Executive Team

Cecilia “Goddess of Creation” Lim

WAVERLEY “DEMIGODDESS OF DELIVERABLES” LIM

Position: Founder and CEO

Origin story: Small town girl escapes to the big city of Chicago and becomes an attorney for a Fortune 200 company. She marries her college sweetheart and has two talented children. When the youngest daughter flees to LA, Cecilia drops everything she’s ever known to chase after her. While in California, she discovers a hidden world of Filipino mythological creatures, finds the Lasso of Assembly, and creates Kwento Comics.

Secret Weapon: Lasso of Assembly - ability to rope together a talented team of creatives to create the first all Asian-women comic book company

Tragic Flaw: The need for vast amounts of coffee daily, movie theater popcorn with nacho cheese, and ramen.

WAVERLEY “DEMIGODDESS OF DELIVERABLES” LIM

Position: Co-Founder and COO

Origin story: Bit by the performance bug at a young age, Waverley became spellbound by everything the stage and screen had to offer. She was sucked into the magical world of storytelling and attended UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television to harness and fine tune her powers. She is determined to use her wizardry to bring stories to life that shine a light on women, Asian, and other marginalized communities.

Secret Weapon: Cauldron of Completion - ability to add in all the ingredients needed to carry badass stories across the finish line

Tragic Flaw: A24 movies, lychee flavored anything, Weimaraners

Writing Team

Kaitlyn “Wielder of the Almighty Pen” Fajilan

Position: Head Writer of The Mask of Haliya

Origin story: L.A. born and raised Filipina tries to become a TV/film/stage actor/singer, but realizes there aren’t any good roles for people of her ethnic background. She undergoes an unsettling dark night of the soul experience and realizes that she needs to be the one creating stories behind the camera so that women like her can make it in media and entertainment. Becomes a freelance filmmaker and fiction writer, leading her to join forces with The Goddess of Creation and create The Mask of Haliya.

Secret Weapon: A special codex that allows her to magically make up bullsh*t on the spot (even though she never knows what she’s talking about)

Tragic Flaw: Gummy bears, trashy romance novels, Instagram

Jenapher “Guardian of the Process” Zheng

Kaitlyn “Wielder of the Almighty Pen” Fajilan

Position: Editor/Writer/Art Team Liaison of The Mask of Haliya

Origin story: Would-be English professor gives up her initial career trajectory to pursue Acting, and reaches a Renaissance-of-the-mind when she is chosen to study at the prestigious CalArts school of drama. Since then, she uses her eclectic set of creative skills in performance, writing, filmmaking, immersive theater, video game streaming, and art-making.

Secret Weapon: Mirror of Clarity- The ability to hold a mirror up to any point in the process and see what needs strengthening

Tragic Flaw: North Sea Fishnacks (if you know, you know)

STACIE “Wizardress of Words” GANCAYCO-ADLAO

Position: Writer

Origin story: Armed with a laptop and a dream, an Irish-Filipina-American journeys from the Bay to L.A. Repelled by the lack of representation on-screen, she creates her own stories. Her coming-of-age drama feature script, Clementine, won the 2021 Final Draft Big Break Grand Prize. She is currently conjuring Maharlika for Kwento Comics and her first feature film, Aphrodite & the Apocalypse, an apocarom-com. She is passionate about using her powers for good and telling universal stories featuring underrepresented communities, specifically Filipinos and Filipino-Americans.

Secret Weapon: Orb of Optics - ability to manifest characters and bring them to the light

Tragic Flaw: Her home (she's an introvert who never wants to leave), trashy reality TV, dogs (especially Shih-Tzus), and bread.

Maria "Priestess of the Page" Lingbanan

STACIE “Wizardress of Words” GANCAYCO-ADLAO

Position: Writer

Origin story: Summoned by the urge to unearth her hidden abilities, an inquisitive philomath journeys from The Bay to sunny SoCal. Accepting her call as an artist, she transports her energy to L.A. where she bridges the spiritual realms of art, academia, and faith. Conjuring her power within through many years of training, she uses her magical abilities for good by teaching the next generation of mystics and helping them discover and develop their own superpowers. Manifesting a cloak of protection, she advocates for other artists as an intimacy coordinator and cultivates a culture of consent for artists to communicate healthy boundaries.

