British manga creators announce all ages Kickstarter campaign for new graphic novel, Hot Lunch.

The exhilaration over Marvel’s Black Panther has increased demand for diverse representation in the comic book stories we read. That demand extends to creators themselves with less than a quarter of the creators in the big three comic publishers (Marvel, DC, Image) people of colour, while 11% are women.

With a team made up of black writers/co-founders and editor, and a female illustrator, London-based mayamada continues to promote diverse representation as creators with their Kickstarter campaign for Hot Lunch Volume 1: The manga-style graphic novel for young readers and readers young at heart.

The story is a dramatic heist adventure written by mayamada co-founder Nigel Twumasi and illustrated by lead artist Pinali. Co-founders Nigel and Lao have been writing comics since their first successful crowdfunding campaign in 2013. They’ve gone on to release several titles that have been showcased across the UK and internationally with an appeal to an audience as diverse as the creative team.

We want to see more diversity in the comics industry, with equal opportunity to share the stories creators of colour want to tell. Going the independent route through Kickstarter is a great way to get more people involved. — Nigel Twumasi

What is Hot Lunch?

The Hot Lunch story (http://mayamada.com/hot-lunch/) follows a ragtag crew of thieves as they take on the impossible mission of bringing down a shadowy cabal of restaurant owners in Japan. Think the noble intent of Robin Hood meets the charm of a daring Ocean’s Eleven caper.

As well as being fun to read, comics are also being used to support education, expanding literary and communication skills for new and experienced readers alike.

“We regularly work with young people and this is more than just a book to us. It’s about keeping them engaged in reading and comics are a great way to do it!” — Nigel

The Kickstarter began its run from Wednesday, May 30th with a goal of £5000. If successfully funded, Hot Lunch Vol.1 will be over 100 pages of original manga. Supporting the campaign will give you a range of rewards, from the finished graphic novel and digital artwork, the chance to be a character in the mayamada universe, and even your own set of personalised Hot Lunch chopsticks!

And in the spirit of encouraging young diverse readers, there are rewards that allow you to donate copies of the Hot Lunch Vol.1 graphic novel to a young person or youth organisation of your choice.

So head to Kickstarter now and support this fantastic initiative before it ends. You can also get a free digital preview copy of Hot Lunch from the page, allowing you to catch up before backing the campaign.

Follow mayamda on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for updates.

About mayamada

mayamada is a creative brand set within their own universe of original characters. Inspired by anime and manga, they have been featured in publications from Vogue and GQ to NEO and London Live.

Set in a fantasy television world with an all-animal cast, the company was founded in London by Nigel Twumasi and Lao Karunwi whose passion for creating stories and original fashion led them to fuse both into a world filled with character and limitless imagination. mayamada have been featured in NEO Magazine, Broken Frontier and Bleeding Cool among others.