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Posted January 28, 2015 by Norby Ela in Comics
 
 

LET’S TALK KOMIKS: Arvin Valenzuela invades the interwebs with his Killer Kamote Komiks!

Local comic book creators have been selling their work in print in comic book stores and conventions. And they would get some amount of people looking at their work. Coz that’s how they get to survive. It’s exposure. It has been many years now where the local scene have been trying to put out their work across the interwebs, probably for free or with a small fee, like Tabi Po, Liga ng LikeMan, News Hardcore, Dead Balagtas. The exposure and the audience in there are limitless. Hence, Arvin ValenzuelaKiller Kamote Komiks webcomic inserts into this Let’s Talk Komiks.


 

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FLIPGEEKS: Hi Arvin. Tell me about Killer Kamote Komiks.
ARVIN VALENZUELA: Hello. As stated on my webcomics site, Killer Kamote Komiks is about the adventures of this particular guy who sports a mustache and a mullet hair. Other times, though it can be like a slice-of-life kind of comics. But most of the time I try to make it like a gag-a day/week comic strip whenever I try to make it silly and funny.

How long have you been making webcomics?
To tell you honestly, the very first strip that I made was way way back in 2005, you can see it on my site, it’s entitled “Buhay”. A parody of the kid’s show Batibot. I just started to create more comics last November of 2014 and up to this day I still continue to make some, out of boredom, I guess. I am a freelance artist and whenever freelance work seems to be scarce, I try to create comics so I can kill some time and occupy all these free time that I have. That, and because I know I still love comics in general.

How did you come up with the name ‘Killer Kamote Komiks’?
I really don’t know how I came up with it. Right now I even want to change it to something that people will remember easily but I don’t know I guess it’s still sounds pretty much okay. It still has that Filipino flavor into it because of the word “Kamote”. Not only that but I always still try to make it more Filipino-ish. I actually made the first few strips that I have written in Tagalog, I just started using English so that other people around the globe could comprehend my comics.

In your comic, did you base your character Francisco/Ben to yourself?
Sometimes, yes and other times, no. Other times, those characters in my comics is mostly about my friends and people that I have met in my life.

Where do you get your ideas?
I get my ideas from myself, my own experiences in life. Things that really happened to me. Sometimes whenever I have a conversation with my family and friends and people around me, when it turns really funny and entertaining, I turn and make that into comics form.

What comics do you read these days?
I read a few webcomics most of the time and a lot of Daniel Clowes, Adrian Tomine and other graphic novels/comics like those I mentioned. I also read mainstream comics from Marvel and DC as well

How do you try and improve your craft?
I just keep on practicing. I know I still have a lot more room for improvement in creating comics.

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Who are your target audience for you webcomic?
Everyone.

How do you act on criticisms?
I really don’t know because I haven’t heard any criticisms about my comics as of yet. Albeit whatever it be, I want to thank them even if their criticisms are positive or negative. People who read my work gives me this motivation to keep on improving and gives me this extra “good vibe” to continue working on my comics.

What are the advantages in doing webcomics than doing printed comic books?
Well, first off, we can all say that webcomics doesn’t really pay the creator because when you upload it on the internet, people can read it for free except when you finally have really established your audience and when you can put some paid advertisements and your own merchandise on your website for people to purchase them, for the creator to gain some sort of monetary compensation. I just wanted to say that but the major advantage of doing webcomics is of course for the artist to instantly publish their work worldwide. It is free unlike printed comic books. Anyone who has access to the internet can read your work.

What should people from the local comic community know about webcomics?
I also didn’t realize this until I found them but there are quite a few of local webcomics artist’s out there. I stumbled upon them from Facebook hopping and all I can say is that our local comics industry is alive and really well. We should all support our own local comics scene, be it webcomics or comics in printed form. People like sir Gerry Alanguilan is one of the few who really supports our local comics scene and made it survive.

Will you ever try to print your webcomic and sell it?
If I can find a great publisher, then yes.

What are some good webcomics that all of us should read?
Calvin and Hobbes is on my top list. You can see it on www.gocomics.com


Norby Ela

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