Rina Ayuyang was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. She was always inspired by the Sunday newspaper funnies and slice-of-life tales. Rina’s new book, The Man in The McIntosh Suit, is a Filipino-American take on Depression-era noir featuring mistaken identities, speakeasies, and lost love in San Francisco’s Manilatown. It has been nominated for 2023 Harvey Award Book of the Year and an Ignatz Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel. Rina’s previous book, Blame This on the Boogie, is an homage to the American Musical, exploring themes of escapism, ethnic identity, family, and pop-culture fanaticism. It appeared on best of year lists from Forbes, London Free Press, and on Publishers Weekly’s Critics Poll.
Her online comic, Beginning’s End, published by Mutha Magazine was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Short Story. Her Cartoonist’s Diary contribution on TCJ.com was awarded the Silver medal for Comics in Digital Media by the Society of Illustrators for its Comic and Cartoon Art Annual and nominated for an Ignatz Award for Best Online Comic. Rina was also nominated for an Ignatz Award for Promising New Talent in 2010.
Rina began her professional comics career, self-publishing the minicomic series Namby Pamby, following with comics such as Souvenir and Doodle DAZE. Stories from Namby Pamby were collected in the book Whirlwind Wonderland co-published by Sparkplug Comic Books and Tugboat Press. Rina has also contributed to various anthologies like Unicorn Mountain, Stripburger, SPX 2005, Pinoy Komiks, and Runner Runner. She has exhibited at the Arlington Art Center, Cartoon Art Museum, Giant Robot, Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, and was a cartoonist-in-residence at the Charles Schulz Museum.
Always eager to showcase the work of emerging writers and artists, Rina founded the online magazine Creative Skin and later ran the comics imprint Yam Books. She also plays the “nice” co-host, alongside cartoonist Thien Pham, on the comics podcast, The Comix Claptrap. interviewing cartoonists about their creative process and the comics industry.
Rina is currently based in Oakland, CA.
Rina Ayuyang 