It's been a while since I've actually posted. Apologies goes to the FLIM first and foremost. Sorry for the delay. It really couldn't be helped. I'll get in touch soon. It's been pretty busy ever since Ilyn's dad passed away. There was a tough deadline to meet and thank goodness Superman Birthright is now solicited in Previews for a July release. I left 200 copies of Wasted at Comic Quest and it sold out last week. I should be going back to bring more. I've also been dealing with direct orders of Wasted to me, packaging and sending them off myself. My computer crashed after developing bad sectors. I've had to buy a new hard disc. Because I had already moved house away from my computer whiz brother, I've had to format and install a new operating system on my own. Ugh. It was bloody, but I'm glad I was able to do it myself. I finally have a dog. A dalmation named Eugene. It was given to us by Ilyn's brother Jun. Eugene is only 8 months old, but it's already a DOG, you know what I mean? He's really HUGE. But he's nice to everybody. I swear this dog would get himself stolen if I'm not careful. Well, that's enough out of me for now.

WASTED FINAL EDITION
A Review by Ruel S. De Vera
Sunday Inquirer Magazine, April 27, 2003

By Gerry Alanguilan
Alamat/Komikero/Pulp

One of Philippine comicdom's true treasures has finally returned. This affordable new edition collects the eight issues of Alanguilan's seminal series of mini-comics, first available in 1994. Almost a decade hence, Alanguilan's cathartic epic of heartbreak, with its grim humor, hot-button issues and starkly compelling black-and-white art, vibrates with an irresistible, violent truth despite the years since its first release. The reason for the "mature readers" tag isn't just the 15 or so fatalities-it's the dark heart of the series itself, one that we just might recognize in ourselves. And that is bloody genius in itself. "Wasted: Final Edition" lets us go home, thankfully alive but changed forever.

WASTED LIFE
A review of WASTED: FINAL EDITION by Bernie Sim
PULP Magazine, Issue # 33, April 2003

The last we saw of Gerry Alanguilan’s WASTED was a serialization in the pages of Pulp’s June-July 2001 issue. Before that, Alamat Comics printed a mere 500 of the angry mini-comic in 1998, forcing a lot of awestruck readers to steal their friend’s copies. Two year later Pulp finally took pity on us thieving morons and printed 2000 new and improved copies of the Pinoy cult classic. I first read WASTED in college in the mid-90s, and despite now having a steady job and rosier love life, its raw power and cutthroat intensity still blows my mind all these years later.

It also helps that it’s better packaged now. Reincarnated as WASTED: FINAL EDITION, this new P100 version is bigger than its Alamat predecessor, has a new full-color cover by Mr. Alanguilan, several amazing black-and-white pin-ups by Filipino komikeros Leinel Yu, Arnold Arre, Roy Allan Martinez, Whilce Portacio, Edgar Tadeo, and Marissa Nepumaceno, an intro by Barbie Almalbis, who was actually inspired to write Barbie’s Cradle hit, “The Dance” after reading WASTED, and an enlightening three-page interview with the artist by Gabriel Banaag. If you’ve ever wondered about what drove Gerry to write WASTED, deliberated whether his love life really sucked, and shared Gabriel’s opinion that the art is raw, and, well, somewhat ugly, then you’d definitely love this partial interview (the complete and lengthy one can be found on www.alanguilan.com/sanpablo).

As Gerry explains, it’s more the story than the art that drives WASTED. It’s a fast and furious emotional journey fueled by rage and passion, a medium through which one talented artist and renowned Marvel, DC, and Image comic book inker can vent his angst and frustrations. WASTED is every fed-up citizen’s ultimate vigilante fantasy, and it’s superb that Gerry’s work could make us live it and then leave it, unless you do take crime-fighting in your own hands and end up being portrayed by Ronnie Rickets or Ian Veneracion in a sucky true-to-sensationalized Pinoy action flick. Now that’s truly wasted. (We also hear that a movie version of WASTED is in the works, and although we’re quite sure that Gerry will be showing some skin, we can’t confirm if Maui or Katya will).

RUDY FLORESE 1946-2003

My father in law, comics artist Rodolfo "Rudy" O. Florese Sr., has passed away a little after 1:00pm April 4, 2003 here in San Pablo City, Philippines, after suffering 2 consecutive strokes and a long illness.

Rudy was known in America for drawing KORAK and TARZAN for DC Comics in the late 70's. Rudy also adapted The Mutiny On Board the HMS Bounty by William Bligh and The Scarlet Pimpernel by Barones Orczy for Pendulum Press. In the Philippines, he was known for writing and drawing well received stories like EXKIRMUZ: Street Warrior, ORAS MO NA and MERIDIANA.

He was 56.

Rudy O. Florese
http://alanguilan.com/sanpablo/rflorese.html

-Gerry Alanguilan

Steven Grant Reviews Wasted
http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/?column=10
PERMANENT DAMAGE Issue#81, April 2, 2003

Gerry Alanguilan's a Philippine artist who occasionally pops up as an inker at major comics companies, but if you read WASTED (Komikero Comics, Box 67, San Pablo City Post Office, Laguna, Philippines 4000; $3.95US) you'll realize what a waste of his talents that is. WASTED collects a crime comic Gerry wrote and drew in the mid-90s, about a would-be musician who goes nuts when all the pressures and betrayals of his life get to him. Not unlike the film FALLING DOWN, but involving a lot more bodies. It's one of those stories congested in overwhelming inevitability, but it's well done. Gerry's has developed as an artist since WASTED - his more recent work has a more illustrative European look, but I sort of prefer the open cleanness of WASTED: more power with fewer lines. Anyway, it's a kick.
***************
Thanks Steven! :):):)

I HATE

If there is one thing I really hate even more than SPAM in email, it's CHAIN LETTERS. Most of the time, they're sent by well meaning friends, but almost always I can't help but feel offended. Here's why: Have you ever received one of those emails that end with..." Pass this on to 10 other people or something BAD will happen to you."? Well if you have, the person who sent that has just threatened your LIFE. They have just blackmailed you with the threat of death if you don't do what they say. I can be really nasty at times, as some of my friends have discovered. One time a friend sent me a particularly offensive chain mail and I fired off a rebuttal saying well you ought to die too because you just threatened to kill me. I don't do that too much anymore so I'm hoping that my friends who send me those kinds of emails read this so they know how much chain mails offend me.

