Zen Buddhism, Superman & Batman

Komiks :Obstacles That Affect Personality
by Cadaver Lover Fundamental Comic Book Scriptwriting Workshop

Zen Buddhism in explaining the factors that affect the growth of "Personality" has three major sources of sufferings. The Three Fires of Buddhism as a principle refers to greed, hate and delusion as sources of sufferings. Greed is the urge to want more. Buddhist scriptures have described greed types as characterized by vanity, discontent, and craftiness and by love of rich, food and fine clothing. Hate refers to individuals who have sharp tempers and are quick to anger. Life becomes a continual round of fighting with enemies, getting back at others for real and imagined injuries and defending oneself against possible attack. Hate types tend to anger easily, to hold grudges, to belittle others and to suffer from pride, envy and stinginess. Delusion types tend to do everything inattentively and sloppily. Laziness, obstinacy, confusion, worries and excitability characterizes them.

By understanding the obstacles that impede growth, we are able to construct or deconstruct the psyche of a character in terms of the three major sources of sufferings. For example, the dominant quality that causes suffering in Batman, as a character, is hate.

Batman is unable to get over the death of his parents from the hands of a criminal; this is a manifestation of his tendency to hold grudges. He sometimes thinks that he is the only one who is mentally and physically capable of protecting Gotham City. As a result, he often belittles other people who desire to do the same function.

He likes to work alone. And when someone tries to help him, he immediately rejects the offer. A behavior attributed to his pride as a vigilante hero. Envy rests on his desire to belong to a family. As a solitary character, he did not experience a normal childhood due to the untimely death of his parents. This is the reason why he is stingy in showing affection. He is afraid to be close with other people because of the fear that he might lose them.

The hate in this case, sustains the Batman as a comic book character. Take away his suffering and his world will crumble. No hate, no vigilante. In a way, he is an anti-hero. He does everything for selfish wants rather than self-less needs. As long as his childhood trauma remains, he will keep on projecting and rationalizing situations.

If he believes that each good deed brings back his parents in his psychological construct, then, he will keep on being a vigilante and rationalize an non-commendable motivation. So, here lies the clever construction of the creator of the character. He knows how to play with the character in terms of its psychology. We know that he will not give up fighting criminals because the whole thing is a ceremony that empowers him as he distorts the reality of the trauma. It is like a drug addict who will keep on using drugs because it distorts reality. And in that distorted reality, the addict is able to exercise power.


Each character is virtually a mixture of these three qualities with varying intensity. There are characters wherein greed is a dominant quality while in other characters the dominant quality is delusion. In Superman's case, the dominant quality is delusion. As a character he is always worried and excitable. He is obsessed with securing the safety of the planet to the point that he overreacts. This overreaction is a struggle within the character as he tries to achieve the sense of belonging. Is he really part of the human society or is he an outsider who will never be accepted as a human being because of his special talents? That is why, as a character, he is not attentive in doing normal human actions and activities. Deep inside his mind, he worries that people might see through him and discover that he is different.

Superman hides his real identity. He struggles to imitate a man that does not correspond to what he really is. This is typical to a character that suffers from duality with regards to identity. He can not make up his mind in terms of introducing himself as Superman and only as Superman. This fear is rooted on what people might say once they find out the real person behind the facade.

So if Clark reveals to everyone that he is Superman, the magic of the character will end. What makes the character interesting is rooted in his suffering. He serves the planet because he distorts his sense of belonging. When the distortion and confusion disappear, he encounters the real truth that humanity does not accept him rather humanity worships him. Given this new situation, he will resent being Superman and just stop saving a world that does not accept him.

When we create a character, the character's personality is important. Without personality, the character is an empty shell. It has no soul. Personality then is one of the vital components that complete a character. Obstacles to personality provide depth to the character. It is a window from which we are able to see what makes this character unique and endearing.

