Mga Mangangaso sa Dagat at ang Huling Buwan sa Kalawakan
By Misael “Gio” Manning | From Issue One (Fall 2025)
A video game like illustration of two mecha warriors fighting Bakunawa. The purple mech, closest to the viewer, has their green spear pointed at the dragon emerging from the water. The green mech in the distance, is in the centre of the moon of the background, holding up his shield with his sword ready to strike. Bakunawa has its mouth open and is staring down at them with its multiple purple eyes. They are fighting at night, near the sea against the monster. The overlay says Bakunawa and has a health bar beneath it, and the turn is on the purple mecha, his options are spear strike or overdrive.
Mga Mangangaso sa Dagat at ang Huling Buwan sa Kalawakan is an illustration by Misael “Gio” Manning. It depicts a duo of futuristic piloted mecha, equipped with traditional Filipino inspired weapons and armour, fighting against a Bakunawa in the style of an RPG video game screenshot. Manning’s illustration references the Visayan story of the Bakunawa consuming multiple moons until a single one is left. In this story, the people found ways of defending the moon by clanging metal. Manning reflected this in their illustration by showing giant pilotable mechanical humanoids created to defend their community and the moon. The Bakunawa’s appearance is based on indigenous creatures throughout the Philippine islands such as crocodiles, giant snakes, and oarfish, which may have inspired the original legends. For the overall composition, Manning was inspired by the Japanese Monster Hunter series, where hunters are tasked with keeping the natural ecosystem balanced by stopping invasive or malevolent monsters in the surrounding environment.
Manning is a Filipino-Canadian illustrator and concept artist specializing in mechanical design. They are known for illustrations and design works in Iron Widow, Maharlika RPG, Eldritch Automata and Cyberpunk Red. A majority of their art is inspired by their Filipino heritage and their love of stories with giant mechanical characters. Manning believes that cultural reclamation as part of the Filipinx diaspora is about living in a way that honours our cultural backgrounds while integrating our modern day knowledge and multi-cultural upbringing.
You can find them on Bluesky as @m2art.bsky.social and, instagram at msquaredart