Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Nabus.
Hi Aaron, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Some may know me from my career as a graphic designer, the host of the Hall H Show podcast, or as a panel moderator at various comic conventions. But one accomplishment that I’m very proud of is being the founder of FilAm CreatorCon. If you can imagine San Diego Comic-Con, but full of Filipino American creators instead, that is what FilAm CreatorCon hopes to be one day.
Growing up in San Diego – which is home to a huge Filipino community; being an avid San Diego Comic-Con attendee since 1995 and a pop culture blogger and podcaster since 2014 (focusing on independent artists, creators, and small press); and also finding out, many years ago, that the lead character of the movie, Starship Troopers, was originally Filipino (in the book), it was a dream project to someday create a convention, like San Diego Comic-Con, that celebrated Filipino American (FilAm) creators and focused on empowerment and education so there would be better FilAm representation in pop culture. How incredibly uplifting would it be to unite Filipino American creators with empowering and educational experiences and community so they can thrive – so that the next time a Hollywood movie adaptation of a book comes along, the Filipino main character will still be there?
It wasn’t until I saw my friend Keithan Jones put together his event, Black Comix Day, in 2018, that I thought, maybe my dream of having a convention for FilAm creators was closer to becoming a reality than I thought.
Then, by happenstance in July of 2019, while attending Comic-Con, I was talking to Scott Lost, a local San Diego FilAm comic book creator (after his panel finished), and then another friend, Kirin Amiling Macapugay (a very active FilAm educator and community organizer), walked by and we all started having a conversation.
This conversation and the photo that we took together afterwards instilled within me a more “yes we can” attitude. With my design, marketing, and project management background and years spent connecting with creators (like Scott) as a podcaster, and now armed with Kirin’s connections to the community, we had all the ingredients needed to make FilAm CreatorCon a reality. So I invited both Scott and Kirin (and a few other friends) to be part of the planning committee for our inaugural convention.
Though unfortunately, a pandemic had other plans.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
After riding a wave of motivation, our momentum to have our inaugural convention in the fall of 2020 came to a halt as the pandemic took a hold of our daily lives. We were saddened, but still optimistic that there would still be an opportunity to make our convention a reality one day.
Eventually, as the pandemic started to wind down, the team reconnected in 2023, and we started to make plans for our first event – a summer mixer to help gauge community interest. Our biggest struggle would be to determine whether a convention was still something that the community would want to still support and attend.
Luckily, the mixer was well attended and we got a lot of helpful feedback. Most importantly, the hunger for an event like ours was more larger now than when it was first conceived many years prior since many FilAm creators were busy creating new art (music, illustrations, paintings, movies, etc.) and trying to reconnect with other like minded people after years of being in the shadow of the pandemic.
Though it took four years for FilAm CreatorCon, the first Filipino American comic and pop culture convention in San Diego, to happen, our patience paid off and September 14, 2024 finally came! I felt such a huge rush of positivity and excitement that lasted at least a month after it was all over. And, what a day it was! With an estimated attendance of almost 600 people, we got to induct Whilce Portacio (a comic book penciller, inker, and writer and the co-creator of Marvel Comics’ character, Bishop, and also one of the original co-founders of Image Comics) and Bobby Rubio (a story artist and director of the Pixar animated short, Float, and the Head of Story for the animated film, Transformers One), into our Hall of Fame; featured 18 FilAm creators from as exhibitors; and hosted eight diverse panels:
* Finding Your Social Media Creative Voice
* Women in the Arts
* Drawing Your Attention (live drawing featuring three artists)
* The Art of Making Music
* Business Side of Indie Comics
* Careers in the Arts
* Your Podcast Journey Starts Here
* Legends Spotlight Panel featuring Whilce Portacio and Bobby Rubio
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about FilAm CreatorCon?
Our Purpose:
Uniting Filipino Americans creators with community and empowering them with educational events, experiences, and resources so they can thrive.
Our Mission:
FilAm CreatorCon’s mission is to illuminate the vibrant tapestry of Filipino American pop culture and celebrate the diverse creative voices that shape it across all mediums through events and experiences (such as our annual convention). From comic book creators, poets, and tattoo artists, to filmmakers, chefs, dancers, and musicians – we provide a platform that bridges cultures and generations, connects communities, and showcases the dynamic talents of Filipino American creators and artists. Through events and experiences that fuse art, storytelling, and community engagement – we inspire, empower, and educate, fostering a space where cultural heritage and creativity unite.
What matters most to you?
I may have founded FilAm CreatorCon, but one thing that I have learned as a graphic designer with years of experience managing multiple teams, projects, and resources – you can’t do it alone.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
The success of FilAm CreatorCon as a convention – and now as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is due in large part, to the like minded people I have assembled that also sees the potential of what we are trying to achieve: Uniting Filipino Americans creators with community and empowering them with educational events, experiences, and resources so they can thrive.
A huge thank you to both current and past members of the planning committee, whose experience, perspectives, and talents I value greatly:
* Alex Benedicto
* Oliver Bayona
* Alicia Ricafrente
* Vince Alvendia
* Scott Lost
* Susan Vega
* Chelle Esteban
* Francis Bautista
* Gail Iliria Lau
* Hunter Tabiendo
* Arther Ebuen
* Kirin Amiling Macapugay
Contact Info:
- Website: https://filamcreatorcon.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filamcreatorcon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FilAmCreatorCon
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/filamcreatorcon
- Other: https://www.threads.com/@filamcreatorcon
Image Credits
Joel Feria