Komiks : Monster Construction 2

Komiks : Monster Construction 2
by cadaver lover fundamental comic book scriptwriting workshop

The workshop, in its conception, veers away from "critical analysis" rather it struggles to pursue "informative analysis". I might give side comments regarding an issue but these are personal opinions and not critical dissection. Putting that aside, monster construction is a unique technique in surveying a character's matrix that is referred to as the source of fear. This particular article is an introductory presentation of emotional baggage as the third dimension of a monster.

Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula explores inherent emotional baggage of the principal character. It is obvious that the material uses horror as a genre. It operates within the parameters of true horror as a tone and uses love plot as a structure. Story pattern is interesting because it uses a triangle blueprint wherein the third party is not a character but an abstract entity called destiny.

Portraying Dracula as a wounded lover makes the character unique. We find the character redeemable and expect that he will redeem himself. This adds the second depth in character called characterization. The unique irony in terms of characteristics and characterization has a jolting effect. We have our own construct of Dracula as a supernatural being from hell. But when this construct is shattered, we begin to embrace unique monster existing in an alternative world.

Hate is the operating emotion that imprisons Dracula in its chosen world of damnation. Surveying hate, as the emotion that affects the character's emotional baggage, will reveal intense anger directed towards God and the world that took away the woman he loved. Thus, his damned existence is a direct defiance to the law of God and nature, as expression of hate.

The inability of the character to overcome hate prolongs his agony and violence. The relentless actions of exacting fear are motivated by the desire to let the world and God know how he feels. "You hurt me, now I am going to hurt you."

Love is always a potent cure for a wounded heart. Dracula, when confronted by love, begins to regret his state of damnation. It is no longer a means to exact revenge but a prison that prevents him from experiencing true love once more. Realizing this, Dracula gains redemption by sparing the woman he loved from eternal damnation. Thus, the lover in the monster overcomes hate and returns to the grace of God.

Emotional baggage is vital in creating a complete monster. Without it, the monster loses a big chunk of its personality. Komiks' monsters do not exhibit this third dimension. Even superheroes are always two dimensional or worst cardboard characters.

The workshop does not teach students what to write. This is the realm of experience. But the means in terms of writing a material is beyond experience. This requires creative and technical knowledge on how to construct a material. Thus, knowing the content of the material is just half of the battle. Deploying the context of the material completes the whole exercise.


Cadaver Lover
Basic Comic Book Scriptwriting Workshop
December 2007
cadaver_ lover@yahoo.com.ph

1 Introduction
A. Basic Considerations
B. Writer / Artist Relationship
C. Basic Parts
D. Classifications
(1.) spot cartoon
(2.) comic strip
(3.) picture story / comic book or graphic novel
(4.) photostories : computer generated illustrations

2 The Team
A. Mission vs. Vision
B. The Set-up
(1.) Publisher
(2.) Story Editor
(3.) Creator
(4.) Writers
(5.) Artists
(i) Illustrator
(ii) Penciler
(iii) Inker


C. Establishing a Common Language
D. The Parameters of Discussion
E. Rules of Engagement
F. Managing Ideas and Creative Decisions

3 Brainstorming Techniques
A. The PEP method
(1.) people
(2.) places
(3.) events
B. The Mind Webbing Method
C. Six W Method
(1.) who
(2.) what
(3.) why
(4.) when
(5.) where
(6.) how

4 Forming An Idea
A. The Average Reader
B. Style and Tone of the Publication ( dominant strengths)
(1.) Western Comic Books
n North American Strain ( comics) action
n European Strain (graphic novels) suspense / romance
(2.) Eastern Comic Books
n Komiks ( Philippines) horror
n Manga (Japan) sci-fi / fantasy
n Manghwa (Korea) romantic comedy
(3.) Number of Pages
(4.) Number of Panels
(5.) Genre
(6.) Artwork
(7.) One Shot Story or Serialized

