My Favorite Supernatural Komiks

Today starts the SANDAANG ARAW ng KOMIKS. For 100 days, I will post anything related to Filipino comics to raise the public awareness about them. Here's a list of my favorite komiks with supernatural themes.

1. Andong Agimat: The goddess Maria Makiling has been kidnapped by the evil forces of Jun Pogi and it's up to the rough and tough Andong Agimat to save her. Wearing his amulet against bullets and accompanied by other heroes, Ando will not stop until he accomplish his goal and redeem himself of his dark past. This gritty fantasy graphic novel is a throwback to old Filipino action movies and it was authored by Arnold Arre.

2. Trese: Trese is a paranormal and occult komik series. When the police encounter cases too weird and baffling to solve, they call Alexandra Trese. Trese is an expert who deals with supernatural cases and fights against the evil. She wields a mystical dagger and is accompanied by supernatural twin brothers called the Kambal. The hit comic series is written by Budjette Tan and drawn by Kajo Baldisimo.

3. Pugad Baby 4: Ang Hiwaga ng Dueñas: Pugad Baboy is a Filipino comic strip that normally deals with satirical humor on Filipino society and the issues of the day. In the fourth compilation, the people of Pugad Baboy go to Dueñas, Iloilo and encounter a wide array of supernatural creatures of Filipino folklore. The comic strip series is authored by Pol Medina Jr.

4. Flash Bomba: Flash Bomba is one of the most unique and interesting superheroes in Filipino comics. For the sake of convenience, here's an excerpt from his Wikipedia entry.:

Flash Bomba was a man who lost the use of his legs in an accident. Because of this, he trained the rest of his body to an incredible level of athletic ability and did everyday stuff using his hands to compensate for the loss of his ability to walk. Eventually he heard a rumour about a "Tikbalang" (a mythological creature with the body of a man and the head of a horse) who would grant powers to anyone who could defeat it in battle. Flash Bomba challenged the Tikbalang - and set a time and place for the battle. He defeated it despite his physical limitations and the Tikbalang granted him superpowers. But as a jest, the Tikbalang gave him powers that made him look awkward. Flash was given the Tikbalang's magic hair, said talisman allowing Flash to transform into his super-powered version - a being with large hands and feet, as well as superhuman powers. Using his new abilities, he became a crimefighter.

Despite his unusual appearance, I honestly think he's a very cool character. His creator was the legendary Mars Ravelo.



5. Salamangkero: Several years when I was still in college, I browsed through issues of Hiwaga Komiks in the magazine rack. One of the serials in Hiwaga is that of a sorcerer who helps the police force. It was simply entitled "Salamangkero". It's a shame that I didn't buy a copy and now I regret it. I thought it was a cool comic. It would be nice if someone has a collection of Hiwaga Komiks featuring Salamangkero so I could borrow them.

So there you have it. For now, these are among my top supernatural komiks. Who knows? Maybe more will come out and I may have to update this list. Til then, toodles. Mabuhay ang komiks!

Lug the God of All Skills

I find myself always focused on Egyptian deities so, for a refreshing change, I'm going to talk about an ancient European god who recently caught my attention. Lug (pronounced as "loo") is a heroic polymath god in Celtic mythology and the leader of the Tuatha De Danann, the gods of light and goodness. Lug was also artist, wise man, sorcerer, musician, warrior and blacksmith all rolled into one. He and his forces fought against the Formarians. a race of evil giants led by Balor of The Evil Eye.



"Wait! Stop! I think I think my contact lens fell off."

Balor of The Evil Eye was the grandfather of Lug. He was given that name because of his malevolent gaze that can destroy armies. It as prophesied that Balor's own grandson will kill him so he imprisoned his only daughter in a cave. However, she was seduced and she bore triplets. Balor had the triplets drowned but one of them survived and his name was Lug. Lug was rescued and raised by the smith god Goibhnu. The god, taught in all arts, crafts and skills, grew into a handsome and brilliant man. In the epic battle of good versus evil, Lug finally killed his grandfather Balor by piercing his eye with a sling stone. Afterwards, the Tuatha De Danann ruled Ireland for many centuries. However, after many centuries, the old Celtic gods were forced to live underground after a crushing defeat by the ancestors of the Gaels. As ages gone by, the all-skill god Lug became a fairy craftsman known as Lugh-chromain ("low-stooping Lug"), better known as the folkloric leprechaun.




Man he really let go.


sources:
Gods and Goddesses: A Treasury of Deities and Tales from World Mythology (Macmillan Books)
Wikipedia

Sigil Onslaught!

BOOM! BAM! POW! KA-POWEE!

Inkwork Sorcerer QnA (religious parents, influences and the third eye)

Hi guys! It's been a while since I've updated. Guess what? A few people have been inquiring me about certain things in the occult world.

Dear Inkwork Sorcerer, I want to learn to open my third eye and practice magick but my parents are very religious and they don't like anything New Age or occult. What should I do?

- Simon

Simon, since you're still a minor and (I assume) still living with your parents, it's probably not best to let them know about your esoteric interests. However, I advise that you practice your magick in secret until you're old enough to move out and live independently. There's still a chance that they'd know about your magick but if you're really serious about it, you have to stand up to them and defend your right to practice magick. For now, just practice in secret until you're old enough to come out.

Dear Inkwork Sorcery, who influences you the most in your magickal path?

- unknown

There are many figures in magick who inspire me like Franz Bardon, Apollonius of Tyana, Grant Morisson but the most influential for me is Austin Osman Spare the Grandaddy of Chaos Magic. Spare is an awesome artist and an excellent mage who uses his artworks for magical workings. Naturally, I have an affinity to him since I'm also an artist.

