little lit

Just picked up the handsome hardcover - It Was A Dark & Silly Night; the third volume of the series featuring stories by Lemony Snicket, Neil Gaiman and Kaz, among others.

It's a definite keeper like its predecessors (the very first one was just so phenomenal in terms of content and design).

An anthology for children seems like an excellent idea, a Filipino grafictional children's anthology, even better.

There are many talented talented tellers of children's stories in the Philippines - just take a look at the generally wonderful children's books released annually by various publishers. What is lacking though are comics for children.

Comics that don't insult a young person's intelligence.

Comics that tell tales that are not cheesy or heavy-handedly moralistic or obviously promote some social agenda.

Comics that entertain and teach - much like the classic Uncle Scrooge, Junior Woodchucks and Gyro Gearloose of Gold Key.

Perhaps penned by the likes of Ma. Elena Paterno-Locsin (still my crush after all these years), Rene Villanueva, Eugene Evasco, Lakambini Sitoy, Cyan Abad-Jugo, Honoel Ibardolaza, Luis Gatmaitan, Luis Katigbak, Edgardo Maranan, Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete and my idol Butch Dalisay.

Perhaps illustrated by established children's illustrators like Pepper Roxas and Jason Moss combined with sequential artists like Carlo Vergara, Marco Dimaano and Andrew Drilon, digital artists Cynthia Bauzon-Arre, Moose Maravilla, Mimmon Vicente and Red Berger, and photographers Xander Angeles, Pierre Cruz and Erik Liongoren.

Perhaps three interlocking books of 40+ pages each, oversized and in full color. Stories for smart Filipino kids.

Hmmm.