After Zsazsa Zaturnnah, here come Ambush and MegaWoman

When comic book heroes and zombies jump from pages to the boob tube and onto the big screen in Hollywood, it is not hard to think that the local entertainment industry will follow suit—as it had always done in the past. It is safe to admit though that the current biz had been stuck with the Darnas, Captain Barbels and the Pandays—creations that date back to the golden age of komiks in the last century.

 

Among the few contemporary komiks characters that have successfully migrated to film and theater is “Zsazsa Zaturnnah,” a gay man that changes into a female voluptuous superheroine by swallowing a chunk of stone. But even Carlo Vergara's creation is a decade-old, not to mention a revisionist, take on the country's quintessential superheroine.

 

So when will the entertainment industry look back to the local comics for new, if not quality, content?

 

Three years ago, “Ambush” comic strip creator Andrew Villar thought he got the answer to that question.

 

Ambushed Heart

 

Villar, a cartoonist for Manila Bulletin, created the comedy-action comic strip Ambush starring Amber Gonzales, a schoolgirl by day and a secret agent by night. He was content to write and draw a Lara Croft with Filipino-sized boobs and a sense of humor for a national daily until he saw actress Heart Evangelista in a cafe.  

“Heart Evangelista was wearing a short knitted mini skirt showing off her long, 'dancer-like' legs, her long hair flowing, and her pretty face smiling. I thought that night it would be so cool if Heart would become Ambush in a movie. My fascination with Heart began,” Villar says.

 

Plus, he says, as if it was fated, Ambush really looks like Heart. “I didn’t have to redesign my character. As we say in Filipino, 'siya na!'” Villar also got a blessing from the actress herself who tweeted a copy of his comics.

 

Inspired, Villar then sent out movie-slash-tv series proposals pitching the idea of Evangelista as Ambush to producers.

 

“One of the movie producers replied, loved the idea of Heart playing Ambush—well sort of…they wanted her or Angel Locsin who was a more physical actress—met with me—in a fancy restaurant ha—and gave me a contract,” he says.

 

Villar thought his dream of seeing his character on television would be realized soon. “It sounded as if these processes were done really fast. But no, I have waited forever—well it was just three years…not that forever—and now my contract has ended with no movie or TV show.”

 

'MegaWoman': Shari Sharona

 

Physician Ernest Caritativo similarly has been inspired by a celebrity to tell the adventures of MegaWoman, a superhero who also enjoys prominence as a singer, host, and actress.

 

“It's a bit embarrassing,” Caritativo confesses. “But I've had a crush on Sharon (Cuneta) since I was in high school, and I've always been able to draw her face purely from memory. When I was deciding on a comic book to produce for the 2010 Komikon, I thought I might as well put that peculiar skill to good use and create a superhero inspired by her. And I guess the fan in me just wanted to create this comic book as a sort of tribute to her,” he says.

 

The doctor sent copies to Cuneta but he has yet to hear how the megastar finds MegaWoman. 

 

“She's probably very busy and she probably doesn't have time to read comics. I'm probably rationalizing here,” Caritativo says. “I believe she has a very good sense of humor and I hope that she at least finds it funny. Or that she at least likes the art. People say I was able to capture Sharon's likeness so I hope she likes that.”

 

Being a Sharonian, Caritativo wants Cuneta to star in a live-action movie but even he admits this dream is far-fetched.

 

“Of course it has to star Sharon Cuneta,” he says. “It would be pointless to make a MegaWoman movie if it starred anyone other than Sharon, right?”

 

“Chances seem pretty non-existent at this point, especially since I feel Sharon doesn't seem too enthused over the comic book. Unless someone out there convinces Ate Shawie to take an interest in such a project, especially if the time comes that she slims down to her old sexy form. I can dream, can't I?,” the doctor says.

 

Do komiks need movie stars?

 

Caritativo says MegaWoman is more about a self-confessed Sharonian extending his admiration to the comics medium. He does not encourage aspiring comic book creators, though, to create a story solely based on name recall.

 

“Ultimately, the readers would be able to tell if it's just a marketing ploy or if the celebrity's presence in the story really makes sense and does not cheat the reader in any way,” the doctor says.

 

Villar, however, recognizes the power of a celebrity in promoting his comics which he published on his own. “I am posting Heart’s picture with my comics so that other people who are not yet comic book readers are informed about my character, my comics. 'Oh wow, si Heart! Ano 'yung ‘Ambush’? Ano 'yung hawak niyang komiks?’ That curiousness is what I want to happen.”

 

He says the movies and TV shows can be a tool for Filipinos to go back into reading locally produced comics, most of which are now photocopied and self-published.

 

“If you ask ordinary Filipinos about komiks, they mention the classics like ‘Darna’ and ‘Panday,’” says Villar. “Masaya sana kung they will mention ‘Kalayaan,’ ‘Trese’ or ‘Ambush.’”

 

Caritativo meanwhile sees probable creative differences between the creators and showrunners.

 

“I'm all for TV and movie outfits going to comics for inspiration, but only if done right, with intelligence and proper respect for the source material. Otherwise they would just be doing a disservice to their viewers and to comic books as a medium,” the doctor says.

 

He says comic book-based TV series and movies may also backfire on the comics medium because of “oversaturation,” where every other teleserye is a fantaserye based or inspired by comic books. “That would just make people get tired of watching comic book-based shows and even turn them off to reading comic books. We wouldn't want that,” he says.

 

Caritativo points out that that comics should not be the only source and in the end, variety and quality in programming should still be the focus, regardless of what the source material is. –KG, GMA News