There’s a new lizard on the block—and he’s crawling straight out of Martial Law–era Manila.
Komiket proudly presents Butiking Pasay, a 32-page full-color comic written, illustrated, colored, lettered, and designed entirely by Wincy Aquino Ong, launching at the Philippine International Comics Festival (PICOF) on July 5–6, 2025, at Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall.
The comic is one of 11 official selections in PICOF’s 2025 Creator’s Lab Batch 5, spotlighting emerging Filipino comic book creators.
“During the Komiket Creator’s Lab workshop, Wincy and I found a common language that let the story really start cooking—and watching his world come alive piece by piece was pure magic to me,” says Paolo Herras, Komiket co-founder and Butiking Pasay editor. “It’s like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—but grimier, stranger, and definitely more Pinoy.”
Set in a stylized, crumbling version of 1980s Pasay, the story follows a student activist on the run from military torturers—until a strange, barefoot vigilante intervenes. But this isn’t your standard superhero origin tale. According to Ong, the idea came from an unlikely place:
“I was on Reddit looking for old Tagalog phrases—stuff I could maybe turn into a song title for my band Narda. Then I saw ‘Butiking Pasay’ and it just stuck. It sounded gross, mysterious, and totally punk rock. I thought, ‘Why would someone compare a lizard to a city?’ And then it clicked: this isn’t a song title. This is a superhero.”
The Gecko-man cometh
The result is a character that’s one-part urban legend, one-part gecko, and all strange—a figure who slinks through the post-disco ruins of Pasay’s Locsin-era architecture.
“In essence, he’s an urban legend in ’80s Manila, a gecko-man in a Metro Aide uniform,” Ong explains. “His weapon of choice? A backscratcher with a mind of its own. Picture The Addams Family’s Thing fused to a broomstick.”
His power set strays far from the Marvel Comics playbook. Beyond the expected wall-crawling and prehensile tail, Butiking Pasay secretes “mood-shift mucus”—projectiles that can induce sleep, panic attacks, or even head-splitting orgasms.
“Kulangot Bombs, as the in-universe tabloids like to call them,” Ong laughs.
“My elevator pitch to Komiket was simple enough—Lino Brocka’s Ninja Turtles,” he adds.
A strange beast of a comic
Visually, Butiking Pasay stands out in the local komiks scene.
“Let’s face it—Pinoy komiks is packed with gorgeous Jim Lee– and manga-inspired work. I knew I had to find my own weird little niche. So I leaned into something rougher, more expressionistic—what some might call ‘ugly-beautiful.’ Think Æon Flux, The Maxx, Beavis & Butthead. And yes—expect a lot of Brutalist architecture. I’m a street photographer too, and I’m obsessed with Pinoy Brutalism.”
The July launch at PICOF is just the beginning. Butiking Pasay: Rooftop Boogie is the opening chapter of a 200-plus-page graphic novel slated for release in 2026, diving deeper into the character’s origins and lore.
“Definitely not your typical superhero comic,” Ong says. “It’s a strange beast—equal parts PETA stage play, acrobatics show, body horror, and healing fiction. Threaded through all that is a nod to Nick Joaquin’s noir-style reportage. So think of it as a graphic novel with theater bones and tabloid blood. A real pancit canton of a book—messy, hot, but it all makes sense to the Filipino eyeball.”
What to expect at PICOF
But there’s more to the launch than just the comic. Festival-goers can catch a motion comic short screening on Saturday, July 5 at 2PM, collect limited-edition postcards featuring art by Ian Sta. Maria, Ardie Aquino, Elbert Or and Brian Balondo, and even bid on a prototype action figure designed by Super Pixels—with pre-orders open at the booth.
About the creator
Wincy Aquino Ong is a writer, musician, illustrator, filmmaker, and podcaster based in Quezon City. Butiking Pasay marks his first foray into longform graphic fiction—a culmination of his love for superhero storytelling, urban folklore, and Brutalist design.
Event details
BUTIKING PASAY
July 5–6, 2025
Philippine International Comics Festival (PICOF)
Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
Motion Comic Screening: Saturday, July 5, 2PM
