Philippine Spirits Mythica Obscura Is Here. And It’s Not the Mythology You Think You Know.

Filipino mythology isn’t just about aswangs and kapres. And it’s definitely not a bunch of Greek-looking gods in "bahag" with six-packs.

If that’s your frame of reference, Philippine Spirits Mythica Obscura will reset it.

Karl Gaverza focuses on 44 mythological beings from across the Philippines! Spirits that eat livers, shapeshifters that mimic children, gods who take animal form, and names you’ve probably never heard unless you grew up in a barangay or spent time digging through ethnographic archives.

“After I graduated I wanted to turn my thesis into an encyclopedia of mythologies in the Philippines,” Karl says. “After the first ten stories (this was in 2016) I realized how much I liked writing, so I just kept going and now I have over 350 stories on my website and 44 in Mythica Obscura.”

What Makes This Book Different

This isn’t fiction. It’s documentation.

Karl spent years researching the works of Maximo Ramos, Damiana Eugenio, and F. Landa Jocano. But he didn’t stop at books. He went into communities interviewing T’boli, Kapampangan, Aklanon, and others.

“I deep dive into different sources… I also go around the archipelago, interviewing different culture bearers.”

The stories aren’t cleaned up for comfort. Some involve spirits that eat children. Others describe beings that enslave them. These aren’t cautionary tales retold through a Western lens... they’re based on lived belief systems, told in context.

“These stories don’t belong to just one person, but to the whole cultural community they are a part of.”

Why This Matters

Karl is Ilonggo, but he wasn’t taught Hiligaynon. Like many people in the diaspora, or even in the Philippines, he grew up separated from his own stories. This project helped him reconnect.

“I was never taught the language of my people… It means a lot to me to connect to a culture I was never a part of growing up.”

He doesn’t focus on just the “greatest hits” of Philippine folklore. He intentionally highlights lesser-known spirits and regional stories because the diversity of belief is the point.

Who This Is For

• Diaspora kids trying to understand where they come from
• People who love mythology but want more than Western stories
• Artists, writers, and teachers who want something rooted and specific
• Anyone curious about what existed before colonization

How to Get It

Philippine Spirits Mythica Obscura launches at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 in a limited convention-edition print run.

Launch: San Diego Comic-Con 2025
Format: Softcover
By: Karl Gaverza
Art by: Leandro Geniston, Marc Samuel Magpantay, Andrew Rebuldela, Lou Pineda-Arada, Patricia de Vera, Yanna Gemora, Joncel Guevarra, Fam Telmo, Camille Chua, Kurt Prieto, Catherine Chiu, Dyani Lao, Kayla Teodoro, Paul Medalla, Jul Yan Espeleta, Edrian Badyo, Alexa Garde, Maku Felix, and NightmareSyrup.

Remaining stock will be available online at hottropiks.com after the show.

Want to carry it? Feature it? Talk to Karl?
Email: info@hottropiks.com