Published on: Young STAR, 2019
A roundup of Women-Loving-Women comics and what their stories are about.
A huge portion of the country still doesn’t fully accept the LGBTQ+ community for who they
are. A lot of people are still stuck in the closet, afraid that their families won’t accept their
identity. Ans during times like these, it’s important to know that you are not alone.
Between characters like Adventure Time’s Princess Bubblegum and Marceline, Everything
Sucks’ Kate and Emaline, and Riverdale’s Toni and Cheryl — we wish all our OTPs could
perfectly reflect the reality of queer romance.
Young STAR rounded up five women-loving-women (WLW) comics that wonderfully
encapsulate what it’s like to be queer in this day and age. They show the awkwardness,
struggles, humor, and passion of a modern lesbian romance — the kinds of stories we don’t
see very often locally.
Kwentong Tibo by Landlee
Kwentong Tibo revolves around purple-headed lead characters who mostly deal with the
situation of being closeted. There are stories about hiding and coming out to parents,
crushing on friends, and some empowering pieces about appreciating oneself. Landlee even
shared how she wrote this comic to be relatable to people who are still in the closet: “Hiding their true [selves] and enduring the pain of not being accepted by the people they love, I
wanted these people to know that they are not alone, that they can surpass this and that
everything will be okay.”
Uwian by Cat Gablin
Cat Gablin is an artist and writer’s circle that is counted as one of the first groups to release
a local WLW comic anthology. With the help of selected artists and creators, they made a
WLW anthology with 12 pieces covering the topic of coming home. Not all of the pieces are
comic strips — some are one-page artworks that speak volumes to readers.
According to the group, before the release of Uwian, “there were limited works and pieces
available in the local scene celebrating different takes on WLW content.”
Ligaw Tingin by Gantala Press
Ligaw Tingin is another WLW anthology, but with a more classic Filipino theme. The cover
itself sparks interest as you will see two Maria Clara-looking girls in a loving embrace. All of
the stories revolve around the concept of girls falling for each other by way of an alluring
gaze, and highlights different eras and cultures in the Philippines.
The comic has stories in Tagalog and one in Cebuano, all from different artists and writers
who wish to heighten WLW visibility in the comic industry.
Point, Ma’am!!! by Bianca Maranan
You just have to shout when you read the title of this adorable comic. Point, Ma’am!!! is a
quirky comic with a debate theme. It is about the debate club journey of Alex Cruz and how
she starts falling for the rising star of a rival debate team.
Still an ongoing series (now on its seventh volume!), Point, Ma’am!!! is subtle in its depiction
of queer romance , which is perfect as the smallest scenes can make you feel the most kilig.
Bianca speaks from experience writing this comic as she is a queer debater herself, “I
wished to write an honest story in the hopes of reaching out to someone who has
experienced something similar, whether it be the anxiety of public speaking or simply having
a crush on another girl.”
Figure My Heart Out by Rice Gallardo
Figure My Heart Out is a simple zine about liking girls. Rice wanted to capture her
experiences growing up as a lesbian – being gay in an all-girls Catholic school, being the
token gay friend, and, well, figuring your own heart out.
Rice shared why she centered her first zine on WLW, “Despite still being closeted around
family members, it’s also an issue I felt compelled to share, especially with other struggling
WLW who want to see themselves validated and reflected in a piece of art.”
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