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DELAY: A Comics Anthology
Looming milestones and missed connections. Resisting mainstream expectations and doing life at your own pace.
What does DELAY mean to you? Writers and illustrators from Southeast Asia take on this theme in a comics anthology curated by guest editors Charis Loke and Paolo Chikiamco.
From explorations of identity and inner worlds to the twists and turns of modern life, these stories offer restoration, room for reflection, and invite us to reclaim time in our own ways.
Creative Teams
• A Day in the Life by Cesar Miguel Escaño (PH) & Ferdee Bambico (PH)
• Ad Astra by Nicolette “Wanlingnic” Lee (SG)
• Astray by Farid Nad (MY)
• DELAYED by Peter Lin (SG) & Angela Wu (SG)
• Fish Curry Tastes Better the Next Day by Paati/பாட்டி Philosophy (SG)
• Limerence Station by Eliot Lime (SG)
• Ma, Pa, Delayed Ako by Hansel Dimapilis (PH)
• Syncopation by Aime Marisa (MY) & Bonnibel Rambatan (ID)
• The Adventures of Sunday Domingo feat. Yaya Precy by Julius Villanueva (PH)
• The Other World by Cathlyn Vania (ID)
• Time For That Later by Wayne Rée (SG), Nadia Daeng (SG), & Abigail Goh Tian-I (MY)
What does DELAY mean to you? Writers and illustrators from Southeast Asia take on this theme in a comics anthology curated by guest editors Charis Loke and Paolo Chikiamco.
From explorations of identity and inner worlds to the twists and turns of modern life, these stories offer restoration, room for reflection, and invite us to reclaim time in our own ways.
Creative Teams
• A Day in the Life by Cesar Miguel Escaño (PH) & Ferdee Bambico (PH)
• Ad Astra by Nicolette “Wanlingnic” Lee (SG)
• Astray by Farid Nad (MY)
• DELAYED by Peter Lin (SG) & Angela Wu (SG)
• Fish Curry Tastes Better the Next Day by Paati/பாட்டி Philosophy (SG)
• Limerence Station by Eliot Lime (SG)
• Ma, Pa, Delayed Ako by Hansel Dimapilis (PH)
• Syncopation by Aime Marisa (MY) & Bonnibel Rambatan (ID)
• The Adventures of Sunday Domingo feat. Yaya Precy by Julius Villanueva (PH)
• The Other World by Cathlyn Vania (ID)
• Time For That Later by Wayne Rée (SG), Nadia Daeng (SG), & Abigail Goh Tian-I (MY)
252 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2025
About the author
Charis Loke
8 books1 followerCharis Loke has been found drawing book covers, fantasy maps, board games, street protests, in the jungle, on a boat, and by a glacier. As an editor and curator, she’s worked with close to a hundred Southeast Asian comic creators and artists, including co-editing SOUND: A Comics Anthology, published by Difference Engine. She’s illustrated for Netflix, Orbit, Macmillan, Subterranean Press, and Mekong Review, among others, and has an MA in Visual Sociology with an interest in mapping as arts research
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 24, 2025
5 stars. full review to come but i freaking loved this.
i love how southeast asian this is. it’s really nice getting the familiar feeling of someone who /knows/ what it’s like to live here.
i think i went into this expecting some modern pieces on time as a concept in work-life balance but the reality of southeast asian stories is that they’re gonna revolve around family and that hit so much harder. im so grateful for all of these stories and their messages :”)
to really capture delay we must first unpack the passage of time. as Paolo Chikiamco says in his editor’s note, “delay, after all, is not about the length of time that passes but the deviation from a schedule, a plan.” i really love this collection of stories and how they depict characters shouldering the burden of the passage of time, as it pushes them further and further from their expected paths.
also from the character designs i just knew some of these artists had to be queer and after reading the “about” section at the end i’m happy to find out so many of them are!!! 🩷
more to come!!!!!!!!!
i love how southeast asian this is. it’s really nice getting the familiar feeling of someone who /knows/ what it’s like to live here.
i think i went into this expecting some modern pieces on time as a concept in work-life balance but the reality of southeast asian stories is that they’re gonna revolve around family and that hit so much harder. im so grateful for all of these stories and their messages :”)
to really capture delay we must first unpack the passage of time. as Paolo Chikiamco says in his editor’s note, “delay, after all, is not about the length of time that passes but the deviation from a schedule, a plan.” i really love this collection of stories and how they depict characters shouldering the burden of the passage of time, as it pushes them further and further from their expected paths.
also from the character designs i just knew some of these artists had to be queer and after reading the “about” section at the end i’m happy to find out so many of them are!!! 🩷
more to come!!!!!!!!!
