The End of the Sterling/Caparas Komiks partnership?

The above appeared in today's issue (Monday, September 8, 2008) page B-9 of the Philippine Daily Inquirer's BUSINESS Section.

It will be recalled that last year, the dynamic duo of Sterling Paper Products and Massacre King CARLO "Direk" CAPARAS entered into a much publicized five (5) year komiks publishing plan to revive local komiks. Five (5) komiks titles under the CAPARAS imprint were launched in late 2007, suspended in December, 2007, due in part to the resignation of Sterling VP for marketing, MARTIN CADLUM, claimed to be the brains behind the local comics distribution and marketing for Sterling, then resuming publication in February, 2008, and uncannily halting the release of further issues in March, 2008.

It will also be recalled that when Sterling resumed the CAPARAS line, it also released two other licensed komiks titles that did not bear the CAPARAS imprint, namely: television channel ABS-CBN's "Maalaala Mo Kaya" and Joe D' Mango's "Lovenotes".

Direk Caparas was reportedly not pleased with Sterling publishing these two licensed comics titles that were competing with his line. Sterling on the other hand, had previously acquired the rights to publish these titles even before its partnership with Caparas was forged. Sterling would certainly be throwing away the license fees it had previously paid to ABS-CBN and Joe D' Mango, if it did not publish their licenses.

Rightly or wrongly, the Caparas camp perceived this move by Sterling as unduly capitalizing on the earlier media drive of the CAPARAS comics line. These factors were considered by many to be the main cause why no further comics from CAPARAS or Sterling came out after March, 2008. Just like Batman and Robin before them, these two komiks crimefighters have seemingly and quietly, parted ways and the above photo article appears to validate the split.

If you ask me, this has got to be the shortest five year plan ever conceived.

A real massacre.