5 The Story Concept
A. The Character That Forms An Idea
B. The Character That Fits An Idea

6 Premise
A. Subject
B. Action
7 The Character Matrix
A. Character Formation
B. Character Revelation

8 Building A Character
A. Character is a Point of View
B. Character is an Attitude
C. Character is Personality
D. Character is Behavior
E. Character is Revelation
F. Character is Identification

9 Characteristics vs Characterization
A. Archetypes
B. Stereotypes

10 Evaluating A Character
A. Characteristics + Characterization = Emotional Baggage
B. The Need vs. The Want = Conflict
C. Conflict vs. Emotional Baggage = Character Arc

11 Story
A. Object (central value)
B. Theme (statement:central value)
C. Conflict ( the engine of the story)

12 Building A Story
A. Identify the arena of action
B. identify the situation
C. identify the established conflict

13 Evaluating The Story
A. what is the object or central value
B. what is the theme?
C. what is the conflict

14 The Story Outline : Framework Method: Identify the Plot Points
A. Exposition
B. Conflict (Content)
C. Complications/Obstacles (Context)
D. Climax
E. Aftermath

15 The Comic Book Material Treatment
A. Act
B. Plot Points
C. Pages
D. Panels

16 Method in Writing Comics ( Treatment or Script)
A. Master Page Method
B. Panel by Panel Method

17 Elements of A Script
A. Character
B. Dialogue
C. Action
D. Time
E. Space

18 Format
A. The Slug Line
B. Description of the Scene
C. Dialogue

19 Depth of Field On Paper
A. Foreground (In front)
B. Middle Ground (In the middle)
C. Background (At the back)

20 Project Development
A. General Market Analysis vs. Niche Marketing
B. Idea Formation
C. Concept Construction
D. Story Outline
E. Treatment
F. Script
G. Evaluation

21 Special Topic : Komiks "The 2nd Wave" : The Philippine Horror Genre
A. Features
B. Requirements
C. Dynamics

The Study of Film Noir: Komiks, An Emerging Style

Hollywood, during WW2, worked closely with the US government in producing films geared toward boosting the morale of the troops. This alliance provided Hollywood the opportunity to utilize massive resources under the US government's disposal. In exchange for these resources, the US government's War Department was granted full creative control in terms of content and context of the said films. Nevertheless, this was the only time that Hollywood maintained a close and friendly working relationship with the US government.

The general euphoria experienced by Hollywood after WW2 was gradually replaced by a general sense of cynicism and economic bankruptcy. The US government no longer needed to maintain the alliance with Hollywood and vise versa. As a result, resources were radically reduced. Thus, Hollywood experienced an all time low since the depression.

From this distressed socio-political and economic situation, Hollywood needed to be prudent by making films that met the general feeling of the public during those days at the same time produce films within a tight budget.

Filmmakers began using techniques that were prevalent in B-Movies. As a result, they gradually developed a style that inexpensively deployed, relative to the massive budgets before and during WW2, materials that reflects the general situation of a nation who was trying to move on as it struggled to redefine its collective identity in the midst of a changed world.

Film Noir emerged as a style that generally influenced Hollywood films from the late forties up to the early fifties. Part detective story, part gangster and part urban melodrama or drama, it is a style that tackled downbeat subject matters that brings out the dark shadows of urban cynicism. Thus, dark and pessimistic undercurrents that feed on paranoiac mood characterize Film Noir as one of the more complex and intelligent Hollywood styles.

In terms of characteristics, Film Noir is always set in a gritty and urban setting. Characters are generally stereotypes, with some exceptions, that operate within a shadowy world of sex, crime and violence. Its approach to reality gives emphasis to the subject with minimal visual techniques. Thus, the creator takes a back seat and lets the subject of the material express itself with minimal intervention as it visually showcase the dark side of human interaction.

The Philippine Comic Industry, like Hollywood in the late forties and early fifties, is going through a crisis caused by socio-political and economic factors. It is experiencing an all time low in the midst of a highly globalized market. Thus, it needs to find the most economically efficient means in producing materials that reflects the general attitude of the immediate public.

