Diwata Komiks is a diversity-focused indie comics company dedicated to telling stories from their multicultural heritage. Comprised of a small team of multi-generational creatives from vastly different backgrounds, they provide a platform for their community to tell new stories with authentic voices through comics and other media.
This month, Diwata Komiks has been able to participate in several community-based Pride Month events. These events have included Southern California’s only LGBTQ+ comic convention, QCon, in West Hollywood, as well as a launch event at Tang & Java where the company revealed its first trans hero, Carter, aka “Shifter.”
Featured New Icons Creator Liam Coballes
QCon is now in its 3rd year put together by LGBTQ+ comic non-profit Prism Comics. Founded in 2003, Prism Comics is the leading non-profit, all-volunteer organization supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, and LGBTQIA-friendly comic books, comics professionals, readers, and educators.
The Diwata Komiks team went all out for this year’s QCon. Chief Creative and Co-Founder Mark Nazal entered the costume contest as the X-Men’s Quentin Quire with the Phoenix Force, and he was joined by Lyn Pacificar whose character Divina Amala makes her first appearance in our upcoming New Icons Vol. 1 anthology. Also attending from our team were Carmina co-creator Erica Juliet, who will be starring as the character in our live-action adaptation projects, and our special guest astrologer, Celina Starlight, who stars as herself in an upcoming New Icons live-action webisode. It was a fun opportunity to reconnect with established fans who have already discovered the Diwata Komiks brand as well as reach out to new audiences who may not have known of us before. Fans were especially interested in picking up Carmina: The Wrathborn Goddess #2, specifically the variant cover featuring the sexy “zaddy” character, Chaplain created by Joe Arciaga. It was such a success that we sold out of the copies of both issues of Carmina that we had with us!
Onstage at the QCon Cosplay Contest
In addition to a poster print featuring Divina Amala that was available at the event, attendees also marveled at the colorful and mystical pieces painted by artist and featured creator Lyn Pacificar. You can learn more about her work (and purchase prints) on her official art website.
In addition to spotlighting our upcoming projects, the team met colorful members of the queer community as well as their allies, including X-Men ‘97 Season 1 showrunner Beau DeMayo and Holly Chu, who voices Jubilee on the popular Disney+ animated event. Mark Nazal will be reuniting with Holly Chu on a panel at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego – more details to come soon. It was a fantastic experience, and the team enjoyed getting to know and connecting with their audience in the LGBTQ+ community.
DK Chief Creative/Carmina Series Co-Creator & Director Mark Nazal with X-Men ’97 Creator and Season 1 Showrunner Beau DeMayo
On the heels of QCon, the diversity-focused team continued their Pride Month celebration with a special milestone event at Tang & Java in Woodland Hills. Tang & Java is a popular gelato and coffee spot in the area known for its amazing desserts with signature Filipino flavors. Owner Diana Lua enforces the idea of fostering an inclusive environment for all, which made it the perfect venue for launching our first trans character, Carter, aka “Shifter” who was created by Liam Coballes and illustrated by Arthur Cabezas.
The event was met with such enthusiasm over the inclusion of this milestone character. To celebrate the event, Tang & Java created a Pride Month Dessert & Drink Menu in collaboration with Diwata Komiks inspired by LGBTQ characters from New Icons Vol. 1, such as Anton by Mark Nazal, Alma by Marielle Atanacio, and of course, Shifter. Each had a signature dessert attributed to them. Diwata Komiks co-founder and Chaplain creator Joe Arciaga, Shifter creator Liam Coballes, and Anton’s Mark Nazal attended the event.
From Left: Featured New Icons Creator Liam Coballes, Tang & Java Owner Diana Lua, and Chief Creative Mark Nazal
“If I went back in time and told my 12-year-old self that one of our characters is gonna be in a comic, they wouldn’t believe me,” Shifter creator Liam Coballes enthuses. “Honestly I’m still on cloud nine that this is actually happening! From the banner to the specialty drink to interacting with folks that were curious about Carter’s story, it is surreal!”
Carter is a trans-Filipino man with a very dark past. Born into a clan of deadly elite female assassins, he is sent away on a sham mission by his own mother upon learning about his transgender identity. Disavowed and left for dead, Carter reinvents himself in a new city, choosing to live a life he proudly chooses for himself. Using his training and ability to create and use tech-based mimicry, he fights as “Shifter” to protect those who are oppressed by society and works in secret to intercept his family’s shadowy missions all over the world.
Available at the event along with the delicious treats were first-edition exclusive cards featuring Shifter and Anton plus Chaplain, with the creators on site to sign the cards for collectors. After the event, our final prints of the first two Carmina issues became completely out of stock thanks to the support of fans and the community.
From Left: DK Co-Founder and Director of Community Joe Arciaga, Featured New Icons Creator Liam Coballes, and Chief Creative Mark Nazal
Finally, we would be remiss if we did not mention the artist whose work has been instrumental in the visual development of New Icons’ LGBTQ comic characters. Arthur Riel Cabezas, who delivered the artwork for Carter and The Hidden World of Anton Jimenez, is a Filipino-born, Ontario-based queer trans artist who was hand-picked by Mark Nazal for his uncanny ability to portray LBGTQ+ and BIPOC characters with such authenticity while keeping each panel dynamic. As a treat to mark the end of Pride Month, here’s your first look at page 1 from The Hidden World of Anton Jimenez which will also debut in New Icons Volume 1.
As Pride Month comes to an end, Diwata Komiks would like to reinforce its commitment to diversity in all its forms and acknowledge that all of our stories deserve to be told by people whose life experiences reflect them in various ways. Whether it is based on how characters look or who they happen to love, we strive for authenticity in our titles so that people in our communities would never have to feel like their stories weren’t worth telling because they never saw themselves in the stories they get to read. In our comics, everyone can become the hero of their own story.
Featured New Icons Creator Lyn Pacificar and DK Chief Creative/Carmina Series Co-Creator & Director Mark Nazal
Stay tuned for more news about Diwata Komiks as the team prepares for the mega convention that is San Diego Comic-Con 2024 where various creators will be providing sneak peeks at various projects in multiple panels throughout the event.
Learn more about Carmina, New Icons, and other associated titles on their official site at diwatakomiks.com.