Secret Weapon: Cloak of Protection - the ability to ask questions, set deadlines, and foresee connections to build story and ensure the continued flow of the creation process.

Tragic Flaw: 90’s R&B slow jams, ube butter on freshly toasted pandesal, and infectious laughter.

Art Team

Renoida “Arty McArtface” Renovilla

Position: Lead Artist on Issues #1, 2, 3, & 5, Storyboard Artist on Issue #4 of The Mask of Haliya

Origin story: The product of a scientific accident, but like, instead of “everything nice”, it was “everything terrible”. And chemical X was ranch dressing.

Secret Weapon: The Logical powers of Logic-ness

Tragic Flaw: Playing League of Legends (lol what a loser)

CHARLYN "Permanently spooked” DUY

Renoida “Arty McArtface” Renovilla

Position: Artist on Issues #1, 2, 3, & 5 of The Mask of Haliya

Origin story: Once upon a time she was born a healthy bebe with a disposition to be permanently spooked. One day she decided to pick up a pencil after watching Lion King. Ever since she never stopped drawing. The end.

Secret Weapon: The Glasses of Hyperfocus

Tragic Flaw: ADHD lul

Minerva "The Ink Bender" Fox

Renoida “Arty McArtface” Renovilla

Liezl "Technicolor" Buenaventura

Position: Lead Artist on Issue #4 of The Mask of Haliya

Origin story: Descending from those who dwell in the shadow of the great Taal Volcano, Minerva was named after the Roman Goddess of Wisdom and the Arts (thanks, Mom!). When she rolled her stats at creation, Minerva put all her ponts in the Arts, a little bit in Charisma and pretty much forewent everything else. Minerva has contributed her work in various comic anthologies such as Superstate by Z2Comics, Dead Beats II: London Calling by a Wave Blue World, and I like Robots by ChiDrawgo.

Secret Weapon: +5 Pour Over of Deadline Domination. If efficiency is required, tap Coffee Pool for 2 hour speed buff. "The espresso must flow."

Tragic Flaw: Intelligence drops inversely to the distance of any ridiculously cute animal.

Liezl "Technicolor" Buenaventura

Mikaela “Warp Tool Sensei” Kaufman

Liezl "Technicolor" Buenaventura

Position: Colorist on Issue #4 of The Mask of Haliya

Origin story: Once upon a time, a little girl picked up a book called "Casper the Friendly Ghost" and fell in love with comics. She now has a kid of her own, and is happily introducing him to all her favorite comics as he grows up.

Secret Weapon: Eyes on the back of her head, especially when her kid is up to mischief!

Tragic Flaw: Sadly, also having eyes on the back of her head, haha.

Mikaela “Warp Tool Sensei” Kaufman

Position: Letterer on Issue #4 & 5 of The Mask of Haliya

Origin story: NY based Korean-American Adoptee who always wanted to be involved in the world of art and storytelling. She graduated with a BFA in Animation and Sound Design at the garbage plate capital of Rochester, NY and settled in the no sleep city of NYC. She’s making her way in the world of comic/webtoon production and will continue to support the power of art and storytelling till the end.

Secret Weapon: Program shortcuts/hotkeys and Notion

Tragic Flaw: Homebody at heart

KRISTEN “TRICKSTER OF TINTS” LAROA

Mikaela “Warp Tool Sensei” Kaufman

Position: Flatter on Issue #2, 3, & 5 of The Mask of Haliya

Origin story: At a very young age, Kuri always loved art be it visual or performing arts. Due to peer and parent’s pressure, she went into a science based degree called architecture. As she faced the struggle of school and real life, she lost her creativity. But her passion for content creating, editing videos and photos, drawing fanarts, and theater arts are so strong that currently, she is saving up so she can pursue her one dream of getting into an art school to become an awesome artist.

