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.
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Thanks Steven! :):):)