Cody White
Filipino comics creator, Gerry Alanguilan, passed away of unknown causes on December 20th, 2019 at the age of 51. Alanguilan’s career began in the Philipines with a number of self-creator properties (Johnny Balbona, Humanis Rex!, Elmer, Timawa, and Where Bold Stars go to Die) before attracting the attention of such creators as Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis.
His dive into superhero comics in the 1990s frequently saw him doing finishing work for other prominant Filipino artists such as Leinil Yu and While Portacio. Wetworks, X-Men, Wolverine, Fantastic Four, and recently the first arc of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Captain America all featured the work of Gerry Alanguilan.
Alanguilan was outspoken on Twitter about a number of topics, from the political to the mundane, and was known by his many fans for his constant interaction with them. I had the pleasure of speaking with Gerry just last year when he made the nominees list for the Comic Watch Inker of the Year 2018. For somebody who had been nominated for an Eisner in his short career, he seemed genuine in his appreciatation that anybody noticed his work. His last Tweet was about how much pain he was in three days ago. No more pain, sir– at least not for you. A likeable man and a talented artist, Gerry Alanguilan will certainly be missed by many. Rest in Power, Gerry, and thanks for all the stories.