Kara Bodegón-Hikino captures the magic of childlike wonder with ‘Squalo and Mage’
With pastel colors and cute characters, the graphic novel Squalo and Mage vs. The Rage of the Bakunawa is a great introduction to Philippine mythology, following two best friends as they find the Bakunawa, the guardian of the sea. Behind this story of the two-legged shark and druid is author Kara Bodegón-Hikino’s love letter to her younger self.
Melding her art with her past work in the music industry, Kara had two inspirations behind the first-ever Squalo and Mage comic, which she posted in 2019: a shark plush toy gifted by her husband, and hearing the song Kung ‘Di Rin Lang Ikaw by her friends December Avenue everywhere she went. In that first comic, the characters themselves hear that song everywhere, too, until they end up in a place called December Avenue.
Squalo and Mage started as characters in a series of online comics. Now, the duo embarks on a grand adventure to find the Bakunawa in Bo
It was a comic Kara continued to do for fun and post on social media, until she submitted it in an online pitching event called DVPit, or Diverse Voices Pitching Contest. Now, Squalo and Mage are ready to dive into more mature topics like corruption and grief, while still being approachable to kids and kids at heart.
YOUNG STAR: What urged you to turn the Squalo and Mage comics into a graphic novel?
KARA BODEGÓN-HIKINO: It was the dream. Since I was six years old, I would write stories with accompanying drawings. I would use up an entire notepad for one story. Back then, I made stories about marine biologists and fairies.
I wrote some contemporary (young adult fiction) stuff, but I didn’t think about doing a graphic novel until that pitching event. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, and honestly, I’m kinda lazy and I have ADHD. It’s difficult to focus on a project that big. But it was a dream from when I was a kid. It’s the constant “What do you want to do when you grow up?” thing for me.
Growing up, I wanted to be all these things: a marine biologist, artist, or musician. I ended up being a writer; I guess I just put together everything I learned.
The book ties in the existing characters Squalo and Mage with the Bakunawa, a Philippine mythological creature. Why did you choose to highlight this creature from our culture?
There are so many fantastic creatures in Philippine mythology, but the Bakunawa has been my favorite since Grade 6. I’m surprised when people say they’ve never heard of it. When I was coming up with my pitch for the contest on Twitter, I told a friend, “I just need an antagonist,” and she said, “How about the Bakunawa?” I said, “Oh my God, that’s my favorite!”
Your book has been a work in progress with multiple detours, such as the pandemic and becoming a mom. What made you keep going and see this book through to fruition?
There are books on Philippine mythology that have already been published, but I feel like there should be more. Besides it being the dream, you know how everyone is familiar with creatures from Greek or Norse mythology? But (the creatures we have) are not common knowledge. That’s a space that we could slip into. Our creatures deserve it.
What would you tell other people who feel like their art or their work has been delayed multiple times because things don’t go as planned?
I hate that this is my answer ‘cause it’s annoying, but just do it. For the longest time, I delayed myself because of self-doubt and low self-esteem. I was always like, “Oh, it’s not good enough” or “I’m not ready.” But if you just stay in that mindset, you’re not gonna reach your goals. You just have to do the thing. And if asking for help is what’s gonna help you get there, ask for help. If you feel like you’re not that ready, sharpen your skills, do more research. It’s one of those “easier said than done” situations, but it’s the truth.
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Squalo and Mage vs. The Rage of the Bakunawa by Kara Bodegón-Hikino is now available in Fully Booked branches nationwide. Follow the journey of Squalo and Mage on @squaloandmage on Instagram, and get updates from Kara on @karabodegon on both Instagram and X.