Understanding the attitude of the public requires in depth statistical research and comprehensive information gathering. So it is difficult at this point in time to state an accurate description of this attitude in the immediate present. But making use of previous statistical studies conducted by SWS and Pulse Asia, we can draw an intelligent conclusion that the Filipino Public exhibits genuine feeling of cynicism in terms of the future. Uncertainties that feed on paranoiac mood and the limiting effects of poverty fuel this cynical view on life.

These conditions could break or make the industry. It depends on our attitude toward these unfortunate problems. Often, such problematic conditions are ideal causes in terms of enacting change. Thus, it is possible for a new style to emerge within the industry.

Komiks, I believe, is moving towards a second wave that draws inspiration within our cultural experience as a nation. These are materials that are familiar to us but different in terms of its deployment. Meaning, we create cultural based materials within an efficient framework that allocates resources efficiently. In this regard, Film Noir as a style provides us ideas in coming up with a framework that will help us achieve this end. So what is Komiks as defined in this second wave?

Urban melo-horror or true horror, Komiks is a style that tackles downbeat subject matters that brings out the dark shadows of urban cynicism. Thus, Komiks as a Filipino Comic Book Style, exhibits genuine feeling of cynicism in terms of the future. Uncertainties that feed on paranoiac mood and the limiting effects of poverty fuel this cynical view on life.

In terms of characteristics, Komiks is always set in a gritty, urban and socially conscious setting. Characters are generally stereotypes or archetypes that operate within a shadowy world of sex, poverty, crime and violence. Its approach to reality gives emphasis to culturally unique subjects with minimal visual techniques. Thus, the creator takes a back seat and lets the subject of the material express itself with minimal intervention as it visually showcase the dark side of human interaction.

This definition, in terms of style, set the parameters in creating a material that is best suited in the present market and industry conditions. This is a template that will guide us in giving birth to a new trend in the Philippine Comic Book Industry with the hope that it will re-establish its own as it struggles to compete against its foreign counterparts.

At the same time, the template should never limit one's creativity in developing further the style. This is a living organism that is subject to change. But before improving the animal, one must understand its nature. Meaning, know the rules first before you break it.

The first wave of Komiks is over. Though it is vital that we understand the past, to dwell in it is an exercise of futility. We must move forward, shed the old skin and look to the future. Manga and the American type of Comics are effective teaching tools but these are not what define us as an industry.

I appeal to those who still believe in the potential of this industry, we must make a critical but optimistic stand in reinventing a community beleaguered with comic book copycats and unscrupulous artists. Nothing is sweeter than to see this industry thriving once more in a community of competent writers, story editors, artists and publishers.

This is not an easy task. There are a lot of obstacles to contend with. Some people believe that this industry is not dying rather it is already dead. Nevertheless, if death is a necessary function for any industry to thrive again, then this industry is worth fighting for.

The Horror Genre: The Target of Fear : Survivor or Victim?

The target of fear defines the source of fear and vise versa. The source and the target should be equally matched. But this does not mean that both should have similar strengths or weaknesses. In general, the strength of the source of fear is the weakness of the target of fear. And the weakness of the target of fear is the strength of the source of fear. This symbiotic relationship within the domain of fear makes the material horrifying, thrilling or perilous. Komiks, as a function of Horror, relies on the inherent relationship between the source of fear and the target of fear. One must therefore define the target of fear in terms of its orientation.

The target could either be a victim or a survivor. Generally, a victim is a typical everyday person who lives within a structured routine lifestyle within a domain under his or her control. Characters, under this orientation, have homogeneous characteristics, characterizations and emotional baggages. This average person then gradually deteriorates as the source of fear begins to attack the said person's domain of control. And like a prey, the source of fear intimidates and disarms the target. Until finally, the target is forced to choose to either escape or die from the ordeal.

Saw is a good example where the target of fear exhibits the template of a victim. You have homogeneous characters that are in full control of their lives and know the parameters from which they operate. Until suddenly, the source of fear puts them in a situation that requires them to do what is unfamiliar in order to validate their existence.

