Still dealing with the sudden, horrifying loss of her father as a child, Carmina tries to make the best of her situation despite being stuck in an unhappy relationship and living in a trailer park. But after being riddled by strange nightmares that put her up against monstrous creatures all the way on the Philippine…
Diwata Komiks Hopes to Bring Forward More Filipino Stories That Resonate From Home
Interest in ongoing komiks series like Trese has shown a growing enthusiasm for wider, global accessibility to consume Philippine-produced media. In recent years, especially accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic’s limitations of conventions and art shows, platforms like Penlab have given komiks creators more opportunities to expand their reach online while broadening the channels potential readers…
REVIEW: The Grotesque of Modern Frankenstein Has Been Done Before—And Better
As his student, Elizabeth is fascinated by the ways of Dr. James Frankenstein, a figure surrounded by controversy due to the conducting of unethical experiments he believes would serve the betterment of humanity. Swayed by what she believes are good intentions and her growing attraction to him, Elizabeth willingly becomes his protégé. She digs herself…
What’s a Zine? WWAC Roundtable on Zinecourse
In an era where self-publishing is easier than ever, what makes a zine a zine? Is a crowdfunded glossy fanzine full of big name fanart the same as a Xerox’d treatise on your favorite band? Is there room for more than one definition of zine? WWAC held a round table to find out!
Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Look Back Illustrates How Passion Also Means People
Although Tatsuki Fujimoto is mostly known for Chainsaw Man, especially in light of its upcoming anime adaptation to be developed by MAPPA, he has always had a strong versatility to his craft not letting himself be boxed within the confines of the tropes typical to the shounen genre. Look Back was recently published as a…
REVIEW: Netflix’s Trese Could Improve Its Delivery of Darkness and Dwende
This review contains spoilers for Trese (2021). “There are monsters among us, and some of them are human,” remarks Alexandra Trese, after cracking yet another case in the Philippine metropolitan of Manila, where the supernatural stalk its streets. Following in the footsteps of her father and coming from a significant lineage, Alexandra works as a…
REVIEW: Wika Empowers Its Visuals But Not Its Worldbuilding
As the last survivor in a line of a once-powerful fairy kingdom, Wika had to live her life toughening things out in the streets. While dodging suspicious characters, she tries to keep her identity a secret in a world where fairies are scrutinized and persecuted. But thanks to magical tattoos that visibly change on her…
REVIEW: WandaVision Has a Wonderfully Weird Start
Wanda Maximoff and Vision are no ordinary couple, so how long can they keep up an act before their neighbors find out? WandaVision is the latest byproduct emerging from the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline that follows the lives of Wanda Maximoff and Vision living in a suburban American neighborhood after the events of Avengers: Endgame.
A Platform for Philippine Komiks: An Interview With Penlab
Filipino komiks (“comics”) have long had a commercial industry that goes far back as the 1920s, but it has been only until recently that interest in these works has grown outside of the Philippines. With social isolation restrictions still in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many artists have been turning to ways to expand…
REVIEW: Folktales and Family Collide in The Magic Fish
I’ve been enchanted by Trung Le Nguyen’s art since I saw his travel journal comics on Twitter in February of 2019 so I was really excited to see the announcement for his debut graphic novel, The Magic Fish.
REVIEW: The Magic of Mooncakes Is Its Respectful Representation
Unlike many other witches-in-training, Nova Huang has taken comfort in staying in her hometown and working at her grandmothers’ bookstore. Nova ends up running into Tam Lang, her childhood friend and werewolf, caught in a confrontation with a demon in the woods. Following the encounter, Tam reveals they have been without a place they can…
A24’s Entrance Into Animation Should Be Exciting, But Instead, It’s Exhausting
Content warning: mentions of sexual abuse and rape. While much of the entertainment industry seems to be at a pause, animators everywhere continue to work behind their screens and working stations without interruption. Live-action productions — endeavors that require physical contact and varying degrees of intimacy — are mostly at a standstill due to an…