Manix abrera biography of george
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Even as Manix describes some of his early works as “cringe,” the simple and relatable characters still resonate with its audience, from university students to now working and professional adults. He would release 50 copies at a scheduled time and followers would pick them right up. Bertong Badtrip (2019) is a more political series, spilling from the discontent of the time, and Lil’ Bertong Badtrip (2021), inspired by Manix’s child, whom he said looked angry during his early years—brought hu- mor out of the frustrations and anger felt by the populace.
He is the creator of Kikomachine Komix, a long-running daily strip in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Manix Abrera
3.5 x 2.5 inches, pen and ink on paper
2025
Kitakits sa impyerno! Unlike the cool professor in Kikomachine Komix – who was mostly inspired by Roselle Pineda, a story that was an urban legend for a while before Manix confirmed it – Terror Prof is an amalgamation of many teachers and professors, starting from a scary one Manix encountered during grade school.
Words Portia Placino
The last time I interviewed Manix Abrera, it was for the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. We talked about his decade of practice in artmaking, starting as a student, pitching his comics to the Philippine Daily Inquirer while hiding his identity, and going into print publication of his books and experimental silent comics.
It proved to be rewarding, despite all the challenges. Manix shares that his mother, his partner, himself, his friends, and even I have shared stories of life in academia, and these are all starting points and possibilities in the narrative. He is also a TOYM (Ten Outstanding Young Men) Awardee in 2022 for Literature, Culture, and the Arts.
Manix considers himself an incessant child of the universe, always in pursuit of stories and mysteries which he immortalizes and passes on through his art.
Ano ang Iyong Kahilingan
Manix Abrera
2.5 x 3.5 inches, pen and ink on paper
2025
Evaluation
Manix Abrera
3.5 x 2.5 inches, pen and ink on paper
2025
Ang tadhana!
14 is a grand narrative of weird yet wonderful tales, humorous albeit dark and spooky, surreal but unarguably true to the emotions of the heart.
Another character to make it into her own series and book is Terror Prof, published in “The Terror Prof Book 1” in 2022. Looking back, Manix spent years with the Philippine Collegian during his time at the University of the Philippines, dealing with cutting and direct political commentary through his artworks.
He then takes his and other shared stories of people in academia, with obvious exaggerations, and turns them into stories we find in Terror Prof. Most Filipino students encountered a Terror Prof at one point in their lives, which makes the series both hilarious and familiar. With over two decades of being part of Filipinos’ daily lives, the comic series experienced Manix’s and the country’s transformation.
14 tells the story of a human who mysteriously discovers a 13th floor in his building and finds himself in the middle of a storytelling session among different mythological creatures of Philippine folklore.
This is another new trajectory he explored alongside self-publishing. Though rare in direct sociopolitical commentary, Manix’s subtle critiques are most deeply felt through the Badtrip series, and he shares that we are bound to see more of it in the future. Manix shared that he consulted with friends he made in Visprint on how he could go about self-publishing.
Kikomachine Komix is still by far the most popular and definitive of Manix’s works. To date, Manix has produced 18 volumes of Kikomachine Komix, News Hardcore compilation volume 1, “Si Amapola” graphic novel (with national artist Ricky Lee), “Li’l Bertong Badtrip”, “The Terror Prof”, “Ang Mahiwagang Dwende”, and wordless comics “12” and “14” (published in the US by Ablaze).
Manix is a three-time National Book Awardee for his works, “14” (2015), “News Hardcore: Hukbong Sandatahan ng Kahaggardan” (2016) and “Kikomachine Komix Volume 14: Alaala ng Kinabukasan” (2019), and a finalist in the 2024 edition for “The Terror Prof”.
I shared how, as a reader, I found it difficult to buy one of his books during the pandemic.