Salute !!! Mr. Malvin Martinez creator of The Seven Northern Warlords
by WebKom AdminSalute !!! Mr. Malvin Martinez creator of The Seven Northern Warlords
We deeply apologize for this late article that was supposed to be scheduled a week earlier. But readers would not even understand anyways. Still, we ought to apologize for our tardiness of not releasing early on, an interview with this Great Thumb Creator, Mr. Malvin Martinez. Who would have thought that his series, The Seven Northern Warlords, was drawn, just using the tip of his finger against a small mobile screen.
As usual, we used a messenger app to conduct the interview with Mr. Martinez due to the pandemic crisis. If not due to the coronavirus, our team would have flown over to his humble abode with a helicopter, and do a LIVE interview, and then broadcast on prime time television. But sad to say, we do not own a helicopter. Hopefully someone might sponsor? Keep on dreaming, ika nga.
We requested to do a Live Chat interview, but failed, as usual. All artists have their own personal space that we cannot intrude and personal reasons we here at WebKom, deeply understand. Even our CO-Founder has her reasons to decline live interviews.
So without further ado, we asked Mr. Martinez to introduce himself.
“Malvin Causapin Martinez, 27 yrs old, from Tanay Rizal.
Favorite Color Sir?
Fave Food?
Patay ilaw? O bukas ang ilaw?
Wait wait wait … Mr. Martinez, I think was still introducing himself but my co-host for the evening blurted out a series of questions.
Agad-agad na? Nani !?! Chat problems.
Its hard to tell if someone is still speaking or has finished typing. All we can see are waving dots that someone is typing… sometimes there are no activity whatsoever. Or when our internet connection lagged.
Another reason I would want a live session was, when doing an interview through chat, it is very time consuming. Also, there are expressions only one can convey through videos. Nonetheless, Mr. Martinez answered...
“Ah color red at blue
“Adobo
“Bukas ilaw, haha
“Ano po, sabihin ko, …
“Malvin Causapin Martinez, 27 yrs old, from Tanay Rizal. 5 yrs graduate ng Computer Engineering, mahilig ako matulog. Ayaw ko ng mga nakaka-inis na tao na puro kalokohan alam. Minsan may sumpong ako na mainit ulo ko haha.
What happened after you graduated from college?
Nag-pahinga ako a year, bago nagtrabaho. On that time, nag banda-banda muna ako. I'm also a musician, genre is metal and hardrock. Nag-cocompose din ako ng mga sarili kong kanta. Nag-dedelivery din ako from time to time.
You can check out one of his composed music by following this link.
Mr Malvin Martinez does not want to fully disclose his identity and profession but here at WebKom, we are most privileged to know him better. Let’s just say, we SALUTE you sir Malvin as an artist and as a Filipino.
When did you start doing your craft or series?
Last year sir 2020. Noong nasa Sulu po ako. Natigil ako mag-drawing since 2012. Dahil nag-college po ako, tiyaka nalibang po ako sa music noon. Naalala ko nung bata ako, gusto ko maging komik artist talaga. Pero nung nasa Sulu ako wala ako mapaglibangan, nagbasa ako sa webtoon, bigla kong nabasa isang tagalog komiks. Nagulat ako syempre, kase, pwede pala iyon. Na pwede ka maging artist sa pamamagitan ngayon ng recent technologies.
Yung komiks na yun, sa totoo lang iba yung art style nya. Pero para sa akin yun ang pinakamagamdang komiks na pinaka-inaabangan ko, at mataas respeto ko sa artist, kase dahil sa kanya nabuhayan ako mag-drawing ulit. The series title is Monster: The Last One.
You said that Mr. Bayang, creator of Monster series inspired you to do komiks again. What message would you like to give to Mr Bayang?
Masasabi ko lang sa kanya, lakasan nya loob nya. Di nya lang alam na meron mga tao, na nai-inspired sa simpleng gawa lang, tulad ko.
What was your inspiration on making The Seven Northern Warlords?
Ummmm di ko din alam sir eh. Basta naisipan ko lang na, parang maganda mag-gawa ng komiks na ang title na nakakatakot pero sa likod ng kwento nila may kanya-kanyang kwento. Mahilig po ako sa samurai, samurai X, bleach. Tiyaka dati na pong nagawa ang warlords. Ibang title nga lng siya. Ibig sabihin ko po, gumawa na ko ng komiks about samurai noon. Pero sa notebook lang. Kase mahirap ang papel noon haha.. Na-revive lang siya tapos iniba ko istorya at title.
Paano mo maii-relate sarili mo kay Shinra Kouzuki?
Hahaha. Kagaya sabi ko kanina sir, parang diary ko dn sir kouzuki. Yung ibang tao, bayani tawag sa amin na hindi kilala. Ganun po si Kouzuki sir, bayani sa anino... nag-mamatyag lang po.
Ano po mensahe mo sa character mo na si Shinra?
Wag siya puro kalokohan para sagutin sya ni Akiya. haha
For how long do you plan to continue working on your current series?
Haha, hangga't, may time pa po mag-drawing, bira lng ng bira. Haha.
We could have ended our interview with Mr. Martinez, since there are a lot of topics not to be disclosed. If not for my personal curiosity, we could have ended it with a message. As a non-creator or artist as myself, I was more inclined to know as to how Mr. Martinez draws.
