April 3



April 3

People Weekly, April 3, 1978
On the cover: The Oscar Best Actress contenders
(Clockwise from left, Diane Keaton of Annie Hall, the winner,
Shirley MacLaine of The Turning Point,
Jane Fonda of Julia,
Marsha Mason of The Goodbye Girl,
and Anne Bancroft of The Turning Point.

Ang unang labas ng Pogi Magazine for Men,
(Abril 3, 1969).

UNANG LABAS

Ang Pogi Magazine for Men ay unang lumabas sa sirkulasyon noong Abril 3, 1969. Bagama’t ito ay naglalaman ng mga sexy pictures, mga sanaysay at kuwentong komiks tungkol sa sex at sexuality, hindi bulgar o malaswa ang pagsasalarawan at ilustrasyon nito katulad ng mga tinaguriang “bomba” o x-rated komiks at magazines. Ito ay pinatnugutan nina Ted Tenorio (Editor) at Mars Ravelo (Editorial Director) na manapa’y ang layunin ay labanan ang paglaganap ng mga malalaswang babasahin na inilalathala ng mga “underground” publications.
Tampok sa magazine na ito ang mga kuwentong komiks na “Sa Bawat Saglit... Sindak” (sinulat ni Mars Ravelo at iginuhit ni Mar T. Santana), “Uhaw” (Deo Villegas at Elmer Esquivias), “Big Bernard” (Ric Torres at Arnie Dominguez), mga comedy strips na “Dumb Dora” (Deo C. Gonzales at Vir Aguirre), “Dr. Ispongklong” (Ted Tenorio at Bert Sarile) at “Ngisi” (Al Magat), at mga wakasang kuwentong “Hayok” (Virgilio N. Mateo at Vic R. Geronimo) at “Bitag” (Dante Castel at Vic R. Geronimo)..

 

Ang unang labas ng nobelang komiks na “Uhaw” na isinulat ni Deo Villegas at iginuhit ni Elmer Esquivias.

Ang Dr. Ispongklong ni Ted Tenorio at Bert Sarile

          Ang komiks comedy series na “Dr. Ispongklong,” na nilikha ni Ted Tenorio at iginuhit ni Bert Sarile at unang lumabas sa Pogi Komiks noong Abril 3, 1969, ay puno ng nakakatawang kuwento ng mga kalokohan ng pangunahing karakter na si Dr. Ispongklong at ng mga tao sa kaniyang paligid. May temang seksuwal ang kuwento na angkop sa Pogi Komiks. Si Dr. Ispongklong, ay isang manggagamot (kuno) na laging naka-pipa na may dalawang sigarilyo, may nakakabit na light reflector sa kaniyang noo, at laging may hawak na stethoscope. May pagkahilig din sa mga seksing babae ang doctor na ito.

Ang unang labas ng Dr. Ispongklong.

          Alam niyo ba kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng salitang “ispongklong?” Batay sa aking pagsasaliksik, ito ay isang salitang naimbento sa loob ng editorial office ng Pilipino Komiks Inc. Bukod sa paglikha kay Dr. Ispongklong, si Ted Tenorio ay nahirang ding isa sa mga editors ng Pogi Komiks. Sa simula, ang naisip niyang ipangalan sa kaniyang karakter ay “Dr. Mahilig,” subalit hindi niya ito itinuloy. Nais niyang ang pangalan ay maging kawiliwili at naiiba. Humingi siya ng tulong sa kapwa editor na si Mars Ravelo. Nakatakda ng iimprenta ang comedy skit niya sa loob ng unang isyu ng Pogi Magazine for Men subali’t wala pa silang maisip na pangalan. Kaya ang ginawa ni Mars Ravelo ay kumuha ng coupon bond at inilagay sa typewriter, ipinikit niya ang kaniyang mga mata at nagtipa. Ang mga letrang tumatak sa coupon bond at I-s-p-t-o-n-g-k-r-l-o-n-g. Pinagmasdan nilang mabuti at natawa. Nasabi ni Tenorio kay Ravelo na “wala na silang maisip na matino.” Pero napansin ni Ravelo na kung aalisin ang letrang “t” at “r,” ang lalabas ay “Ispongklong.” Pinagtiyap naman na ang “t” ay para sa Tenorio at ang “r” ay para sa Ravelo. Nagkamay ang dalawa at lumabas na ang “Dr. Ispongklong.”

          Kaya ang ibig sabihin ng “ispongklong” ay “taong walang maisip na matino” na siyang karakter ni Dr. Ispongklong.

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Ang Dumb Dora ni Deo C. Gonzales at Vir Aguirre

          Ayon mismo sa pagkakalarawan ni Deo C. Gonzales, si “Dumb Dora” ay isang babaeng may pinagsama-samang katangian nina Cleopatra, Mata Hari at Marilyn Monroe, na dinagdagan ng saksakang katangahan. Siya ay “sidekick” at “girl-Friday” ni Singko Nire, Agent 7-11, isa namang sikret edyent na saksakan ng lakas ang hangin sa utak, subali’t pinakyaw na yata lahat ng uri ng kabugukan. Ang nakatutuwang comedy series na ito ay kasabay ring lumabas ng unang isyu ng Pogi.

Ang unang labas ng Dumb Dora.

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Events that happened on April 3

1823 – The cornerstone of the Intendencia (now occupied by the Central Bank of the Philippines) was put in place.

