Fan Art

Here is a fan art of Sarah by Pilar Esber! (aka withgirlpilar in deviantart)

Komikon 2009, PICCA Event

Still tired when I got up this morning. Participated yesterday in the Komikon 2009/ Philippine International Cartoons, Comics and Animation (PICCA) event in Megatrade Hall, Megamall. I arrived early, like, before 9 am and fixed my Callwork on the SKP desk. We were located right through the entrance (at least away from the band).
Then I saw Jonas, Johnny, Neil already all set with the Komikero Anthology 3. Bought Beerkada graphic novel right away from L, Trese 3 and Kikomachine 12. Gerry arrived with his new book "Where Bold Stars Go To Die". Again, I didn't wait any longer and bought the books. Then went to Comic Odyssey to look for good buys. The rest, I just waited for them to officially open their booths before purchasing. Below are the SKP coffee table books.
This is Andrew Villar with the book, "One Hundred Years of Philippine Comics" by John Lent. Our works were also featured in this big book.

PICCA items also for sale. The I saw Ian Sta. Maria, who is also a collegue from UP CFA, released his second comic book, Skyworld 2 and Underpass
This is Grace. My college barkada in UP CFA. Ang lokaret, mukhang tuwang tuwa naman sa hawak niya... teka ano ba to?
See this guy? Nah, he is not my boyfriend. He is Mike, the TV show host of Front Act in TV5. He interviewed me yesterday and I think it will be aired on November 1st with Stanley Chi.

Then the Komikon Awards. It was a surprise. Really. I won the Best Cartoonist!

There, a close up view of the Award I recieved...

Then JACK TV interviewed me. I forgot to ask when it will be aired. Artistang artista ba ang dateng ng lola niyo?

Ayan, my loot bag from the event. Thanks to Macoy for the free shirt, Greepo Komiks for the free komiks, SKP for the free table, Mr. Yonzon for including callwork in the PICCA exhibit in Podium, Borge for the free komiks, Dex, Ariel, Syeri, L for the free water, Andrew and Freely for the free komiks, jing for the free PICCA items, Gilbert for the free komiks, Ed for the free komiks, teka... puro free di naman ako mukhang free. Marami rin naman akong binili noh.. just look at the picture above. Amos, congrats nga pala sa Larry Alcala Award! And to Bryan for being there all the time till the end. You will also see Callwork included in Komikero Anthology 3 and in Bayan Knights 3. Thanks to all who bought my comics and to the Komikon committee. Went to eat pizza dinner with Bryan around past 7 pm since the Bayan Knights gang still stayed until 9 pm. Nga pala, thanks to all who went to my table and greeted me. It was truly an enjoyable event because of all your support. Mwah!

New Callwork Book Reviews!

"Ngii! Isn’t this a nice way of saying the comics writer let the cat, so many cats, out of the bag? Did the call center life become easier—or more difficult, now that the cat owners can’t get away with certain things as easily as before?
From training stage to call center operations like average handling times, from dealing with irate agents to office affairs, from night shift issues to absenteeism, from demotivation among agents to call center gimiks, from call center angsts to managers’ bad habits, this comics seems to have covered the most important concerns of call center employees today." Read more at ArtSeblis Reads < here.

Also another review here:
"One of the more dubious effects of globalization in the Philippines is the explosive growth of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) economy, specifically the development of the call center industry in the last decade. It's a sector that the Filipino government, looking to attract more foreign investment, has been promoting as a "Sunshine Industry" and dropped millions of dollars for job-training programs. They predict that more than a million people will be working as customer-service representatives by 2010. Aside from advertising the obvious lower operating costs, the government also touts a large pool of highly educated, English-speaking workers who already possess deep cultural ties with America.
It's hard to deny the need for for any kind of employment during these recessionary times: Any job is better than no job. But setting aside the problematic and disproportionate nature of depending on capital from large multinational corporations to prop-up the local economy, working as a call agent sucks donkey balls. As anyone who has who has heard the tales of ex-employees (Or read User Friendly) knows, call work is a thankless job where (preferably) tech-savvy individuals have to deal with the whining end of customer relations. All the while everything they do, from the length of their bathroom breaks to the time spent on each call, is being carefully monitored by management. Filipinos also have to re-adjust their sleeping habits in order to accommodate to the schedules of foreign customers. They're only allowed to speak in English while on company grounds. And they're often on the receiving end of customer aggression when any hint of an accent is detected. " read more at Nonsensical Words Well, only one thing though about this article, I wasn't really a call agent for several years. Hehehe.
Thanks for putting some attention to my kalokohan strips guys! Really appreciated your reviews. :)

Komikon 2009! Picca festival!

Itong Sunday na! Oct. 18 sa SM Megamall trade hall. Kita kits! Read Gerry Alanguilan's blog enrty, "Komikon 2009 is Insane!"

