Hot Tropiks at San Diego Comic-Con 2025: Our Biggest Milestone Yet

We just wrapped our second year at San Diego Comic-Con, and it felt like a true turning point for Hot Tropiks.

In many ways, this year marked a shift. What started in 2024 as a small booth sharing komiks and kids lit has now grown into a full slate of original releases, merch collaborations, and real momentum behind Filipino storytelling. The response we got this year was overwhelming in the best way.

It all came together fast. We thought we were confirmed after WonderCon, only to realize a month before the event that our application hadn’t gone through. Thankfully, Madison and the Comic-Con team made room for us at the last minute, and from there it was a mad dash to get books printed, merch ready, and logistics sorted in just two weeks. Big thanks to Jenebeth and Robin at Edge Book Printing for pulling off a tight turnaround.

And somehow, it all worked. The energy at the booth, the support from our community, and the conversations that followed made this our most meaningful Comic-Con yet.

It was hectic, but completely worth it.

What Went Down

We launched three original titles under Hot Tropiks Press:
• Mythica Obscura by Karl Gaverza
• Amboys #1 by Sigmund Torre and Angelo Mendez
• Maloles: The Reckoning Vol. 1 by Ebony Soy — which was delayed in shipping but finally arrived after the con (official release coming soon)

We also released our first official merch collaboration with Arnold Arre, now available online, and had a full table of komiks, kids's lit and merch from Team Manila and Arnold. We had some great moments — reconnecting with longtime supporters, meeting new readers, and having surprise visits from legends like Russell Molina and Nathan Cayanan. It was exciting to see so much interest in Filipino books and storytelling.

(Composite image featuring (left) Morgan Hampton, Dorado Quick, Nathan Cayanan, and Angelo Mendez; and (right) Russell Molina with a fan. Photo by Hot Tropiks.)

Community and Collaboration

One of the highlights of the weekend was our booth neighbors, Le Petit Elephant, who helped introduce us to their audience and brought a ton of good energy. That kind of support made a huge difference for us.

We’re also welcoming a wave of new readers who signed up for The Adobo Times mailing list at the booth. If you entered our SDCC raffle, check your email — we’ve already reached out to the winners!

What’s Next

We’re preparing for the official launch of Maloles, and Mythica Obscura is now available online for those who missed them. We’ll also be back with more merch drops and fall pop-up events — and some exciting international publishing updates are on the way.

Maharlika Vol. 1 and 2 are back by popular demand. Created by Rexy Dorado and John Ray, this sci-fi series set in a futuristic Philippines gained a lot of attention at Comic-Con. Whether you're a longtime fan or just discovering it, now’s your chance to grab a copy.

And yes — we heard you — the Team Manila x Hot Tropiks Bangus Pro Shop hat in orange is coming soon. So many people asked about it.

This was a big step for us — not just in terms of reach, but in seeing firsthand how much space there is for bold, original stories from the Philippines and the tropiks.

Check out our SDCC 2025 album on our Facebook Page