How Filipino artist Leinil Francis Yu came to work for Marvel Comics

Twenty years ago, Leinil Francis Yu was just like every other Marvel fan dreaming about being a part of the beloved universe filled with heroism and hope. Today he's still amazed the dream came true. 

In an exclusive interview with GMA News Online Yu during the Marvel Creative Day Out Year 2, he shared how his career with Marvel Comics started. 

Yu was taking up advertising in college when an opportunity to work with Filipino-American comic writer and artist Whilce Portacio presented itself. Portacio by then was a well-known Filipino comic book writer and artist, noted for his works in "The Punisher", "X-Factor", and "Uncanny X-Men" among many others and Yu had no second thoughts about working with him. 

"Twenty years ago may pumunta dito na Fil-Am na artist, si Whilce Portacio, and then he scouted for talent and then I was one of the guys that he took under his wing and then 20 years old ako n'on or younger 19 yata or 18," he told GMA News Online.

Read: Whilce Portacio to young artists: The world is waiting for your stories.

He added, "He showed my work to Marvel and then nagustuhan ng Marvel and then I started working for them [from] then on, although umalis ako sandali pero most of my career at Marvel talaga."

Clawing his way up like Wolverine

If there's any Marvel Comic superhero he owes his whole career to he said it would be Wolverine.

"I [got into] comic books drawing Woleverine and na-establish 'yong career ko dahil sa kanya. Number 4 book siya n'ong time na 'yon eh, so parang sobrang big deal na nalagay ako ... like new guy napunta ka agad sa Wolverine, so sa kanya na-establish 'yong career ko, I think I owe my whole career to Wolverine."

 

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Jun 3, 2016 at 10:46pm PDT

Over two decades has passed but he's still in awe to have landed a job with the comic giant.

"It's amazing, my whole career actually revolved around Marvel, one of the best events in my life is being hired and the best parts of my life [is] working with Marvel," he said. 

If it's also a dream of yours to become a comic artist in Marvel like Leinil, here's his advice: "It's very important to be dependable, it's very important to meet deadlines and to be reliable and be professional and never stop practicing, keep developing your skills." — AT, GMA News