Kwento Comics

[Stefanie Mordaunt]

LOSANGELES, April 27, 2023 (Newswire.com) - In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Kwento Comics will team up with Lumpia With A Vengeance to host "Free Komiks Day" at HiFi Kitchen in Historic Filipinotown on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event will celebrate Filipino-American comic book creators and geek culture with exclusive content, special guests, and Filipino food.

Kwento Comics, the creators of The Mask of Haliya graphic novel series, will be releasing a free digital copy of Issue 1 of The Mask of Haliya. Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Waverley Lim, head writer Kaitlyn Fae Fajilan, and editor/writer Jenapher Zheng will be in attendance.

Kid Heroes Productions, creators of the award-winning independent films Lumpia and Lumpia with a Vengeance, will be giving a free digital comic book from their book line expanding on the Lumpia universe. They will be selling limited copies of a HiFi Kitchen exclusive trade paperback with cover art by Brian "beee" Bello, featuring chef Justin Foronda with characters from the films. Cast members Katrina Dimaranan (Jemini), Earl Baylon (George), Meriden Angeles (Merasol), artist Brian "beee" Bello, and director Patricio Ginelsa will be in attendance.

Kwento Comics and Kid Heroes Productions will have physical copies of their comics available for purchase, in addition to Free Comic Book Day exclusives. HiFi Kitchen will offer special "comic-themed" menu items in collaboration with both comic creators.

About Kwento Comics

Kwento Comics is the first all-women, all-Asian comic book company highlighting Filipino and Asian mythology through the medium of graphic novels. Their stories aim to inspire young women everywhere as they follow our female heroines who learn to spark the warrior goddess within.

About Kid Heroes Productions:

Kid Heroes Productions is a Los Angeles-based production company founded by Patricio Ginelsa that specializes in unique film/video/comic book projects. Lumpia With A Vengeance completed a remarkable theatrical release last fall after an unprecedented film festival and comic book convention circuit run. The film has spun off its own comic book series, published independently.

About HiFi Kitchen

Since 2018, HiFi Kitchen tests the boundaries of classic Filipino Angeleno dishes while strengthening FilAm representation in Historic Filipinotown of Los Angeles, CA. Chef and owner Justin Foronda set out to offer the comfort of home-cooked meals he was raised on while drawing inspiration from the local flavors of Los Angeles. Their menu is the product of years of taste testing and remixing, spanning a variety of dietary lifestyles with vegan & gluten-free options.

Cecilia Lim built her careers on a foundation of economics and law. In addition to making a living as a day trader as well as providing consulting and attorney services, she is the CEO of Double Forest Entertainment. Recently Lim created Kwento Comics which has the mission of making Filipino folklore relevant to modern audiences through comic books. With an all-female Asian team, Kwento has published The Mask of Haliya. Wanting to learn more about Lim and Kwento, I was able to interview her for ScifiPulse.

Cecilia Lim: When I was a kid, I was an avid reader of fantasy and sci-fi. I loved the Chronicles of Narnia series of books by C.S Lewis as a kid. However, as I got older I found myself gravitating to reading many women fantasy authors such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Andre Norton and Anne McCaffrey. More modern female authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Robin Hobb are so much fun to read. I wish I had time to go back and revisit these authors.

Lim: In 2020, graphic novel and comic book sales grew to $1.28 billion. My background in economics gives me the ability to understand and formulate strategies that will allow Kwento Comics to take advantage of print, digital e-books, streaming, TV and film platforms. From the writing of the story to the creation of the artwork, there is so much intellectual property that is created in the making of any comic book. My law degree has given me a good understanding of all the intellectual property involved in creating comics as well as the ability to navigate the negotiation and formation of contracts tied to that intellectual property.

Yanes: You are the creator of Kwento Comics, a company focused on bringing Philippine mythology to the comic book medium. What was the moment in which you realized you were going to create this company?

