What if your neighbor was half-E.T.?

What if your best friend was an alien?

What if your parents told you that YOU TOO have some alien blood in you?

Several old Philippine myths tell of a Star Maiden that came to Earth . She was captured by a sugar cane farmer, and forced to marry him. Some versions of the story say she escaped with her children, while some say they lived happily ever after.

But what if these "Stars" suddenly returned to Earth?

Stranger still... What if they'd never left?

The truth is uncovered when these Stars descend, one day, from the heavens. In search of a safe haven after the destruction of their planet, they are taken in by humans in exchange for two things: information and technology.

However, years later, the alien population on Earth has increased. Intermarriages are frowned upon, but tolerated, and the fear of a foreboding invasion (through immigration and interbreeding) consumes the entire human race. Because of this, the Migare are herded into separate communities and neighborhoods. They are labeled. They are oppressed. And they are NOT happy about it.

"We are just as much human as any of you," they argue. "And you are much more alien than you think."

ARCHIVE

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PROLOGUE
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CHAPTER 1
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CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
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CHAPTER 4
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CHAPTER 5
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CHAPTER 6
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CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is I'm a Legal Alien about?

Have you ever felt outcast or alienated in your own home, your own country, by your family, your countrymen? Do you ever get that feeling, sometimes, wherein you can't help but feel as though you don't truly belong?

In a world that's increasingly globalized, different cultures tend to collide and clash every once in a while. This is especially true among Filipinos (whether they lived or grew up abroad, or in the Philippines).

I'm A Legal Alien, then, is a science fiction drama and adventure series whose main theme explores what it means to be Filipino—especially for those of us that find themselves living and working abroad just so that they can support their family. More importantly, it explores the larger question of what, exactly, makes one Filipino, and if there is even a specific or definite answer to that question.

I'm A Legal Alien also explores the idea of neo-colonialism among Filipinos. Neo-colonialism, in a nutshell, is how a country, people, or culture still carries inside them the attitude and mindset of being "colonized" by the powers that once ruled over their country. Because the Philippines was once colonized by other countries for hundreds of years (among them, Spain, America, and Japan), this mindset and worldview is something that is often experienced by Filipinos in various forms: through the desire to be more "white" or fair-skinned, the desire for sharper and longer noses, the desire to own and consume imported and foreign goods, the desire to live abroad and leave the country, and the negative view of one's own language, culture, and traditions.

 

What’s it like compared to other comics, films, novels, or stories?

Arthur C. Clarke once said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

In light of that, I'm a Legal Alien takes a very "ancient aliens" reading of different versions of an old Filipino Myth (“The Star Wife”, and “The Star Maiden”) by twisting these myths around and looking at them through the lens of: "We've already been visited by aliens in the past," and also, "Aliens secretly live among us."

If you like films like Schindler's ListPrince of Egypt, or District 9, then you might enjoy I'm A Legal Alien, as in our comic, we are trying to capture the ideas and tones behind those films.

At the same time, we're trying to set our stories in a very neighborly and suburban location. That said, if you enjoyed watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Super 8, or Stranger Things, then expect our stories to carry a bit of that same suburban (or in the Philippine's case, barangay) feeling.

 

How often are new pages uploaded?

As much as possible, we try to post a new page once a week, every Friday. If you want a personal update or notification whenever we put up a new page, however, then we suggest you subscribe to our email newsletter. That way, you'll be among the first to know when a new page is out. Click here to get email updates

 

What format does the series follow?

It’s a webcomic series divided up into several volumes (or what we’d prefer to call episodes), wherein each volume is centered around a single character's story arc. In a way, it follows your regular TV show format wherein every volume or episode consists of one complete, stand-alone story.

The succeeding episodes, then, will continue on where the story left off, but this time, following a different character from the main cast.

 

How many episodes are you planning on making?

Currently, we're only working on the 1st volume (centered around the character, Ylorei).

Ideally, we want to create around 7-10 episodes. That means, in the long run, we want to be able to release 7-10 books that encompass the entire I'm A Legal Alien plot.

 

Are you guys going to be writing and drawing all of the episodes?

It depends. Of course, the writing is completely in the care of the writer, Francis.

But somewhere down the road, we might want to focus on other projects and books, hence we might look for a different artist to draw the latter books.

 

Are you planning on coloring the comic?

If we had someone amazing to color it, we would absolutely LOVE to see the comic in color.

But then, don't you think the comic looks good in black and white as it is? ;)

 

How can I help?

There are two simple ways that you can help us at this stage of our webcomic series:

FIRST: Show your friends how much you love our work by sharing it online whenever you can.

And finally…

Subscribe!