New Releases!

A couple of books with my work on it has just been released. The first is the High Roads trade paper back, a collection of all 6 High Roads issues, written by Scott Lobdell, pencilled by Leinil Francis Yu, inked by me and colored by Edgar Tadeo. The other one is Graphic Classics: Jack London. This book is a collection of Jack London stories adapted to comics. I illustrated a scene for London's short story "Modern Dueling". The cover is by Arnold Arre.



It's a huge thrill because HIGH ROADS is the very first TPB which I had worked completely on, and I'm really proud of the work we did there. I'm very grateful for Tom Pomlun of Graphic Classics for giving me the opportunity to exert myself as an artist on his books, having also done illustrations I had pencilled and inked for the HP Lovecraft Book in addition to Jack London. I'm currently adapting and drawing (and lettering) a multi page adaptation of Bram Stoker's "The Judge's House" for an upcoming volume spotlighting the creator of Dracula.

I so WANT this DVD!! :)

I've been a Beatles fan since I was a kid. I bought every single cassette when I was in high school, and I got every CD after College. I'm not too much of a fan today, but I still listen to their music fondly once in a while. I'm gonna get paid really soon and this is the first thing I'm gonna get for myself. Well, next to dining room table and chairs that is, which we still don't have. he.he.


I was at a Beatles Memorabilia exhibit at the Shangrila, Shaw last week. I must say that as a collection, it was excellent. Complete original covers, magazines, merchandize, and so on....but as an Exhibit it was lacking because there was NOT ONE item that directly relates to the Beatles...something like John Lennon's glasses or Paul McCartney's pick, or Ringo's sticks. It's simply someone's personal Beatles collection.

INTRUDER!

Ilyn and I were watching CNN on the war in Iraq earlier this morning when I heard someone outside knocking on the gate. I looked through the window and someone climbed OVER OUR GATE and into the garden. I DIDN'T KNOW WHO THIS JOKER WAS! I took my big rolled Wasted banner, went out the door and demanded what the fuck this guy wanted. He was apparently surprised to see me. He was looking for someone he thought was still living here. He said he jumped the gate because the gate was locked. DUH. I told him that the previous residents have left and I am renting this place now. I smelled liquor on his breath even if he was several feet away from me. Grabbing the banner tightly, with me aching to go WASTED, I asked the guy to get out. Apparently realizing his mistake, he said that if I had a gun I may have well shot him. heh. YEAH. I opened the gate and he went out. I think he really did make a mistake because if he had planned on robbing us, he would have not called and knocked repeatedly before he jumped the gate. FUCK. I've got to get a God damned DOG.

Me and Silent Bob. Thanks to Gabe for the pic!


That's Timawa scripter David Hontiveros beside me although you can only see his glasses. :) Thanks Syeri for the pic!


From Left: Anakin, me, the FLIM and his wife Cecile and Karen Kunawicz
Thanks To ED for the pic!

NEW WORLDS Sci Fi CON

I never thought it would be THAT fun to be there. I saw Borgs, Elves (with bad ears), Aliens, Jedis, Anakins, Silent Bobs and lots and lots of Federation Captains and personnel. Plus, I got to sell 35 copies of Wasted! Cool! It's been a LONG time since Alamat has done an exhibit/signing and I sorta missed that. The con reminded me of how much fun it can be, specially if you're meeting the people who read your work. One guy came up to tell me he bought PULP just to follow Wasted. Wow....that's amazing. Leinil dropped me off at the venue after we had met his dad in Greenbelt. Once again, you're a big BIG help pare! Thanks! I set up the tables, chairs and the banner and stuff. I was soon joined by Dave Hontiveros, Budjette Tan, Arvie Villena, Karen Kunawicz, FLIM and his wife Cecile, Ed Tadeo and Amie, Carlo Vergara and Ryan Orosco. Jac was there too. All in all, great FUN!

SORRY BUDJE!!

Budjette Tan wrote an intro for WASTED: FINAL EDITION way back in 2000 or so. And I totally forgot about it. It was supposed to go into the book, and if I hadn't read his entry in his BLOG, it would have totally slipped my mind altogether. I'm really REALLY sorry man! I feel doubly bad about it because Budjette was really instrumental in getting Wasted out there, read by more people than I had imagined. He even plays ED in the movie. His help in Wasted and in a significant portion of my work cannot be measured. I mean to rectify this situation.

I'm currently building a new Wasted site housed in the Wasted Movie Site. This site will include every little info out there about the book, including many letters I've gotten from readers. I will include Budjette's into there first and foremost, including the intros not only in the FINAL EDITION, but also from the original version. I will put up a gallery of every single piece of art I've received from readers. A lot of them are very VERY good and it's a damn shame if I just hide it away in boxes at the house. I will include reviews, emails, and other correspondence. You'll see so much wasted you'll throw up. :)