Two of my most favorite comic books are “Wasted” and “Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsa Zsa Zatturnah”. I remember I bought my first copies of these comic books in Comic Quest sometime in November 2003.

Back then, I was wondering if I could find newly-published local comic books by Filipino artists, since most of the big-time artists have gone abroad to work in foreign publications. So when I found Wasted and Zsa Zsa Zaturrnah displayed in Comic Quest, I bought them immediately.

Wasted was the creation of a very talented artist who, even at that time, was earning praise for his inking works in such prestigious titles as X-Men, Stone, Wetworks, High Roads, and Superman Birthright. His name was Gerry Alanguilan. Wasted is a comic book which I would like to call “classic”. It is one of the most violent and saddest stories I have ever read. It is a story of man who had lost his self-respect and went about in homicidal rage to avenge his frustrations against the world. My favorite scene in Wasted is the slow-motion fall of Eric from the building, after being hit by a sniper. Eric's panel by panel poetic epistle to his girlfriend Jenny-read as he falls from the building-was so dramatic and emotional. It is one of the most heart-rending letters I have ever read.

I recently looked up at the website Lambiek.net and found to my surprise that the biography of the Father of Philippine Komiks, Tony Velasquez, was not included in their profiles. Since there are literally thousands of comics artists in the world (past and present), the Dutch website usually relies on information given to them by artists themselves, or artists' families or friends.

Anyway, I immediately composed a capsule biography of Tony Velasquez and emailed it at Lambiek's listed email address on October 27, two days prior to the 95th birth anniversay of Tony Velasquez. For further references about Tony Velasquez, I sent lambiek a link to this blog as well as a link to Gerry Alanguilan's Komikero website.