Thumb sir... Yun lng po. Di ako nagamit ng hintuturo. Kase walang support at kulang sa strength. Thumb po maganda, kase bukod na may suporta ka malakas pa ang thumb. Pero ewan ko lng mukang mahirap ata ang thumb sa tablet.
How did you learn about drawing using your thumb?
Nung asa Sulu po, mga patapos na ang 2020. Nag-hahanap po ako ng drawing apps noon, Medibang po nakita ko. Sobra hirap sa una talaga. Basta ginawa ko na lang, pag nag-tetext na thumb lang gamit. Wahahaha. Sa sulu ko din unang nagawa yung main character ko na si Kouzuki.
What tools have you used before?
2012 po, lapis po at papel. Iniipon ko mga materials sa baon ko. Sa bahay lang po ako nagawa noon kase estudyante pa ko nun. Hiya kase ako mag-drawing sa harap ng iba. Lapis, papel, ballpen po, pag nagpa-praktis sa iskul drawing sa likod ng notebook (alam ko relate kayo), na mas madami pa drawing sa likod ng notebook kesa lecture.
So I have installed medibang on my phone. It was really not simple given the tools and menus and icons it has. Di ko siya maintindihan since di naman nga ako artist.
Did you know how to use Medibang kaagad ? Or pinag-aralan pa muna?
Pinag-aralan sir. Nanuod ako ng tutorial kung paano yung mga "layer layer" po. Di ko sya magets talaga noon, kase di ako digital artist. Pero nanuod ako ng mga tutorial sa youtube, aba’y ok pala. Haha. Madami talaga natutulungan si youtube eh. Ahaha.
What advice can you give out to someone like me who would want to pursue drawing using digital arts and utilizing new technology?
Ano lang po, kagaya sabi ko, mahirap po pag walang nagtuturo pag 1’st time. Para kang sanggol na ibon na itutulak ng nanay sa bangin para makalipad. Ganun kahirap. Pero may technology na po para matuto, like youtube po, ganun lang.
Paano ba mag-drawing sa digital age today? Ano ano ba pwede magamit or gamitin?
“Madaming ways. Meron nga nagamit ng mouse. Sa tingin ko, based yan sa sitwasyon at budget. Kagaya ni sir (Mr. Martinez), hindi sia pede lagi nasa harap ng PC kaya sakto sa kanya mobile. Meron mga artist na student pa lang at wala pa budget. Kaya un mobile, free app.” - Jeipi Mayo
“Meron naman artist na nakaipon o sadyang mayaman, Wacom Cintiq gamit. Yun ata pinakamahal na gadget sa drawing ngayon. WACOM ang brand. Madami model wacom. Yung akin pinaka-cheap, drawing pad. Magdo-drawing ka sa pad tpos titingin ka sa monitor. Meron naman mas mahal. Yung mismong tablet dun ka magdo-drawing. Pero sa totoo lang. parang wala din sa ganda ng gadget. Minsan talaga may mga taong talented gaya ni Mr. Martinez.” - Jeipi Mayo
“Pinoy tayo sir eh. Kagaya nga ng sabi ko kay mam Jhamycka, hapon yung komiks ko pero ginagamitan ko ng pag-mamahal ng pinoy. Haha”.
If I were to tell myself to draw, since there are many technologies today, would you advise me to still stick to pen and paper? Or should I go ahead and practice using new technologies?
“Pero ikaw pa din yan sir. 'Diba may mga sinasabi mga tao palage, "sanayan lang yan" kagaya ko. Pag sinasabi nila, bakit di ka bumili stylus. Sabi ko, wala pa ko pera, tiyaka sanayan lng yan.”
“Pag beginner, example bata, papel muna haha”. - Jeipi Mayo
Would it not be better to use digital means since it is already available?
“Haha good point pre. Pero sa tingin ko mag-start pa rin sa traditional na lapis.” - Jeipi Mayo
“Kase po para malaman na, kung pano maging maingat haha. Simple mistake sa papel tapon agad, kaya sarap din sa papel kakapaulit-ulit mo ng 'di mo makuha na page. Gumagaling ka kakapaulit-ulit mo. haha.”
“Merong interview before yung creator ng Jojo … na kapag traditional way of drawing, parang hinihimas mo yung character mo.” - Jeipi Mayo
“Idol ko si Kishimoto at mga assistant nya, hanggang mamatay siya trad lang siya.
Somehow I get the feeling that if ever I will start drawing again on paper, it will build my integrity or solidify my drawing ethics. In a way, doing manual labor instead of using machinery, gives us a sense of expertise and fulfillment. Just like the old paintings, exclaimed by Mr. Jeipi Mayo,
“Imagine ninyo na lang yung mga painting ng Mona Liza, kung ginawa yun ngayon sa digital? Parang tanga lang un pag pinirint (printed).
There is a lot of new technology today. With the flow of new tech, our ways definitely have changed, from the means of texting to video calling, from traditionally drawing to digitally creating comics. There will be many opinions over traditional versus new ways, but still, it does not mean that art will be separated away from society.
Art is innate to us as human beings for we have the means to appreciate beauty.
And without further ado, we would like to give our big thanks and our salutations to Mr. Malvin Maritez. Mabuhay ang Pilipino!
Any message for your readers?
Sana wag sila mag sawa na mag abang sa mga latest episode ng T7NW.
