MT Cloud Bookshop, The Curfew and Indie Comics

Baguio City

You won’t find a Filipino graphic novel anywhere in Baguio! It’s sad! Of course, you won’t find comic books that easily anywhere if you’re in the Philippines. After Ondoy, Filipino comic books seem to have been washed out by the flood. There are the malls but hardly do they sell any Filipino made comics much less care about the independent comic book scene.

As an artist for the comic book medium I find this very disheartening. But during the last Komikon I attended at the UP Diliman, Bahay ng Alumni where I launched my indie Comic entitled “The Curfew” one of the buyers gave me this small piece of card. It says MT Cloud Bookshop, soon to open at Casa Vallejo. Whoa! I know the place. It’s in my very own City! The guy who gave me the card is the co-owner and he said he’d be selling my book at the said shop. So imagine me traveling 200 miles just to sell my comics meeting someone who traveled the same distance just to acquire something to sell on his shop which is located where we both came from!

It was months after that fateful meeting before I came back to Baguio. MT Cloud is located at the upper Session Road and is a stone’s throwaway from SM Baguio. I thought that it may not be the most appropriate location for a bookshop. People visiting SM won’t even see it. But to my surprise, a lot of people actually visit the place!

MT Cloud is a unique bookshop. The way the books are arranged makes you feel like it’s a kind of a mini-library or a study. Anyone can come around, seat on the chairs and tables and read the books. The setup is just great for reading.

The one thing that caught my eye the most is a little book about half the size of a bond paper ad a quarter inch thick. The book is entitled: The Curfew!” It’s my book! My very own creation!

MT Cloud is also supporting the Filipino comic book community. And as proof of this you will find every independent comics on their shelves. Every Gerry Alanguilan book up to the most unheard of titles (like mine) can be found there! So for those comic book aficionados looking for a good read, visit MT Cloud bookshop if ever you’re in Baguio City.