In the example, we see that victims, after going through the ordeal, are emotionally traumatized and damaged. Their spirits are broken and they lose the vitality of control in their respective lives. This is a situation wherein a character travels from a point of control to a point of chaos. Victims may physically eliminate the source of fear but the horrible memory will continue to exist in their minds.

A survivor transverses in a different path. They travel from a point of chaos to a point of control. These are characters that we often find in the nooks and cracks in society. Invisible but their presence lingers in the background. Survivors, in general, have unique characterizations. These are not your typical common members of society performing the routine flow of life. These are deviants that are constantly slipping through the flow of human activities. Thus, as they go through an ordeal, the source of fear presents them two possible choices... fight or die.

In the sci-fi thriller Alien 2, the little is girl is a good example of a survivor. If we analyzed the character, at her age, this little girl before the ordeal is dependent on her parents. Thus, prior to the ordeal, she is a character who exhibits no control with regards to her situation. But as she goes through the ordeal, she slowly gains control over the source of fear.

As stated before, the target of fear defines the source of fear and vise versa. The operating principle is encapsulated in the desire, for both parties, to arrest full control of the situation. Thus, if a character is a victim, the source of fear takes the upper hand in the skirmishes. And if the character is a survivor, the source of fear loses control.

The ending reflects the outcome of the skirmishes. If the source of fear dies, it does not mean that the target gains control. Ripley as a character in Alien 1 loses control. Yes, physically she eliminated the source of fear but the emotional horror remained. As a result, her spirit as a human being is broken.

Sometimes, the source of fear lives to fight another day. In this case, a survivor is empowered to confront the source of fear in the future. Thus, his or her spirit is not broken. On the contrary, the character gains a new sense of control over the situation.

Relationship between the source and the target sets the tone of the genre. When the target is a victim, principles of a "Melo-Horror" often become the tone of the genre. Melo-Horrors are generally made up of faceless and generic victims. These are victims we can sympathize with and relate with like the high school jock, the teen drama queen, the nerd and the blond bimbo. Writers of Melo-Horrors depend heavily on the audience's stored emotions in bringing to life the fear in a material. So, if a material is not part of the stored emotions of an audience in a given set of parameters, the material will not draw success. Given this requirement, a writer must be well versed as a market researcher. He or she must know the audience's impulse as well as the market forces that affect this impulse. Acquiring this knowledge as exhibited by two Melo-Horror icons, The Exorcist and The Omen, often leads to positive consequences.

True Horrors, on the other hand, relies heavily on the writer's ability to construct a unique world for its unique characters. Stephen King does this very well. He creates unique worlds from which his unique characters perform unique tasks in surviving the horrible ordeal. Often, these unique characters are archetypes with unique characteristics, characterizations and emotional baggages. These elements of a character, if cleverly constructed, induce the audience to empathize with a character as a target of fear. Empathy is a genuine expression of sentiment which makes the material unique and refreshing.

The Blair Witch Project and I Know What You Did Last Summer are materials that use teens as characters. But the former is a True Horror because the characters are not stereotypes. We see teens that are deviants who go out of their way to do their unique thing. On the other hand, the latter relies heavily on sentimentality. The characters are stereotypes that represent a particular section in the teen demographic. Furthermore, the actors who participated in the film are your typical teen idols. Cementing the fact that the material is an all out Melo-Horror.

It is then crucial to know whether or not you are making a Melo-Horror or a True Horror. Departing from the genre under discussion, The Alien Series is a good example of shifts in the direction in terms of the tone of the genre. Alien 1 is a Sci-Fi Thriller that uses Melo-Thriller as the tone of the genre. Characters are stereotypes that represent sections in Human Demographics. Alien 2, on the other hand, is a Sci-Fi Thriller that uses True Thriller as the tone of the genre. Thus characters are archetypes in nature. Both Alien 1 and 2 were successful because the shift was deliberate. But when Alien 3 came, the shift became an anomaly.

