RISOAUTOBIOGRAPHIX

Exploring Graphic Memoir That Depicts Personal Development of Transgender Identity to University Students in Metro Manila

Riso Garcia

Comics is a flexible storytelling medium that can be an effective way in telling personal stories that seek to inform and provoke empathy in its readers. It allows for readers to view other perspectives, such as those from minority groups, like Transgender people. There is still a lot of social stigma and misinformation surrounding Transgender people and Transgender identity in the Philippines. Because of this, Transgender people may experience discrimination and social rejection all throughout their life. As a person grows up, the development of their sense of self is reliant on how they feel they are perceived by their peers, and their sense of belonging within their social groups. As a Transgender person develops from a child to an adult, they may feel unsure of their sense of self and place in society if they can’t see themselves in their peers and aren’t able to receive validation and affirmation of their identities.

Risoautobiographix is an autobiographical graphic memoir that explores the developmental growth and identity formation of its Transgender author, Riso Garcia. The 60 paged graphic memoir has 9 chapters that is dedicated to various moments in the author’s life wherein he plays with self identity through character creation, creative pursuits, and projecting himself onto these characters.

Riso Garcia is a student of the Visual Communication course under the University of the Philippines' Fine Arts Program, shifting out of Civil Engineering in order to pursue and develop his artistic capabilities instead. He is particularly interested in creating cartoons and comics and he finds the ways people express emotion and narrative through such mediums to be compelling. He is drawn to the fact that people continue to push the art and formats of cartoons and comics in new and experimental ways. Riso strives to create funny and heartfelt stories for everyone.

Email: risovalroy@gmail.com
Behance: @glassesblu
Instagram: @glassesblu
Twitter: @glassesblu