1942 – Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma (1887-1946) was executed for his crimes and atrocities specifically during the Bataan Death March.

Personalities and celebrities born on April 3:

1867 – Jose Albert, doctor, scientist, delegate to the Malolos Constitution and member of Emilio Aguinaldo’s cabinet – in Manila (d. August 13, 1946).

1939 – Lino Brocka (full name Catalino Ortiz Brocka), film director, Ramon Magsaysay awardee (1985) and National Artist for Cinema – in Pilar, Sorsogon (d. May 21, 1991).

1943 – Subas Herrero (real name Ricardo Jaime Wright Herrera), actor-comedian – in Manila (d. March 14, 2013).





Special Report: “Frontiers of the Mind,”
on the cover of New Scientist (April 3, 2010).

Picture Trivia

          The average weight of the human brain is 1.4 kilogram, but its functions and capacity can far exceed any computer ever built. Up to now, no scientist can claim that he knows exactly everything about the human brain. It is the only human organ that cannot be transplanted or replaced.
          Many have tried to measure the capacity of the human brain. Oftentimes, it is compared to a computer. According to Hans Moravec, who is renowned for his research in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence, the human brain can process 100 trillion instructions per second. Moravec based this in the brain’s capacity to process image inputs from the retina of the eyes. By his estimate, based on technological standard and advancement today, the computer maybe able to exceed the human brain’s capacity by the year 2030.
          If it were possible to build a computer today identical to the human brain, with all its functions and capacity, it is estimated that the computer will be bigger than the land area of Metro Manila!
         

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March 29

 

MARCH 29

Espesyal Komiks Blg. 283, Marso 29, 1965
Nasa taklob-pahina ang nobelang-komiks na “Ang Dambuhala ng Sariaya” ni Deo Villegas
na iginuhit ni Abe Ocampo.

 

Events that happened on March 29

1521 – Magellan and Datu Kolambu entered into a blood compact.

1887 – The Noli Me Tangere (Latin for “Touch Me Not”), Jose Rizal’s first novel came off the press.

1942 – The Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (HUKBALAHAP) was established in Nueva Ecija with Luis Taruc as supremo.

1969 – The New People’s Army (NPA) was established in Tarlac by Jose Maria Sison and Bernabe Buscano. It was initially composed of former members of the Hukbong Magpapalaya ng Bayan (HMB) and recruited youth and student activist. It later became the military arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

1988 – High-ranking leaders of the NPA, Romulo Kintanar, Rafael Baylosis, Benjamin de Vera, Maria-Gloria Jopson Asuncion and Mario Asuncion were captured.

1994 – The Philippines’ first link to the Internet was opened at the first International E-mail Conference in Cebu City.

Personalities and celebrities born on March 29:

1911 – Tito Arevalo (real name Eustacio Ylagan), actor and musician - in Tondo, Manila (d, December 4, 2000).

1984 – Mark Callano Paragua, chess grandmaster (the first Fiiipino grandmaster to obtain a recorded ELO rating of over 2600 (January 2006) – in Marilao, Bulacan.



Stef Prescott on the cover
of Gadgets magazine April 2011 issue

1991 – Stef Prescott (full name Stefanie Marisa Quintos Prescott), actress and model – in Seattle, Washington.

Ang “Ukala” ni Alfredo Alcala

Ang “Ukala” ni Alfredo Alcala sa taklob-pahina
ng Pilipino Komiks Blg. 126, Marso 29, 1952.

          Ang “Ukala (Ang Walang Suko)” ay nobelang-komiks na isinulat at iginuhit ni Alfredo Alcala para sa Pilipino Komiks (1952-1953). Ukala ang pangalan ng pangunahing karakter ng nobela na isang katutubong American Indian noong panahon ng pananakop ng mga Europeans sa Central America. Si Ukala ay “walang suko” (Paunawa: ang pakahulugan ng salitang “suko” rito ay “katapat,” “tayog” o “sukdulan”) na nagpapahiwatig na ang kaniyang tapang at galing ay “walang katapat.”

          Isina-pelikula ito sa titulong Ukala (Ang Walang Takot) ng Sampaguita Pictures sa ilalim ng direksiyon ni Artemio B. Tecson at itinanghal sa Center Theater noong Mayo 22-31, 1954. Itinampok si Cesar Ramirez bilang Ukala. Katambal niya si Alicia Vergel bilang ang kaniyang kapanalig at katipan.

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Jane Fonda as Barbarella
on the cover of Life (March 29, 1968).

Picture Trivia

          The French science-fiction comic book, Barbarella, was originally conceptualized by Jean-Claude Forest for V-Magazine in 1962. Later on, Barbarella was published into a comic book by Eric Losfeld.

          The character Barbarella is a woman who has many adventures, mostly sexual, in her travels in space. The story around Barbarella is a rare mixture of science fiction and erotica.

          Do you know that in 1968, it was made into a film starring Jane Fonda as Barbarella? The film had English and French versions. In the French version, it was Fonda herself who said her lines in French.

          In the said film, Barbarella made a striptease in zero gravity, whereupon viewers could almost see Fonda naked. Kylie Minogue also used the iconography of Barbarella, and the zero-gravity striptease scene was duplicated in her award-winning video for the song “Put Yourself in My Place” (1994).                              o     O     o