There’s nobody out there in UK comics quite like mayamada. The architects of the manga mayamada universe don’t just publish excellent comics they also work tirelessly in the community providing opportunities for young people while keeping up a steady output of podcasting and streaming. With a new comic, Against All Odds, currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter it’s a very apt moment to catch up with mayamada’s Nigel Twumasi and chat about what the team have been up to recently…
ANDY OLIVER: It’s been a while since we last spoke back in 2020 and we have all been through a lot since then! So let’s start by asking how mayamada has changed, adapted and evolved in response to the world around us in that time?
NIGEL TWUMASI: 2020 was definitely a moment in time that forced heavy introspection! Some of it came out in the comic I made at the time, but most of it was off the page, to be honest. I essentially lost the business as everything we were doing to make money depended on us being in the same room as groups of strangers, whether it was selling comics, workshops, or delivering events.
So, coming out of that, we had to adapt and change how we operate as a business. Obviously, we still make comics, but we became more consistent with the digital content we create. First with the podcast, and then with livestreaming on Twitch.
At the time, it was all a real scramble, but over the past year or so, in particular, we’ve been working on making it all work together a lot better within the overall mayamada brand now that we can do in-person events and activities again. Even now, some of the changes that we had in mind 4 years ago are still in the works, and now that we’re in a better position, we can start bringing those out into the world.
AO: Your latest foray into comics is Against All Odds, currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter. Can you tell us a little about the premise of the book, its themes, and where it fits into the wider mayamada universe?
TWUMASI: The story showcases key moments in the creative journey, both positive and challenging. It’s the start of a new “Origins” series within the mayamada universe, focusing on characters based on real-life people in our core team.
For those who don’t know, the mayamada universe is a fictional television network where each of our comics tells the story of a different show on the network. We started with Samurai Chef, then produced Serious and Hot Lunch over the years. However, a couple of years ago, I thought it would be interesting to portray the characters on the other side of the camera.
So the “Origins” series will be a behind-the-scenes look at the story universe we’re building. this first entry focuses on Tazziii’s character in the mayamada universe, and without revealing too much, it’s a reflective story highlighting those key moments on the way to pursuing her dream life.
Each story in the Origins series will be inspired by the real-life person the character is based on and show how they made it to the fictional universe.
AO: Who are the creative team on Against All Odds?
TWUMASI: We have the usual pairing of myself (writer) and Pinali (illustrator).But what has been great about this project is that we’ve been able to provide opportunities for young, aspiring creatives to be part of the writing and illustration process.
We’ve had aspiring writers Maya and Alex who have contributed to outlining the story. And artists Kaleem and Alex (different one!) have played a key role in designing the logo for the series and the cover for this particular story. Should the Kickstarter be successful, we’ll be bringing in another young comic creator, Brooke, in the role of story editor as we finish and produce the final book. I’m hoping this will be the start of a new process that sees us making stories as a larger team.
AO: Given that with this new series of Origins stories you’re adapting the mayamada team into your fictional worlds, how do you feel that meta element allows you to create more authentic narratives? And how does that personal element inform the storytelling?
TWUMASI: We always aim to create stories with meaningful themes woven through them, no matter how wacky things get on the surface (silent monkey samurai chef, for example!). By making narratives from more direct personal experiences, I hope the Origins series will create a deeper level of relatability for those readers on the creative journey by sharing these experiences they might recognise.
And the funny thing about personal experiences is that they are more universal than you might think! There have been multiple times on my creative journey where I’ve thought some version of “I thought I was the only one?!” when hearing someone talk about their challenges and successes as a creative professional. So I’m aiming to give that same feeling with this series, while also expanding the mayamada universe from a worldbuilding perspective.
AO: This is a story that will no doubt resonate with many readers who have been through similar experiences. What messages do you hope the audience take from Against All Odds?
TWUMASI: We’ve been able to speak with so many experienced and aspiring creatives through our brand. Chatting with people at various stages of their journey really shows that the challenges and fears we all face are often very similar! I want to bring some of those experiences together with the message that difficulty doesn’t mean you’re going the wrong way. In fact, failure and success aren’t separate but are actually linked and you need lots of one to get to the other…unfortunately!
Ultimately, I want readers to end the story thinking that their goals are possible. They’re definitely not guaranteed, but they are very much achievable. Hopefully, seeing those moments reflected in Tazziii’s story will give them something they recognise and can use as even a small bit of motivation on their own journey.
