Kounterintuitive

If you live in the United States, you might think that the initials KKK is a bad thing that it might pertain to a certain racist group. Here in the Philippines however, KKK means something else:

Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangan, Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan. It's a revolutionary

society founded by anti-Spanish colonialism Filipinos in Manila in 1892. Its goal was to gain independence from Spain through a revolution, and our tandem group Kuro Saku found inspiration. 

KKK or Kounter Kulture Komiks is our very own art and comics (or komiks) zine. Like our Filipino forefathers, we are fighting a revolution of our own. Not with colonizers, we're actually inspired by other cultures like Japan and America with our works making a hybrid of styles and storytelling.

No, our battle is far greater than a nation's pride or being patriotic even though we were inspired by the KKK. Our fight is well within ourselves, our fight is with our very own procrastination. 

We all have to face that urge of being lazy. It actually deters us from being our best selves

because we're either afraid to fail or even afraid to succeed. We make excuses and even blame others and outside forces because we evade our true calling, only because we think that we'll always have time to make our art or write our stories tomorrow but what we often forget is that

we won't live forever.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

      

  

 “The trouble is,
      you think you have time.”

                                 - Jack Kornfield,
        Buddha’s Little Instruction Book

                                                                                                              

We are all susceptible to this notion of putting off our dreams, shutting off our inner voice,

neglecting our real passions because we think that we have to have the perfect conditions to start doing them. Thoughts like, "I don't have art materials, how can I start painting?" or

"I don't have a publisher, so what's the point in creating my comics and writing my books?"

What we fail to realize is that a lot of people have done it having less resources, having less time and having less experience. What we fail to realize is that the perfect condition is a mirage that will never come. Therefore, we must be able to create art and literature even with the slimmest of chances of success in our endeavors. 

We must able to push forward even if the odds are stacked against us, we must be able to endure even if it may seem impossible and our fate is sealed.

Why? Because that's what makes our art more beautiful, not only because we endured the pain going through making it, but because we're able to create something out of nothing. One can say that's a miracle or even Godly, but I prefer calling it being brave.

What does all that have to do with our foreword on our first issue of KKK? Easy. We're going against the Juan Tamad mentality of Filipinos starting out strong and then fizzling out in the end not even finishing what one has started. It's really difficult to start yes, but the real challenge is finishing what one has started.

And the comics and stories we have in here are stories that me and my wife have been putting off for the longest time. Like my Marbles series that I started back when I was in 5th grade (1997), I'm finally going to continue and eventually finish its story along with many others we plan to release in this art and comics zine.

And by doing so, we hope not only to inspire other creators to finish their own works, but as well as be able to challenge our very selves as independent comic book creators, as struggling artists, as obscure creators and parents with only a little free time to create. To fight the good fight.

To still be able to create something breathtaking and awe inspiring within our humble home studio. To tell stories that was never really meant to be read or seen, but was always meant for us to make and be shared to others. 

And I think making comics like this is our way of thanking the universe for giving us these

beautiful God given talents - of being an artist, telling a good story, and simply making art. 

Marius Black
Manila

2-7-2019

GET YOUR COPY OF OUR FIRST ISSUE OF
KOUNTER KULTURE KOMIKS
@ February Komiket 2019 (Feb. 16-17)
@ Centris Elements 9:00AM-7:00PM!

ONLY @ OUR KURO SAKU booth TABLE #60!





WE HAVE ARTWORKS, ART BOOKS, COMICS, MANGA,
POETRY, SHORT NOVELS, STICKERS, POSTERS and

MANY MORE AWESOME STUFF!

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! ^_^

-Guadix & Marius