The Callous Blog

    I have a sort of superstition that if I divulge too much of what I'm working on, particularly things that really matter to me, it will probably not succeed.  Indeed, I had been pushing for Callous Comics to be in the newspapers for some time now but had kept really quiet about it.
    For those not in the know, the Manila Bulletin is the Philippines' largest broadsheet newspaper by circulation.  It's the second-oldest as well, being founded in 1900.
    One additional reason why this development is so fantastic is that I grew up reading the Bulletin's comics page.  That's where my love for the comic strip genre began.  So out of purely sentimental reasons, I glad Callous is in there.
    So, my longtime dream has come true... sixteen years after the series started!  I couldn't be happier!
    Thank you, all of you who have given me and my little comic support and encouragement within those long years of dreaming.  Who would have thought that I'd be paid to draw Callous Comics one day?!
    As awesome as it is to finally be in the papers, there are a few minor catches:
    The current status of Callous Comics in the Manila Bulletin is that of a "filler".  That sort of means that it's on the bench while the starting lineup plays first.  If for whatever reason a regular daily comic strip isn't available for printing, a "filler" is published in its place.  I'm fine with this.  Gotta start somewhere, right?  I've been told, however, that there's a good chance that the comic may be published more often during Sundays.
    Those who did pick up a copy of today's edition will most likely note a glaring error in the series title.  Yeah, my comic was mistakenly given the title of another series.  It was a real downer for my strip's debut... but I'm channeling my inner Cal Duck and counting my blessings.  After all, they got my name right!
    Will there be any changes to the comic for the Manila Bulletin?  Yes.  One, the size of the strip will be different (you might note the larger panel gutters in the above image).  Two, there will be an infusion of a bit more local color in the strips to be published in the paper or I'll flat-out translate the strips to Filipino.
    What about the webcomic?  It'll go on.  While I'm working on the "Heartstring Pizzicato" storyline, I'll be submitting re-written comic strips from the archive as the need arises.  After the storyline is done, I'll re-size the comic template to properly fit the dimensions used in the paper.  Then there will be two versions of newly-produced gag-a-day strips, one worded appropriately for the Manila Bulletin and another for online publishing here in the website.  I might even make some exclusively for the Bulletin. We'll see.
    So, what's next?  No idea.  Let's see where we go from here. :)