AO: Representation has been a core value of the mayamada brand so can you give us some background on how you’ve continued to work with young people to ensure that sense of inclusivity and diversity? What has mayamada been up to in the wider arts community since the last time we chatted?
TWUMASI: Yeah, I think it’s important to show young people what’s possible, and I want mayamada to provide some amount of learning and opportunity for aspiring creative professionals.
So we continue to deliver our comic story and game design workshops in schools, colleges, and similar places. The goal is to help build creative confidence and awareness of these different industries, which can be black boxes for young people and the adults responsible for them.
Pinali’s art from Serious: Through the Fog
Last year, we started a work experience programme called Showrunners, which has allowed us to create opportunities for young people to gain meaningful, real-world work experience with our team across comic production, events, and content creation. We’ve had people come through to do both writing and concept art and get a taste of what a career might look like.
We’re really keen to see creative industries better incorporate diverse young talent, but we know that good intentions alone won’t lead to change. The only way it’ll happen is if that diverse talent has a real track record of work and a professional network to access the opportunities needed to get to the next step. We want to help build that through our brand.
AO: How does crowdfunding help in building up a wider community for your output? Has it become more challenging in these cost-of-living-crisis times to build up to previous levels of campaign momentum in that regard?
TWUMASI: My view on crowdfunding has changed since we ran our first one a decade ago. Initially, it was naturally focused on the money part, which is still very important as an independent creator! However, I’ve learned that it’s also about community, specifically a community of people who are invested in the process of making our comics and maybe even having some input in how they are made.
Imposter Syndrome can certainly get in the way of wanting to share work in progress (for me at least), but I think that building a community around your creative work is the most important thing. I wish I had focused more on it in the earlier days.
As for the cost of living, it’s definitely a factor. In times like these, people generally lean even more towards the familiar and avoid the unknown, which is tough for a indie creator making wholly original characters and stories! However, I think about how I’ve approached my own spending and beyond the necessities we have to buy to live, wherever possible, I’ve given money to things that I personally want or at least want to see more of. I see other do it at convention too so always try to remind myself that if people are in a financial position to do that for our work, then we should give them the same opportunity to support it.
That’s not to say there aren’t nerves or doubts before launching, and building momentum is hard work when the last campaign was a couple years ago. It’s always a challenge to get your work out as an independent creator and in a time where people expect content to be free, it’s still tough to ask people to pay for it!
Pinali’s art from Samurai Chef
AO: There’s been an explosion of interest in manga in the UK in recent years. What do you attribute that enthusiasm for this form of comics to?
TWUMASI: I really feel that platforms like Netflix and Crunchyroll have done a lot for the accessibility of both anime and manga with people who were interested in them but couldn’t get access, as well as those who have been newly introduced to it over the past few years.
Manga can be viewed through a stereotypical lens, but it has such a depth and diversity of storytelling I don’t think exists to the same extent in the West, at least for audiences of all ages. Whenever we conduct workshops, we always meet kids who are deeply into manga because they are emotionally invested in the characters and plots that are being created.
For me, the enthusiasm comes from discovering stories that resonate, whether it’s protagonists dealing with self-doubt or themes like striving for a goal from a position of perceived weakness. Stuff like that connects with young people who are often feeling similar things as these characters, so even though on the surface it might not seem like the most diverse storytelling medium, underneath the large eyes and exaggerated expression is a lot for young people to really connect with.
AO: And, finally, what else can we expect from mayamada through 2024?
TWUMASI: Well, hopefully, at least one new comic! But outside of the Kickstarter, we’re aiming to produce more comic content generally throughout the year. Not just the larger comics or volumes, which can take a long while to make, to be fair, but smaller works we can put out online or even at physical events. I just want to give people more stories from the mayamada universe without having to wait for a 100+ page volume to be made!
Outside of comics, we’re working on organising more events as part of our “Do I Look Like A Gamer?” campaign which looks to challenge stereotypes around the word “gamer” and showcase pathways into the industry for young and aspiring diverse talent. We’ve got a bunch of event plans and activities to come, so we’re looking forward to that.
We also want to keep having interesting discussions with creative professionals through our podcast and livestream platforms, so we’re always keen to chat with people about their personal story. We do a weekly podcast and monthly livestream that everyone is welcome to join and listen to.
And we want to do all that in a way where we can keep giving opportunities for young people to learn and develop skills. So you can expect a lot of opportunities to discover creativity, enjoy an event, or just have fun reading our comics.
Back the Against the Odds Kickstarter here!
Interview by Andy Oliver
