The Registered Nurse: Peejay Catacutan--TDKPH Artist of the Month
- Paolo Ollero
- Dec 5, 2016
- 3 min read
Many of you guys know Peejay Catacutan as a talented artist. Some of you may know him as the guy who loves to draw dinosaurs. But what most of us didn't know is that Peejay is a registered nurse. He traded a financially secured career for a job in the comicbook industry that has a flexible concept of "security of tenure".
At the age of 2, Peejay was fond of drawing dinosaurs. His first drawing of a dinosaur was a Stegosaurus--one of those four-legged dinosaurs with sharp razors along their spine. During those times, he shunned away from drawing comicbook characters because he thought only gods drew them.
Born and raised in Ilagan, Isabela, the concept of the traditional work was embedded onto him. He was taught that work means going to office with a suit and tie then come home to enjoy the comfort of family. In the small town of Isabela, the concept of working in the comicbook industry meant that you have to be an "American".
His ambition, when he was a kid, was to become a Paleontologist--hence, the numerous drawings of dinosaurs. However, growing in a family of teachers, Peejay decided to pursue the nursing career.
Even before working in the comicbook industry, Peejay had a promising career in the field of medicine. He was an Operating Room (OR) Nurse. He also passed NCLEX--a nationwide examination for the licensing in the United States and in Canada--making him a United States Registered Nurse (USRN). While working as a nurse, Peejay constantly updated his deviantart page with his colorful artwork.
In the four corners of the hospital, Nurse Peejay was known by everyone as the nurse who ALWAYS drew stuff. He would leave drawings on cork boards in the Emergency Room to destress doctors, nurses, and patients alike. He has assisted in numerous surgeries, child births, and even saving people from vehicular accidents. But at the end of the day, it was the love for drawing that kept him going. He knew in his heart that drawing was made for him and him for everyone to appreciate his artwork.
In 2011, Nurse Peejay was contacted by Omar Spahi of OSSM COMICS. He saw Peejay's deviantart page and asked him if he's interested in pursuing a career in the comicbook industry. In a heartbeat, Peejay accepted the offer to chase a life-long dream of becoming a comicbook artist.
He had his ups and downs in drawing panels for comicbooks. From the operating room, he was suddenly thrust in a world of panels, pages, line art, and deadlines. To keep himself sane and confident, he watched Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight. In 2012, his name came up when Marvel checked out talents here in the Philippines. After months of hard work, he felt validated in pursuing his dreams. It was a morale-boost for him and since that moment, he knew he made the right choice.
One of Peejay's exciting work is a locally published comic entitled, "BUSTER". The story is set in a futuristic post-apocalyptic period where nations brought back a Filipino Hero in order to fight an oppressive regime. With time set in the future, Peejay opens a world filled with allegories relating to Philippine politics and government. His idea for Buster came from the idea of how our heroes from the past would react if they saw the country now. If you're interested to read Buster, you can get your copies from Filbar's, Comic Odyssey and DK Collectibles.
The Philippines is filled with many talented artists. The one thing that separates Peejay from other artists is that he follows what he feels and not what the books tell him to. Peejay never had a formal training thus he attacks the canvas instinctively. Most times, his artwork overpowers the technical aspect of the piece.
Peejay Catacutan will be at The Comic Brook's Christmas Party this December 10 in Comic Odyssey, The Fort, BGC. You can ask commissions from him or buy his Buster books. In any case, The Dark Knight Philippines highly encourage you guys to meet this amazing artist at the said event. If rumors are true, he will give away an artwork to one lucky attendee.
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