Philippine International Comics Festival to be Held on July 20-21

Comics fans unite! For the first time since 2020, The Philippine International Comic Festival is finally making its face-to-face return! Comic and graphic novel artists and fans are invited to take part in a weekend of exhibitions, workshops, and special talks at #PICOF2024 to be held on July 20-21 at the Podium Hall in Ortigas.

Organized by Komiket, this year’s event boasts many firsts for comics in Southeast Asia as it is the first comic festival in the world with an Official Selection of ten graphic novel pitches developed in a Creator’s Lab and published in time for the festival.

Among these are the 40th National Book Award and 7th National Children’s Book Award winner “Alandal” by J. Philip Ignacio and Alex Niño; the 2021 Asian Festival of Children’s Content – Best Media Pitch winner “Doobiedoo Asks” by Bambi and Roland Amango; and “Twinkle Twinkle” by Tori Tadiar, which was the National Children’s Book Award and Filipino Reader’s Choice Award winner.

Two titles are also getting their first releases: “Niño Bughaw” by CJ Reynaldo, about a deaf engkanto who has to save his parents from the evil stormy engkanto, and “Watchdog of Manila” by Lucas Lacorte, which narrates the story of a young boy who uses his newfound powers to guard Sentro Manila.

Meet Comic Creators

Festival attendees will get the chance to talk to some of the country’s most popular and renowned creators such as Pol Medina Jr., Tarantadong Kalbo, Libreng Komiks, and SSKAIT. Also in attendance are National Book Award winners RH Quilantang, Mike Alcazaren, Noel Pascual, and AJ Bernardo.

Filipino creators from provinces will also be making an appearance including Pasyon Komiks and Kartilya Komiks from Iloilo City, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ren Galeno and Gigi Chan from Davao; and Yuri Javillonar who’s releasing a preview chapter of her work “Blight,” coming all the way from Baguio. Several students and national arts scholars in the country will also take part in the event.

Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to meet and greet foreign creators like Singapore's Juliette Yu-Ming Lizeray and Fang Kai Loo, Malaysia's Erica Eng, Chin Yew, and Sam Seen, Thailand's Ping Sasinan, Maelon, and Seesaw, Indonesia's Toni Masdiono and Tita Larasati, United States' Craig Yoe, and Scotland's Sean Michael Wilson.

Experience Workshops and Masterclasses

The Comics Masterclasses are a highlight at the PICOF festivals, where attendees are given the rare opportunity to learn and engage in conversation with international comics professionals about their craft, inspiring other artists to hone their skills not just in comics but also in sequential art and visual storytelling.

Some classes to look forward to include: “Dynamic Flow & Angles,” led by Toni Masdiono; Lyndon White’s “Stand Out Cover Art,” and Carlo Vergara’s “Digging Your Well: Unearthing Your Personal Catalogue of Story Possibilities.”

Celebrating Comics Heritage

#PICOF2024 will pay tribute to the Alamat Comics creators who started the independent comics scene in Manila through a comics exhibit of collected artworks by the Komikero Museum, and a comics anthology, Alamat Origins.

A Comics Rights Market will also be held a week before the festival, featuring a two-day rights-selling training with international comics agent Ivanka Hahnenberger. Aimed to enhance the professional development of Filipino komiks publishers, the fair is known to be the oldest in the world specializing in translation rights, which shows the Philippines’ commitment to advancing its literary contributions worldwide.

#PICOF2024 is supported by the Office of Senator Loren Legarda, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the National Book Development Board (NBDB). For more details, click here.

When: July 20-21, 2024 (Saturday and Sunday) from 10 AM to 8 PM

Location: The Podium Hall, 6/F The Podium, Ortigas Center, 12 ADB Avenue, 1550 Mandaluyong City