Draft:Alamat Comics

Early Beginnings

Alamat Comics is a group of various comic book creators who banded together in the 1990s and started the Philippine Comics Revolution. Before Alamat, certain stars needed to align in the sky. One of those stars was a comic book called ASTER. Aster was published by a US indie company with an all-Filipino creative team. Oliver Isabedra was the lead artist of the book and other artists were these young guys named Gerry Alanguilan[1] and Leinil Yu. To promote the book, the publisher commissioned Jae Lee to draw a cover and invited him to Manila for a book signing.

The event was held at Platinum Comics in Robinsons Galleria Mall. The owner of the store invited local indie creators to join, which was where artists of Flashpoint, Exodus, P-Noise, Memento Mori, Mere Mortals, Pagan Press, Virtual Media, Creative Underground and Cheap Thrills Comics, met up.

A couple of months later, Whilce Portacio[2] was visiting Manila, and through Gerry, heard about all these new self-published comic books. On November 3 of 1994, the group met up with Whilce and he encouraged them to continue telling our own stories. His one advice was, “Huwag tayo kan-yeah kan-yeah,” he said with his California accent. “We should be sama-sama!” He said, if the individual groups banded together and had one name and one logo, it would become the stamp that told readers this comic book is made by Filipinos, for the Filipinos.

The name “Alamat” came from Ian Orendain, the editor of Lakan. The logo of the “shining sun” came from Lando Inolino of Exodus.

The first event of Alamat happened in 1995, hosted by Platinum Comics at Robinsons Galleria. This was where a group of high school kids who created Shadow Comics later joined the group. And as fate would have it, a high school student named Kajo Baldisimo passed-by the exhibit and met Russel Tomas of Virtual Media Studios. Kajo joined the A.R.C.H.O.N. team, where he later met Budgette Tan[3] (Trese) and eventually collaborated with him.

That was also the first time Karen Kunawicz[4] got to meet the Alamat group. She was one of the first columnists to write about the works of Alamat. She invited the group to the events she hosted in Club Dredd, where art exhibits and book launches were also held. In 1999, she published her first book with Alamat, featuring illustrations from several Alamat artists.

One important pillar of Alamat was Powerhaus Productions, operated by Eric Santos, Tony Bucu, and Ynan Reyes (aka Ferres). They set up that business as graphic design studio that doubled as a publishing company.

Because of Powerhaus, several Alamat titles got published; whether it was through the collective funds of the creators or through exchange deals with printing presses. Most of the early Alamat books were produced by or through Powerhaus, including the first collected edition of Gerry Alanguilan’s WASTED[5].

The other pillar that supported Alamat in the 90s was Comic Quest. Mike Simbulan (Vinnie, to his close friends) allowed Alamat to use their branch in SM Megamall to launch new Alamat titles. Later on, Mike wrote and published his own comic book stories under QuestVentures with his friends and some Alamat writers and artists.

While Alamat aspired to be like an Image Comics group, The group never did get their act together to run it like a real publishing company. Even though they stumbled with early attempts, some of the founding members did create noteworthy work that caught the attention of thousands of readers, critics, the media, and award-giving bodies.

DHAMPYR by David Hontiveros, Oliver Pulumbarit, and John Toledo was the first comic book to be nominated by the Manila Critics Circle for a National Book Award.

THE MYTHOLOGY CLASS by Arnold Arre, was the fi rst comic book title to actually win the Philippine National Book Award for Best Graphic Novel. He left the group in 2000 and set up his own Tala Studios and continued to publish more best-selling, awardwinning titles.

Carlo Vergara’s ZSAZSA ZATURNNAH was the first Alamat title to gain a following outside of the typical comic book community, as it gained a fan-base in the LTBGQA+ community and the showbiz / entertainment industry. It was the second title to win a Philippine National Book Award for Best Graphic Novel. Later on, it was adapted into an award-winning movie and an award-winning musical stage play. The animated movie is currently in production, as of this writing. Gerry Alanguilan’s ELMER won the French ACBD Prix Asie Award and the Prix Quaides Bulles Award, as well as gaining a nomination the 2011 Best New Graphic Album in the Eisner Awards.

Pre-Alamat Aschan Titles (1994)

• Flashpoint by Carlo Vergara, David Hontiveros, Alex Santos, Joey Gohu, Baron Vergara and Johnson Morco.
• Sigaw Saklolo by Dino Ignacio
• Comics 101 by Budjette Tan, Brandie Tan, JB Tapia, Mark Gatela, Arnold Arre, Bow Guerrero and Gerry Alanguilan
• Pagan Press by Eric Santos and Ricky Santos
• Exodus by Jay Jimenez, Jim Jimenez, Gilbert Monsanto, Lando Inolio, Roy Allan Martinez, Lui Antonio, and Louie Salvio
• Wasted #1 by Gerry Alanguilan
• Crest Hut Butt Shop by Gerry Alanguilan
• Dead Heart by Gerry Alanguilan
• Shadow Comics by Eric Jugueta and Ronald Tan
• Memento Mori by Dino Ignacio, Brian Uhing, Dave Yu and Hubert Posadas
• Lakan: Bloodshed and Tears by Gerry Alanguilan, Oliver Pulumbarit, John Toledo, Red Samar, Ian Orendain, Budjette Tan and Arnold Arre
• Mere Mortals Comics / Scions / P-Noise
• Main Published Titles

