Noir Caesar Entertainment, the indie creative company dedicated to supporting artists from marginalized communities founded by former NBA player and pop culture entrepreneur Johnny O’Bryant III, is teaming up with Osamu Tezuka Productions to develop an updated graphic novel of Tezuka’s classic manga Alabaster. A Kickstarter campaign to publish the collab has just been launched.
The updated Alabaster will be written by the award-winning Bitter Root writer/co-creator Chuck Brown with artwork by renowned illustrator, Anna Weiszczyk (Godkiller, Home).
Reimagined for a new generation of readers as a contemporary graphic novel, Alabaster reinterprets Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man, and follows a former successful Black athlete, James Block, who is framed by his girlfriend and wrongfully imprisoned. While inside, James befriends a disgraced scientist that gives him the solution to his problems — a laser gun that either turns its subject invisible or kills them upon usage. After serving his prison sentence and locating the device, James disfigures himself in a failed experiment that turns him partially translucent, like alabaster. Angry, vengeful, and with a new identity, Alabaster wreaks havoc on bigots and hypocrites alike.
“We’ve always admired and respected the great Osamu Tezuka and his work. When we discovered Alabaster, we were convinced could add a new dimension to Tezuka’s original concept and bring this classic tale to a new generation of readers,” said O’Bryant. “We’re grateful to Tezuka Productions for selecting Noir Caesar as they share a commitment to finding new ways to fulfill Tezuka-sensei’s vision to combine Japanese influenced manga and anime with Western-style storytelling.”
Yoshimi Suzuki, Head of International Partnerships of Tezuka Productions Co., commented, “If Osamu Tezuka were alive and met Johnny O’Bryant today, he would have shown great interest in working with a team of and young multi-talented artists from diversified cultural backgrounds that have a deep love toward Japanese anime and manga. I can’t help but expect great synergy generated between Alabaster and the unique cultural backgrounds Noir Caesar and their creative team bring. I hope Noir Caesar fully displays their creativity in this project.”
Brown (flawedcomic.com) is a multiple Eisner and Ringo award-winning, independent writer, and co-creator of works for Marvel, Rotten, Dark Horse Comics and Image Comics. Based in South Carolina, making content for over 18 years, Brown has also written comics for Zenescope Entertainment, 12-Gauge Comics and Line Webtoon. His book Bitter Root, that he co-created and wrote, has won multiple Eisner Awards and is being adapted into a major motion picture by Ryan Coogler, Regina King and Legendary Entertainment.
Weiszczyk (annawieszczyk.portfoliobox.net) is an award-winning comic-book artist based in Kraków, Poland. Her works appear in Alterna Comics, Image, Archaia, Black Mask Studios, Strange Circus as well as other anthologies.
Learn more about the Alabaster project, see supporter perks and contribute to the Kickstarter campaign here.
