mababang langit

editor, writer, blogger, and world fantasy award nominee charles tan recently had some nice things to say about my comics: "Snappy and upbeat,  Ang Maskot  captures an element of the Filipino zeitgeist and weaves an adult narrative around it without falling into the temptation of cynicism. While it doesn't have as much depth as School Run  (and appropriately so since this is a self-contained story), it highlights many of the strengths of Macoy's comics. There's a lot to love about Macoy's  School Run . The art alone is an interesting juxtaposition between the bleak setting and iconic characters. But don't let the simplicity fool you: over the course of each issue, Macoy packs depth into his characters, at the same time imagining a setting that organically resonates with Philippine pop culture, such as the parallelism between the zombie outbreak and typhoons ( "Signal #1 Laaang? Sayang!" ). Or something as simple as naming a cat as Catniss....

"Finally I have gotten around to reading one of the word-of-mouth sensations of the recent Komikons. First of all this must be said: listen to the hype, because it is deserved. Do NOT let the simplistic cover illustrations deceive you (as I was initially deceived).   Zombies roaming the Philippines? No problem. Live around it, as we always do. Thus Pinoys have learned to establish surge warnings, put up barriers, create tough buildings, make anti-zombie pills, etc. However everyone also reaches a level of complacency about the drawn-out problem, and people start making mistakes." read the full review here . thank you for the compliments EK! i will take your closing words to heart: " Find this series, follow it, finish it!"  especially that last part, heh heh

sez the author of girl trouble and dumot : Ang Maskot  was crisp and clean. A man uses his own frustrations to bring happiness to others, which eventually sets himself free from his own problems. Also: the parts without dialogue are quite magical. Operasyon  was my favorite. The creator makes the statement “mga hayop tayong lahat” very clear in my opinion: a fable to take to heart during these media-saturated and “I-was-left-with-no-other-choice” kinds of times. his full list of fave komikon 2011 reads is here . check it out!

...because clickthecity.com 's resident film critic phil dy wrote a glowing review of my all four of my comics, which was posted as a note on sputnik comics' facebook page . and so for the benefit of anyone not on facebook,  i am shamelessly reposting the whole thing here. delicadeza was never one of my strong points. REVIEW: Komiks ni Macoy Philbert Dy on Friday, May 20, 2011 at 11:42pm OPERASYON, ANG MASKOT, TAAL VOLCANO MONSTER, SCHOOL RUN Macoy is incredible. There’s just no getting around it. His ashcan comics are essential reading, each work exhibiting a profound understanding of the form mixed with a strikingly Filipino sensibility. His stuff is deceptively simple, the art laid out in clear black lines, his figures cartoony but economical. The stories aren’t long, but each of them is filled with little details that form a world much larger than one would expect. But it’s really the versatility that astounds the casua...

komiks veteran, magazine editor and self-described heartthrob kc cordero posted some nice things on his blog about operasyon: Malikot ang mga anggulo ni Macoy at malinis ang mga execution ng bawat frame. Maging ang characterization ay akma sa mga hayop na ginamit niya sa kuwento gaya ng bihag na si Boy Hito (hito) na nagpakita ng tensyon sa posibleng pagsa-salvage sa kanya, at ang astig na si D’ Boss (kalabaw) na maging ang mga dialogue ay barako ang pagkakabitaw. Wala rin akong masabi sa mga teknikal na aspeto gaya ng balloons at sound effects na ginamit niya sa mga frames na nakatulong nang malaki sa storytelling. It’s a good read . read the full review here .

on taal volcano monster vs. evil space paru-paro: At a modest twenty pages, Taal Volcano Monster isn't so much a story as an extended gag strip. A   Mothra   stand-in shows-up for no good reason other than that's what happens in the movies. And the requisite knock-down drag-out battle takes place. Both monsters are drawn to look like cuddly plush toys, while the humans are mostly just tiny stick figures. Mass destruction rarely looked so cute. on school run #1:   They may be kids, but if the comic follows the formula, the cast will get whittled down to just a few of the more resourceful and stronger characters... The first issue isn't particularly graphic by the genre's standards, although the possibility of baby-faced munchkins dying horribly one by one might disturb some readers... The departure from the usual horror movie casting is what's intriguing about the comic. So as perverse as this sounds, I'll be disappointed if no blood is spilled in the...

mark rosario of planetmarkus.com posted a review of ang maskot on flipgeeks.com : very witty, hysterical and unexpectedly heartwarming all at the same time. It’s really not surprising why this title has received (and continues to receive) so much positive feedback from both comic fans and creators alike. The story itself is well-crafted plus the artwork is just pure eye candy. *earclaps* full article

paolo chikiamco , the man behind sci-fi magazine rocket kapre and editor of the metakritiko section of philippine online chronicles , just posted a review of ang maskot : The story itself is both funny and, surprisingly, heart warming. I’d initially thought that the komik would use the idea of “angry man in a bird costume” to make an ultra-violent black comedy, but that’s not the case here—a good thing, to my mind. Not everyone who has a bad day goes on a murderous rampage, nor becomes blind to the fact that other people may have bigger problems. read the full article here .