I've always liked comics. One of the very first things I ever read was a comic book. So the interest in comics, as well as the inclination to create comics, were always there. It's an interest that I've carried all throughout my growing years, and well into my professional career as a licensed architect here in the Philippines. 

As early as 1986, when I was in second year of college, I was already sending submissions to Marvel Comics. I always got rejection letters back, but it was ok. At the time I was thrilled simpy to know what someone at Marvel (Eliot Brown) knew I existed. I regularly kept sending samples, and my stack of rejection letters steadily grew. I also began sending submissions to other companies like DC, Valiant, Dark Horse, Caliber, Fantagraphics, and a lot of other companies, without much success.

It wasn't until I met Whilce Portacio did things start to change. Whilce was an artist working on the X-men. He is also Filipino. When I learned about it, it inspired me to take this comics thing much more seriously than I did before. Next, I met Nick Manabat, whose work inspired me further to improve my work. 

I quit my architecture job and for the next several years I just stayed home here in San Pablo trying to develop myself into a comic book artist. It was like training for a whole different career. I had to learn and re-learn a lot of things. Although I was already able to find work in Philippine comics as early as 1992, it wasn't until 1995 did I reach a level good enough to be hired by US companies. By the end of 1995 I was already working for Wildstorm Studios with Whilce Portacio.

There is a video version of this story, which I relate here:

How I Broke Into Comics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27_5GJzjP_w