|
|
The masterminds behind the Mysteries of Private IrisManila Bulletin The Philippine Star The Philippine Star
She is dark & brooding. She is introverted and antisocial. She is undeniably weird and a big know-it-all. But she is also the smartest girl in town, and she’s going to help solve the biggest mysteries of the year. Private Iris is the most anticipated comic book for kids to be launched this year by Blue Cow Co., Inc. It tackles mysteries to be solved by none other than the young detective Private Iris herself, as well as useful facts and money-saving tips that are relevant for the youth in this day and age. Through a partnership with one of the leading financial companies, Private Iris offers a gift to parents and kids. Each issue of the comic book comes with a free code, which parents should use to spark their children’s money management skills. The free gift plus the financial fitness lessons embedded in the stories create a reading experience that is fun, meaningful, and practical for today’s generation. Behind the unfolding mysteries and unbounded discoveries of Private Iris are two of today’s most brilliant minds in the local comic book scene. Private Iris is Jamie Bautista’s latest project lined up after a career in teaching comic book classes in various universities and the creation of the long-running comic series Cast. With him is critically acclaimed graphic novelist, Arnold Arre, who is behind the award-winning graphic novels The Mythology Class (1999), Trip to Tagaytay (2000), After Eden (2002), and Ang Mundo ni Andong Agimat (2006). Arnold is also busy doing art for Cast, which makes Private Iris another much-awaited collaboration of the duo. Blue Cow visualized a comic book that would be informative and enjoyable for the younger generation and at the same time relevant to the needs of children and their families. Jamie’s ideas for the comic book merged well with Blue Cow’s objectives; thus, Private Iris was born. “Jamie and I forged a friendship when we went to Korea together to attend the Bucheon Comic Festival, about 3 years ago,” Arnold recalls. “(We’d) been working together for quite a while already when Blue Cow called on him to do a children’s comic book. Jaime asked me if I was game to work on this project with him and of course I was more than happy to. Arnold’s unique drawing sensibilities brought to life the stories and ideas that Jamie had for Private Iris. “I wanted to make the personality of the detective just as interesting as the mysteries she solved.” Jamie says of the comic book. Jamie’s character-driven and relationship-centered stories continued with Arnold’s Filipino-inspired sensibilities have resulted in a comic book that is reflective of the real world and relevant for its young readers. I think the fact that we both have very similar philosophies on writing comics, and liked each other’s works helped,” Jamie shares. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought an artist of Arnold’s caliber would do art for me.” Especially geared for the young generation, Private Iris features stories on friendship and the youth’s struggles of fitting-in and standing out told through mystery cases that can entertain and compel both the young and the old. “One thing that makes Private Iris different I think is the level of complexity the story has,” Jamie says. “I’ve always maintained that this is a comic book for smart kids, as I believe that most kids are smart. Private Iris tries to show kids the magic that is present in science and the real world.” “Private Iris makes science and discovery more fun for kids,” Arnold adds. “I think it can also make kids more interested in learning about saving for the future. And it being locally made, Filipino kids will be able to relate more to the characters.” More than anything, Private Iris aims to promote the lesson that the value of being smart and the value of keeping relationships go hand in hand, as the tough yet lovable lead character discovers this lesson herself. It also aims to become the ideal medium for teaching the values of money management to children however young they may be. “Kids will definitely be able to relate more to financial issues if a role model they can relate to is the one explaining the idea to them,” Arnold says. The first step in learning is appreciating the medium from which such values emerge. Private Iris is poised to become a treasure chest of both excitement and knowledge that aims to encourage its readers to further read and live out the lessons they have learned. “At the very least, I hope the readers have fun solving the mysteries while enjoying the dynamics between the characters,” Jamie says. “If that sense of fun stirs in them after reading our comic book, then the most basic goal of writing Private Iris has been fulfilled.” |
|
|
||||||
