With Filipino American History Month in full swing, the Filipino-American publisher Kwento Comics has teamed up with Clover Press to bring a brand new fantasy comic hardcover to life via Kickstarter! Pulling inspiration from Philippine myth, The Mask of Haliya: Heir to the Warrior Moon tells the tale of Filipina-American teen whose already complicated life will become more so when she comes upon “a mysterious mask at her great-grandmother’s wake,” according to the press release that dropped this week.

This will be the first release from the Kwento Comics and Clover Press, with Kwento having a goal to highlight Filipino characters and themes often overlooked in pop culture.

 

“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.”

With that mission in mind, The Mask of Haliya: Heir to the Warrior Moon is a wonderful start. The book will contain 200 pages in hardcover, with words and illustrations from an exclusively all-Asian, all-female team of creators.

“We knew that the creation of these characters starts with women who look like us, who can share our stories and shared experiences in an authentic way, and in doing so, highlight the wonderous world of Philippine and other Asian mythology in our graphic novels,” said Kwento Comics Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Waverley Lim.

As of press time, the Kickstarter for The Mask of Haliya: Heir to the Warrior Moon has more than tripled its goal! Make sure to check out the campaign before it ends on November 2nd and give this gorgeous book a look!

Check out the full press release for more info:

Timed to Filipino American History Month, Kwento Comics, the trailblazing Filipino-American comic book publisher, is partnering with Clover Press for a Kickstarter campaign to publish a graphic novel inspired by Philippine mythology, THE MASK OF HALIYA: HEIR TO THE WARRIOR MOON. 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 and the 200-page deluxe hardcover edition features a brand new cover by superstar comic book artist Haining (Spirit World, DC vs. Vampires: All Out War), and an optional slipcase. The Kickstarter campaign is now live and runs throughout Filipino American History Month.

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.

“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.”

“We knew that the creation of these characters starts with women who look like us, who can share our stories and shared experiences in an authentic way, and in doing so, highlight the wonderous world of Philippine and other Asian mythology in our graphic novels,” said Kwento Comics Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer Waverley Lim.

THE MASK OF HALIYA: HEIR TO THE WARRIOR MOON is the first release from Kwento Comics and is intended to be the first in a series of books published by Clover Press. The book engages with topics like mental health, intergenerational trauma, and corruption, with a major emphasis on its female characters, through the lens of female creators. THE MASK OF HALIYA: HEIR TO THE WARRIOR MOON’s creative team is comprised of writer Kaitlyn Fajilan (Fruit Fly, Madeira), artist Renoida Renovilla (Creative Connections and Commons, Inc.), editor/art supervisor Jenapher Zheng (Oblivious, Borrowed Light), colorist Charlyn Duy, and co-founder/COO Waverley Lim (The Women’s Project).

In THE MASK OF HALIYA, seventeen-year-old Marisol Reyes is in need of a do-over. After getting kicked out of one too many schools for strange and unsettling behavior, Mari’s overbearing mother sends her to the Philippines for a fresh start. The promise of a normal life is dashed, however, when Mari attends her recently deceased Lola Talia’s wake. For it’s there she discovers a mysterious wooden mask that unlocks frightening visions… and terrifying abilities. So begins THE MASK OF HALIYA, where Mari must forge new allies and battle new foes, all while finding her place in a world on the brink of darkness. In the heart of Cebu, an ancient power awakens…The Mask has chosen its new heir.

“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.”

The supernatural, multi-perspective saga THE MASK OF HALIYA will be funded on Kickstarter. Visit the campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cloverpressimports/1532741954?ref=dvksra

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