Mad Cave Studios’ YA imprint, Maverick, has announced a Philippine fantasy epic debuting this fall, and The Beat has all the details. The Three Beasts, Vol. 1, written, illustrated, and colored by debut author Grovey Pascasio, with lettering by Chas! Pangburn and Buddy Beaudoin, hits shelves in October.
The Three Beasts is set in an alternate, late 19th century Philippines and draws from multiple Philippine cultures including Tagalog, Kapampangan, Meranaw, and Tausug. The story explores queer romance and complex family dynamics, and features mythic creatures and a fantasy setting inspired by the lands surrounding the Pampanga River and Pascasio’s favorite Philippine myth.
Here’s the synopsis:
Three teen dragon tamers face their greatest monsters and fight to be happy together in this shamelessly queer coming-of-age graphic novel, set in a historical Philippines.
Ten years ago, the Great Tamers saved the people of Punong Panday from a giant hydra, turning the once savage beast into a peace-keeper. Now, these three men are known across the land as legends. But for Dima, Espie, and Keris, the Great Tamers are more than legends… they’re their fathers. And to become worthy successors, the young friends must each prove themselves in a physical contest against the hydra, Matutum.
Dima is too meek and untalented, especially compared to the short-tempered Espie. Even their cool mentor Keris never stood a chance at winning. When their dreams become a deadly game of pride, they have to find a way out together—with their blades drawn, and their fathers’ legacies burnt to ashes.
Draconic action, intimately written friendships, and a lush setting all come together in The Three Beasts, from debut author-illustrator Grovey Pascasio.
“The Three Beasts is everything I could’ve wanted in one indulgent debut,” said Pascasio. “It’s a love letter to the stories that inspired me, to the dragons I’ve enjoyed drawing all my life, to the many different cultures in the Philippines that inspired my characters and settings (Kapampangan, Tagalog, Tausug, Meranaw, and more), and to the queer friendships that nourish me now—
“I hope my book guides readers in examining their own family histories, just as the process of creating this comic brought me closer to the many people who created me. But most of all, I hope queer readers find a home in The Three Beasts—especially trans kids, young lesbians, and those who are both,” Pascasio continued.
The Three Beasts, Vol. 1 will be available wherever books are sold in paperback (ISBN 978-1-5458-2-7635) and hardcover (ISBN 978-1-5458-3-6026). Pre-orders are available now.
