F.A.Q

This page turned out to be more of an autobiography than a Frequently Asked Questions section, but I don't know what else to call it, so I'll just go with FAQ.

The Start of All These Things?

I've been drawing since childhood, filling the back pages of my school books with doodles and comics. I got hooked on comics after reading Doraemon and my older brother's manga collection, even tracing some One Piece manga. My first original comic, Megamonster, was made in third grade, and by middle school, I combined my love for fantasy and sci-fi novels (which featured my school friends as characters) into comics like Red AGE

BTW, worldbuilding has been my most impactful passion. I created my first cipher language in kindergarten and became fascinated with fantasy maps after watching the One Piece Skypiea arc. In middle school, while working on Red AGE, I developed a conlang called Omanio for aliens and futuristic humans, which led me to learn about grammar. Since 2016, I've been working on the Tagalbuni Worldbuilding Project

Worldbuilding is my sanity check--even if it’s a hobby few truly understand lol

What inspires your art and storytelling?

Random experiences and deep frustrations. Tagalumpuk was inspired by a college trip where I saw the starry night reflected in a pond, while Kupon Mama came from a random moment when I saw a child crying in a hair salon

What’s your creative process like?

Mostly impromptu, but with some structure. For illustrations (except commissions or collabs), I usually start with thumbnails, then a sketch, and then... I just start drawing. My commission process is more structured since I need to provide progress updates and get client feedback, but the steps are basically the same

For comics, I always start with a diagrammatic structure of the story. It might seem too strict, but having a "skeleton" makes me feel more secure. After that, I move to storyboarding, designing characters/locations, and then drawing digitally--from sketch to line art to finishing. I never work in sequence; I always start with the "money shot" panels first to get the best overall impression. But! Sometimes, I just make comics without planning--like Kupon Mama

For worldbuilding, my workflow is completely unorganized. I can start from anywhere--concepts, conlangs, or even a story narrative--and then build the world from there

What software do you use?

I use Clip Studio Paint! CSP is magic. I always recommend it to anyone wanting to make comics (whether professionally or not). CSP EX is basically a comic-making machine on steroids. Besides comics, I also use it for illustrations and fantasy maps

Other software I use:

Google Sheets – for sketching conlangs
Microsoft PowerPoint – for simple layouting like posters, etc.
diagrams.net – for diagramming, plotting, etc.
VSCode – for coding

Do you take commissions or work on collaborations?

I’m currently open for commissions through VGen. I also sometimes accept commissions via Xwitter or email, though I mostly redirect them to my VGen page

I’m open to commissions and collaborations for illustrations, character design, and sometimes comics or fantasy worldbuilding (but since these take a lot of time, I rarely open slots and mostly accept waitlists)

For commissions, visit my VGen page or email me at [email protected]. Thanks!

Are your comics available in other languages?

I’ve tried translating some of my comics, but the results never feel right. Many of my works start with a rimatematik (thematical rhyme) in mind, so translating them changes about a third of the meaning. For example, Tagalumpuk uses a -am rhyme pattern in dialogue to reinforce the theme of drowning in sadness. This comes from Proto-Austronesian phonestemes (*lem, *dem, *nem, and other *-em), which relate to darkness and obscurity. When I translate it, that entire layer is lost

I’m still trying to translate my comics, but it’ll be slow--really slow. In the meantime, you can read them in their original language. BTW, I sometimes start comics in English, like A-Cross, so check that out!

You can follow me on social media with the username budkalon: