Hulyen has mastered the art of happy sad in her art. In a country where we tend to mask our feelings with a smile, she illustrates the confrontation of life through the absurdity of mixed feelings. There is beauty in the awkward, and she has found the limitless charm of independent comics to be a perfect avenue for that.
Who are your heroes in real life?
These are just some artists I admire: St. Vincent, Lisa Hanawalt, Yellow Fang, and Dead Balagtas!
Do you have a specific target market in mind when you are making comics?
Wala naman actually, pero tina-try ko ’yung language ko ’yung maiintindihan ng “common people” na hindi siya mahirap maintindihan. Usually kasi, may mga works na mahirap, kasi sa internet ko siya nilalabas so parang tina-try ko ’yung dialogue is something na mage-gets ng mga tao. Hindi din ako sure kasi hindi naman ako madaldal as a person, so parang hindi ko alam kung ganito ba magsalita [ang] mga teenagers ngayon.
When did you start getting into the zine culture here?
Nag-start ako mag-print ng comics ko noong 2014, parang sumali ako ng comic con, nag self-publish ako ng mga comics ko as in pina-print ko lang siya sa Xerox machine. And since then, lagi na akong nagpa-participate sa mga events, mga zine fair. Through there, may nakikilala na akong iba pang artist then ini-invite nila ako sa mga events nila.
When and where were you happiest?
I really enjoy making comics. It’s hard to draw, and sometimes it can be time consuming, but finishing a page makes me happy.
I was making a comics page recently and while I was drawing the tiny details in the artwork that no one might even notice, I just realized that “hey, I really love doing this!” I was just drawing tiny rectangles over and over but I was actually having fun.
What is your greatest fear?
Answering the phone and it’s an unknown number.
How do you want to be remembered?
I guess I want to be remembered as someone who makes comics. But I don’t really mind if people don’t remember me.
Interview by Rogin Losa
Photography by Czar Kristoff
Styling by Vince Crisostomo
Hair and makeup by Zidjian Floro and Raffy So
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This story was originally published in our 4th Anniversary issue and has been edited for web. The digital copy of Scout’s 32nd issue is accessible here.