"Not Just A Creepy 'Hey, Baby' Meme" - Filipino Comic Book Artist Dies At 51
He passed away on Saturday, 21 December 2019.
By Sadho Ram — 22 Dec 2019, 11:55 AM
Gerry Alanguilan, better known in the Philippines by his alias 'Komikero' passed away at the age of 51 on Saturday, 21 December
His wife, Ilyn Alanguilan, confirmed the news about his death with local news outlet Newsarama.
"To everyone who has loved Gerry, thank you very much. You brought him so much joy," Newsarama reported Ilyn as saying yesterday, 21 December.
While the cause of his death has not yet been disclosed, Alanguilan, in his last blog entry last week, wrote that he is not doing well physically
"It probably would be a lie to say that I'm doing OK. Well, physically that is," he wrote.
"It's such a constant struggle every day. I have to admit it's really difficult. Thankfully, it hasn't gotten in the way of me thinking creatively. As long as I stay in my room and not have to go out for interviews and events and things, I will have enough energy to do the work of creating comics.
"But sometimes it's so hard. Sometimes I have to lie down. But when I have to do that, I think of stories. I think of things to write down. I create characters," he added.
According to his post, the situation has forced him to live a simpler life, one which he "never thought I wanted or needed in my life".
"Not having to go to Manila and meet people, even here in San Pablo. Just staying home with me and my creativity. It's what I need. And I'm really starting to enjoy it," Alanguilan wrote.
Alanguilan was an Eisner-nominated Filipino comic book writer and artist, who worked as an inker for both Marvel and DC Comics
The Eisner Awards is the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards.
He was known for his graphic novels Wasted and Elmer, and for his inking on American superhero comics such as Wetworks, X-Men, Superman: Birthright, Wolverine, and Fantastic Four.
According to his Wikipedia page, Alanguilan's titles take place in the Philippines or feature Filipino characters, such as Johnny Balbona, Humanis Rex!, and Timawa.
A former architecture student, who became a comic book artist due to his passion for telling stories, Alanguilan was a lifelong funny man.
In 2009, he became a viral sensation with his "Hey, Baby" video, where he is making comically lecherous facial expressions at his webcam.
Following the news of his death, Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski tweeted to say that the comics world "lost a friend and hero today"