The material with the third installment suffered form an induced identity crisis. Writers and Filmmakers behind the said material were not sure in terms of the tone they wish to follow. They knew that in the past, both tones made millions. Perhaps they thought that combining both tones would make the said installment a bigger hit. Well, they were wrong. Failure to understand the nature of both tones could cause disastrous consequences.

The Blair Witch Project is a B-Movie as an economic function and a True Horror in terms of tone of the genre. Its success came from these two unique combinations. But when they did the second installment, they totally ignored the elements that made the first one a blockbuster cult classic. Again, this shows the level of maturity of the creators of the material. Inability to understand the nature of a material in terms of tone and economic functions taught the creators an important lesson. Knowledge is power and ignorance sucks.

Discussing "pinoy style melo-horror" is like dissecting a terminally ill patient. Considering that "Melo-Horrors" are market driven materials, creators do not bother to study the stored emotions of audience in a given set of parameters. What we see are Film Studio funded Japanese Horror copycats with star studded casts that are domestic flops but are promoted heavily, as a last resort, to overseas contract workers who just for the sake of validation, nationalism or fanaticism watch these plagiarized creations. A tongue twisting statement. Now, try saying it again but this time you take a deep breath.

So what happens to the source of fear when the character is a victim or a survivor? There is what we call the dynamics in the transfer of control. Meaning, the victim loses control and the source of fear arrests it. Or the survivor takes control from the source of fear as a means to empower herself or himself. The trajectory of the transfer, as a process, varies in terms of construction. We will discuss this in the workshop if given the opportunity. But as a general rule, the rate and the flow of the transfer could make or break a Horror material. Some transfers in materials, like in Nightmare at Elm Street and Saw, are unique and clever. Others are uneventful and boring. Horror B-Movies, as a function of economic limitations, often suffer from this problem. Except of course for some materials, like the Original Night of the Living Dead, Blaire Witch Project and the Original 1976 Texas Chainsaw Massacre, that cleverly uses the techniques in making B-Movies in deploying a material that uses True Horror as a tone of the genre. Thus, a good story always has a good transfer.

Going back to the character template, there are times that characteristics exhibit a different characterization. I mean, it does not follow that if a character is a monster or supernatural being, automatically, that character is the source of fear. Not all Count Dracula materials characterized the principal monster as the source of fear. This is something that we need to think about considering that we often relate ugly things to evil and relate beautiful things to good. This is why we always come up with comic book materials with ugly monster and beautiful targets that do not share a relationship in the first place.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a good case study that reinvents the template in terms of Horror as a genre. At first, one could safely conclude that the Monster is the source of fear and the target of fear is Dr. Frankenstein. But if we study the relationship as well as the transfer, we will eventually discover that this is not the case.

The monster is the target of fear and Dr. Frankenstein is the source of fear. The monster represents a character that could be characterized as someone who dwells in the nooks and cracks of society. The monster is an outcast that eventually grabs control from the source of fear, Dr. Frankenstein. What we have then is a reverse story pattern of a prodigal son. Dr. Frankenstein is the prodigal father who is consumed by the desire to dispute the laws of nature by creating life out of body parts of cadavers. His irresponsible and arrogant act creates an anomaly. Thus, when the creation fails to perform as expected, the creator rejects the creation. Sounds familiar? Remember whenever you are not able perform well in school, your dad always makes you feel rejected. The same thing happened between the monster and the doctor.

Frankenstein is a True Horror story of a father and a son. It is a timeless and poignant material where innocence rests at the center of terror. In the end, the doctor loses control of his life. His spirit is broken and the real monster is rapidly deteriorating. But a dutiful son, a survivor, the monster, offers solitude to a defeated father in the icy depths of the Antarctic.

