Meet Liam Coballes | Localization Producer & Comic Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Liam Coballes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liam, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is just a scary way of phrasing a choice. We make choices every day, but labeling it as a “risk” changes the perspective of that choice and gives it more weight. Most people see it to be a daunting task of either gaining or losing something, which isn’t wrong, but I find it easier to view it as a logical or passionate decision. When creating my goals or coming up with a plan, I consider it a gauge of how passionate I am to see this through, and how realistic I should be with the execution of it.

A recent example would probably be when I was given the offer to join Diwata Komiks and create a character to preview alongside other Filipino creators in their upcoming anthology, New Icons. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited, after all, how many Filipino characters are in the comic space? And after talking with the team more, I even wanted to strive to do more to push my story out sooner. However, was I willing to sacrifice my stable 9-5 job that allowed me to make ends meet to do that? That “risk” logically didn’t make sense as I could use the money I made at work to help fund my comic, But I was able to assess the type of work balance I needed to work on this passion project while keeping my 9-5 schedule.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Currently, I’m a English Localization producer for foreign for series and feature content for streaming platforms. Some of my notable works would be My Happy Marriage and Yu Yu Hakusho on Netflix, along with Citadel: Diana and Like a Dragon: Yakuza on Amazon Prime. However, I didn’t start off wanting to be in this industry, When I was younger, I wanted to work in cartoons, but my parents were concerned I wouldn’t make a living on just drawing alone, so I took up architecture and engineering. It allowed room for practicality and drawing that at the time satiated my need to draw. However, in college, I experimented with some animation courses and felt “I need to pursue this” so I switched majors and worked my ass off to “catch up” to my fellow peers after starting late into the program. By the time, I graduated I was burnout with drawing and went towards production to get away from that creativity and by happenstance, ended up in the world of dubbing through a friend’s suggestion while hunting for internships.

You can see in most of my life, I’ve tried to push myself and try various different things. Even now with my 5 year career in localization, I’ve started getting involved in the indie comic world. I worked on a trans/non-binary anthology called The Out Side that as nominated an Eisner award for Best Anthology in 2024. Around the same time, I started working with Diwata Komiks to create a trans male Filipino superhero that brings representation of my identity to the world. While it seems chaotic on the surface, I feel that it’s something a creative just does. We’re curious people, always trying to push the limits of what we can do. For my personal journey, I feel that a part of this ideology does stem from my gender identity and sexual orientation, as I feel it’s always important to look inward, as well as outward, with personal growth and self awareness. This makes you more intuned with yourself, as well as those around you. These are hard things you have to face, especially when it’s acknowledging those big questions like “are you content with the way your living or have you become complacent in the way you’re living?” I want to challenge people with my work to think outside of a normal mundane view. Challenge yourself and allow yourself to grow. Whether you fail, succeed, experiment, and still end up without a clear answer, at least you know that you tried to get to know yourself better.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I always recommend Wanderlust Creamery (specifically the one located in Atwater Village), Tang and Java in Woodland Hills, and The T Room in Montrose.

Wanderlust Creamery is an ice cream place that is always filled with amazing flavors. Not only do they have amazing flavors that are inspired by sweets all over the world, but they also have new monthly flavors that represent different heritages and themes year round. There are so many nostalgic flavors that are served year-round, like the ube malted crunch that is heavily inspired by Filipino flavors. Every person I’ve taken there wants to keep their eyes peeled for the new month’s flavors.

Tanga and Java is a Filipino-owned cafe that sells amazing coffee and handmade gelato. While they are a small business, they have a deeply rooted place in their community, with amazing hospitality and warmth when you walk in. I always recommend going on Sundays as they sell their version of Bibingka which is to die for. Every time I’ve gone, I’ve at least ordered like 4 batches from them.

Lastly, the T room is a lovely place to have a lovely and somewhat fancy gathering with friends. They have an eclectic aesthetic to them and the staff are lovely, especially Miss Margo (she isn’t the owner but the head chef.) I’ve tried a handful of their carefully selected teas and they’re all delicious, especially when you pair it with their small tower of finger sandwiches and scones. I’ve gone there for romantic and platonic dates and it’s always been a lovely time for everyone.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
If I were to dedicate this shoutout to someone, I would dedicate it to my loving partner Jen Kozlowski. Over the past couple of years, we have gone through the thick of it together. They have not only challenged me to expand my horizons, humored the chaotic projects that I’ve cooked up, and made me appreciate comfort in myself and the mundane tasks we do together. Jen is someone that I can picture myself being with for the rest of my life and I hope one day we will be able to do so.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natural_nin/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-coballes

Other: IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm14182200/

Image Credits
Maddie Tacobus, David Daneman, The Kao, Min Christensen, Al Acevedo, Tara Madison Avery, Nicole Maines, Alex Combs, Tilly Bridges, Sonya Saturday, Gaia WXYZ, Tiffany Asta, Ami Coulibaly, Anthony Frucci, Zach Chaloux, Caden Shaffer, Jen Kozlowski