Following the devastating fires on Maui on August 8th, Hawaiʻi’s comic book creators have come together to tell the rich stories of the island to help support those affected by the tragedy.
MAUI STRONG is a comic anthology that adapts some of Mauiʻs beloved tales, called moʻolelo, which contain many wisdoms, parables, and lessons.
Proceeds will be donated to Maui Rapid Response, which provides direct aid to those affected by the fires.
$10,125
supported of $4,000
256
supporters
$8
77
claimed
Digital copy
PDF format, now expanded to 64 pages!
$15
259
claimed
Physical copy
Super-sized comic anthology, now expanded to 64 pages!
$37
46
claimed
Retailer Bundle
For retailers only. 5 copies of the anthology at wholesale pricing. If you want multiples of 5, simp...
$5
129
claimed
Donations
If you want to add something extra for the cause, you can increase in increments of $5 by simply pre...
Maui Strong is a comic anthology that adapts some of Maui’s beloved tales and histories, called moʻolelo, which contain many wisdoms, parables, and lessons. The combination of the word moʻo, which means a series or succession, and ʻōlelo, meaning words, are the stories and histories of Hawaiʻi. Moʻolelo were told to preserve Hawaiian histories, concepts, beliefs, idioms, proverbs, poetry, and more.
Maui Strong celebrates a centuries-old cultural tradition the way it used to be done, with a moʻolelo and a chant., focusing specifically on the island of Maui, with local talent including: Tom Bacon, Mark Gould, Blaze Hoʻomakoa, Brooke Hutchins, Jillian Ikehara. Nāinoa Kahiona, D.J. Keawekane, Aaron Nakahara, Kel Nuttall, Carl Shinyama, Joshua Sky, Chase Tokutaro, Kanila Tripp.
COVER ARTIST: Born and raised on Maui, Aaron Nakahara is a fantasy illustrator and the creator of Fields of Eleria. Bringing his talents to this cover, Aaron showcases the moments before Māui the demigod pulls up the Hawaiian islands!
MĀUI: GENESIS
For centuries, Kanaka Maoli told the moʻolelo of the famed kupua, Māui. In the time before Pele, there was Māui, who, with his prodigious strength and his legendary fish hook, the Manaiakalani, lifted the entire Hawaiian islands. For the first time ever, this moʻolelo is adapted to the four-colored comic book medium by Masters of the Universe writer Joshua Sky and artist Carl Shinyama, both Maui natives!
WRITER: Joshua Sky
ARTIST: Carl Shinyama
LETTERER: Kel Nuttall
EDITOR: Carl Shinyama
THE FIRST FEATHER CLOAK
Writer Nāinoa Kahiona and artist and Maui Native Jillian Ikehara make their first foray into comic books bringing you the story of Hawaiʻi's first feather cloak. The fastest kukini for King Kakaalaneo, Eleio is tasked with retrieving ʻawa for his king. Eleio journeys on foot from Lahaina to Hana and is befriended by a spirit who leads him to find the first feather cloak in Hawaiʻi!
WRITER: Nāinoa Kahiona
ARTIST: Jillian Ikehara
LETTERER: Kel Nuttall
EDITOR: Carl Shinyama
AIʻAI BATTLES THE GIANT PUHI
Kekoʻona, the first fishpond that was built by Kūʻula, god of fishermen, next to the famed Ka Iwi O Pele (“The Bones of Pele”) where Pele’s last battle took place, is the fishpond where another legendary battle later took place! ʻAiʻai, son of Kūʻula, engages in a deadly fight with the giant puhi, Koʻona, who had been stealing the fish in Kūʻula’s fishpond, armed with none other than the also famous Manaiakalani (Maui’s fish hook). Maui native Chase Tokutaro writes and illustrates!
WRITER: Chase Tokutaro
ARTIST: Chase Tokutaro
LETTERER: Kel Nuttall
EDITOR: Carl Shinyama
MĀUI: CHAMPION OF THE SUN
The legends and adventures of Māui are rivaled by few in Hawaiian history. When Hina laments the shortness of the days and her inability to dry her kapa quickly enough, Māui sees the opportunity to bring the dawn of a new age by battling the sun. Up-and-coming writer Blaze Hoʻomakoa is joined with veteran artist Mark Gould and colorist Kanila Tripp detailing one of Māui’s famous battles!
WRITER: Blaze Hoʻomakoa
PENCILER: Mark Gould
INKER: Mark Gould
COLORIST: Kanila Tripp
LETTERER: Kel Nuttall
EDITOR: Carl Shinyama
MAUIAKAMALO AND HIS MURDEROUS GUESTS!
When six-year old Māui-of-the-Loincloth began his day hunting the rat that had been haunting his mother’s kapa work area, Māui’s day takes a deadly turn when two of his uncles arrive to kill him! Activewear designer, Hawaiian Studies lecturer, and comic book writer Brooke Hutchins partners with Kamehameha comic book artist D.J. Keawekane to adapt the moʻolelo of Māui’s battle against his murderous guests!
WRITER: Brooke Hutchins
ARTIST: D.J. Keawekane
COLORIST: Tom Bacon
Following the devastating fires on Maui on August 8th, 2023, including the tragic Lahaina Town fire that claimed the lives, homes, and livelihood of many of its residents, Hawaiʻi’s comic book creators have come together to tell the rich stories of the island to help support those affected by the tragedy.
The fundraising efforts and the purchases of this book will give proceeds towards Maui Rapid Response, helping to give direct aid to those affected by the fires.
“Watching everyone near and far come together with the deepest and most heartfelt aloha to help those affected by Maui fires this summer has been an inspiration beyond words,” said editor Carl Shinyama. “#MauiStrong has come to symbolize and embody that aloha spirit. To honor and to contribute to that, we have adapted some of Maui’s most beloved mo‘olelo into comic book form by Hawaiian artists and writers.”
“When the news of the wildfire first broke, I was speaking with Maui native Joshua Sky about making comics,” said Founder & CEO of Magma Comix, Denton J. Tipton. “When the extent of the devastation was more clearly revealed, we began discussing ways that we could possibly help, and soon we were again talking about making comics. Joshua connected me with the community in Maui to learn how best to bring some relief to the people affected, and Maui Strong was born out of that conversation.”
Originally founded in 2020 by Denton J. Tipton as an imprint of Heavy Metal, the newly minted Magma Comix relaunched in July of 2023. Readers can learn more about Magma Comix’s Maui Strong on Twitter/X. Follow Magma Comix on social media for the latest updates and news.
If we reach a funding goal of $8,000, we’ll increase the page count to 64 pages, to accommodate chapter breaks with credits and bio pages.
If we reach a funding goal of $12,000, all supporters will receive a digital copy of an ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language) version of the comic.
The book is being compiled and we expect to be ready to go to print sometime in January ‘24. Printing and shipping from that point should take around three months, so delivery of rewards is expected to be done around April '24.
Zoop will communicate with supporters should any delays occur, if there’s confusion about delivery, or if any other concerns pop up.
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