re discussing: the Kadasig who appears in Skyworld is not the same Kadasig who appears in the ‘Verse title that goes by his name, in the same way as the Alexandra Trese who appears in Skyworld is not the same Alexandra who appears in the comic that she headlines.

You can choose to look at it this way: while Skyworld may now be retroactively considered a “Deviation” for Alexandra, it’s always been canon to Skyworld…

Because--and I’m brutally paraphrasing good old JC* here--“You should always have the right to refuse to be someone else’s alternate timeline.”

“OH, AND BY THE WAY…”

Because there wasn’t any space for this in the comic:

IUNCTURA Baumusik

Blondie, Depeche Mode, Dubstar, The Essence, The Fall, Grandaddy, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, The Pale Fountains, Pulp, The Railway Children, Ruby, and X-Mal Deutschland

-- dave (AKA The “Writing Machine,” as Budjette refers to me)

* No, not that JC! I mean John bloody Constantine!

So there we are.

TRESE DEVIATIONS: IUNCTURA

[Featuring Dakila & Fr. Trese]

By: David Hontiveros and Marvin del Mundo

Page Count: 36 pages
Cover Price: P 160.00

Launching at Komikon Grande 2019

November 23 & 24

Bayanihan Center, Unilab Compound, 8008 Pioneer St., Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Now, while there may be more BTS insights of this sort in the near future, what I'd also like to do here in this space is to open the floor to any questions you may have.
So long as the questions aren't too spoiler-y or too personal, please feel free to leave them in the Comments section of this post, and I'll do my best to answer them in a future Addendum piece.

So, once more, save the dates: November 23 & 24, Saturday and Sunday.

Hope to see all you mighty fine folk at the Bayanihan Center for Komikon Grande 2019!
Look for me at the Visprint booth, where copies of Trese Deviations: Iunctura and Dakila: Kapalaran 3 will be available.

Parting Shot:
In addition, these issues of DAKILA are also available to order online here, at the Indie Komiks Market section of mervstore.com.

So for any Trese fans who are as of yet unaware of who Dakila is exactly, please feel free to click on over to mervstore and check these issues out.

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

KOMIKON GRANDE 2019
'VERSE ANNOUNCEMENT (2)

We're less than two weeks out from this year's Komikon Grande (AKA Good Old NovKon).
I've already announced one 'Verse release here.
At long last, I can officially announce this release as well.

As DAKILA, Brandon Ramirez is the Baita’s first--and potentially most powerful--superhero. He is his world’s “cosmic champion,” and, allied with the angels of the divine corporation, TierCell, he defends the innocent and powerless, and punches Evil in the Face, 25/8.

He’s also an eighteen-year-old geek who may have been reading about superheroes for as long as he can remember, but has only been in the cape and mask for just over seven months.

In that time though, he’s already teamed up with more experienced superheroes from other dimensions, and learned a lot from them.

Today, February 1, 2011, he’s about to meet a priest.

MATTHIAS TRESE is that priest.

The 27-year-old son of occult investigator Anton Trese, Matthias is referred to in some circles as “The Third Son of the Sixth Son.”

Having had a long and rebellious adolescence, he eventually landed in (some would say, “was sentenced to”) a seminary.

It was there though that Matthias found his calling, and soon, he was inducted into the Hilasterion, an organization that was founded to defend mankind against the malevolent forces of the Enemy.

As a clericus of the St. George Division, he faces the demonic Malevari alongside the other members of his Trinity, Fr. Wilfredo Fuentes and Fr. Alessio Bronze.

Take one “champion of God” superhero and one priest who kicks a$$ for the Lord, drop them in a demonic convocation known as “the Tiangge” during election season in the Baita’s Seven Lodges of Hell, and watch the divine and infernal fireworks clash and go BOOM.

TRESE DEVIATIONS: IUNCTURA

[Featuring Dakila & Fr. Trese]

By: David Hontiveros and Marvin del Mundo

Page Count: 36 pages
Cover Price: P 160.00

Launching at Komikon Grande 2019

November 23 & 24

Bayanihan Center, Unilab Compound, 8008 Pioneer St., Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Now, while there is a text page in Iunctura where Budjette and I share some BTS insights, space is always at a premium in a comic, so I'll be posting an addendum of sorts here at the Iguana, which will address a question both Budjette and I foresee will be frequently asked regarding Iunctura in particular, and the Deviations title in general.

That should go up here at the Iguana on Wednesday or thereabouts, so click on down here later in the week if you wanna check that out.

So there you go.

Save the dates: November 23 & 24, Saturday and Sunday.

Hope to see all you mighty fine folk at the Bayanihan Center for Komikon Grande 2019!
Look for me at the Visprint booth, where copies of Trese Deviations: Iunctura and Dakila: Kapalaran 3 will be available.

