This award-winning graphic novel pits zombies against hacienderos

Zombies versus hacienderos.

- YVETTE TAN

This is how director Mike Alcazaren describes Death Be Damned (DBD), the graphic novel he wrote, illustrated by Noel Pascual and AJ Bernardo. Formerly a series called Patay Kung Patay, the translated version won Best Graphic Novel in English at the 41st National Book Awards.

DBD was supposed to be Alcazaren’s second film. He wanted to do a zombie film, but with Filipino flavor. He thought that publishing it as a comic book first could help determine if there was an audience for it. He mentioned it to Jessica Zafra, who introduced him to Noel Pascual and AJ Bernardo, known for their series Crime Fighting Call Center Agents.

“We met at a coffee shop and we hit it off. I like their humor,” Alcazaren said. “I had a complete story outline. It's essentially a hierarchy of who's going to get killed. It just depends on the gravity of their crime and then who would be the most satisfying kill at the end. I didn't want it to be a serious zombie thing, but to have dark humor.”

The graphic novel is seen from the point of view of a news team who sneak in to cover a celebration at the Muguerza family hacienda and end up being caught in a zombie siege led by a 12-year-old girl exacting revenge for her family who were massacred for their farmland.