The History of Komiket

During a time when selling opportunities for komiks creators were scarce, komiks creators Paolo Herras, Mark Navarro, JP Palabon, Tepai Pascual and Jon Zamar, came together to provide more opportunities for the local comics community.

Komiket positioned itself as an affordable comics art market, an accessible entry point for first time comics creators, artists and readers. The Filipino Komiks Art Market was launched on April 5, 2015, Easter Sunday, at Centris Elements, Quezon City with 40 exhibitor tables, and approximately 120 creators. In order to grow more creators, Komiket taught the Comic Book Creator’s Workshop, where students were guided from story concept to comic book development and launched their work in a free batch table at the next Komiket held on October of the same year. From a one-day event, Komiket quickly grew to a two-day affair.

JP Palabon designed the Komiket logo and official mascot, KOMET, a blue komet cat with a speech bubble face with a look of determination.

In 2016, Komiket hosted an annual Komiket Awards, giving komikstarter grants for the winners of the Best Komiks, Best Illustrator, Best Writer and Best Students Komiks. Komiket also formally registered as a Civil Service Organization under the Securities and Exchange Commission. The following year, Komiket published comic book anthologies, Komiks Cum Laude (bold please), showcasing the student winners and finalists of the Komiket Awards, and Kommunity (bold please), featuring komiks creators who started making komiks from the 90s to the present day digital content creators. Komiket also expanded from its Quezon City roots to other communities and partnered with friends, Fringe Manila (Komiket Makati), Cebulitfest (CebuLitfest x Komiket) and Buku-Buku Kafe (Komiket South and Komiket Cavite). Over 20,000 attendees support 1,200 creators at the Komiket events anually.

In 2019, Komiket built its Secret HQ bookstore in Poblacion Makati. During the covid-19 pandemic, Komiket pivoted online, and were able to sell Filipino comics nationwide. Komiket continued to publish original comics and graphic novels in English, and launched them at its online event, the Philippine International Comics Festival (PICOF). PICOF aims to bridge Filipino comics to the rest of the world and grow more readers.

As Komiket evolved over the years, the VISION of Komiket remains constant—to help nurture and grow the Filipino komiks community, responding to its needs and challenges though the following MISSIONS:

1. To provide accessible and affordable KOMIKS ART MARKETS for creators to showcase their work;
2. To recognize and promote local talent through the KOMIKET AWARDS, and help sustain the winners’ next work through KOMIKSTARTER GRANTS;
3. To discover new creators and nurture talent through teaching COMIC BOOK CREATOR’S WORKSHOPS;
4. To protect and champion creators by PUBLISHING comic books and graphic novels;
5. To represent and bridge Filipino komiks to the rest of the world through the PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL COMICS FESTIVAL (PICOF);
6. To make comics available to the public through the SECRET HQ BOOKSTORE.

• Paolo Alessandro Herras President
• Mark Navarro Vice President
• Sandy Allan Beltran Corporate Secretary
• Romelyn Sale Managing Director
• Aiza Elpedes Sales Director
• Bunny Luz HR Consultant

• Komiket SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
• Komiket Cavite SM Dasmariñas, Cavite City
• Komiket South SM Southmall, Las Piñas City
• Cebulitfest x Komiket Ayala Center, Cebu City
• Philippine International Comics Festival Green Sun Hotel, Makati City
• October Komiket Centris Elements, Quezon City
• December Komiket Centris Elements, Quezon City