Revisiting ‘After Eden’ with Arnold Arre

MANILA, Philippines — After Eden is a story of love and divinity. These elements have allowed the book to endure in the hearts of comic fans since its first release. Sixteen years later, artist and writer Arnold Arre returned to After Eden to create a revised edition of the book. After Eden is a critical success, and is adored by two generations of comic book fans. So why fiddle with it?

The new material is based on the notes that Arre kept during the initial creation of the book. They comprise things he wasn’t able to do, partly due to the compromises required by a rigid publishing schedule.

“There was no time to actually experiment on scenes,” Arre remembers. “Of all the novels I did, After Eden is really the most difficult, because of it being an experiment of mine. Because After Eden is really about distance. So we’ve read all these romance novels and it’s always about these two people. But what happens to the friends? The side characters? What do they think?”

“Now with the new edition, I had time,” he adds. “I had to review all the notes that I did. I chose the best ones, the ones I wish I had placed in the first edition. It’s more streamlined now.”

The revised edition of After Eden reflects Arre’s true vision for the work, and is unburdened by interference from publishers. “When I was with my first publisher… as far as I can remember, they wanted to see per chapter,” Arre says. “And then it would go through numerous screenings, like these five people at the time, commenting on the scenes. I would receive the pages filled with comments, and I had no idea where to focus on because there were five people commenting on the same page, and sometimes I’d even disagree, so it’s really difficult.”

The phantom menace of revisionism

Creators are obsessive creatures, often chasing after the definitive version or representation of their work. For some creators, this pursuit often results in the undermining of a previous version, no matter how beloved it may be. Arre avoids this pitfall with After Eden by validating both its original and revised editions. To him, revising isn’t the same as being revisionist.

“The thing about being revisionist is that you’re telling people that (the revised version) is the official thing,” he says. “And I think that’s wrong. Because people have memories of the old stories that we did. And by telling them that this is the ultimate edition, it’s like you’re trying to brainwash them, trying to make them forget their memories and you’re forcing on them this new memory.”

Arre is quick to point out that both versions of After Eden are equally valid, and readers can pick or choose their preferred one. “I still tell fans ‘If you want to read the first, go ahead and compare,’” he says. “I always tell them, ‘Oh you have the first edition. You keep that; you treasure that. And I would suggest you read the new one, but you are free to compare the two. I’m that confident that whatever you chose, I am happy for you.’”

Chamber Shell Publishing

The revised After Eden is published by Chamber Shell Publishing. The working relationship between Arre and publisher Jamie Bautista is one of mutual admiration and trust. “In 2014, we started Chamber Shell Publishing,” says Bautista. “I created a corporation using my own funding this time. We handled publishing Arnold’s stuff and some of my old stuff.”

When the rights to After Eden, as well as Arre’s other books, reverted to him, it gave the author the opportunity to work with a publisher that gave him sufficient creative freedom.

“Arnold and I work so well together because Arnold, is really the artist,” explains Bautista. “He does not like the business side and he’ll go ‘You handle that!’ So our dynamics are he does most of the creative stuff and my job is marketing.”

“I’m an introvert; I prefer working from home,” says Arre, then adds, while laughing: “Last year Chamber Shell held an event for me, and that’s the only time I said to Jamie, ‘Do I really have to go?'”

Chamber Shell Publishing operates apart from the whims of the market. Within this space, it still endeavors to create works that resonate with their audience. “In a way, our vision is to figure out comics,” adds Bautista. “How do you create a business model where creators can just create, have a unique voice. And not worry about what the market is into right now. There are other publishers who are really good at catching trends, and creating stuff for that. But with someone like Arnold who has a very unique voice, who is driven by passion, it doesn’t always work out that way. We just figure out how it is going to resonate.” – Rappler.com