January 10, 2006

Minutes Preluding Sleep

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I think our cat died.

He was a kitten nine years ago, and very shy compared to his more outgoing brother. He'd get out of the way when we walk to his direction, and would be reluctant to touch his meals. I'm not sure what made him trust us eventually; it's more of a spontaneous thing, I guess. He was a good hunter, of rats and lizards, and sometimes birds. He had been suffering from a bad case of colds lately, and then he was gone.

The contest had been extended (did I say that before?) so I have more time to work on the story. The bad news is, so does the competitors. Let's not think about them now. I am going back to the basics to re-learn the craft of writing. I hope I don't have to start from square one all the time whenever I make a masterpiece, but sometimes you'll have to go to the heart of things to be sure of what you're doing.

Yesterday I visited the Melchman's Stuff office and accessed a few online articles from regarding the status of comic books in the Philippines. Those articles ranged from why the sale of comics are doing bad to the reason why comics are so popular in other countries. It questions why comics are being created. Is it an artist's release of creative angst? A medium for communication? A business that could sustain a family? The reason you do what you do is the eye that aims where the artistic stone is thrown. I thought I had a reason why I drew comics before, or even write. I keep forgetting it.

Someday, I'll forget our cat. We call him, "Pusa" (Filipino for cat). I'll probably remember him when another of our pets die, as we all do when we remember the dearly departed. Hopefully, when I dig up the past, I would not see a poor arrangement of bones, but a lazy cat licking his paw, full of life and reason to live. Hopefully behind him, I'll see a younger version of me trying to copy him as he poses, knowing that the more he practices the better he'll get. Maybe I'll ask him why he draws, and he'll give me an answer that would move heaven and hell, and change the face of comic books forever.