Arnold and Cynthia both have a Bachelor's Degree in Visual Communication in Advertising from the UP College of Fine Arts. Arnold went on to work in five different ad agencies in a span of two years after which went freelance and made graphic novels on the side. Cynthia, meanwhile pursued further education at Parsons School of Design in New York and worked in the advertising industry in Manila for a total of 9 years before deciding to go freelance. Right now Arnold has his own company called Tala Comics Publishing
How did the both of you meet?
We were both in UP College of Fine Arts at the same period (I was there from 1988-1992, he was there from 1989-2004) so we would see each other in the hallways but we never officially met until the launch of the Eraserheads' (a popular Filipino band in the 90s) book "Fruitcake" in March 1997 which I did the illustrations for. We were introduced to each other by a common friend during that launch. From then on we would bump into each other in events (launches, concerts, etc) but it was only in April of 2000 when we finally started dating. We got married in 2003.
What is your latest project?
Arnold : I released a book called "Ang Mundo ni Andong Agimat" (under Tala Comics Publishing) and also just finished doing the cover illustrations for a series of 10 albums for SonyBMG Music Entertainment. I also have a 21-page comic coming out soon. It's a comics adaptation of Jack London's "The Wit of Porportuk" for Graphic Classics, a US publication.
Cynthia: I just finished working on the design and layout of the fourth issue of our magazine Wedding Essentials, published by the Manila Bulletin, where I'm the Design Director. (I hold this position part-time as I work from home and still take on projects if my schedule allows it). I was also able to work on two websites - www.blowupbabies.com and www.claycakes.com
How did you get into illustration?
Arnold : I've been drawing since I was a kid, that's all I ever did. I kept drawing and drawing so there was no doubt in me and in my family that I was going for a career in that field when I grew up.
Cynthia: Like Arnold , I loved to draw when I was young. When I was in high school, I dabbled a bit in journalism and even became editor of our school paper. I didn't want to 'just draw' or 'just write' so I ended up majoring in advertising in college where I knew I could make the most of my skills in drawing and- if not writing - conceptualizing.
Describe a struggling battle you have been through, to get to where you are now?
Arnold : Living in a developing country, I had to find out the hard way that there are very limited opportunities for artists. At the time I graduated in 1994, the only medium-to-high-paying artist positions were in advertising and that wasn't so appealing to me at that time since, back then, an artist was seen merely as "the guy with the colored markers". Very little creativity was expected from us- well at least that's how it was in the environment I was in. That's why I left after two years of moving from agency to agency. I decided to go freelance and shortly after, I started making my own graphic novels.
Cynthia: For me it was different - I stayed in advertising for 9 years because admittedly it was an exciting industry and I was fortunate to have had a boss who brought out the best in me. It was a highly stressful job and it often required me to work 24/7 but in the beginning I didn't mind because I was learning a lot. The thing was, at the back of my head, I knew that I didn't want to have that kind of lifestyle forever and the struggle for me was that if I left advertising, I didn't know where else I would excel in. Luckily a window of opportunity opened - I met some people in the music business and started receiving design jobs from them so I slowly carved a niche in that world. By my ninth year, when I got together with Arnold , I felt brave enough to leave the security of having a regular paycheck in exchange for having more time for my loved ones and myself.
What is the design market in the Philippines like? Is there a high demand for your work?
Right now we think it's booming. There are a lot of young designers emerging and there seems to be more awareness about 'graphic design' now as compared to 10 years ago.
As for high demand for our work, let's just say that we've both been really busy since the year began and it's been like that ever since we went freelancing together.
How would you describe your design style in a couple of words?
Cynthia: uncluttered, straightforward, eye-friendly
Who or what are your inspirations/influences?
Arnold : Bill Sienkewicz, Syd Mead, H.R. Giger, to name a few but I greatly consider French artist Jean "Moebius" Giraud as my biggest influence. When I was younger, I think my illustration style was influenced by Manga/Anime but once I became exposed to various artists as I grew older, my style evolved into a fusion of everything I was exposed to and the result is something I guess I can call my own.
Cynthia: I find inspiration for design from the most unexpected things crumpled paper, patterns in the sky, cotton candy, a song... I don't have a conscious influence - I think it's a mix of the 60's pop and 90's rock look that surfaced in my earlier designs. Now I can see my style becoming a bit more conservative but more "to the point"
What separates you from other illustrators/comics?
Arnold : I really don't know... when I illustrate though, I'm focused on putting "emotion" into my drawings. I feel that my illustration has to connect to the viewer, otherwise there's just no point in doing it. It spells the difference between something that's simply well-drawn and something that "moves" or creates emotion in the viewer.
How hard is the design industry to break-through? In Manila and globally?
It's actually quite easy especially now that everyone can post portfolios on the world wide web. I know a lot of young designers who have big, corporate clients here and abroad, especially now that companies are outsourcing a lot of their work to freelancers.
How do you get noticed and how do you know what they are looking for?
We just continue delivering good work and doing our best everytime. We don't really do it to get noticed, it just makes us happy to serve our clients well. I think if word gets around that you are easy to work with and will deliver good work as promised, then that is the reason they will seek you.
Most memorable moment?
Arnold : When my book "The Mythology Class" first came out. I never thought I would actually be able to finish a complete book. That started everything for me.
Cynthia: When I got my first design job outside of advertising (although I was still in advertising then). It was doing the illustrations and book design for the Eraserheads' book "Fruitcake". (How fateful was it too that it was during that book's launch when Arnold and I were introduced? )
Greatest triumph/success?*
Arnold : I could say it was when my books won awards, but now looking back, I think being able to survive as an artist in a developing country - a freelancer at that- and being married to my true love is by far the greater achievement.
Cynthia: I've won local and international awards for my advertising work but (I'll get mushy on you now) it was only when I got together with Arnold when those awards meant something to me. They're just pieces of molded metal until there was someone I love to share the successes with.
What challenges are worth fighting for?
Anything that gets in the way of happiness.
What is one of life’s greatest lessons?
Real mistakes happen when you don't learn from them.
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to venture into the same field*
Arnold : All I can say is that, if you are planning to be a comic book creator, just go out there and do your thing. Anyone interested enough should pitch in. The most important thing you should develop is your own style. Be original. Write stories that no one has ever heard of. In comic books, it's not how well you draw or write that counts, it's how well you tell a story.
Cynthia: Don't copy. Take inspiration from the unexpected. Have fun with what you're doing.
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