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ALTERNATIVE ALAMAT Book Launch: July 25, 2014
(Contains “BALAT, BUWAN, NGALAN”)

So apparently, the date is sealed: July 25, Friday, 4PM: the launch of the "Expanded Print Edition" of Alternative Alamat--an anthology of short fiction that repurposes Filipino myths and legends into modern, 21^st century configurations--as well as 3 other new titles from Visprint.

Contained in AA is my contribution, “Balat, Buwan, Ngalan (A Myth for the 21^st Century),” which has very solid connections to all the work going on in the ‘Verse comic book titles, as well as my novella Parman (also from Visprint).

If you’re following the ‘Verse, or have read Parman (or both), you may want to check my AA contribution.

For more on the “Expanded Print Edition,” see here.

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ALTERNATIVE ALAMAT Interview
(Re: “BALAT, BUWAN, NGALAN”)

While we wait for the Alternative Alamat "Expanded Print Edition" book launch--at the moment still re-scheduled for July 25, Friday, at Powerbooks, Greenbelt--AA editor Paolo Chikiamco has posted an interview with yours truly here (at rocketkapre.com), where he asks me about my AA contribution, “Balat, Buwan, Ngalan (A Myth for the 21^st Century).”

The story's got some very solid connections to all the work going on in the ‘Verse comic book titles, as well as my novella Parman.

If you’re following the ‘Verse, or have read Parman (or both), you may want to check my AA contribution; to give you a better idea of what it's all about, check the rocketkapre interview.

And for more on the “Expanded Print Edition,” see here.

ALTERNATIVE ALAMAT Book Launch POSTPONED

Due to the approaching low pressure area (aka "Henry"), the Alternative Alamat book launch (which I mentioned here) is being postponed.
At the moment, the tentative date is July 25, Friday.
I'll put up another post here as soon as there's confirmation on the new date...

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ALTERNATIVE ALAMAT Book Launch
(Contains “BALAT, BUWAN, NGALAN”)

So, while Alternative Alamat--an anthology of short fiction that repurposes Filipino myths and legends into modern, 21^st century configurations--has been available in ebook format since December 2011, it’s only now finally coalescing into an “Expanded Print Edition” via Visprint.

I’ve been informed by editor Paolo Chikiamco that AA launches (alongside 3 other new Visprint titles) on July 19, Saturday, at Powerbooks, Greenbelt.

The entire event is scheduled from 11AM to 6PM, with the AA hour slotted for 3PM to 4PM.

At the moment though, I can’t say with 100% certainty that I’ll be present, but regardless, please feel free to attend, and if you haven’t encountered AA in its ebook iteration, then you can grab a dead trees copy of it.

Contained in AA is my contribution, “Balat, Buwan, Ngalan (A Myth for the 21^st Century),” which has very solid connections to all the work going on in the ‘Verse comic book titles, as well as my novella Parman (also from Visprint).

If you’re following the ‘Verse, or have read Parman (or both), you may want to check my AA contribution.

For more on the “Expanded Print Edition,” see here.

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PORTAL TO THE 'VERSE OPENS AT FILBAR'S!
DAKILA AND URIEL TAKE FLIGHT!!

The August 10 Indieket is less than three weeks away, but before then, I’d like all you fine folk to know that there is now a portal to The ‘Verse at the Filbar’s Megamall branch.

Yes, all 5 current ‘Verse titles are now available at Filbar’s Megamall.

Yes, 5.

Filbar’s officially debuts the first issues of DAKILA: Kapalaran and URIEL: Hekhalot.

DAKILA: Kapalaran (1 of 3)

By David Hontiveros and Bibo Reyes

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

And now, at 17, 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?

For those of you out there who’ve read Parman and liked what you saw in there, you might want to check DAKILA: Kapalaran out…

Just saying…

URIEL: Hekhalot (1 of 4)

By David Hontiveros and Michael Urbano

Angels were not always warriors.

In the beginning, the arelim were messengers, their role, to bring Word and News from the lips of the glorious Hari ta mga Magbabaya, to the ears of all who would hear them.

But when Men were Created, it soon became clear that the vile Mangilala was deeply interested in their misery.

Thus, Magbabaya decreed that all Men must have a nathra, a watchman, a guardian, to defend them against Mangilala’s dark and cruel whims.

Uriel is one such nathra, and 7-year-old Maleck de los Santos, his mortal charge.

So, there you go.

DAKILA: Kapalaran and URIEL: Hekhalot are now available, alongside AGYU: Surfacing, KADASIG: The Skeleton at the Feast, and TATSULOK: A Vision of Dust.

Swing by Filbar’s Megamall for those.

Plus, I believe they’ll also be made available at the opening of the “first all-new, all-different” Filbar’s at the Festival Mall this coming Saturday, July 27.
(Thanx goes out to Paolo Chikiamco, for help in the portal construction.)

In the meantime, prep is being done on another new issue, set to debut at the Indieket.

More news on that soon…

you can't drink just six,

Dave

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“BALAT, BUWAN, NGALAN”
Appearing in ALTERNATIVE ALAMAT


Alternative Alamat is an anthology of short fiction that repurposes Filipino myths and legends into modern, 21st century configurations, that is going to be available in ebook format on December 14.
I was invited by editor Paolo Chikiamco to contribute a piece to it, and thus, my story, “Balat, Buwan, Ngalan (A Myth for the 21st Century)” is contained therein.

Below is the story’s introduction (which also doubles as the writer’s bio), as it appears in the anthology:

Balat, Buwan, Ngalan
(A Myth for the 21st Century)

David Hontiveros

David Hontiveros was a National Book Award Finalist for Best Comic Book in 1997 for Dhampyr (drawn by Oliver Pulumbarit), and a 2002 Palanca Award Winner (2nd Place in Future Fiction- English Category) for his short story, “Kaming Mga Seroks.” He has three horror/dark fantasy novellas out under the Penumbra imprint, published by Visprint, as well as a digital novel, Pelicula, from Bronze Age Media. His on-going comic book series, Bathala: Apokalypsis, is also available digitally from Flipside. He has had his short fiction, film reviews, articles, and comics appear in several Philippine publications. He has recently adapted Bret Harte (no, not the wrestler) and Edgar Allan Poe (twice!) into comic book form for Graphic Classics. He may be observed online at fiveleggediguana.blogspot.com (where he blathers on about film) and davidhontiveros.com (where assorted bits of his work are housed). He would like to humbly dedicate the story to his four current grandspawn, in chronological order: Gray, Mischa, Chloe, and Sophia, who will keep the flames of his family history burning on, down through the years.
While the Philippines is home to distinct cultural groups, a certain amount of cultural cross-pollination did take place. The results are myths which are variations of the same themes, and characters which appear in more than one culture, or who bear the same name but with an altered form. But, as David says of this story, there is power in words and there is truth in myth. If these characters did exist… which version would be true? Would it matter?

I should point out for those who follow my books and comics that “Balat, Buwan, Ngalan” has very solid ties to some of my past (and future) work.
And among the ten other stories in the anthology is a Trese prose piece by none other than Budjette Tan, as well as lots of kicka$$ art by Mervin Malonzo.
For more on Alternative Alamat, please check here.