Moving Ink Media launched a Kickstarter on November 11, to create an animated short based on their popular web series Kamikaze.  As of this article, the team has already hit their initial goal and onto the stretch goal phase. The team at Blerd is extremely excited to see the finished product. 

So why should you support this project?  First, the quality of the artwork and story is top notch!  You can immediately tell that the talented Kamikaze team puts a ton of love into their work.  The second reason is because representation matters, and Kamikaze features a diverse cast of characters generated by a diverse group of creators.  

The premise of Kamikaze is that in a futuristic world, resources are limited and those with power control the distribution of it.  A classic Marxist / Adam Smith type of comic scenario. The main protagonist of Kamikaze is a black woman named Markesha.  I could immediately appreciate this as you do not see a ton of black superheroes, let alone black women superheroes.  She inherits a anti-gravity backpack which is the source of her powers. 

I will not spoil the story, but I will say that if you are a Static Shock fan you will most likely enjoy Kamikaze.  One thing that I can truly appreciate is that Markesha is not a Mary Sue (like Rey and Captain Marvel recently) and actually has complexity and realistic growth built into the characters storyline.  As more of a visual person, I can also appreciate that you understand what is happening in the story from the artwork alone. 

We’re not interested in telling the same old story with the same old characters. It’s our constant mission to breathe life into a utterly immersive future world which is rich in diversity both on and off the page/screen

Alan Tupper – CEO, Moving Ink Media

Kamikaze is created by husband and wife Carrie and Alan Tupper along with illustrator/designer Havana Nguyen. The animated short is being created in conjuction with Echo Bridge Pictures with lead animation director Esteban Valdez.  The voiceover cast features talent from Dani Chambers (One Piece) as Markesha, Monica Rial (My Hero Academia) as Audrey, and Johnathan Young (popular youtuber) as Toro.  The Short Circuits anthology will feature a cadre of talented writers and artists including Robert K. Jeffrey (Green Lantern/DC Comics), Sceritz (Scorpio), Dan Jolley (Dr. Strange Marvel; G.I. Joe/Image Comics), Takeia Marie (Simone Visits the Museum), and Malissa White from Comics Creators Club.

If you are a fan of indie comics, make sure to check out the Kamikaze web series.  Also, please visit the Kamikaze Kickstarter and show your support. We think this one will be of special interest to our Blerd family.