Launching today via Kickstarter, The Mask of Haliya: Heir to the Warrior Moon is a graphic novel inspired by Philippine mythology via Clover Press and Kwento Comics. This 200-page deluxe hardcover is a young adult urban fantasy which follows the journey of a troubled Filipina-American teen who discovers a mysterious mask at her great-grandmother’s wake. The story is written and illustrated by an all-Asian, all-female creative team from around the world.
Writer Kaitlyn Fajilan told AIPT, “Our first premium graphic novel, Heir to the Warrior Moon, covers the genesis of one girl’s journey into ascendency, knowledge, and womanhood. Its beautifully rendered art tells a tale equal parts intrigue, action, horror, and heart, all held together by the fractured—but no less fascinating—pieces of our cultural past.”
“We realized that Asian – and specifically, Filipino – characters, roles, and mythology were not seen in film, television, or comic books,” said Kwento Comics Co-Founder Cecilia Lim, “We wanted to be part of the solution and create stories that introduce Filipino and other Asian mythos to a wider audience.”
So what’s The Mask of Haliya: Heir to the Warrior Moon about?
Kwento Comics was founded by a mother and daughter team, Cecilia and Waverley Lim, who were inspired to create a solution to the lack of Asian American representation in media. Their goal in launching the company is to create lead Asian female characters on the page, while also highlighting the talented Asian women artists and writers in an industry that is heavily male-dominated.
“After meeting the Lims and reading their comics, I knew we wanted to publish THE MASK OF HALIYA,” said Clover Press publisher Hank Kanalz. “Filipinos have played a huge part in comics’ history, and I’m personally thrilled to assist in our representation on the page as well.”
Check out the preview below.
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