Mga senyales ng pagreresign

Translation:
Oli: Im a psychic. I can tell if an agent is about to resign.
Sarah: Me too!
Oli: Jeff is sure to go.. he is always on sick leave!
Sarah: I'm sure even on his day offs he is applying in other companies!

Ang Panunugod

Medyo mahaba habang panahon ko na ring hinihintay pumasok 'tong agent na to. Tawagin na lang natin siyang "lady gaga". Di naman kami ganun ka close pero naguusap at nagkwekwentuhan kami nito kung minsan. I know that she has 2 children with different fathers pero wala na sila ng mga fathers na ito. May itsura naman siya pero madalas lang kasi absent o kaya'y kapag present nasa clinic.

Isang araw lumapit na lang siya sa akin at sinabing sinisiraan daw siya ng mga agents sa dati niyang team. Chinichismis daw kasi siya na may relasyon sa isang lalaki, na dati rin nilang team mate, na may asawa't anak. Tawagin na lang natin tong lalaking to na Mr. egoy. Tutal sobra sobra naman siyang maitim e. In fact I never noticed him on the floor. I'm just familiar with his name since I do the rostering for these agents. Sabi ni lady gaga na pupuntahan daw siya bukas ng misis ni Mr. egoy. Isasama daw niya mama niya humarap sa magasawa. Teka, parang nagulantang ako. Never ko kasing alam na may chismis na ganito at never naman ako nagcacare kung meron nga. Di ba, mahirap na madamay sa mga chisomosa.

So there, lady gaga told the HR ERM at nagharap harap muna sila sa isang room before sumugod si misis. Andun si lady gaga (of course), si Mr. egoy, si chismosa 1 (mga dating team mate nila) at yung dati nilang team leader. Apparently si chismosa 1 ang nagsumbong sa misis ni egoy na may karelasyon ito kay lady gaga.

Sigawan at iyakan sa loob ng room. Apparently walang nangyari.

So the next day, bumaba na ako sa building ng hating gabi. Yun kasi ang usapan namin ni lady gaga. Isasama niya ako. Pagkababa ko, andun na siya pati ang mama niya, ang HR ERM, ang tl ni lady gaga, eogy at ang misis niya na pagka kapal kapal ng make up. Maya't maya dumating ang chisomosa 1 with her tl. Tahimik ang lahat. Siyempre and opening remarks ay nasa HR.

"We are here to clarify the issue that has been going on on the floor.... and ask for apologies if ever there are miscommunication blah blah.....Chisomosa 1, would you like to start?"

Eto ang banat ni chisomsa 1:

"Nagtext sa akin ang misis ni egoy asking if there is something happening with her husband and lady gaga. Inisip ko na rin replayan ng ibang number pero since wala naman ako, ginamit ko na lang ang cellphone ko at nagconfirm ako. I remember one time paglingon ko, nakita ko kayo ni lady gaga na magkayakapan at nagtititigan ng mga mata ng sobrang tagal sa likod mismo ng station ko. Ano yun? Sasabihin mo bang wala lang yun?"

Egoy:

"I hug all my friends! Kahit tanungin mo pa sila *** at **** close ako sa lahat ng kaibigang kong babae! I even greet them in beso beso!"

Mama:

"Iha, wag ka gumagawa ng kwento... babalik lahat sayo yan!"

Chismosa 1:

"Ako po may asawa't anak. marami akong crush sa floor pero alam ko kung hanggang saan lang.."

Ako:

" egoy, alam mo palang di comportable ang misis mo na maging ganun ka ka closa sa mga babae, sana umiwas ka na lang"

Misis:

"ok lang naman sa akin yun... ang sa akin lang e may text pa daw itong si egoy kay lady gaga"

Chismosa 1:

"uu totoo yun. Dahil nakita ni CHisomsa 2 yun mga text ninyo sa isat isa! Meron pang , I love you bakit ngaon lang tayo nagkakilala? at sinabi mo, lady gaga, kay chismosa 2 na you are falling!"

Lady gaga:

"I'm not stupid na magtetext ako at ipapakita ko sa inyo. Bakit di ko naman kayo kaclose ah!" in fact yung lang ang sinasagot niya sa lahat ng katanungan sa kanya... Im not stupid.

Chismosa1:

"yun na nga e.. kaya nagtaka kami ni chismosa 2 na bigla kang lumapit at pinapakita mga text ni egoy!"

TL:

"Teka lang po, mommy, ito po bang lalaking ito nakikita niyo sa bahay niyo?"

Mama:

"once lang. pumunta siya para tignan yung aso nabibilhin para sa anak daw niya"

Patay ka diyan.

TL:

"bumili ba?"

Mama:

"Hindi... pero wala pa siyang 3 minutes at umalis na... palagi ako sa bahay kaya alam mo kung sino pumasok at lumabas ng bahay."