Lim: I actually approached Kaitlyn 4 years ago about writing a story about a Filipina American teen who goes back to the Philippines for the burial of her great-grandmother and finds a piece of jewelry that possesses supernatural powers. Kaitlyn took that seed of an idea and turned it into a truly epic story with intriguing subplots and surprises along the way.

Lim: I met Kaitlyn on the set of a short film in 2017, and we both were members of Fil-Am Creative, an organization for Filipino Americans in the entertainment industry based in Los Angeles. Renoida was referred to us by our cover artist Kat Layno, who is from the Philippines.

Yanes: Given how many titles are currently being sold, it is notoriously difficult to market a new comic book. How did you go about developing a marketing strategy for The Mask of Haliya?

Lim: Being an unknown comic book company, we knew that we needed to work hard on the marketing. First and foremost, we worked on making sure we delivered a comic book that had a great story with amazing artwork and high-quality printing. My belief is that organic growth through word of mouth on social media in the US and Philippines would be key. We also will be participating in several comic book signings, comic cons, and other events. The comic books stores who have The Mask of Haliya on their shelves have been giving us overwhelming support as well. If you are not near one of those stores, you can order a copy through www.kwentocomics.com, or digitally on the Amazon Kindle Store.

Lim: Well, we already have the first 20 issues for The Mask of Haliya mapped out. However, we are super excited about the second comic book series from Kwento Comics. It will also have Filipino mythology, but it will be darker and a little scarier.

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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.

About Kwento Comics: Kwento Comics is a pioneering Filipino-American comic book publisher committed to amplifying diverse voices and celebrating the rich heritage of Filipino culture. Kwento Comics is the first all-women, all-Asian comic book company highlighting Filipino and Asian mythology through the medium of graphic novels. With their compelling stories, stunning artwork, and unwavering dedication to representation, Kwento Comics aims to inspire and entertain readers worldwide. For more information, visit www.kwentocomics.com.

About Clover Press: Headed by IDW co-founders Ted Adams and Robbie Robbins, along with Matt Ruzicka and former DC executive Hank Kanalz, Clover Press publishes a wide variety of collected and original content ranging from re-mastered reprints of Terry and the Pirates and Dick Tracy, to horror graphic novels, and high-quality art books. Clover Press is working with a wide variety of creators including Kevin Eastman, Craig Yoe, Dean Mullaney, Steve Niles, Gabriel Rodriguez, Ruben Bolling, Timothy Truman, Jorge Coelho, Richard Bennett, Ricardo Delgado, Ray Troll, John K. Snyder III, Stewart Kenneth Moore, Aron Wiesenfeld, Alex Maleev, David Mack, David Nakayama, and more.

About Cecilia Lim: Cecilia Lim is a first-generation American Filipina. Along with working as an attorney and consultant for the renewable energy industry, she is the CEO and co-founder of Kwento Comics. Cecilia has a BA in Economics from the University of Illinois and a JD from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. As a lifelong innovator and strategist, she worked at Florida Power & Light Company, a Forbes 200 company, for over 20 years. Cecilia believes in giving back to the community and through the years, she has given of her time to create and produce several large charity events in Chicago, West Palm Beach and Los Angeles, as well as served as an officer of the Philippine American Society of Palm Beach County and FilAm Creative in Los Angeles. An avid fan of fantasy and science fiction, Cecilia now combines her passion for empowering young women creatives and her love of mythology.

About Jenapher Zhang: Jenapher Zheng is a Chinese American actor, writer, and multi-disciplinary artist from Alhambra, CA with degrees in English and Theatre from UC Riverside and an MFA for Acting from CalArts. Her writing has been published on HuffPost and Angry Asian Man ItsReal Magazine, and have gone viral on social media platforms. She writes for a wide range of mediums, be it immersive/interactive shows, video games, short films, plays, short stories, and literary analysis. As an actor, she can be seen on NCIS:LA, in indie games by Niantic and Tender Claws, and in various theatre shows at Geffen Playhouse, Boston Court, La Jolla Playhouse, East West Players, South Coast Rep, and San Diego Old Globe. In her (limited) spare time, she is a game streamer on Twitch under the moniker JenZany.

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