Manix Abrera S 14

ABLAZE proudly presents "14," the second silent graphic novel created by Filipino comic artist, Manix Abrera. Winner of a National Book Award (Category: Wordless Graphic Literature) in 2015, awarded by the National Book Development Board and Manila Critics Circle. 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. 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. 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. Using absolutely no words in this graphic novel, Manix successfully tells the stories through careful planning of each scene and sequence. Frame by frame, panel by panel, Manix effectively renders each scene in detail and maximizes the power of images to completely convey the stories and emotions he wants to evoke in his readers. It is now up to you, the reader, to notice these details, to savor each frame, page by page until the big picture and meaning unfold sans the usual text balloons. Sounds mind-blowing!

Acclaimed Filipino cartoonist and three-time National Book Awardee Manix Abrera, with ABLAZE, are proud to present his graphic novel "12". 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.

Ben and Miko’s relationship is in trouble. He’s a struggling filmmaker, she works for a local film festival, and in various ways, they’re both searching for something else. When he’s not managing a derelict movie theater, Ben spends his time obsessing over unavailable blonde women, watching Criterion Collection DVDs, and eating in diners with his best friend Alice, a grad student with a serial dating habit. When Miko moves to New York for an internship, Ben begins to explore what he thinks he wants, throwing himself headfirst into new relationships, unfamiliar surroundings, and uncharted emotional territory. Equal parts comedy and drama, Shortcomings explores the complexities of culture, desire, and Asian American identity with a critical eye and unsparing, irreverent wit. Based on Adrian Tomine’s groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name, Shortcomings was written by Tomine and directed by Randall Park. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was an official selection at the Tribeca Festival in advance of a theatrical release from Sony Pictures Classics. Tomine’s screenplay is presented here with extensive annotations, commentary, and bonuses, including alternate and deleted scenes, a selection of color film stills, an introduction from Randall Park, and an exclusive new comic from Tomine. An essential companion to the original graphic novel, this volume is an illuminating document of an iconic story’s adaptation from page to screen.

Dragons. They reign above the eternal snows or in the depths of the abyss... They are marvelous, magical, malicious creatures... But where do these winged crea-tures with sparkling scales and fearsome claws come from? This collection of illustrations on the theme of dragons brings together the best illustrators and comic book authors from around the world: French, English, Dan-ish, Spanish, Italian, American, Canadian... From John Howe, designer of The Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia, to Todd Lockwood, illustrator of Dungeons & Dragons, and Olivier Ledroit, creator of the Chronicles of the Black Moon, and Adrian Smith, one of the authors of Warhammer, and more... They’ve pooled their talents in a Tolkien-style universe where dragons coexist, fight Dwa-rves, Orcs, Elves and Humans... The result is this illustrated encyclopedia, which combines an extraordinary histo-ry of dragons, with gorgeous, fully-painted art, that captures every majestic and fearsome detail of these wonderful scaly behemoths!

The most highly-anticipated debut in comics history is here! Betty and Veronica are America’s sweethearts… until they turn on each other! “Pops’ Chocklit Shoppe is being taken over by a huge coffee company. When Betty and Veronica go head-to-head over the issue, all bets are off! Friendships will shatter. Cities will burn. Nails will be broken. Betty and Veronica are back in this all-new #1 from comics legend Adam Hughes!

Filipino comic artist and three-time National Book Awardee Manix Abrera, in cooperation with ABLAZE, presents "12". 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 simplistic style, devoid of words, but communicate loudly and resonate wildly with your emotions. Each story presents itself in its own charm, with 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! One story reveals a mysterious horror encountered in gloomy desolate highways. Another shows how some group of scientists acquire superpowers because someone hesitated to dissect a frog. A young girl attaches her eyes to a balloon so she can look for her mother above a crowd. 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 in the world of storytelling, but cuts straight into your soul, touches your heart in several dimensions you can and cannot imagine. Allow this collection of wordless comic stories speak to you in your own voice and transport you into a whole new exciting universe, at your own pace and power.

"A lovely, gentle fantasy." –– KIRKUS Now available in paperback, revisit the enchanting world of Tea Dragons with the beloved companion story to the two-time Eisner Award-winning graphic novel The Tea Dragon Society. Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village, but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago. With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep... but Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan come to terms with feeling that he cannot get back the time he has lost. Critically acclaimed graphic novelist K. O'Neill delivers another charming, gentle fantasy story about finding your purpose, and the community that helps you along the way.