Renaissance Launch Recap

Okay, I should’ve probably written this a week ago, but as you well know, I’m lazy as all fuck. That said, I would like you to know that the delay with which this was posted is no indication of the success of the launch nor my opinion on the actual book itself.

So, what is Renaissance? If you’ve never been here before, seen it on  Facebook or you just not into the local comic book scene, I’d be happy to fill you in since you obviously don’t have many friends. Aaanyway, Renaissance is the brainchild of Ernest Hernandez, his events company, Hobbylink Productions, Philip Tan and other great people whose names escape me at the moment. It was born out of the passion to help out victims of the Ondoy typhoon that hit the country a few months ago. Philip and Ernest wanted to pitch, so they decided to do something together with the comic book artists of the Philippines. It grew from there.

It snowballed into something bigger than just an event. They put together an art book depicting different scenarios with the theme of helping the Filipinos during the storm - most of the art, at least. The book of Filipino art is what is formally known as Renaissance.

At first, they focused on comic book artists, but every artist who has Filipino blood flowing through their veins decided to jump in on the fun. Veterans and Flips who work for EA and Pixar gave their support. The outpouring of Filipino pride actually inspired the name - Renaissance.

The Philippines used to be known as a central hub for very talented artists. There was a time when the local comic industry was bustling,  but it all just faded away. With people looking for more Western and Americanized forms of entertainment, the local comic scene just died. Because you never really can’t keep a juggernaut down, there have been flickers of hope for the industry for years and people felt that the reemergence was near.. Renaissance aimed to bring the industry shakers together.

The launch didn’t have as many warm bodies as most events of this nature, which was perfect for me because I’m a greedy fucker who wanted the autographs. This is the first thing I noticed as I got to the venue. Sure, I got there late, but the crowd at the entrance was almost non-existent. However, the crowds over at the artists were quite large. This only means that the people who really wanted to be there showed up and stayed for the artists, who really are the stars of the event.

Niche crowds were drawn in. The more casual fans of the comics and the toys, unfortunately, were not around. They probably wouldn’t have enjoyed themselves anyway. I get a hard-on every time I see Carlos Pagulayan’s name on a comic book page. To make the experience even more geektastic for me was the fact that my favorite Pinoy artists were there - Harvey Tolibao, Carlos Pagulayan, Lenil Yu, and a whole slew of others.

Renaissance, as a book, is actually pretty cool, but it could use some improvement. I like how the art is on a full page spread to the right, and you’ve got highlights for the artist on the left side. That way, both the art and the artist are given their shine time. The art is magnificent. You could really see the style that is distinctly Filipino.

Like I said, the book in itself does have room for growth. You have to understand, though, that they’re doing this for charity. They cut costs on the book so they could sell it at an affordable price, so more people would buy it and more money would go to help out people who need it. I talked to Ernest and he may have some suprises up his sleeve.

So, don’t be stingy, man. It’s for a good cause. Go to a National Bookstore near you and pick up a copy of Renaissance! You can bring that book to signings everywhere. I’m sure the artists will appreciate it.