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Posted October 19, 2010 by Norby Ela in Comics
 
 

KOMIKS INTERVIEW with Mel Casipit

Flipgeeks had a chat with Mel Casipit , creator of komiks like Baboy, Edsa and Dog Style.

Interview by Norby Ela


FG: Hi, Mel. Kamusta?
MC: Ok naman.

FG: Tell me about yourself?
MC: Kakagising lang. Puyat ako kagabi.
FG: Puyat? Anu ginawa nyo kagabi?
MC: May post-birthday celebration ako na inattendnan.
I’m a comic book artist, call center agent, school teacher, draftman, caricaturist, and painter.
FG: wow. at the same time ba yan?
MC: Hindi naman. One at a time.
FG: So… anu ka ngayon? Hehehehe
MC: Dati nung nasa Pangasinan, pa ako nag-sasand sculp din kami. More on comics at caricature ako ngayon. Tsaka konting painting.
FG: Wow
MC: Medyo busy nga eh. Drinker na din. Hahaha. Lasenggo mga kaofficemate ko eh

FG: What is the best part of yourself?
MC: Siguro pagiging friendly. Madali akong makisama

FG: What is the worst part of yourself?
MC: Minsan tamad ako. Nakakainis nga eh.
FG: Me too. Heheheh


FG: How did you first discover comics?
MC: Nung bata pa ako, naalala ko ng bumili si mama ng Funny Komiks. Boy Apoy pa nga yung nasa cover. Dun ako una naexpose sa komiks
FG: Nice.
MC: Then palagi na ako nagpapabili ng komiks kay mama ng Bata Batuta komiks. Tapos Funny Komiks ulit sa Pangasinan pa yun.
FG: Naalala ko nun sa akin na komiks na horror tulad ng tsanak and manananggal. Pero nakalimutan ko ang title ng komiks nyan.
MC: Ah, oo. Astig yun talaga. Yung nanay ko mahilig naman dati sa Horroscope komiks
FG: ‘Horoscope’ ba tawag dun?
MC: ‘Horroscope’ yung title ng komiks. Ang pinak main story nila dati yung, “Bukas ikaw naman ang Luluha”. Alam ko ginawang movie na yun eh.

FG: Anyway, do you have a day-job? If the answer is yes, then what is it?
MC: Actually, hindi day job, night job. Call center agent ako sa Makati.
FG: Ahhh.
MC: UK account.
FG: What do you think of your job?
MC: OK naman. Madali ang pera sa call center. Puyat nga lang at tsaka stress and pressure ang kalaban mo. Ang maganda rin samin yung mga ka-office mate mo eh halos mag-kasing eded lang kayo. From 20-35 yrs ang age bracket.

FG: If you weren’t working in comics, what would you be doing?
MC: School teacher, painter or animator… ay painter na pala ako.
FG: Tell me about the differences of the mediums painting, animating and komiks.
MC: Sa painting, parang komiks din pero iisang panel lang. Sa animation naman gumagalaw ang drawing mo.

Sa komiks naman kailangan mong mag-isip ng kasi dapat maintindihan ng readers mo ang gusto mong iparating na message through your drawings. Wala pa ako masyado alam sa animation eh.
FG: Any advantages and disadvantages?
MC: Sa painting: kaya mong matapos sa isang araw depende kung anong style mo sa painting. Maganda rin kasi nakaka-alis ng stress ang pag-pinta using brush.

Sa komiks naman, ganun di yung nga lang sa lines ka dapat magaling. And you need to do a lot of research.
FG: But, I gotta say, last year lang ako nagsimula reading indie stuff and when I read your ‘Baboy’, ang galing ng panels and angles mo. Sakto sa gusto mo para mafeel ng reader.
MC: Salamat at nagustuhan mo ang komiks ko. Sa lahat nga ng nagawa kong komiks, ‘Baboy’ ang pinaka-sikat. Kaya masaya ako dun.
FG: Bakit?
MC: Ewan ko. Nagustuhan lang talga nila siguro. Sinadya ko kasing dark theme yung komiks at tsaka walang salita. Ang ‘Baboy’ ang unang entry ko sa KOMIKON Comics Creation Contest last 2008. Kaya sinadya kong maitim, detailed and kapansin-pansin kasi walang caption.


Ayun napansin naman hanggang ngayon. Madami pa rin akong narereceive na feedback about it.
FG: Yeah. Nagulat ako ngayon na may part 2 pa la sya.
MC: Merong part 2 kasi nga daming feedback nung una. It is supposed to be a one-shot komik.

Baka gumawa nga ult ako ng part 3 eh. Bahala na. Kapag hindi busy.
FG: Good luck on that.

FG: What are you most likely to complain to an editor/a co-creative team member?
MC: I haven’t been under an editor/ co-creative team member yet, so, I’m not sure. Pero, siguro sa deadline lang magkakatalo. Dapat reasonable yung deadlinne na ibibigay.

