Presenting the premiere issue of my comic strip entitled Toki. (The image above is a link to a larger version). If you’re from UP Diliman, you should instantly recognize the title and you should also be able to guess that my comic strip is about life in UP Diliman.

I already have a total of three strips (one is in the stages of completion) and my initial plan is to release one strip per week. Except that creating strips is so damn hard, so I’m not sure I can keep up with that optimistic schedule!

I really wonder how professional comic strippers (hehehe) like Lyndon Gregorio (of Beerkada) and Pol Medina, Jr. (of Pugad Baboy) are able to crank out strip after strip almost daily. I’ve found that it’s very hard trying to come up with witty and funny scenes and dialogues to depict.

So, I want all of you guys (especially those who have studied or are studying in UP Diliman) to share ideas for future strips. Of course, you will be credited.

As for the characters, my main character is Okiks, the dude with the shoulder bag and sleeveless shirt in the strip above. He’s your typical overstaying engineering student. Other regular characters will be introduced as soon as the opportunity permits.

The real inspiration for my strip-making is the Stanford Daily’s Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham (was once a graduate student, now a university professor). PHD depicts the lives of graduate students in Stanford University. Read it for some interesting laughs (and EEE students/alumni can relate since three of the main characters are electrical/electronics graduate students).

And lest you think that I’m doing this just for fun, my insidious plan is to make this strip so successful that I’ll earn huge royalties from syndication, the book compilation (The Best of Toki), and product merchandising, so that I’ll be able to retire at age 35! That’ll be the day.

UPDATE: Toki #2 is now up!