Elbert Or
Award-winning Filipino comic book creator, illustrator, and co-founder of Pushpin Visuals, known for Lola: A Ghost Story, Bakemono High, and the National Book Award-winning Siglo anthologies.
đź“Ť Manila, Philippines
Some creators build worlds. Elbert Or builds bridges—between Filipino folklore and American audiences, between the playful chaos of all-ages comics and the mission-driven heft of social impact work, between Manila’s fiercely creative indie scene and the global stage. An artist, writer, editor, teacher, and social entrepreneur, Or has spent two decades proving that a pen in the right hands can do far more than entertain—it can educate, advocate, and inspire change. His work echoes the socially-conscious storytelling of Lynda Barry and the folkloric warmth of F. Isabel Campoy, but the voice is unmistakably his own: a testament to visual storytelling as a force for good.
Born and raised in Manila, Or graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies (2004) and an MA in Education (2008). Those formative years forged more than his artistic voice—they hardened his conviction that creativity and purpose are inseparable. He dove headfirst into the early 2000s Philippine comics renaissance, emerging as both a vital creator and an editor with a gift for spotting and nurturing raw talent.
National Book Award-Winning Anthologies
Or’s first major recognition arrived with Siglo: Freedom (2003), a landmark graphic novel anthology edited by Dean Francis Alfar and Vincent Michael Simbulan. Or contributed “Chinatown 1957” as both writer and illustrator—and the book walked away with the Philippine National Book Award for Best Graphic Novel in 2004. He returned for the follow-up, Siglo: Passion (2005), illustrating “Baguio 1992,” and history repeated: another National Book Award for Best Graphic Novel in 2006. These back-to-back wins placed Or at the epicenter of a watershed moment for Filipino comics, when the medium finally earned the literary recognition it deserved from the Manila Critics Circle.
Between 2004 and 2006, Or also served as Series Editor of Cast for Nautilus Comics, helping shape one of the Philippines’ most beloved teen-oriented comic series. He co-edited the anthology Buhay Ang Baston: The 1st Philippine 24-Hour Comic Book Challenge, then stepped up as Editor-in-Chief of Nautilus Comics, steering the company’s creative direction.
Bakemono High and All-Ages Storytelling
From 2006 to 2009, Or created, wrote, and illustrated Bakemono High , a gloriously weird and warm all-ages comic that ran in the Philippines’ top-selling children’s magazine K-Zone. The series follows best friends Max, Chuck, and Amy—young monsters navigating the hilarious chaos of high school life, from pop quizzes to cafeteria calamities. It ran for three years, amassed a fiercely loyal following, and has since found a vibrant second life on Tapas, where an entirely new generation can discover it for free. A collected edition, Bakemono High: Recess, was released in 2013 with contributions from Andrew Drilon and Joel Chua. Perfect for fans of Scott Pilgrim and Beast Boy, Or’s monster-high romp is pure Filipino-flavored fun: witty, warm, and wonderfully strange.
Lola: A Ghost Story
In 2009, Or teamed up with Shuster Award-winning writer J. Torres (Teen Titans Go!, Alison Dare) to bring Lola: A Ghost Story to life. Published by Oni Press, this haunting middle-grade graphic novel follows Jesse, a boy who inherits his grandmother’s gift—and curse—of seeing ghosts. Or’s art works a quiet magic: his soft, rounded character designs wrap readers in a sense of safety, making the creeping horror that follows land with devastating impact. The book landed on the YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens list (2011) and earned an Aesop Accolade from the American Folklore Society. In 2020, Oni Press released a tenth-anniversary edition featuring a revised ending and updated artwork, cementing Lola’s status as a modern classic of folklore-infused graphic storytelling.
Other Published Works
Or’s bibliography is a sprawling tapestry of comics, children’s books, and anthologies. He authored and illustrated The More The Manyer! Pinoy Cliches and Other Words of Wisdumb (Tahanan Books, 2007), a pitch-perfect comedic romp through Filipino sayings and stereotypes. He edited Comic Stories About Love & Heartbreak (PSICOM, 2010), weaving eleven Filipino-created stories together with his own wordless interstitial art. He co-edited Project: Hero (2005), a superhero anthology with Andrew Drilon, and Abangan: The Best Philippine Comics 2014. For Anino Comics, he crafted two flip comic books—The Amazing True-ish Story of Andres Celestial and The Life and Death of Amorsolo Esperanza (2016)—and contributed to children’s books including Ang Parusa ng Duwende and Ang Binibining Tumalo sa Mahal na Hari for Anvil Publishing, plus Fat, Cranky and Full of It for Milflores Publishing.
Teaching and Creative Entrepreneurship
From 2007 to 2017, Or brought his expertise back to his alma mater, Ateneo de Manila University, as a part-time lecturer in the Fine Arts Program. There, he helped shape the BFA Information Design curriculum and served as a thesis adviser, molding the next wave of Filipino visual storytellers. He also owned and managed Global Art Katipunan (2010–2012), an international creativity program for children where imagination took center stage.
In 2014, Or co-founded Pushpin Visuals , a social impact design studio that pioneered graphic recording in the Philippines—a practice that distills complex conversations into vivid, real-time visual narratives. Pushpin works with non-profits, foundations, and social enterprises across Asia Pacific, including the United Nations Development Programme, the World Health Organization, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, and the Asian Development Bank, creating visual communication that drives tangible change. Whether through live scribing at conferences, animated explainer videos, or illustrated handbooks, Pushpin’s mission is to “build bridges of understanding, change minds, move hearts, and inspire positive action for a better world.” Or serves as the studio’s Chief Visual Consultant and Co-Founder, and in 2023 he also joined Management Strategies as a Senior Consultant.
Advocacy and Community Leadership
Or is an active member of Ang Illustrador ng Kabataan (Ang InK), the Philippines’ foremost organization of illustrators for children, and the International Forum of Visual Practitioners. He serves as Chair of the WIAL Better World Fund and Vice President for Education and Professional Development at the Communication Design Association of the Philippines. He has volunteered his talents as a visual artist for UNICEF and the World Wildlife Fund, putting his pen to work for causes that matter.
A sought-after voice in the global creative community, Or has been a featured speaker at the International Comics Conference in Bandung, Indonesia, the Asian Festival for Children’s Content in Singapore, CreativeMornings Makati , and the B2B Marketing Forum in Makati. He is also a Certified Action Learning Coach through the World Institute of Action Learning, a charter member of BNI Taguig, and a mentor on ADPList.
For fans of all-ages horror-fantasy like The Graveyard Book and Anya’s Ghost, folklore-infused graphic novels, and anyone who believes the best stories don’t just entertain—they make the world a little better—Elbert Or is a creator worth discovering. And then some.
