The year’s smartest investment (is a comic book)

By Camille Pilar

Who knew that this year’s smartest investment came in the form of a children’s comic book? For 2008, make shelf space for Private Iris, the latest project by critically acclaimed graphic novelists Jamie Bautista and Arnold Arre in partnership with Blue Cow Co. Inc., one of today’s leading financial companies. Private Iris captures the adventures of kid detective Iris and her partner Danton Cord as they solve mysteries involving theft, cheating and items gone missing while imparting a tip or two about money-saving sensibilities.

Private Iris puts a spin on the tiring typecasts of children’s comics that indulge in pleasant, sugarcoated stories by featuring a main character whose personality is just as interesting as the mysteries she solves. Iris is introverted but her mind is more inquisitive and intelligent than any child her age. Sarcastic and witty, she is cast as an outsider. As Iris balances being a super snoop with surviving the social dynamics of fitting in and standing out, her character appeals to kids who feel the pressure of being misunderstood by peers and elders.

Blue Cow envisions generating new business approaches to aid Filipinos on the path to financial wellness through publishing and general merchandising. Seeing that starting early is the best solution, Blue Cow approached Jamie Bautista to create children’s reading material that would not only be fun and gripping but also good for cultivating money sense into kids. Private Iris illustrates how to imbibe financial literacy and includes a free SPARX savings code inside every issue.

SPARX, Pioneer Life’s “bite-sized savings and insurance for kids,” is dubbed as the smarter piggy bank of this generation. A free savings code can be found in one of the pages of the comic book and it is used to register a SPARX account, which then becomes the child’s personal savings and insurance account. SPARX and Private Iris create what Jamie Bautista calls a compelling combination to help spark the saver in every child.

This exciting new comic book comes complete with an assortment of science facts and general trivia that adds to the enjoyment of reading. Private Iris shows its readers that learning is fun and magic can be found in the real world when viewed through the investigative lenses of science.

The masterminds behind the mysteries of Private Iris are two of the biggest names in today’s local comic book industry. Jamie Bautista, a self-confessed techie and avid reader and collector of comics, pursued a career in teaching comic book classes at various universities. He enjoys reading and writing stories about relationships, and this exercise of human dynamics can be felt in his long-running series, Cast, a romantic comedy that focuses on teenagers putting together a school play. Private Iris is his first story for children.

Arnold Arre is a multi-awarded graphic novelist most known for winning works such as The Mythology Class (1999), Trip To Tagaytay (2000), After Eden (2002) and Ang Mundo ni Andong Agimat (2006). Jamie describes Arnold’s drawing style as very expressive and adaptable. Arnold is currently working on his latest project, Martial Law Babies, and is in tandem with Jamie in doing work for Cast.

While these two artists prove that there is a serious side to comics, they are more than happy to create an entertaining, appropriate and relevant comic book for kids. What sets Private Iris apart from others is the level of complexity it brings to the table. It encourages kids to think and it presents lessons that will make them more interested in learning and aware of the benefits of saving for the future.

Private Iris also follows a page-by-page account of witty dialog and memorable characters such as the tough but lovable Iris, fun and friendly Danton, Mimi the striving journalist, and Vito the school troublemaker. As different mysteries and characters are introduced in every issue, readers will be hooked to Private Iris and the new outlook it brings on science, money management and friendship. Kids will laugh at jokes, sharpen their thinking powers and grow with Iris in a comic book reminiscent of Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys of previous generations, but with a smart and creative twist.

“I’ve always maintained that this is a comic book for smart kids, as I believe that most kids are smart,” says Jamie, who enjoyed writing the dialog between Iris and Danton as well as researching the trivia-turned-clues for each issue. Arnold Arre adds that Filipino children can relate more to the characters and look up to them as models as the series is locally made.

Ideal for kids six to 10 years old, although older readers will appreciate the stories and younger readers will enjoy the art, Private Iris will be sold in a 9”x17” format, somewhat larger than the average comic book, for P199.99. It was launched in Fully Booked at Bonifacio High Street last April 19, and will soon be available in bookstores, magazine stands and schools.