Parting Shot:
In addition, these issues of DAKILA are also available to order online here, at the Indie Komiks Market section of mervstore.com.

So for any Trese fans who are as of yet unaware of who Dakila is exactly, please feel free to click on over to mervstore and check these issues out.

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

KOMIKON GRANDE 2019
'VERSE ANNOUNCEMENT

We're less than a month out from this year's Komikon Grande (or good old NovKon, as I still like to think of it).
While one other issue is still in the final stages of prep (the same issue I mentioned in this post), I can officially announce this one:

DAKILA: Kapalaran

Issue 3 (of 3)

David Hontiveros / Enel Lawrence Villegas

My name's Brandon Ramirez.
I'm 17 years old.
And I have a secret.
I know. What 17-year-old doesn't have secrets?
Well, mine's a big one.

"Big one" indeed, as we bring the Kapalaran story arc to a close with this section of Dakila's "origin" story, in which Brandon makes his public debut as Dakila!

Dakila. 17 years old. Cosmic champion.

All of a sudden, acne and getting a driver’s license are so not a big deal anymore.

So there you go.
Save the dates: November 23 & 24, Saturday and Sunday.

Hope to see all you mighty fine folk at the Bayanihan Center for Komikon Grande 2019!
Look for me at the Visprint booth.

Parting Shot:
In addition, these issues of DAKILA are also available to order online here, at the Indie Komiks Market section of mervstore.com.

So if any of those issues strike your fancy, then click on over to mervstore.

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

AND NOW... A FEW (MORE) WORDS ABOUT SEROKS
 
Congratulations to Andrea Abulencia, whose presentation of her paper--at the POSTHUMANITIES IN ASIA: THEORIES AND PRACTICES International Conference held at the Umeda Campus, Kansai University, in Osaka, Japan, on June 8 and 9--was, in her own words "well-received."

For the record, the paper is entitled "Pirated Identities, Real Fictional Selves: The Posthuman Clone Narrative in David Hontiveros' Seroks Iteration 1: Mirror Man as Philippine Contemporary Science Fiction," as can be seen in the image below.

Once again, thanx so much to Andrea and all you other mighty fine folk who continue to spread the good word...

you can't drink just six,

Dave

AND NOW... A FEW WORDS ABOUT SEROKS
 
I've just been informed that Andrea Abulencia, who chose SEROKS Iteration 1: Mirror Man as the subject for her thesis in 2016, has written another paper on it.
And this time, she's presenting her paper at the POSTHUMANITIES IN ASIA: THEORIES AND PRACTICES International Conference being held at the Umeda Campus, Kansai University, in Osaka, Japan, on June 8 and 9.

And while I've always been both thrilled and humbled every time something I've written is chosen as the subject for an academic paper, I've never made announcements before.
This time though, the paper's being presented.
At an international conference.
In the land of Ultraman, kaiju, tokusatsu, and the late, great Satoshi Kon. (All of whom/which, incidentally, were referenced in SEROKS.)
For all that, I thought it was blog post-worthy...

So, if you happen to be in the Osaka neighborhood this coming weekend and presentations of academic papers are kind of your thing, then hey, check out the conference.
And tell Andrea (now a teacher at the University of Asia and the Pacific; hope the presentation goes well!) you read about it here at the Iguana!

And before I wrap up, I'd just like to say thanx so much to all you mighty fine folk like Andrea, who find resonances in my writing, and help spread the word about them.

Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita.

you can't drink just six,

Dave

2018 NOVEMBER KOMIKON ANNOUNCEMENT #4

It's the 30th of October, which means tomorrow is the 31st.
So, here's hoping all you mighty fine folk have a Happy (and safe) Halloween!

It also means that we're eighteen days out from this year's November Komikon (November 17 & 18), and look!
Announcement number four!

NEW 'VERSE COMIC RELEASE

DAKILA: Legado 
Issue 2A (of 3)

David Hontiveros / Michael Urbano

Your name is Brandon Ramirez and you’ve been a geek your whole life: comics, movies, RPGs, cosplay.

And now you’re officially the world’s first superhero, as evidenced by the cape, the mask, the totally ripped physique, and those crazy-awesome powers.

Higher agencies seem to have conspired to steer you right into that skintight outfit.

We have only one question:

How’s that working out for you?

A reunion between fellow reprobated angels Raguel and Adimus turns contentious when Adimus' new "mission" is revealed.
Naturally, Dakila arrives just in time for the fisticuffs...

Dakila.

18 years old.
Cosmic champion.

All of a sudden, acne and getting a driver’s license are so not a big deal anymore.

So, yeah! Freebies!
Discounts!
And new releases!