Dear Inkwork Sorcerer, how do I open my third eye?

- Curious George

Oh gosh this is the most commonly asked question by non-practitioners in the Philippines. It's alright, I'd still answer it. First and foremost, everybody has a third eye. It's just that everyone's third eye are open in varying degrees. The simplest way to DEVELOP your third eye is meditation. If you want to develop your third eye in a more systematic way, contact Mysterium Philippines.



Well, that's all for now. If you have any questions, post them in this post's comments or email me at gohlico@yahoo.com

Bishounen Sobek and Bishoujo Hathor

Here are my "bishinized" versions of the Egyptian deities Sobek and Hathor.

Face on the curtains!

This just in: just a while ago while lying on my bed, I saw this image of a glaring man on the curtains! Amazing! Below are a few pics. I swear that they're no photoshopped.

Spirit or just an illusion created by unusual creases combined with shadows? I think I'll go with the crease theory but one thing is certain though: I'll have a hard time sleeping especially with an image that seems to be looking at me. As I'm typing right now, it's still there. GLARING.

Update: Placed my cat near the curtains. No negative reaction. I guess it's just an illusion.

The Lord of The Waters

Here's my latest rendition of the Crocodile God Sobek. Sobek (or Sebek) is an ancient Egyptian god of fertility, power, abundance and water. He's one of my all-time favorite ancient gods and a patron of mine. Don't let His reptilian appearance intimidate you. As far as I can see, Sobek is a benevolent god. I often invoke Sobek for power, guidance and protection. He hardly lets me down. Also, Sobek is the husband of Hathor the love goddess and Khonsu the moon god known for His healing miracles back in the day. That tells you something.

I wish I could tell you more about He who makes the herbage green but for now look at my latest artwork and read Wikipedia's entry on Him.

Hathor's Blessings on Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day and to celebrate it, I invoke the Egyptian cow goddess of love and beauty Hathor. Here's a bit of information from the all-knowing sage Wikipedius:

Hathor (ḥwt-ḥr, Egyptian for Horus's enclosure),^[1] was an Ancient Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, beauty, music, motherhood and joy.^[2] She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. Hathor was worshiped by Royalty and common people alike in whose tombs she is depicted as "Mistress of the West" welcoming the dead into the next life.^[3] In other roles she was a goddess of music, dance, foreign lands and fertility who helped women in childbirth,^[3] as well as the patron goddess of miners.^[4]

According to the Book of The Heavenly Cow, the people of Lower Egypt rebelled against the sun god Re who was in human form at that time. Ra knew that the people planned to assassinate Him and so He told His daughter Hathor. Hathor became so angry She became the war goddess Sekhmet and proceeded to slaughter the people. Sekhmet became bloodthirsty and refused to stop massacring when Ra told Her to stop. When Ra tricked Her into drinking wine (disguised as blood), Sekhmet got drunk and transformed back into the gentle Hathor.

It is speculated the the golden calf worshiped by the Hebrews and ordered by the legendary magician Moses to be destroyed was an image of Hathor although it could be a different cow/bull deity from other ancient Middle-eastern cultures. The Ancient Greeks who came to Egypt adore Her and identified Her with their love goddess Aphrodite. Depending on which temple, Hathor is either a consort to Horus the Elder or the wise and knowledgeable Thoth. In the temple Kom-Ombo, Hathor is the wife of the crocodile Sobek and the mother of the moon god Khonsu thus forming what I call the Sobekian Triad.

How they ended up together, I may never know.

So, by the power of Lady Hathor, I send you blessings on this Valentine's Day. Now go and eat your chocolates.

Hathor

Here's my own rendition of the cow goddess Hathor.

Dancing Conjurer

He is a conjurer... who dances. Yep.

Questions for An Occult-Artist

Questions and Answers regarding my art

1. Why do you like to draw in monochrome?

I like to draw in pure black and white because two of my major influences in art are Arnold Arre and Stan Sakai. Despite the lack of colors and gray tones in their works, they look stunning. I especially like Stan Sakai’s art because it’s simple yet elegant to look at. I want to develop an art style like that. Although the artwork is important, I believe that the story is much more important when it comes to comics. I honestly believe that good content always beats outward design.


2. What are your inspirations as an artist?

I have many influences but the artists and writers who influenced me the most are Stan Sakai, Pol Medina Jr, Arnold Arre, HP Lovecraft, Austin Osman Spare, Shotaro Ishinomori, Matt Wagner, Steve Ditko, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Alan Moore, Leiji Matsumoto and Mike Mignola. They inspire me. Things that inspire me are magic, the paranormal, martial arts, absurdist humor, surrealism, the counter culture, mythology, legends and folklore. Every now and then, I’d meet an interesting person who could be a new character and experience an interesting that could be a new storyline. I’d like to think that life is a comic book and we are the authors of our own lives. It’s up to us to decide how it goes and how it ends. That’s why I think life is the most powerful source of inspiration of all. Well, either that or love. Take your pick.


3. What is the message you’re trying to relay to the world through your work?

The message? Anything that has meaning possesses magic. Art, especially good ones, create an effect on people in a deep level. Art and magic has always been inseparable for eons. Despite what the artsy-fartsy types say, comics is a form of art. Comics and magicks are one. When I draw an inkwork or create a comic, it’s like I’m calling forth worlds and characters from worlds beyond ours. Even if my works don’t create the effect I desire, the ideas get imprinted in people’s consciousness. I want to spread the message and the message is this: Everything is magic. I think it’s about time that people use their kind of magic (even if it’s something mundane such as house gardening or construction working) to add importance to their lives. They become authors of their own fates. Let your bliss guide you.