TL:

"egoy, ikaw ba mahal mo itong si lady gaga?"

Egoy: (di nakasagot agad) Double patay.

Lady gaga:

"wow ang haba ng hair mo. tignan mo ang itsura mo. walang wala ka sa boyfriend ko!"

Misis:

"so, pinaninidigan mo na walang text na nangyari sa inyong dalawa?" Habang palapit kay lady gaga

"yah."

"kahit mamatay pa mga anak mo?"

"yah." naka fold lang ang arms niya at di kumikilos.

o di ba, nagmatigas si lady gaga.

"ok" balik sa dating pwesto dahil naka circle kami.

HR:

"So, chismosa1, your perception might be different from others perception"

Egoy:

"yun na nga e. kaya wag ka gagaw ng chismis. mahirap na ayusin ang problema between me and my wife"

TL:

"pare, i think the best way you can make it up to your wife is to spend more time with her"

HR:

" and thats not our concern anymore. you and your wife should fix that yourselves."

Misis:

"I want to hear it from chismosa 2. Pwede ba natin siyang pababain dito?"

HR:

"will that make you feel better?"

Misis:

"I just wanna hear her."

TL ni chismosa 1 and 2:

"osige tatawagin ko sa sleeping quarters"

Ako:

"Lady gaga, umakyat ka na at mag log in. Hindi ito downtime"

sa isip ko naman e para makaiwas lang ng gulo. Sabay sinabi ko sa misis na pasenya na. Talaga kasing malapit sa mga lalaki tong si Lady gaga. Misan nakipag inuman 'to kasama ang mga agents na lalaki.

Pagka akyat ni lady gaga, dumating na si chismosa 2 para magtestify ng kanyang kaalaman sa issue.

CHismosa 2:

"ganito kasi yun. nagcocomputer ako nang dumating bigla si lady gaga. huy sabi niya, may sasabihin ako sayo. nagulat naman ako kasi di nga kami close. sabi niya its about herself and the guy I just spopke with earlier... I told her na sino? Ang dami dami kong kausap. Sabi niya si egoy. I told her, Oh my Ghad, I don't wanna hear it. then she started showing me her cellpone. And ayun nabasa ko. Sweetheart pa nga ang tawagan e."

Egoy:

"e lahat naman kayong mga babae dito sa floor sweetheart ang tawag ko e"

Chismosa 2:

"yun na nga e kala ko ako lang. so there nagulat ako sa mga text ni egoy at andun nakasulat, bakit ngayon lang tayo nagkakilala at may I love you pa. then sabi ni lady gaga sakin na she thinks she is falling. I told her may asawa na yan kaya wag na. Then she said, i know that I'm on the "loosing end" yun ang exact words niya. "

Egoy:

"bakit sure ka ba na yung number sa akin?"

Chismosa 2:

"uu sure ako na number mo yun nasa text dahil nagtext ka rin sa skin na umuutang ka ng pera e."

Winner! Di nakasaot si egoy!

Si misis nakatingin na ng masama kay egoy. Buong magdamag ata nakataas lang ang isang kilay nito. Halatang gustong pumatay ng tao.

Chismosa 1:

"Kaya ko lang nasabi ito sa misis mo dahil you were my friend. Hiwalay kami ng asawa ko dahil noon di ako nakinig sa mga sabi sabi hanggang nabuntis niya yung babae. Ayoko mangyari ito sa inyo. Ano ba yung minsang makinig ka sa sinasabi ng iba?"

Egoy:

"anong friend?? di totoo na nagtetext kami ni lady gaga. di ko alam number niya! at sabi nga ni HR diff. people have diff. perceptions!"

Magaaway na yung dalawa

Ako:

"ok so at least narinig na natin. Ang tanging makakapagsabi na lang kung nagsisinungaling si egoy o hindi ay ang misis niya dahil siya lang ang nakakakilala dito."

HR:

"yah so I guess lets all go back to our business now"

Katapat lang kasi na call center nagwowork itong misis ni egoy.

Dear readers, hanggang ngayon nawawala si lady gaga. Kinausap ko na siya after the incident pero patuloy pa rin ang pagdeny niya. inamin naman niya sa akin na may crush siya dati kay egoy. Pero I told her na dapat umiwas ka na noon pa dahil may asawa na yan. Dapat alam mo ang "line" kung hanggang saan lang pwede. As for egoy, nagfile na rin ng long leave. Gusto na kasi pagresigning ng misis e. Noon chineck ko ang attendance at phone time ni egoy at lady gaga for the past months, nakita ko puro undertime si egoy sa mga araw na absent o kaya't day off ni lady gaga. Di naman ito ebidensya. Nakakainis lang kasi kapag may mga ganitong pangyayari na nakakasira ng araw.

Last na pinaring ko ang cellphone niya e cannot be reached na. Pano ba yan dear readers, may utang pa siya sa akin at sa iba naming officemates!