Secret Weapon: She can cook any dish but her specialty is Filipino and Korean dishes

Tragic Flaw: Always has brain farts, can’t function well without taho and always gets distracted with pretty boys

RUTH "Mage of the Stage” ANNE ROMAN

Position: Background Artist on Issue #2 of The Mask of Haliya

Origin story: Toy designer turned magician who has the power to visually recreate imagined and existing stages, locations where the story of all the characters are about to unfold. She has learned the secrets from the Grand Wizards of environment production in the animation industry.

Secret Weapon: Trusty Wand of display tablet and faith to the Lord of all creation

Tragic Flaw: Runs on good coffee - can’t stay awake on bad beans

HELENA "Chronic Nightowl" WU

RUTH "Mage of the Stage” ANNE ROMAN

Position: Artist

Origin story: Helena is a Taiwanese-American based in Baltimore, MD. Having lived a past life as a medical research coordinator, she was reincarnated into a tablet-wielding potato with cabin fever and perpetually creaky bones. A jack of all trades and also master of none, Helena enjoys dabbling in a variety of art forms: inks, colors, wood burning, you name it.

Secret Weapon: Sleeping anywhere, anytime, especially when it's inconvenient.

Tragic Flaw: Mixing tasty drinks despite being alcohol intolerant

Victoria "Eva pilot" Caedo

RUTH "Mage of the Stage” ANNE ROMAN

ZoE “Part-Time Poltergeist”Pasion

Position: Line Artist on Issue #6 of The Mask of Haliya

Origin story: A hybrid of horror and sweet spices incubated in a quirky human being ready to colonize the moon as a Bloodborne NPC.

Vik is a concept artist / illustrator from the Philippines. Her past art-ventures include graphic design, gallery exhibits, murals and being a brand KOL for Wacom PH and ZIG Kuretake PH

Secret Weapon: Ghost in the Shell 1995 back tattoo that makes her feel like a cyborg.

Tragic Flaw: Will stop to pet any stray cat on the street.

ZoE “Part-Time Poltergeist”Pasion

Position: Art Intern

Origin story: Branded by a will to create from childhood, Zoe’s interest in art started as early as elementary school where she drew on any scrap of paper she could find. Her interest in telling stories began when she picked up her first volume of “Detective Conan” from the public library. Now, fresh from university with an animation degree in hand, she takes her first step towards broadening her artistic toolbelt in comics.

Secret Weapon: She can disappear into a void and pop back out with new art.

Tragic Flaw: Internet grandma.

Cover Artists

Issue #1 Cover - KATHRYN LAYNO

Kathryn is a Filipino artist based in her hometown, Cebu. She is passionate about bringing stories to life through her various illustration work, coloring and drawing comics, and composing music.

She has colored for comics under DC (Batman Legends of the Dark Knight, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), BOOM! Studios (Irredeemable), Image Comics (Eisner-nominated One Week In The Library), Action Lab (Skyward), and Powerhouse Animation Studios (Castlevania). She has drawn for independent comics for IDW (Womanthology : Space), 16 Debut A Comic Anthology, Mike Garley's Dead Roots, David Lloyd's Aces Weekly and Sequential Muse. She has also done illustration work for Brandon Sanderson's Shadows Beneath Anthology.

She was a speaker at Visual 4 Graphic Design Conference and is currently supporting the growth and development of the artistic community in Cebu as member of the Cebu Illustrators Guild and a Huion brand Evangelist for the Philippines.

ISSUE #2 Cover - SUSAN BIN

Issue #1 Cover - KATHRYN LAYNO

Susan is a Chinese-American artist who works in illustration, animation, TV, film, and video games and who has called New Zealand, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, France, and the US (where she currently resides) her home.

She developed her skills at Rhode Island School of Design, SMU Meadows School of Art, and Harvard College and has exhibited her art domestically and internationally. Graduating from Harvard Cum Laude in Visual and Environmental Studies, Susan worked at Legendary Entertainment in their comics department and received the inaugural Phyllis Craig Scholarship from Women in Animation. Her work has since been featured by A&E Network, Asian Queens in Animation, HBO, Syfy, Warner Bros, Wayfarer Studios, Women in Film Dallas, and Universal Entertainment, among others.

