Publisher ABLAZE announces a pair of bold forthcoming new graphic novel releases from the award-winning Filipino creator, Manuel Luis “Manix” Abrera, with the release on June 28th of his critically acclaimed work, “12.”
The new release pushes the boundaries of wordless comics with a collection of a dozen short stories told in illustration-only panels.
It will be followed by the release on September 27 of Abrera’s second wordless comic anthology – the supernaturally inspired, “14,” which earned him a Philippines National Book Award.
Twelve remarkable stories, weird and surreal, thought-provoking yet funny, sometimes disturbing, others terrifying, but nonetheless always enchanting. Twelve genuinely touching stories, all drawn in Manix’s engaging style, devoid of words but communicating loudly.
Each story with its own charm, and intriguing twists – a young man spends his entire
life searching for answers but shock awaits when he finally gets that eureka moment; someone finds love that unexpectedly finds somebody else; two men argue over who goes first on an escalator; a mother and daughter fight over a cockroach; a drunk man urinates on a tree and gets a big surprise – making you wonder how these mundane plots can turn out bizarrely, prompting you to reflect and crave for more! What is the meaning of life? Is finding happiness worth it when you lose what really matters the most? Would you even know what matters the most? Embrace pain and sorrow. Hope for love and will for hope.
Manix Abrera’s 12 breaks all language barriers, cutting straight to your soul, touching your heart in ways you cannot imagine.
“14,” by Manix Abrera • MSRP: $16.99 • 200-pg full-color TP • Release Date: September 27th
14 tells the story of a human who mysteriously discovers a 13th floor on his building and finds himself in the middle of a storytelling session among different mythological creatures of Philippine folklore. Together with a partying crowd of supernatural beings, he listens to stories narrated by creatures such as the Manananggal, Diwata, Tikbalang, Kapre, Tiyanak, and even by a White Lady and a Doppelganger. With each creature taking the stage, describing wild stories spurred by their unique, terrifying traits and abilities, 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. Stories like finding love then losing it, searching for happiness, getting lost, staying trapped, wanting to belong, dying to be born again – may all sound too human, but are also being experienced by these mythological creatures.
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