Queer Philippine Komiks You Should Read (Recommended by a Straight Filipino-American Guy)
I’m not sure if there are any blogs out there about gay Philippine komik recommendations written by a straight, Filipino-American cis male who spent the last 20 years living in the Philippines… but here we are.
Before I got into this world, I didn't know much about it. Like a lot of people in the West, I assumed LGBTQ+ media was always a super specific, serious genre that was mostly about politics. But living in the Philippines, I found a completely different setup. While they definitely have media made just for the LGBTQ+ community, a lot of it is just mainstream entertainment for everyone where the characters happen to be gay. From BL (Boys' Love) and GL (Girls' Love) to Beki and Fab culture, it’s a massive part of everyday pop culture. To put it into perspective… Vice Ganda, who is a proudly queer icon, is literally the biggest celebrity and movie star in the entire country.
My real introduction to it was when the Thai BL wave exploded. I started noticing Philippine trends on Twitter like #EarthMix capturing millions of fans. The whole genre actually started with Yaoi books in Japan, but seeing how Thailand put their own twist on it and turned it into a massive global phenomenon made me “curious”.
That curiosity turned into a real experience when I got the chance to executive produce Kumusta Bro? with Direk Real Florindo of Firestarters Productions. We made the first-ever interactive digital live BL series in the Philippines. The audience could stream the show on the Kumu app and literally vote to help choose what happened in the story week by week.
While making the show, I found the most interesting part of the whole culture: the fanbase. If you look at who is actually hyping it up online and buying the books, watching the shows, it’s overwhelmingly Gen Z girls. They are super passionate, and they basically run the entire industry.
Over here in the West, the closest thing to that vibe is a show like Heartstopper, which started as a Webtoon. At its core, it’s a cute, coming-of-age romance story.
The more I got into the culture out of curiosity, the more I became a genuine fan of the storytelling. If you want to see what the hoopla is about, check these out:
1. Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Zsazsa Zaturnnah (by Carlo Vergara)
Zsazsa for me is the gateway and the GOAT. The premise is hella funny and awkward, but then again so is Ada, the main character. He’s a gay beautician who has a crush on his neighbor and lives a boring life. Then this rock from space lands, he swallows the rock, and he turns into a fabulous woman superhero: Zsazsa Zaturnnah. To make things hella more awkward, the man he has a crush on has a crush on Zsazsa. Now add amazons, giant frogs, and all sorts of wild shit… This one has a huge following and has been adapted to a live-action film, a stage play, and now an animated series.
2. Somewhere in My Past (by Gigi Chan)
This one is just cute AF. It’s a heartwarming, slow-burn high school romance inspired by Reply 1988, set in a nostalgic 1980s Davao. It follows shy Gian experiencing his romantic "firsts" when charismatic transfer student Joaquin arrives. The black-and-white art perfectly sells that retro flashback vibe.
3. Dante, Damian, Pascal & The Pusang Kalye (by Levi Sabarre)
This is honestly the cutest, most wholesome story about a gay couple and their street cat (pusang kalye) named Pascal. The dynamic is so fun because one of the guys, Dante, is a police officer, and his partner, Damian, is a tricycle driver. It’s a super charming slice-of-life romantic comedy about their daily lives and the chaos of being "fur-parents" in the Philippines.
4. Alapaap: A Collection of Filipino Boys' Love One-Shot Komiks (Edited by Arrel Untalan)
This anthology is a must-read because it features the absolute masters of the genre all in one book. Curated by Arrel Untalan (Tsambolero), this collection of eleven unique one-shot stories serves as the perfect introduction to local BL. It showcases a massive variety of artistic styles and romantic perspectives, ranging from sweet, everyday slice-of-life to wild fantasy.
5. Ang Jowa Kong Crosswise (by Tsambolero)
Tsambolero is a genius and this book is freaking hilarious. The setup is wild because it’s about a Manananggal who can split his body in half, which leads to a lot of hilarious double entendres, awkward situations, and some straight-up raunchy, dirty jokes. It gets pretty explicit and chaotic with the situations they get into, but it's just so funny.
6. Careless Confidential (by Logihy)
GL workplace romance set in Manila. It follows Florence, who vents about a bad breakup to a kind stranger in the rain, only to discover the next day that this woman is her new boss. You should definitely read this if you're into that cringe office romance tension.
