A North American publisher has expressed interest in publishing Elmer. It's something I do feel very happy about because distributing abroad has always been one of my goals with regards to Elmer. But it would have to wait until I finish all four issues. I made a personal committment to publish all four issues through my own Komikero Publishing, as well as a compilation for distribution here in the Philippines when the time comes. I went through all that trouble legalizing my publishing company, so I just might as well take it as far as it can.
Distributing abroad, however, has been rather difficult. The challenge does come from shipping huge amounts of copies to other countries, and although sending to countries such as the UK has been no problem, shipping to Canada has been something else altogether. A whole shipment to a Canadian online retailer simply disappeared. Probably it was confiscated by Canadian Customs which I hear are very strict about these kinds of things. US based online retailers who have publicly advertised their search for independently published comic books to carry have not returned my emails.
However, I am grateful to people like Sandy Sansolis, whose assistance in getting ELMER into a couple of branches of Comic Odyssey in California has just been terrific. Thanks also to Kenny Penman of Forbidden Planet for his support. Thanks also to Ernie Agtarap of thepinoy.net who will soon be making Elmer available in the New York/New Jersey area.
As challenging as I find it, I feel that I would need someone else to handle the publishing and distribution of Elmer abroad, just so I would be free to do what I'm really in comics for... and it's to create them.
For those looking for copies here in the Philippines, check out my distribution network at the official elmer site here.
I was asked just now why Elmer #2 isn't available yet at Comicquest. I know Comicquest is one of my biggest supporters and it's responsible for selling a great bulk of my stock. I will be making Elmer #2 available there very soon, probably sometime next week. Apologies to everyone for this delay. Right now I'm preoccupied with writing and drawing new installments of HUMANIS REX! Once I get some of that done, I will continue to distribute Elmer #2 more widely.
Professor Benjie M. Marasigan Jr. of the College of St. Benilde emailed me about the entry I made earlier about the comics course I had announced. He clarified that it's still in the planning process as they wait for the CHED's (Commission on Higher Education) approval for the Bachelor of Science in Animation course for 2007. Once that is approved, they will go through the same process for the Illustration Course.
It will be a one-year course which will cover not only comics illustration, but also children's book illustration, newspaper and comic strips, editorial cartooning, caricaturing, greeting card illustration, fantasy art, etc.
Hopefully, this one-year diploma course will become a full blown 3-year degree course in illustration, an AB in Illustration.
Thanks Mr. Marasigan! Best of luck to you!