FG: Who is the biggest influence on your work?
MC: Andami eh. Pero yung nag-trigger na magtry ako sa comics e si Whilce Portacio. Napanood ko lang sa TV dati na pinoy siya saka nag-tatrabaho sa US as a comic artist. Ayun sobrang nainspire ako.
FG: Two more.
MC: Second, si Robert Sison yung prof ko sa PSU dati. Siya naman ang nag-inspire sa akin na mag-painting.

Third si Bing Cansino local artist turned US comics artist na din. Siya naman nag-inroduce sa akin sa mundo ng local and foreign comics

FG: What are you working on right now?
MC: Right now, yung colab-comics namin ni Raipo. Nasa character studies na ako. Fina-finalize kasi nya yung story.

FG: How do you work? Do you do any rituals before, during and after working?
MC: I work mostly during restdays. Kasi nga may work ako. Minsan before and after work nag-kokomiks ako. sayang oras eh

Rituals? Hmmm… siguro check muna FB bago drawing. Nakak-ubos na oras ang FB kaya minsan iniiwasan ko. Hahaha. Music at FB ang pinag-sasabay ko pag nagdodrawing ako. Tsaka laging open ang internet para may kailangan akong reference. Google kagad.

FG: What is the single work of which you are most proud of?
MC: ‘Baboy’. Yun kasi ang unang komiks na sinali ko sa KOMIKON. Nanalo at dun ako unang nakilala.

FG: Name one your guilty pleasures.
MC: Alak, grabe. Minsan ako na ang naghahanap ng kainuman eh. Dati occassional drinker lang ako. Hindi ako nagyoyosi or drugs. Masama yun. Alak lang talga

FG: What is the last comic that you bought?
MC: Nung nagsale ang NBS ng books. Bumili akong nga mga Batman na graphic novels. 3 yung na tig 100 lang. Murang-mura no? Ngayon wala na. Mahilig ako sa mga sale na books.

FG: Who could play you on a movie about your life?
MC: Hahaha. Ako na lang din cguro or kung sa mga artista, si Enchong (Dy), para guwapo ang gaganap.
FG: Hehehe.


FG: Pick three things that you couldn’t live without.
MC: Basic needs: cellphone, laptop and sketch pad.

FG: What is the strangest thing in your house?
MC: Hmmm… may nakadisplay na picture frame na may picture ng couple na hindi namin kilala. Strange nga, ngayon ko lang narealize.

FG: What music are you listening these days?
MC: ‘Glee’ songs. Hahahaha. Nakarandom kasi ang playlist ko palagi.

FG: What is your favorite comic of all time?
MC: Sa ngayon, I would say ‘El Indio’ by Francisco Coching. Nabasa ko at sobrang bumilib ako. Kung hindi tagalog ang salita baka isipin mo pang hundu Pinoy ang gumawa.
FG: I bought that lasy year. Galing.
MC: Sobra. Dean ng Pinoy komiks talaga.


FG: What TV shows & series and movies you like?
MC: Few animes, Glee, Studio Ghibli movies and comedy movies. Both Pinoy and foreign. Ayoko ng mga horror at depressing movies

FG: If you have superpowers what would it be? What would be your superhero name?
MC: Unlimited sex appeal? Hahahaha. Siguro power to fly. Tsaka name ng superhero, Flying Man! Para give away na yung pangalan, alam na agad.

FG: What is the worst advice that you’ve ever recieved?
MC: Wala pa naman.

FG: What is the best advice that you’ve ever recieved?
MC: Don’t stop learning, even masters still study.
FG; Who told you that?
MC: Si Bing Cansino. Comics artist din.

FG: What is your favorite comic of all time?
MC: Sa ngayon, I would say El Indio by Francisco Coching. Nabasa ko at sobrang bumilib ako. Kung hindi na tagalog ang salita baka isipin mo pang hnd Pinoy ang gumawa.
FG: I bought that lasy year. Galing!
MC: Sobra. Dean ng Pinoy komiks talaga. Francisco coching with the limited resources back then, I’m amazed how he makes his works so lively and detailed.

FG: What do you think of komiks nowadays?
MC: Alive and kicking. The set up is not like before. But, still you can tell that comics is not dead.

FG: Tell me about being an independent komik creator?
MC: Being an Indie Comics creator, specially in the beginning is very hard. You need to really work hard and love what you do.

FG: What would you like to see happen in Philippine komiks in the next 12 months?
MC: More conventions and more opportunities to new comic creators. I know that there are many comics artist that are just waiting and eager to break in to komiks.

FG: What the world needs now is…
MC: love and peace.

FG: Who is your favorite and up & coming komik artist, writer, creator?
MC: Isipin ko, siguro yung gumawa ng Boy Bakal. Ang kulit kasi nga mga characters nya. Tsaka makikita mong mahal nya ang characters at creations nya.


Norby Ela

 
Now residing in San Diego, CA, I strive to work in art and further grow FlipGeeks around the world.