MANILA, Philippines - Young actor-model Dino Imperial is a self-confessed comic-book fan. “I’m really a geek,” he says.

He has lost count on the number of comic books in his extensive collection, stored in huge plastic boxes in his room.

“My mom is kinda mad at me because I’m obsessed with comics,” he relates. “That’s my only vice. At least, it’s pretty healthy.”

He attended the latest Philippine Toy Convention held in SM Megamall and bought several first-edition comic books.

“I also collect action figures, cards, DVDs, baseball caps, anything and everything that has comic-book characters,” he notes.

A Benilde student, B.U.M. model, Studio 23 VJ, TFC’s “Kada 5” host and “George and Cecil” cast member, Dino is seriously into all things colorful.

Apart from graphic novels, he also has a closet crammed with caps, fedoras, shirts and shoes of every possible shade and style.

Comic Books

“I’m certain that I can buy a car with (the value of) my collection,” he says.

He points out that some of his rare comic books can fetch as much as $1,000 if sold in the United States.

The most expensive in his collection are the two-volume “The Sandman” by Neil Gaiman which cost P5,000 each.

“It’s a good investment,” Dino says. “People think comic books are kid stuff, but they can also be a smart read. The ‘X-Men,’ ‘Civil War’ and ‘Wolverine’ series are very philosophical.”

Videos

He has also started an archive of DVDs—all original, he points out.

“I love horror flicks and thrillers. I have all the ‘Saw’ movies—from parts 1 to 5, says Dino. “When I was a kid, I liked ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Jaws.’”

Apart from movies, he has collected CDs of acts like Linkin Park and Eminem.

Games

Whenever he’s free from work or school, Dino often plays video games at home. He shifts between PlayStation 2 and Xbox. “I have a cordless Spiderman Controller for PS2,” he says.

It’s not all high-tech stuff, though; he’s also into board games: “I already have Monopoly, Spider-Man edition. Next, I want Monopoly, Batman edition.”

Toys

When he builds his own house, he hopes to set up a library for his comic books and a museum for his action figures.

His mom got him started with dozens of miniature figures. He bought Sasquatch and Iron Fist figures, too.

Two Christmases ago, Dino’s dad gifted him with a radio-control race car. Like Dino, dad is an eternal kid, too.

Drums

His dad also passed on to him the skill of playing drums. “I think that’s one of his frustrations,” Dino says. “I love playing the drums, but I’m kinda rusty now.”

He stopped practicing since transferring to his new condo unit.

“The neighbors might get upset,” he says. “That’s why when I move into my own house, I’ll make sure to have a sound-proof music room.”

Shirts and pants

When it comes to fashion, he’s into loud colors and rock ‘n’ roll styles as well. “I do graffiti art. I’m into bright colors. I like clothes that say: ‘Look at me! Look at me!’”

He likes B.U.M. pants because they have multiple pockets for storing cell phones and spray paint cans.

He advises other teens to go for clothes that reflect their personalities.

Shoes

For footwear, he prefers splashes of color, too.

His Converse Chuck Taylors come in a rainbow of shades: “purple, pink, orange, blue, red with stripes, white with plaid, blue na tie-dye.”

“I’m a Chucks guy. My favorite is the chunky one with the fat tongue,” says Dino.

But his dream is a pair designed by Kanye West for Louis Vuitton. “It costs $1,000. I’d have to part with one of my comic books to buy it,” he muses.

Caps and hats

Just as kaleidoscopic is his headgear collection.

“I’m a hat person,” he confesses. “I have fedoras, mesh caps and baseball caps.” A current fave is New Era which came out with a series of comics-inspired caps. “Like the gold Professor X from ‘X-Men’ and the blue, orange, black and transparent caps for the ‘Fantastic Four’ heroes.”
Shades

Although he’s not into eyewear, he loves Aviator sunglasses and Wayfarers by Ray-Ban. The most expensive in his cabinet is a Fendi from dad.

When Kanye West came out with his “Stronger” music video, shutter shades became a fad, he recalls. “My friends bought original shutter shades that cost thousands of pesos. But I got shutter shades off the streets for only P20.”

The “Volta” pair is from the TV show where he played superhero 220, while the “Cyclop” headgear is from fellow Gigger Boy Chris Gutierrez.

Art works

As a third year Multi-Media Arts student at La Salle’s College of St. Benilde, Dino has accumulated lots of art works at home.

For art class, he made a collage that represented his passions: “Graffiti, hip-hop, hosting and Angelina Jolie.”

For another class, he crafted a devilish doll from wire. “That was just a seat work.”

E-mail: bayanisandiego@hotmail.com