#Geek Goals

COMIC BOOK ILLUSTRATOR, IAN STA. MARIA , IS LIVING EVERY GEEKS DREAM—THAT IS, TO MIX WORK AND PLAY

- Khat Bonagua

There was once a young boy who drew robots and superheroes and monsters on the back of his exam papers. His teachers were pissed. His classmates were excited. They asked him to draw more, a special one for each of them. Being the wise guy that he was, he started asking for payment in exchange for his mini masterpieces: piso-piso per drawing. He got to do what he loved, and had a little to spare on the side to treat his mom. This was comic book artist Ian Sta. Maria’s first taste of commissioned work.

“I was exposed to comic books at a very early age and what drew me in was the art,” the artist and cocreator of popular Pinoy comic books Skyworld, Kadasig, and SixtySix explains. “Detailed drawings of superheroes and spaceships and cars and monsters! I was awestruck almost immediately!”