Tambucho

i hate drawing cars... it should show here!

Translation:

Rhea: " the mufflers in call centers"

Fan Art

Sarah and Cathy by Andrew Villar of Ambush

Read every Sunday in Manila Bulletin colored comics

Production Thoughts 3

Since Randy Valiente already mentioned this in his blog entry of "Reality Check", I guess I should spill this already. It has been a battle whether I'll be putting some advertisements in my compiled comic book or not. First, it's not a magazine. It's a book that is bound be kept forever. So why put advertisements in between pages? Would this lessen the value of my book? Archie comics did it but then again, it is a comic magazine. Of course, if I think about it, I haven't really seen a book with advertisements in their pages.

Account executives already presented themselves to me. They were so enthusiastic about pitching Callwork to different companies. I don't even have yet the material or proofs. I haven't even started laying out for the comic strips. I told them I'll be pricing each whole page of advertisement for Php60,000 and up. Black and white. But again, wouldn't my comic book look cheap with the advertisements and all? Imagine, Dilbert or Calvin and Hobbes, they don't have any advertisements endorsing whatever, right?

Am I counting on sponsors to be able to earn through Callwork? No. I'm so positive that this would generate sales. Not only in the Philippines but also in India, US, Caribbean etc. but that comes only after launching the tagalog version book. (how to export and distribute the comic book is still a big grey area) And that's looking forward in the future. Far future. I still have a new personal project to implement related to music business. Yup, I used to be in a band before. (I don't plan to be back in the band ok?) Long time ago when Kamikaze is not yet kamikaze, our first gig was in Tia Maria in Katipunan -AISEC party. We played "Semi-charmed life". I stopped when I was in my last year in College because of internship, parties, thesis and uh boys. Enough about music and back to comics.

I'm counting on my readership sales and not through sponsors. So again, it's still a battle whether to put ads or not. There are also drawbacks if I put some ads inside the book. I might not be able to launch it for book signing in just any call centers because of branding issues. Call centers who would place some ads inside Callwork might not be acceptable for other companies.

Broken Promises

Ok this is just the sequel to the story of Rhea being promised for a promotion in a new account but never happend.

Local Comic Strips Compilation

I was browsing the bookstore earlier when I saw a new comic strips compilation entitled "Cels talk". It's a comic strip also serialized in Manila Bulletin every Sunday. What surprised me was the price... it was Php 195. Whoa! Published by New Day publishers, how can you expect sales from that book? Pugad baboy 19 is at Php 145, Chopsticks at Php110 and Kikomachine at Php135. Looking at the book, Cels Talk is smaller and thinner (I think because of the quality of paper?) than the others.

"Chaka" chronicles is a good read. It was also published by New Day back in 2002-2004. Serialized in Tempo, it is about this 29 year old chubby single girl keeping three jobs and a 21 year old model boyfriend. Again, the book is thin and priced quite high. Luckily, I was able to grab this very old book. It was the last one as well.

Pathetic difference

Translation:
Team Leader Ken: There are people who are willing to move to another call center for a difference of Php2000. That's pathetic!
Cathy: Boss ken, I'll be resinging
Ken: huh?! even you guys???
Cathy: well, the difference this time is Php2500
Clover: and they've got free iced tea!

How to earn more

Translation:

Rhea: Cathy, what are you thinking?

Cathy: How i can earn more

Rhea: Oh! you also wanted to open your own business?

Cathy: huh? nope

Cathy: ...I'm thinking more of applying in another call center!

Job Hopper

Free long distance call

Translation:
Cathy: There are no calls! I'll dial out...
Call Calibration:
"Hi Auntie! I just called to say hi..."
Ken: Hey! And you even called your relative in the U.S!!!
Cathy: EEEK!!! Sorry!!!!

SKP

Meeting of the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas was held in the Yonzon residence in Tagaytay. I'm not yet a member by the way. Still in probationary status.

in front: me and sir Boboy Yonzon

standing L-R: Felipe(Ipenuts), Lito Yonzon(mango comics), Jun Aquino(Free Press), Tito Milambing(Kusyo at Buyok), Sir Roni Santiago(Baltic & Co), Ariel Atienza(Class), Paolo Simbulan(Lolo Sport), Bladimir Usi(Manila Times), Romy Buench(Abante & TikTik), Andrew Villar(Ambush & Bravo Co.), Barry Jose, Julius Villanueva(Life in Progress)

New Account

Translation:
Rhea: Boss ken, here's my resignation letter
Team Leader Ken: (thinking) This is a surprise
Team Leader Ken: Rhea, there's a new account coming in. Just wait for it. You can be a supervisor there!
Rhea: Really? ok I'll stay
After 1 year:
Rhea: Hmm... I've been gypped! Where's the new account???

God doesn't want...

This strip is for Bill Arnold, the bill collector

Mall Surprise

Translation:

Sarah: hmm, that guy keeps on looking at me. Does he like me?

Sarah: oh my! He's about to approach me! Might be a bandit!

Guy: excuse me miss, are you interested in applying in a call center?

Sarah: wow! Recruiter in a mall!

This strip is for you, LJ

Cheers!!! Sooner or later call center recruiters in mall will be banned

Production Thoughts Part 2

Are you also a blogger who wishes to publish your webcomic? Read the article here - Turning Free Web Work Into Real Book Sales - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/13/books/13webbook.html?_r=1&oref=login

Yup it was also my concern about the habit of people wanting to read materials for free. I began thinking how they will react to my book knowing they can actually read it for free? Well, here's some answers:

“I think books are still things, thank goodness, that people want to own,” said Michael Jacobs, chief executive of Abrams. “The package of the book and the way it feels is something apart and separate from being able to read it online.”

Lawrence Lessig, a professor at Stanford Law School who has published three of his four books online as well as on paper, said book sales depended on whether the number of people who discover the book online and then buy a hard copy outnumbers “the number of people who would have bought the book and now won’t because it’s free.”

Robert Miller, president of Hyperion, said he believed the book would sell even though prospective readers can see the core of its message online. “A book has a chance to have a timeless quality that’s different from a speech given in real time,” Mr. Miller said.

What if you take down your archives?

Taking down free material can be controversial. When Scott Adams, the “Dilbert” comic strip artist, removed the archives from his blog, dilbertblog.typepad.com, after Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Group, published “Stick to Drawing Comics, Monkey Brain!” in October, some readers balked.
Mr. Adams said he never expected that people who had already read the book’s content online would want to buy the book. But, he said, he hoped that they would recommend it or buy it as a gift. What he misjudged, he said, was “the fact that people want their stuff for free.”

Challenges in Attrition