Here's what the new graphic novel is all about
Filipino artist and comic book legend Alex Nino is set to launch a new graphic novel this month. The 81-year-old illustrator goes back to the drawing board as he creates the world envisioned by writer Jay Ignacio.
Dubbed as "Alandal," the 96-page comic book will bring readers to an adventure set in the late 1700s. Its central character is a 12-year-old girl named Sabina, a daughter of a retired and exiled Spanish conquistador. After being abducted by Iranus pirates, she is taken to Jolo where she discovers that she is a granddaughter of a local sultan.
" only now I am doing this kind of Filipino graphic novel that's similar to Lapu-lapu. But I'll make it different," Alex says in a video released on Jay's Youtube channel. "I want the readers to keep flipping back the pages. They will get excited."
"I did this so that I can be remembered," the comic book artist adds. "Everything is in here—brush, ink, and acrylics. When I say one more for the road, this is it."
Alex made it to the international comic scene during the '70s. He is known for his works for DC and Marvel, which include "Batman," "Hulk," and "Power Man." He also adapted literary classics such as "Moby Dick," "War of the Worlds," and "The Three Musketeers" to comics. Jumping from another drawing board, he even dabbled with animation and character design for Disney movies such as "Mulan," "Treasure Planet," and "Atlantis," among others. Jay, on the other hand, is a prolific writer, documentarist, and a singer and musician for the band DaPulis.
This is not the first time the two artists work together. In the past, Alex has illustrated Jay's "The Merchant of Oltrarno."
"Alandal" will be launched on Sept. 4, 2021 at the Philippine International Comics Festival. You can pre-order it here.