Diliman Generation Now launched at PICOF 2024

The Philippine International Comics Festival 2024 was such a rush.

I still struggle to find the words to describe how it all went in the past two days. Ever since I started working on Diliman (1997), part of me has always cherished the idea of the community I could become a member of. But in the years that followed, watching everyone else rise and receive support while I dwindled, there was a part of me that felt.. "salingkit' in all of it. I posted my comic pages in the message groups (yes, message groups. Wala pang Facebook or Twitter noon) and was grateful at the meager support and notice it received.

Today, I learn I was wrong. With the launch of DILIMAN GENERATION NOW, I learned there were many who did notice the first book and now welcomed my return to comics. There were many clamors to find a way to re-release Diliman (1997) for print as it was always simply digital before. One even remembered buying the burned CD of the first five issues from me back in Bahay ng Alumni. The warmth of their welcome was unexpected but terribly appreciated. My partner-in-life, Rocky Sunico, was with me on both days to support me, cheer me on, and make sure stayed sustained. My mom and Auntie Meyot showed up to support the book too. And bonus mention of her sharing she, "blesses me with holy water while i sleep" since as a kid I kept writing scary stories! Lovely friends were there too to celebrate with me the wonderful two days. It was also great seeing a lot of creators I respect and whose work I admire.

Diliman Generation Now had a book launch which was quite lovely. Got to talk more about the book's over-twenty-year journey and how even that ties into the story itself. The host, CT Lim, encouraged the attendees to ask questions while also giving me a lot of wonderful things to consider and discuss. Some easter eggs were even hinted at, and clips of the launch will soon be online (Thanks again, Rocky for recording it all!) And bonus points to the funny moment of seeing how one of the hinted easter eggs was intriguing enough to have people literally leap onto a Google search to test their theories that very moment!

Incredible komiks legends and fantastic current creators were there and a good number of them were super kind enough to say hello and support my book. I got to finally meet the incredible Ricks M Santos who was a huge inspiration for me in my younger years with Indigo Valley, the compassionate and witty Tarantadong Kalbo who actually purchased a copy and asked me to sign it (and the school attendance!), wonderfully kind and talented Pol Medina Jr. who also asked me to sign the copies of both Leader Bored and my own book (and we helped during the ingress! tee hee!) ... and feel awkward when a number of other creators I admire kept calling me one of the OG (I'm not!!!) since they had heard of, read of, or actually encountered my first book before. Made new friends, met more creators, and just loved how friendly and open everybody was in celebrating comics. I want to tag you all but Meta might accuse me of being a spammer, so wag muna

It was such an avalanche of mixed feelings. Imposter Syndrome was screaming at me. But seeing the excited faces peering through the pages, the eager questions on when the next episode will be out if not the entire trade compilation, and watch the stack of books dwindle with each sale, I found myself on the verge of tears a few times, just in disbelief that this was finally happening. I am finally a published comic creator with a book of their own. Utot ni Bathala, I am here. And I'm not going away.

Here's to attending more conventions and events in the future! And here's to getting the entire story of DILIMAN GENERATION NOW out there for you all to enjoy! Thank you so much.

(Photos by Rocky, and others)

Part of the event was having an official book launch for DILIMAN GENERATION NOW! With it hosted by CT Lim, I was able to talk a lot both about my journey and how that journey is not too different from what the comic will explore. Rocky was able to capture it and here it is for everyone who may be interested in seeing it:

Thank you so much! And I hope you enjoy episode one.