December 3, 2025
every story feels like a reaffirming hug, that is all 💙
February 3, 2026
forgot to update here omg
April 27, 2026
Thank you to Difference Engine and Consortium Book Sales & Distribution for providing me with a review copy via Edelweiss. This has in no way influenced my reading experience or opinions.
It feels only serendipitous that I’ve come across a review copy of DELAY at a perfect time in my life for I, too, have my life on pause for a while now. So of course I jumped at the opportunity to read an early copy and temporarily deviate from my usual SFFH/speculative fic reads. I just knew I had to read it, and I wasn’t disappointed by the slightest bit—reading the stories in this comics anthology was like a warm hug I didn’t know I desperately needed.
In DELAY, Southeast Asian writers and illustrators were given the task of exploring what ‘delay’ means to them. The result is eleven poignant short stories about family, life, identity, and friendships.
I remember seeing the submissions call for this floating around two years ago, but never really thought much about it besides Paolo Chikiamco being a guest editor until now. I’ve read Alternative Alamat, a short story anthology about modern interpretations of Filipino myths and legends that he curated, which I enjoyed—and treasured—because it was one of the first books that started my love for local speculative fiction. I remember being lured into the rabbit hole of the genre because of his editor’s note in the anthology. So the moment I started reading his note on DELAY? Oh, it’s over—this book is going to make me bawl.
It, in fact, elicited numerous emotions from me. One moment I was tearing up, the next I was giggling, and then my heart started aching. For me, this is one of the bigger signs an anthology is well-curated because the interpretations of what ‘delay’ meant for every creative team did not feel repetitive, but fresh. It peels back new layers, each with the sole mission of tugging at the reader’s heartstrings.
There are stories filled with dark humor, self-deprecation, creeping anxiety, and lack of confidence, but also stories with joy, acceptance, companionship, and living life with no regrets. I’m glad it wasn’t all sob stories like I expected lest it becomes stale and predictable fast. And while most stories in the anthology had no satisfying payoff (realistically, it made sense but the idealist in me wished for a HEA), it almost always ends with a life still full of possibilities. Almost like it’s trying to tell us, “Please pick up where you left off and continue writing your story. It doesn’t end here… yet.” Which gives readers a lot of hope to hold on to.
The characters were charming and full of personality—sometimes flawed, but loveable all the same. I wanted to give everyone a hug… and that’s a lot coming from someone who hates hugs. You just get where they’re coming from because you know someone, or you’ve been there or will be in their position at some point in your life. While it’s scary to think about, I’m grateful that I have read this anthology because it will remind me that I’m not alone in this feeling of not progressing at a pace I was expected to.
Out of all the stories in the lineup, “Ma, Pa, Delayed Ako” hits closest to home. I know the feeling all too well. The comics itself visualized the exact nightmare that haunted me throughout my undergrad. I hope whoever inspired this story—or whoever feels seen by it—is doing better these days. Another story that touched a nerve for me was The Other World, where the protagonist daydreams excessively to escape reality. I felt called out because I do that a lot.
I wanted to do an honorable mentions list but I feel like I’m just going to include the rest of the stories. I’m sure readers will find something that they like and can relate to because the anthology feels timeless and universal.
As a Filipino myself, this anthology means a lot to me for many reasons. Aside from the ones already mentioned, I loved that the characters actually look Southeast Asian. Although the various art styles in the anthology have both Western and Easter influences, it nonetheless captures the diversity of our appearances. There’s different body types, skin tones, and hair texture. Even better, they actually had the facial features right—especially the nose!
I love seeing the familiarity in our cultures across the region, like the wet market, the board games, the fruits, terms of endearment, the importance of family, even the relentless tropical heat. Everything about this anthology is so unapologetically Southeast Asian and I love it!
Honestly, I could go on and on about the details in the illustrations. I’m not an illustrator myself so I don’t know what the correct terms are, but I love how the details, positioning, and transitions added another layer to the narrative.
All in all, DELAYED is a well-curated, beautifully tender and heartfelt comics anthology by Southeast Asian writers and illustrators on what it means to live one’s life at their own pace. It’s full of valuable lessons to live by, characters you’ll grow to love, and detailed illustrations that take the narrative to further heights. You’ll probably cry and laugh, have your heart shattered, and still yearn for something greater. I cannot recommend it enough—especially for readers who feel like their life is not progressing as they originally planned. May you find comfort in these stories as much as I did.