Horror is a genre that has inherent requirements. And one of these requirements is the proper and appropriate construction of the target of fear. Horror writers know that an effective material always involves good characters and a solid story. Though the template is a good guide in coming up with a good Horror material, I encourage you to find creative ways in reinventing the template. But of course, before breaking the rules, one must know the rules first.

As we struggle to translate this knowledge to a comic book material, we will definitely encounter obstacles along the way. It is not easy writing a compelling material that will capture the hearts and minds of the paying public. Knowing is just half of the battle, the next step is to apply one's vision with caution and realistic expectations. It is not wrong to aspire for something like being the next Horror Genius. But when such aspiration gets in the way in the development and management of a material, perhaps it is time to plant your feet firmly on the ground.

Monster Construction

Komiks : The Horror Genre : The Source of Terror

Horror will only work if the source of terror is clearly defined. In this genre, the source of terror is often encapsulated in a single supernatural being that defies death. It is not really the question of immortality, but more of a function of eluding death as a natural progression in the human cycle. Thus, when supernatural beings constantly survive our desire to end their terror, fear sets in. And we asked ourselves, is this really happening to us?

In Komiks, we are confronted with supernatural beings whose main objective is to scare us. Well, scaring people and inducing fear are two different undertakings. When we simply scare people, we just rely upon the physical horror and not on the emotional horror. As a result, we see scary character designs that are empty shells. We see them but we do not feel them.

Inducing fear is a tricky dynamic in Komiks storytelling. It involves the balance and parallel development and management of both the emotional and physical fears. Thus, if we borrow a character from a popular horror film, when we see Jason from Friday the 13th we know that someone will encounter a horrible death. In this case, the character induces fear because the character is complete as a source of terror. If Jason is just a cardboard and lifeless monster, then he remains to be a forgettable scary monster.

Cardboard monsters are the usual ingredients in Horror Komiks. Probably this is the reason why it is unable to capture the imagination of a wider public. Perhaps before it worked, but considering the advancement in the reading public in general, things need to change for the better.

Zuma, a popular horror character in Komiks, is a good example of a cardboard monster. For one thing, the character does not have a personality. We really do not why he hates humans and why he wants to kill them. He looks scary because he has two snakes over his shoulders and obviously he is green. But in the end, the scare tactics implode when he kills his first victim. So what's next?

Let us make a parallel study. The Mummy, as a character, was initially a cardboard monster. The Mummy's main objective is to scare the archeologists who, for the sake of argument, are just doing their job. The Mummy did not have any personality. We do not know why his pyramid is so important to him and why in Osiris' name he is grunting and choking people to death. Until an inventive filmmaker re-worked the whole Mummy angle and gave it a personality. What if the Mummy is a desperate lover who wants to revive his long lost love? What if the Mummy wants to avenge the injustice that he believes took the life of his lover? What if this is the only chance that he has to continue a forbidden love affair? What if he is trying to challenge destiny itself?

The more question we ask, the more real the Mummy becomes. Until we slowly discover that the Mummy needed to learn that the end does not justify the means and that no matter how much he wanted to be with his love, it won't happen. Why? Because he does not want to face the fact that they are not destined to be together. And that is his angst as a character. So powerful but in the end destiny always kicks his ass.

When we begin to put "human emotions" on the source of terror, the monster becomes a three dimensional character. Going back to the Mummy, such undertaking yielded success in the market. As we watch the Mummy Returns, we begin to understand the gravity of the Mummy's obsession or desire that somehow the rational of his power in killing people is able to induce fear. When he looks at you, you feel fear because you know that the Mummy will kill for the sake of his lover.. Therefore, the want compels him to kill and the need stops him from killing.

This is the on and off switch in the monster's psychology. Once the character chooses want over the need or need over the want, we either see compassion that is poignant or violence that is macabre. Whatever the choice is, the fact remains, the monster subscribes to a simple dogma. I think, therefore I am. Monsters are not contraptions that are mechanical in nature like Zuma, the Mananangal and the Vampira. Monsters are thinking killing machines. They know their target because they know themselves.

