Joe Mari Lee did comics illustration in the late 1970s for Pilipino Komiks, Tagalog Klasiks, Espesyal Komiks, Hiwaga Komiks, and other titles from Atlas Publishing, Affiliated Publications and Carda Features. He wrote and drew his own stories and sometimes teamed up with other illustrators, such as Vir Redondo (brother of Nestor Redondo), Mar Amongo, Rico Rival, Abel Laxamana, Romy T. Gamboa, Madz Sanggalang, Dell Barras, Vincent Benjamin Kua and others. He later went to write for television, but he continued writing and drawing comics for El Dorado Publishing for titles like Love Weekly and Kayumanggi Comics. He wrote and illustrated a serialized novel called 'Mga Bulaklak ng Ermita' ('The Flowers of Ermita'), delving into the lives of Filipino tour guides, and 'Akoy Tinik at Rosas' ('Roses and Thorns'), expounding on the controversial topic of hermaproditism. In 1984, he wrote three indie graphic novels: 'Angelus', 'Plastron' and 'Tales of the Samurai', teaming with Rico Rival and Abel Laxamana.
