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Before I do this, I tell the story first:
For quite some time, I've planned on buying independent comics or indies. So much more when I learned that Sarabia Optical at UP Diliman Shopping Center was selling them. Since this website *is* named Pinoy Comics Rulez, I might as well make at least one article about them, right?
Mid-April: I left for UP to get a classcard and visit Sarabia. I arrived at the said optical store looking once again at its many posters of indies--not only comics but also independent music--and its trademark display window of dressed-up (or undressed) angel figurines. I knocked at a locked door that was soon opened by a barefoot middle-aged woman who was cleaning her white vynil tiled floor. Her tanned and slightly wrinkled skin was framed by long salt-and-pepper hair tied in a low ponytail and highlighted by a nice smile (my literary tendencies are running high again...). I went inside, and asked to see what indie comic titles they were selling, promptly attaching an explanation of my purpose.
"Oh, you're making an article? for what?"
"Umm... for a personal reasons... for a website."
"That's good, that's good," she said as she made me sit down and handed me a clearbook.
The clearbook was basically the catalog of comics in Sarabia Optical, containing a copy of a cover, price, creator(s), and issues released. As I sat leafing through the catalog (while the storekeeper continued sweeping the floor), my mind was racing: wow, there's so many indies here! i thought there were only three or four. I had already decided beforehand that I would buy the issue 1 of all indies there, given a budget of PhP500 (negotiable) based on a few price and amount assumptions. She was wiping the floor with a rag by now. Eventually I came to a realization: Oh God... this is self-torture. I had definitely NOT thought that I might be digging my own grave by buying issue 1's and only issue 1's! Like an unwritten rule in serialized anything, in order to keep readers stuck to your serial, you must leave them hanging and craving for more especially in the first installment. Great. So I'll be suuuuper bitin in all the stories by the time I finish reading all this. After a moment's consideration (i.e. blank mindedness), I decided to hell with me, this is for the website (naks!)... anyway I've already started it, might as well finish this.
"I'll take all the issue 1's, please," I called out to the lady, placing the clearbook on top of the glass display of spectacles. She wrapped up her cleaning and went behind the display to take out a plastic storage bin.
I looked around the store for the first time while she took out each first issue. Within the white 'shell' of white walls, ceiling, and floor, there were a couple of waiting chairs behind a glass coffee table. Opposite that side was the display counter of glasses upon a white wooden storage cabinet. Behind that was a wall with another countertop littered with paper, receipts, and packaged glasses waiting to be picked-up. Above it were shelves of a number of interesting things. The plain wall was covered by a printed cloth (or sarong, maybe) and leaning upon it were some Thai doll-puppets and other Asian items. On another shelf was a collection of old cameras that looked as if they were pulled out of production even before I was born (Yes, they looked that old. But I wouldn't be surprised if they still worked). Behind me, nearest to the door was the place-your-chin-on-the-rest-so-I-could-look-at-your-iris-thingamajig (I've been examined with this machine for about 7 years now and I don't even know what it's called...pitiful me.) and it looked even older than the cameras. Cool.
Unfortunately, the store didn't have any more Nardong Tae ish1 and Kubori Kikiam in stock so I had to deal with Nardong Tae ish2 and one indie less in my loot. But I did purchase the issue 2 of Sapak sa Buwan due to the lady in the store's (I should've gotten her name) recommendation: "I like this because it's about a psycho who wants to beat Manny Pacquiao...very pure" (^_^;;ehehe).
Total spent: PhP...i forgot. Some of the indies didn't have cover prices so I couldn't recompute. ehehehe. But it was definitely under budget. ^_~v
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OKAY! Now on to business: Batch 1
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