In anticipation of my debut YA fantasy novel, I’m publishing a comic book prequel. It is in the works! I will share more about the comic book soon, but let’s dive into the reasons behind this project. I hope these reasons will resonate with comic book fans, supporters of black authors, and anyone seeking a refreshing and inspiring narrative.
Reason 1: Transmedia Storytelling
If you’ve been following, I completed my graduate capstone project on Transmedia Storytelling, which can be a useful tool for black authors to gain visibility in the publishing industry and attract readers. That aside, the universe of my novel is so fun and expansive that it begs to be explored further. I wanted to bring some of the hidden gems to light and also give my readers more insight into some of the characters who we don’t get as much access to in the first novel. Also, I planted some easter eggs for later in the series.
Reason 2: Kyrel
Book 1 of my planned series is written entirely in Aryam’s perspective, though Kyrel makes strong appearances. However, I’m loving writing Kyrel so much in Book 2, so I wanted the readers to be able to get to know him a little more in the prequel. The same goes for Darien and Katina. While they never become P.O.V. characters, they each play a role, so I thought it would be cool to introduce them too.
Reason 3: I’m a visual nerd
I’ve always been very visual about my writing. When I was a kid, I would draw all my characters out in anime style. As an adult, not much has changed. Creating a comic book gives me the opportunity to see my characters in a different medium besides print. Who knows? Maybe one day they’ll have their own animated series.
A reason that goes with out saying is: representation. In my research, I’ve been learning more about how few black and brown superheroes there are in comic books (and TV and books and etc). So this is for all the black comic book fans, supporters of black authors, and lovers of diverse narratives. I’m so grateful for the continued encouragement of my family, friends, and of the other creatives I meet in the digital world. Together, let’s unleash the true potential of our heroes and celebrate the beauty of diverse storytelling.