1995

• Indigo Valley #1 and #2 by Eric Santos and Ricky Santos
• P-Noise #1 and #2 by Aris Lim, George Rommel Tamayo and Antonio Bucu
• Shadow Comics #1 by Eric Jugueta and Ronald Tan
• Scions #1 by Alex Santos, Hilton Lee and Hex
• Alamat 101 #1 featuring “Timawa” by Gerry Alanguilan and David Hontiveros, “The Flying Phantom” by Budjette Tan and Bow Guerrero and “Anino” by Aris Lim
• Tattooed #1 by John Jasper Belo and David Hontiveros
• TKS: The Kill Stalker #1 by Ferres
• Age of the Valkyrie by Arnold Arre

1996

• A.R.C.H.O.N. by Russel Tomas, Jay-Jay Tomas, Joseph Fouts, Gerry Alanguilan and David Hontiveros
• PMJunior’s Polgas: Ang Asong Hindi by Nolan Celemente Lawrence Mijares and Eric Santos.
• PMJunior’s Pugad Baboy Adbentiyurs by Nolan Celemente, Lawrence Mijares and Eric Santos.

• 1997
• Angel Ace by Marco Dimaano
• Dhampyr by David Hontiveros and Oliver Pulumbarit
• The Tower of Misunderstanding by Dino Ignacio
• Exodus #2 by Jay Jimenez, Jim Jimenez, Gilbert Monsanto, Lando Inolio, Roy Allan Martinez, Lui Antonio, and Louie Salvio

1998

• Wasted (Alamat compiled edition) by Gerry Alanguilan
• Batch72 by Budjette Tan, Arnold Arre, Ian Sta. Maria, JB Tapia, Mark Gatela, Brandie Tan and Bow Guerrero

1999

• On the Verge by Karen Kunawicz with art by Gerry Alanguilan, Jeck Ebreo, Carlos Hubilla, Arnold Arre, Robert
• Alejandro, Brandie Tan et. al.
• Mythology Class #1 to 4 by Arnold Arre
• Pantheon #1 to 5 by David Hontiveros, Carlo Vergara and Ryan Orosco
• Avatar #1 to 3 by David Hontiveros, Carlo “Toto” Santos and Oliver Pulumbarit

2000

• Angel Ace: Lone Wolf and Cherub by Marco Dimaano
• Baylans #1 by Jason Banico, Anthony Yap and Percy Denollo
• Angel Ace: Again # 1 by Marco Dimaano

2001

• Angel Ace: Again #2, 3 and 4 by Marco Dimaano
• One Night in Purgatory by Carlo Vergara

• Baylans #2 by Jason Banico, Anthony Yap, Percy Denollo

2002

• Batch72 #1 and 2 by Budjette Tan, Arnold Arre, Ian Sta. Maria and Brandie Tan
• Batch72 #3 by Budjette Tan, Arnold Arre and Arvie Villena
• Ang Kagilagilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah #1 by Carlo Vergara

2003

• Ang Kagilagilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah #2 by Carlo Vergara
• WASTED: The Final Edition (published by PULP) by Gerry Alanguilan

2005

• KIA: Kai Indominable Assassin by Marco Dimaano
• Trese Case 1 and 2: Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo

2006

• Elmer by Gerry Alanguilan
• Trese Case 3 to 6: Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo
• Bathala: Apokalypsis #1 by David Hontiveros and Ace Enriquez (based on an idea from Gerry Alanguilan)

2007 - 2021

• KADILIMAN: In Their Silent Shadow Carnival by David Hontiveros and Edgar Tadeo

• Jacara Zar by Edgar Tadeo
• Bathala: Apokalypsis #2 To 7 by David Hontiveros and Ace Enriquez (based on an idea from Gerry Alanguilan)
• Tatsulok by David Hontiveros and Xerx Javier
• The VERSE titles: Agyu, Dakila, Kadasig, Uriel, Maskarado/Dakila: Silver Like Dust (co-published with Capsule Comics), DAKILA/Fr. TRESE: Iunctura (published by Avenida) by David Hontiveros. Art by Romnick Magbanua, Enel Lawrence Villegas, Bibo Reyes, Pyotr Mutuc, Reno Maniquis, Marvin del Mundo, Michael Urbano, Ian Sta. Maria, Elmer Cantada, Carl Corilla, Rafael Gumboc, Jason Confesor, Nonie Cruzado, Vinnie Pacleb

Thirty Years After: the Alamat Origins anthology

Through the efforts Paolo Herras of Komiket, seventeen titles of various genre that ran from 1996 to 2006 were selected to be republished as a compilation, aptly titled Alamat: Origins and was launched on July 2024 at the first Philippine International Comics Festival held at The Podium.