In 2005, Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo published the first Trese comic. Not a cop, but working with them, Alexandra Trese and her faithful assistants solve the crimes that can’t be brought before a judge. Manila is her city, left to her by her father and his father before him, and she’s going to protect the people in it by whatever means necessary. When you live in a Manila where all of the old Filipino folklore is true, that involves making deals with some monsters, and destroying others.
Originally the Trese komiks were photocopied ashcans, passed around through fans and sold whenever you could find the author or artist to buy one. The graphic novels are published by Visual Print Enteprises, a small press in the Philippines. Their financial success, popularity, and awards led Tan and Baldisimo to sign with Flipside Publishing Services Inc., which is currently releasing the individual issues as eBooks. But even now, as huge as the komik’s creators are at home, they’re still considered outsiders, unknown by most US readers.
Those of you who are just hearing about Trese for the first time have been missing out on something amazing.
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I don’t know about you, but I have really embraced Netflix and streaming video. They’ve made an effort to make content available using your computer, television, TiVo, game consoles, even phones1! You name it, and if you are in the right area2, you can access loads of streaming content via Netflix.
Looking through the available content recently, I was impressed with the offering and though I’d mention just five that might interest you. (presented in no particular order)
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Fans of supernatural fiction should scoot right over to Amazon US or Amazon UK and grab the eBook version of Scott Nicholson’s Ethereal Messenger trilogy for the low, low price of free this weekend only. The trilogy consists of the novels The Red Church, Drummer Boy and Speed Dating With The Dead, described thusly:
THE RED CHURCH: A young boy and a sheriff must solve the mystery of a haunted Appalachian church after a strange preacher returns to town. A 2002 Stoker Award finalist.
DRUMMER BOY: One misfit kid is all that stands between a mountain town and a chilling supernatural force when the past and the present collide.
SPEED DATING WITH THE DEAD: A paranormal conference at the Blue Ridge Mountain’s most haunted hotel goes haywire when ghost hunters accidentally stir up demons.
[via Black Static]