Susan serves as a local community liaison for DFW-area artists with organizations like the Crow Museum of Asian Art, Kinokuniya, and the Dallas Public Library. She mainly works in cinema with an interest in horror, fairy tales & folklore, and queer themes, and continues to work on projects dedicated to opening up new tributaries of storytelling and talent.

ISSUE #3 Cover - Frany

Issue #1 Cover - KATHRYN LAYNO

Issue #4 Cover - Patricia Pria

Frany is a Filipino illustrator and comic book cover artist. Best known for her style in watercolor painting, her works have been featured on a variety of titles for BOOM! Studios (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Magic: The Gathering), DC Comics (Punchline, Miracle Molly, Poison Ivy issues no. 1), Dynamite (Red Sonja, Deja Thoris, Vampirella) and several others. Frany's ability to create mesmerizing illustrations with watercolor as the primary medium of expression has established her as one of the most sought-after cover artists in the comic industry.

Frany is currently working with BOOM! Studios as their main cover artist.

Issue #4 Cover - Patricia Pria

Issue #5 Cover - Coloring Artist - JUliet

Issue #4 Cover - Patricia Pria

Patricia is a passionate freelance illustrator based in Toronto, Canada but has called Brunei and Philippines her home. She has illustrated a wide range of highly stylized and semi-realistic digital paintings across different subject matters and genres. She is prolific mainly in the TTRPG space for companies like Brazen Animation, Beadle and Grimm's and Dirt Cheap Dungeons.

What started as lazy afternoons in her lola’s sari-sari store- watching the likes of Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z and drawing after the colourful characters, turned out to be what she is so actively passionate about: creating the odd, the weird and the wonderful.

Issue #5 Cover: Line Artist - Jamie Lee

Issue #5 Cover - Coloring Artist - JUliet

Jamie likes to draw and paint and take pictures and has been doing so since the age of a little duckling.

Issue #5 Cover - Coloring Artist - JUliet

Juliet H. Morin is a shy artist originally from upstate New York.

ISSUE #1 Variant Cover : PHILIPPINE EDITION - Sao Menguito

Sao Menguito, aka "Saowee" Is a freelance manga artist based in Manila, Philippines, and she loves working with inks and watercolors. Recently, she has done variant covers for Harley Quinn, Something's Killing the Children, Lego, and others.

Marketing Team

Meriden “Maven of Influence” Angeles

CHERRY “SORCERESS OF THE SOCIAL WEB” DISTOR

Meriden “Maven of Influence” Angeles

Position: Head of Marketing/Video Production

Origin story: Risen from the bitter weathers of Jersey, she broke free from the cocoon of nursing and has transformed into film and TV production butterfly in Los Angeles. During her evolution, she mastered the fine arts of influence in the digital and physical worlds. A perfectionist producer and actress who now juggles the weight of motherhood, self-tape auditions, and promotions for Kwento Comics.

Secret Weapon: Elixir of Excel, Omen of Organization, Arrows of Ambition

Tragic Flaw: Procrastination Pro, Stage Mom tendencies

Toni “Promotional Prodigy” Enriquez

CHERRY “SORCERESS OF THE SOCIAL WEB” DISTOR

Meriden “Maven of Influence” Angeles

Position: Marketing Intern

Origin story: Toni has always been fascinated with mythology and the idea of traveling to other worlds. After traversing the hills of UCLA successfully, Toni came across Kwento Comics via the mystical portal known to many as “Handshake.” As a Filipina American comic/manga fan, she thought, “Wow, this place is a perfect fit for me.” She sits in the core of the Gen Z universe and bestows her perspective and innovative visualizations to the marketing and operations team.

Secret Weapon: Multiverse of Multi-tasking, Chaos Control, Chronically Online

Tragic Flaw: Will do anything for free stuff (especially food), heart easily stolen by emotionally unavailable 2D men

CHERRY “SORCERESS OF THE SOCIAL WEB” DISTOR

Position: Head of Social Media

Origin story: Started her journey in the field of AB Communications, majoring in Broadcasting. Now taking the social web by storm as she pursues marketing and advertising. She's passionate about learning and taking adventures.

Secret Weapon: Harness the power of creation and execution

Tragic Flaw: Loves the Earth and her dog more than anything