Dazo was born in Meycauayan, Bulacan, on June 6, 1965, and grew up in Salcedo, Eastern Samar. His parents were both lawyers, but as he put it, he “hear[d] a different drumbeat,” and by 2000, he was an established comics artist in his country’s comic scene, when he became the first Filipino artist to sign with the newly established Glass House Graphics Asia agency. In an obituary at Bleeding Cool, Glass House CEO David Campiti recalled Dazo explaining, “My nickname’s based off of Bong-Bong Marcos, a Filipino Senator… and it always makes me sound like I’m high.”
Dazo drew several issues and story arcs of Dark Horse Comics’s “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” series (written by John Jackson Miller) from 2007 to 2009; he also contributed to the graphic novelization of The Force Unleashed video game in 2008. He drew several titles for Marvel from 2008 to 2011, including Daniel Way’s “Deadpool” run, and the 2009 maxiseries “Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth” (written by Victor Gischler):
He penciled two ‘Darkseid War’ tie-ins for DC in 2015, as well as that year’s “Flash Annual.” He also branched into creator-owned work with David Lawrence and Terry Keefe’s steampunk series “Tesla,” originally published by Red Giant Entertainment.
As well as penciling comics, Dazo worked in storyboarding and directing animation, and was an actor and production designer in the Philippine Educational Theater Association. A wake for Dazo will be held at St. Peter Memorial Chapel, in Bancal, Meycauayan, Bulacan. Tributes have come pouring in from several of his creative collaborators:
Aw, man…Bong Dazo, who drew several Deadpool issues during my run, has died. Such a loss of such a unique talent. My heart goes out to his family. He will be missed.
— Greetings Cat TM (@DanielKWay) June 30, 2018
Bong Dazo had to draw some of the most complicated settings in the Knights of the Old Republic comics — like the comet mining operation in "The Reaping," or the auction house that sold planets, as seen here from "Prophet Motive." He was always up to the challenge. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/zRfmrwKK81
— John Jackson Miller (@jjmfaraway) June 30, 2018
Good God,
I've just learned that artist Bong Dazo passed away. We worked together on Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth. So much fun. I'd always wanted to work with him again, and it hits me hard to know I now never will.
— Victor Gischler (@VictorGischler) July 1, 2018
