Komikero Comics Journal

If I Had a Billion Billion Dollars

After taking care of all the necessary (like kill off Osama, put up schools, hospitals, libraries and offer financial help to people with illnesses they can't afford to cure), I would:

Put up my own coffeeshop called "Coffeekero Cafe" which will be like a local version of Starbucks, the difference being all coffee recipes will be based on Barako. So instead of Cafe Latte or Cappuccino, you'll have Barako Latte of Barakoccino. Instead of cookies or donuts, you'll have bibingka or puto bumbong or buko pie. All the chairs, tables, napkins, utensils, straws, cups, tablecloths etc. will be made of native materials. A section of this cafe will be reserved for members of Alamat (or to anyone interested in comics) to just hang out, talk comics, share stories and artwork. And I promise that for the first time ever, Alamat will have a hang out place that will not close down on them. The cafe will also have a section where alternative comics and zines are sold. If you have a comic book you have produced yourself, you can sell it there. Comics launchings and signings and all sorts of similar activities can be held there.

I would put up a publishing company that would produce comics for the Philippine market. To this end, I would put up studio which will house editors, artists, staff artists, printers, color separators and all the necessary machinery that would produce well written, well drawn and well colored comics that are offered at inexpensive prices on a monthly basis. There will be requirements however, no black and white artwork shall be created with the help of computers and lettering shall be done by hand directly on the artwork itself and not added later via computer. Coloring however, can be done in the computer but without the overexaggerated shades and lighting effects. Colors will be simple and direct to the point. All the artists must exhibit singular identity in their work and must not be derivative of popular styles. As a result, everybody will be paid extremely well, better than how much someone like Leinil Yu is paid right now by American companies. I will put Budjette Tan in as editor in chief.

Here I'd create all the comics I want to create and have the money to publish them without compromise.

To help distribute the comics, I will put several comic book booths in every mall, theater, school, palengke, street corner of every major thoroughfare, in every city in the entire country. The comics will be available in English, Tagalog, Visaya, Bikolano, Ilokano, Kapampangan, and every other major language or dialect in the country.

I would finance Noel F. Lim's short or feature length movies including providing the latest in equipment and most talented of crew and give him total creative control.

I would finance all efforts to restore and preserve our classic motion pictures by those made by Manuel Conde, Gerry de Leon, Lino Brocka, etc. and make them available publicly via Filmfests and as high quality and feature packed DVDs.

I would buy, restore and preserve SUPREME Theater here in San Pablo. I would have the latest in movie audio and video presentation technology from THX to DTS to an actual Digital Screen and Projection system. It will have the best seats (pre assigned upon buying the ticket), the coolest air conditioning and no one can get in once a movie has started. Best of all, the cinema will have a jamming field that will render all cellphones inoperative for the duration of the movie. And of course, I will show nothing but the best film has to offer.

That is, if I have a Billion Billion dollars.

Of course, if I can achieve at least one of those with the money I have I'd be happy.