When a monster exclusively kills virgins, it is not just a freak of nature. There is a rational behind it. Often, the target and the weapon of choice are deeply rooted in the monster's emotional baggage. If killing someone for nourishment is a need. So, what is the want? We now begin to explore. A want is more of a desire. If love is a desire then a virgin with a nice body is a good counter point for nourishment. I mean, killing someone for nourishment is a natural biological physical need. So when this someone is beyond the physical, the problem begins.

A monster as a character needs characteristics, characterization and emotional baggage. His emotional baggage often revolves around the inherent conflict between the need and the want. As an equation, characteristics plus characterization over emotional baggage will yield the most important concept in "monster construction" and that is Personality.

What if a Vampira leaves her safe haven in order to look for his missing son? What if a Vampira is out to kill the president in order to avenge the death of a love one? What if a Vampira falls in love for the first time with a human being? Now we begin to explore. The Vampira begins to feel beyond hunger. She begins to imbibe human emotions. And in the end, the monster will choose between her need or her want. Will she sacrifice her nature for the sake of love? Will she overcome revenge for the sake of forgiveness? Will she understand that nurture is far more powerful than nature.

We have a heap load of monsters in our culture, monsters that we often see in Komiks. But the said monsters fail to capture our imagination. It is unable to induce fear. Given the problem, perhaps we need to study the core principles behind monster construction as the source of fear. Let us reinvent the process and give our monsters personalities for a change.

Komiks : The Second Cycle?

Komiks : The Second Cycle?

Innovation is a function of observation, comprehension and analysis. Take away this process, we are simply doing what a xerox machine is doing, copying. Plagiarism, in terms of content and context, will only lead to creative bankruptcy. I other words, it is not wise to encourage Filipino Artists and Writers to just simply read a Marvel Comic Book or a popular Manga and then mimic the whole thing. It not a sin to appreciate the product of other cultures but when appreciation becomes an accessory to a crime of plagiarism, I mean, that is a different story.

The first cycle of Komiks started as a means to entertain people. English literacy during those years was very low. That is why Komiks, at its early stage, gained so much ground. But as more and more people became well versed with the colonial language, things changed as soon as American Comic Books arrived in our shores.

Often we hear the argument that radio, television and cinema killed Komiks. Others would say that the decline of the reading public was the caused of the demise of Komiks. I do not subscribe to these arguments. I see them as poor excuses and desperate desires to find an escape goat in order to cover the industry's failure to innovate and evolve. In fact, if you study early Komiks, less than ten percent are really telling real stories. And often, one is able to find real stories in Komiks that uses Horror as a genre.

This generation, stuck with Japanese Mangas and American Comic Books, is unaware that Komiks is a viable framework for international deployment. It has a unique format that has the capability to capture a market. Komiks, in particular Pinoy Horror Komiks, is inherently pinoy that draws creative materials from myths and legends. Yet fear, as a universal value, is appealing to a wide variety of cultures. These are two ingredients that made American Comics and Japanese Manga popular in the world market.

In the end, concept art must work hand in hand with the story, characters, genre and plot. If we just believe that "nasa drawing lang yan", again, we are making the same mistake of the previous cycle. Majority of Komiks Creators in the First Cycle thought that their inherent language advantage would sustain their creations. So, they did not bother to innovate and invest in terms of materials and art works. Instead, they just mimic what was American. As a result, they are now fossilized remains of a wasted opportunity.

The second cycle is moving towards globalization. But, unfortunately, our industry does not exist. Is this a bad thing? Not really, though it is far more difficult for us to compete considering that there is no Komiks Industry to speak of, at least we have the opportunity to re-invent or invent the industry in order for it to be competitive.

Now, do we need to abandon this Manga or Americam Comic Obsession? Let me put it this way, the said products are useful study materials. We can learn a lot from them. But the knowledge that we get from the said products must fuel our desire to construct our own unique industry that will produce unique products. Not patches of elements that looks like Frankenstein, products that we often see in our local bookstores.