And speaking of discounts...
Aside from the 'Verse packs (all completed story arcs available at a discounted price), we'll also be introducing 'Verse packets at NovKon.
Packets will consist of issues from unfinished story arcs that nonetheless still feature complete stories.
Like a group of one-and-dones (Dakila: Kapalaran issue 1 & Dakila: Buwan issue 1; art by Bibo Reyes and Jason Confesor, respectively)

and a complete two-parter (Dakila: Lumilim issues 1 & 2; art by Elmer Cantada).

So, discounts on compilations, discounts on packs, discounts on packets.
Discounts all around.

There you go.

Set the dates: November 17 & 18, at the Bayanihan Center on Pioneer.
Look for me (and the freebies and the discounts and the new comic book releases) at the Visprint booth!
And don't forget the ARTIST ALERT.

This post will also be, in all likelihood, the final post before NovKon. (Unless there's like a stealth ninja release that I am totally unaware of at the moment, which, as far as I know, there isn't.)
But please feel free to come back to the Iguana in these last 18 days before NovKon, just in case...

And please also feel free to spread a link to this post around, so we can get the word out.

#komikonph

Hope to see all you mighty fine folk at NovKon!

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

2018 NOVEMBER KOMIKON ANNOUNCEMENT #3

We're four weeks out from this year's November Komikon (November 17 & 18), and look!
Announcement number three!

DISCOUNTED COMPILATION

TATSULOK: A Vision of Dust Compilation

David Hontiveros / Xerx Javier

In the many rooms of the House that is the World, there are arelim and shedim. Most men know them as angels and demons.

Three individuals, each related to one race or the other, converge on the stage of Holy Week, 2009, for their own collective Passion Play of transformation and acceptance.

Collecting issues 1 to 4, this is a remastered TATSULOK: AVoD.

The page size is bigger than the previously released singles, which means, more art, because:

A)    You’ll get to see the art at a larger size; and

B)    With the captions and word balloons staying the same size, less of the art is now covered by those pesky, pesky words…

And a limited number of copies will be available at NovKon at the discounted price of 200 pesos!

So, yeah!Freebies!
A new release!
And discounts!

There you go.

Set the dates: November 17 & 18, at the Bayanihan Center on Pioneer.
Look for me (and the freebies and the new comic book release and the discounted compilation) at the Visprint booth!

And, while we're all here, I'd also like to announce:
ARTIST ALERT!

If you're an artist (or know one) who's interested in collaborating, then we'd absolutely love to hear from you.
If you're dropping by NovKon, then make sure and bring some samples to the Visprint booth, drop them in front of me, and we'll see what there is to be seen. (This is how at least one of the artists I'm currently collaborating with got on board the 'Verse train.)
Or, you can email us at verse.comics@gmail.com. (Subject Heading: ARTIST ALERT)

Please keep in mind though, this is not a paying/salaried/page-rated job.
As per the long standing Alamat tradition, the only possible financial compensation will come from royalties from sales, once the completed comics are published.
(Which is a whole other can of worms that needs to eventually be opened, but of course, the comics need to be completed first.)
This is primarily about our love of the comic book medium, and contributing to that medium what are, hopefully, stories of substance.
With lots of punching!

So, again, if you're an artist who wants to help keep the 'Verse train on track, then we can't wait to hear from you!

And come on back to the Iguana to check for any new NovKon announcements every now and then.

And please also feel free to spread a link to this post around, so we can get the word out.

#komikonph

Hope to see all you mighty fine folk at NovKon!

you can’t drink just six,

Dave

2018 NOVEMBER KOMIKON ANNOUNCEMENT #2

We're five weeks and two days out from this year's November Komikon (November 17 & 18), and look!
Announcement number two!

NEW COMIC BOOK RELEASE

BATHALA: APOKALYPSIS Issue 7 (of 7)

David Hontiveros / Ace Enriquez

Three and a half years ago, Bathala tried to avert the Apocalypse.

The whole world witnessed the hero engulfed by a cataclysmic explosion.

The whole world thought he was dead.

And it carried on without him, right down the path to damnation.

But now Bathala’s back.

Only to face the possibility of death once more…

For those of you who’ve been with us from the beginning…

It all ends here.

With “A Beast in the Theatre”.

BATHALA: APOKALYPSIS issue 7.

Launching at NovKon.

And with the release of the final issue, we're also offering a catch-up pack containing all the previous BATHALA: APOKALYPSIS issues, at the discounted price of P350.

So, yeah!
Freebies!
And a new release!

There you go.

Set the dates: November 17 & 18, at the Bayanihan Center on Pioneer.
Look for me (and the freebies and the new comic book release) at the Visprint booth!

And come on back to the Iguana to check for any new NovKon announcements every now and then.

And please also feel free to spread a link to this post around, so we can get the word out.

#komikonph

Hope to see all you mighty fine folk at NovKon!

you can’t drink just six,

Dave