In the recent years, the remarkable talent of comic artists Harvey Tolibao, Manuel “Manix” Abrera and Mervin Malonzo has put the Philippines on the international comic landscape. As an advocate of all things innovative and creative, Apple Premium Reseller Beyond the Box aspires to celebrate their illustrations and storytelling prowess through a unique comic book compilation that was created only through the use of an iPad Pro. With each of these artists’ unique style and personality, the brand aims to inspire others by sharing a glimpse of their individual creative stories.
Harvey Tolibao was the son of the proverbial “starving artist” who refused to allow his children fall into the same fate. Fortunately for the rest of the world, Tolibao inherited his father’s love for art and pursued it with enviable passion. After working several jobs for many years, Tolibao knew that his heart belonged to the comic world. “I would draw on tissue, on the backs of paper plates and McDonalds, Jollibee… I drew on everything,” he shared.
He finally started his career in 2006, by pencilling and inking the 12th issue of Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. He has also penciled and inked Iron Man: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Annual for Marvel in 2008. Today, Tolibao is a cover artist at Zenescope Entertainment, a comic book artist at IDW Publishing, an artist at Nautilus Comics, and a cover artist for DC Comics with covers for Green Arrow DC 52, Green Lantern Movie Prequen Sinestro, and Green Lantern New Guardians.
Filipinos have the uncanny ability to find humor in even the hardest of times, and Manuel “Manix” Abrera gets that. Best known for Kikomachine, a strip found on the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Abrera’s work tells the stories of Filipinos’ everyday adventures in a comical way. Published from Monday to Saturday, the comic is dedicated to encouraging readers to laugh off life’s problems. His life motto sings a similar tune. “When you really love what you are doing, no matter what challenges life throws at you, you pursue it,” he says emphatically. His work has appeared in ten compilations published by Visprint and his webcomic News Hardcore! appears weekly on GMA News Online. He also has silent comic/graphic novels titled “12” and “14”.
Mervin Malonzo is jack-of-all trades, master of all. He is a freelance designer and cartoonist who dabbles in illustration, video & animation, print, and comics. But comic art has a special place in his heart. “Comics are different from other art forms they have their own unique language that you can play around with,” he confides. Malonzo is known for writing and drawing the National Book Award-winning comic TABI PO, a graphic novel about Filipino horror culture and folkore. He has also collaborated with writer Adam David on another title called ANG SUBERSIBO, a comic adaptation of Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
BEYOND is available in all Beyond the Box stores nationwide starting September 15, 2016 and will retail for Php 350. For more information, you may visit www.beyondthebox.ph.