Heubert Khan Michael -- TDKPH February 2016 Artist of the Month

Khan--this it the title given to the King of kings during the middle ages. They were considered as the supreme leaders that ruled Central Asia. And it is only fitting that our favorite artist for the month of February has that title in his name. Yes, with his skills and talent, Heubert is the supreme leader of his pencil army. He guides them, directs them, commands them to come up with a masterpiece that is nothing less than perfection.

Growing up, Heubert already knew he wanted to become an artist. Highly influenced by his father who was a painter, he was attracted to the artist career path. Funny Komiks also played an important role in developing Huebert's passion. It was in reading those comics that he wanted to become an artist for Komiks. And it didn't stop there. When he held a foreign comicbook for the first time--Adventures of Superman #425--he started dreaming of becoming an international artist. 

His father knew the struggles of an artist. In their line of work that heavily relies on commissions and projects, Heubert's parents didn't allow him to pursue art courses. The next best thing for him was studying Psychology. It wasn't really a "plan b" for him since he was interested in the course. This interest was born out off reading Arkham Asylum in comics. Studying Psychology, Heubert wanted to understand Batman and his foes.


After graduating, he landed a job as a student counselor in a prestigious school in Makati. Also, during that time, he stopped reading comics. Doing it for six years, he grew fond of the job to the point that he already gave up on his dream of becoming a comicbook artist.

L-R: Heubert, Stephen Segovia, Carlo Pagulayan

Everything changed when Heubert met Carlo Pagulayan, Harvey Tolibao, and Stephen Segovia during DK Collectibles' (formerly known as Druid's Keep) signing event. Seeing these local artists sketch was an instant euphoria. He suddenly realized that drawing comicbook characters is his calling. It was also the thought of "buti pa sila..." (they're fortunate) that made him think that maybe he can still make his dreams come true.

From there on, Heubert would follow the local artists' work. He was trying to become a sponge--absorbing everything he can from these promising artists. He was told to come up with his Deviant Art page so that the whole world can see his art. After months of constantly posting his artwork, he was overwhelmed with the many praises fans gave him.

After a couple of exposure, superstar inker Joe Prado sent Heubert a private message. Joe said that Heubert has A LOT of potential. Heubert was given comicbook scripts where he can practice and develop his artwork. A few months after, Joe sent Heubert's sample to DC Comics. This landed him the Huntress story for DC Holiday Special '09 #1.

Page 3 of Heuber't 4-page Huntress story

When DC Holiday Special '09 was released here, Heubert met artist-rockstar Philip Tan! He showed Philip some of his artwork, and from there he was mentored by Philip. Heubert wanted to learn more. He studied anatomy, shading, and everything else. In the process, Dynamite saw the potential in Heubert so they offered him The Owl.

After a year, Heubert started as a fill-in artist for Vampirella #10. Apparently, Dynamite loved his work that they offered him to become a regular artist for the series. Heubert's run with Vampirella lasted for 18 issues--from #21 to #38.

This month, Filbar's in collaboration with POP! Pinas x Studiogenesis will produce Heubert's Dark Datu Funko Pop design. This will be the very first artist series that Studiogenesis will launch.

Heubert's Batman Mactan was based on the Datus during the pre-Spanish colonial era. He thought it was the equivalent to the Japanese' samurai outfit.

Heubert is also a comicbook creator. In 2009, Heubert launched his own book, "UNSTOPPABLE." Well, that pretty much describes his passion. When he though he already gave up on his dreams, destiny reminded him of of what made him happy when he was a kid. You can never stop Heubert from pursuing his goals in life!

Throughout the years, Heubert handled a lot of titles from Top Cow. He worked on Cyber Force/Artifacts. He was also supposed to fill-in for Witchblade but the current artist during that time was able to come through. With a lot of achievements under his banner, Heubert wishes to work on Batman in the future. With his talent and great attention to detail, that dream can soon become a reality. He's aware of all the talented artists in the business right now. He believes that every artist has a different style to offer. Everyone is talented in their own right. Having said that, Heubert hopes for a longevity in the business.

His only advise to young artists who would want to make it into the industry someday is to draw everyday. He emphasized that drawing everyday works only if you try something different. Drawing everyday without leaving their comfort zone would only make an artist prolific. If young artists would want to grow and develop their skills, experimenting with their artwork is the key.

Ow and by the way, Heubert is a HUGE Batman fan. Just check Unstoppable's mask. It resembles The Dark Knight :D