It feels only serendipitous that I’ve come across a review copy of DELAY at a perfect time in my life for I, too, have my life on pause for a while now. So of course I jumped at the opportunity to read an early copy and temporarily deviate from my usual SFFH/speculative fic reads. I just knew I had to read it, and I wasn’t disappointed by the slightest bit—reading the stories in this comics anthology was like a warm hug I didn’t know I desperately needed.
In DELAY, Southeast Asian writers and illustrators were given the task of exploring what ‘delay’ means to them. The result is eleven poignant short stories about family, life, identity, and friendships.
I remember seeing the submissions call for this floating around two years ago, but never really thought much about it besides Paolo Chikiamco being a guest editor until now. I’ve read Alternative Alamat, a short story anthology about modern interpretations of Filipino myths and legends that he curated, which I enjoyed—and treasured—because it was one of the first books that started my love for local speculative fiction. I remember being lured into the rabbit hole of the genre because of his editor’s note in the anthology. So the moment I started reading his note on DELAY? Oh, it’s over—this book is going to make me bawl.
It, in fact, elicited numerous emotions from me. One moment I was tearing up, the next I was giggling, and then my heart started aching. For me, this is one of the bigger signs an anthology is well-curated because the interpretations of what ‘delay’ meant for every creative team did not feel repetitive, but fresh. It peels back new layers, each with the sole mission of tugging at the reader’s heartstrings.
There are stories filled with dark humor, self-deprecation, creeping anxiety, and lack of confidence, but also stories with joy, acceptance, companionship, and living life with no regrets. I’m glad it wasn’t all sob stories like I expected lest it becomes stale and predictable fast. And while most stories in the anthology had no satisfying payoff (realistically, it made sense but the idealist in me wished for a HEA), it almost always ends with a life still full of possibilities. Almost like it’s trying to tell us, “Please pick up where you left off and continue writing your story. It doesn’t end here… yet.” Which gives readers a lot of hope to hold on to.
The characters were charming and full of personality—sometimes flawed, but loveable all the same. I wanted to give everyone a hug… and that’s a lot coming from someone who hates hugs. You just get where they’re coming from because you know someone, or you’ve been there or will be in their position at some point in your life. While it’s scary to think about, I’m grateful that I have read this anthology because it will remind me that I’m not alone in this feeling of not progressing at a pace I was expected to.
Out of all the stories in the lineup, “Ma, Pa, Delayed Ako” hits closest to home. I know the feeling all too well. The comics itself visualized the exact nightmare that haunted me throughout my undergrad. I hope whoever inspired this story—or whoever feels seen by it—is doing better these days. Another story that touched a nerve for me was The Other World, where the protagonist daydreams excessively to escape reality. I felt called out because I do that a lot.
I wanted to do an honorable mentions list but I feel like I’m just going to include the rest of the stories. I’m sure readers will find something that they like and can relate to because the anthology feels timeless and universal.
As a Filipino myself, this anthology means a lot to me for many reasons. Aside from the ones already mentioned, I loved that the characters actually look Southeast Asian. Although the various art styles in the anthology have both Western and Easter influences, it nonetheless captures the diversity of our appearances. There’s different body types, skin tones, and hair texture. Even better, they actually had the facial features right—especially the nose!
I love seeing the familiarity in our cultures across the region, like the wet market, the board games, the fruits, terms of endearment, the importance of family, even the relentless tropical heat. Everything about this anthology is so unapologetically Southeast Asian and I love it!
Honestly, I could go on and on about the details in the illustrations. I’m not an illustrator myself so I don’t know what the correct terms are, but I love how the details, positioning, and transitions added another layer to the narrative.
All in all, DELAYED is a well-curated, beautifully tender and heartfelt comics anthology by Southeast Asian writers and illustrators on what it means to live one’s life at their own pace. It’s full of valuable lessons to live by, characters you’ll grow to love, and detailed illustrations that take the narrative to further heights. You’ll probably cry and laugh, have your heart shattered, and still yearn for something greater. I cannot recommend it enough—especially for readers who feel like their life is not progressing as they originally planned. May you find comfort in these stories as much as I did.
October 30, 2025
delay is a quiet, contemplative collection – a pause between breaths. it brings together voices from across southeast asia, each exploring what it means to move through life at your own rhythm. through comics that touch on identity, longing, growth & resistance to expectation, this anthology reminds us that not everything meaningful has to happen quickly 🥹🌱
i devoured this in one sitting !!!😫 its rlly the kind of read that flows so easily you don’t notice time passing :'-) the illustrations are beautiful; i found myself slowing down just to take them in, panel by panel. every artist brought something unique, from intimate sketches to bold, expressive visuals that made me want to linger longer on each page. 😍
but !!!!! i'll admit – i wished the stories were longer & generally im also not a short stories girlie to begin with 🥲 just as i was getting attached to a voice or a scene, it would end & i was left craving a little more. but maybe that’s also part of the experience: feeling the absence, the unfinished, the delay itself. still, that fleetingness made some stories feel a bit forgettable, even as the whole collection stayed with me in tone and spirit.
what stood out most was the feeling – this shared understanding among the creators that life doesn’t always unfold on schedule. delay invites you to sit with stillness, to accept detours and pauses as part of the journey.
rounding this up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 – thoughtful and visually stunning, offering quiet moments of reflection. i only wish there was more to hold onto...but maybe that’s also the beauty of it. :-)
now available at @differenceenginesg 's website!! differenceengine.sg ✨
// thank you so much @differenceenginesg for this copy as well 🌧️💙
i devoured this in one sitting !!!😫 its rlly the kind of read that flows so easily you don’t notice time passing :'-) the illustrations are beautiful; i found myself slowing down just to take them in, panel by panel. every artist brought something unique, from intimate sketches to bold, expressive visuals that made me want to linger longer on each page. 😍
but !!!!! i'll admit – i wished the stories were longer & generally im also not a short stories girlie to begin with 🥲 just as i was getting attached to a voice or a scene, it would end & i was left craving a little more. but maybe that’s also part of the experience: feeling the absence, the unfinished, the delay itself. still, that fleetingness made some stories feel a bit forgettable, even as the whole collection stayed with me in tone and spirit.
what stood out most was the feeling – this shared understanding among the creators that life doesn’t always unfold on schedule. delay invites you to sit with stillness, to accept detours and pauses as part of the journey.
rounding this up to ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 – thoughtful and visually stunning, offering quiet moments of reflection. i only wish there was more to hold onto...but maybe that’s also the beauty of it. :-)
now available at @differenceenginesg 's website!! differenceengine.sg ✨
// thank you so much @differenceenginesg for this copy as well 🌧️💙
April 10, 2026
TW: self-deletion, grief
I almost didn’t read "Delay" because the way the DRC was formatted made it impossible to read it on my phone, but thankfully, I was able to read it on my laptop.
So even though my reading was a bit delayed:), I loved it when I finally got to it. This is an amazing work of literature, not only when it came to the individual stories and the themes they dealt with, such as time of course, but also citizenship, family, mental health and so many others, but also, the overall book and what it stands for: I'm sure a lot of people will have their first contact with South Asian voices through this graphic novel, and I'm so glad for all of us because this was wonderful.
I would love to read more projects by any of the contributors or more collections like this.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Difference Engine and Consortium Book Sales & Distribution for this DRC.
I almost didn’t read "Delay" because the way the DRC was formatted made it impossible to read it on my phone, but thankfully, I was able to read it on my laptop.
So even though my reading was a bit delayed:), I loved it when I finally got to it. This is an amazing work of literature, not only when it came to the individual stories and the themes they dealt with, such as time of course, but also citizenship, family, mental health and so many others, but also, the overall book and what it stands for: I'm sure a lot of people will have their first contact with South Asian voices through this graphic novel, and I'm so glad for all of us because this was wonderful.
I would love to read more projects by any of the contributors or more collections like this.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Difference Engine and Consortium Book Sales & Distribution for this DRC.
Want to Read
November 29, 2025Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
April 16, 2026
While the stories in Delay relate to the culture and politics of the creators’ home countries, their themes are universally relatable, from the difficulties of communicating across generations to the joys of food and friendship. At the same time, the challenges faced by many of the characters are specific to multilingual and multicultural societies whose rigid borders create seemingly insurmountable barriers for young people who find the start of their adult lives frustratingly delayed by paperwork and bureaucracy.
The stories also challenge the pressure for constant progress, even as they underscore the unfair limitations imposed on those whose lives are held back by forces beyond their control. Still, Delay reminds the reader that joy is the foundation of resilience, and that even messy relationships can be rewarding.
The stories also challenge the pressure for constant progress, even as they underscore the unfair limitations imposed on those whose lives are held back by forces beyond their control. Still, Delay reminds the reader that joy is the foundation of resilience, and that even messy relationships can be rewarding.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews