On this weekʻs episode of the Moana Nui podcast, we talk with Afua Richardson, an African | Indigenous American Comicbook Artist and Illustrator, best known for her work on the Eisner award-winning series, Black Panther World of Wakanda and HBO's Lovecraft Country where she created the artwork for Diana Freemanʻs character.  In addition to being an illustrator and writer, Afua is a musician, vocalist, performer, songwriter, voice actor, activist, and mentor born in Harlem, Currently based in Georgia. Afuaʻs latest project, Aquarius The Book of Mer is her creator-owned comic that is a modern retelling of mermaid myths and legends from all over the world. 

Enjoy the tidal wave of awesomeness as Afua shares her love for comics and music and her undergrad at Juliard. Afua takes us on an adventure through her 15-year creative journey as she finds herself in a space where she can finally be her best, authentic self while sharing her passion with the world.

Musically, Afua has worked alongside some of the greats such as Parliament Funkadelic, Sheila E, Outkast, John Legend, Rafael Sadiq, and so many more. Most recently, Afua partners with legendary hip hop artist and fellow comic creator Daryl McDaniel from RunDMC to create new music that will accompany the Aquarius Book of Mer release.

Connect with Afua:

http://www.afuarichardson.com

[email protected]

IG: http://www.instagram.com/doctafoo​

FB: https://www.facebook.com/AfuaNjokiRichardson/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfuaRichardson

Follow the Moana Nui Podcast:

http://www.moananuipodcast.com

http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiTube

http://www.facebook.com/moananuipodcast

http://www.twitch.tv/moananuipodcast

MERCH: http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiMerch

Contact: [email protected]

About Moana Nui Podcast:

Moana Nui Podcast is a storytelling podcast to celebrate and honor the history, culture, & perspectives of POC, indigenous, and African Diasporan peoples. 

#MoanaNuiPodcast #AfuaRichardson #AquariusBookOfMer #MamiWata #Mermaids #MerMay #IndigenousExcellence #OurStoriesMatter #OurVoicesMatter #EmbraceYourPower 

This episode was sponsored by Chat and Draw. Follow @mostepicart on all social platforms.

On this weekʻs episode of the Moana Nui podcast, we talk with Newton Lilavois, award-winning creator of Crescent City Monsters. Powerful loa, Creole magic, and a mix of African spiritual origins make a wonderful potion of powerful storytelling.

By day Newton is a mild-mannered web developer and by night he's a creator of super characters and amazing worlds as a comic book writer and publisher of Dream Fury Comics. Born in Haiti, and raised in New York City, he enjoys time with this wife, two daughters, and his chocolate labrador. Newton is the 2020 Glyph Comic Award winner for Best Writer for his Crescent City Monsters comic book series. The series also won for Best cover and Fan Favorite for Best Work. The artist for Crescent City Monsters, Gian Carlo Bernal, won the 2020 Glyph Comic Award for Best Artist.

Connect with Newton:

http://www.dreamfurycomics.com​

[email protected]

https://dream-fury-comics.myshopify.com/​

IG: http://www.instagram.com/dreamfurycomics​

FB: http://www.facebook.com/DreamFuryComics​

Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/DreamFuryComics

Follow the Moana Nui Podcast:

http://www.moananuipodcast.com

http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiTube

http://www.facebook.com/moananuipodcast

http://www.twitch.tv/moananuipodcast

MERCH: http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiMerch

Contact: [email protected]

About Moana Nui Podcast:

Moana Nui Podcast is a storytelling podcast to celebrate and honor the history, culture, & perspectives of POC, indigenous, and African Diasporan peoples. 

#MoanaNuiPodcast #CrescentCityMonsters #Haiti #IndigenousExcellence #OurStoriesMatter #OurVoicesMatter #EmbraceYourPower 

Dorphise Jean is the writer/creator of Spiritʻs Destiny and owner of Gente Entertainment. She aims to give readers of all ages stories and influences that encourage them to learn more about their cultural roots.

In this episode, you will learn:

• About a Haitian Voodoo Priestess who literally conjured a revolution.

You can find more about Dorphise at:

https://www.facebook.com/SpiritsDestinyUniverse

https://www.instagram.com/spiritsdestinyuniverse

Follow the Moana Nui Podcast:

http://www.moananuipodcast.com

http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiTube

http://www.facebook.com/moananuipodcast

http://www.twitch.tv/moananuipodcast

MERCH: http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiMerch

Contact: [email protected]

About Moana Nui Podcast:

Moana Nui Podcast is a storytelling podcast to celebrate and honor the history, culture, & perspectives of POC, indigenous, and African Diasporan peoples. 

#MoanaNuiPodcast #SpiritsDestiny #Haiti #IndigenousExcellence #OurStoriesMatter #OurVoicesMatter #EmbraceYourPower 

Alika Seki is the owner and operator of Maui Comics. He talks with us about the importance of serving your community, particularly in challenging times like what the world is experiencing with COIVD. Alika is a champion for the people of Hawaii and the work ethic many natives possess to thrive and survive the high costs of paradise.

In this episode, you will learn:

About the strength and adaptability of Hawaiiʻs communities

How Hawaiiʻs local families work multiple jobs to feed and care for their families

Why the exorbitant shipping costs to Hawaii play a critical part in the high cost of living in the islands and often makes owning a small business very challenging

How Alikaʻs engineering career positioned him to open his community-oriented comic shop

You can find more about Alika at:

http://www.facebook.com/MauiComics

https://www.ebay.com/usr/mauicomicsandcollectibles

https://www.instagram.com/maui_comics

Follow the Moana Nui Podcast:

http://www.moananuipodcast.com

http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiTube

http://www.facebook.com/moananuipodcast

http://www.twitch.tv/moananuipodcast

MERCH: http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiMerch

Contact: [email protected]

About Moana Nui Podcast:

Moana Nui Podcast is a storytelling podcast to celebrate and honor the history, culture, & perspectives of POC, indigenous, and African Diasporan peoples. 

#MoanaNuiPodcast #IndigenousExcellence #OurStoriesMatter #OurVoicesMatter #EmbraceYourPower #MauiComics #MauiComicsAndCollectibles 

"Free" was born and raised on Oʻahu and relocated to Las Vegas where he started a publishing company, Live Free Die Free (LFDF) Comics, to produce creator owned properties, including his own title, The Contraptor.  Free has done multiple covers and internal pages for various independent comic companies including, Onward! Comics (Avenger Red), Self Employed Comics (The Cule), The Squeeg Comics (The Skilled Apprentice), KipsWorld Comics (D'Mitri), and Thunderfrog Studios (Gemini Storm), to name a few.

In this episode, you will learn:

How Free made one of the hardest decisions in his life to leave his island home 

The importance of a strong support system and how mentors and peers can pull you out of adversity

How music and the arts became a lifeline that kept Free connected to his home in Hawaiʻi 

You can find more about Free at:

https://www.facebook.com/FreeIsabelo/

https://www.instagram.com/freekflow808

https://twitter.com/freekflow808

Follow the Moana Nui Podcast:

http://www.moananuipodcast.com

http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiTube

http://www.facebook.com/moananuipodcast

http://www.twitch.tv/moananuipodcast

Contact: [email protected]

About Moana Nui Podcast:

Moana Nui Podcast is a storytelling podcast to celebrate and honor the history, culture, & perspectives of POC, indigenous, and African Diasporan peoples. 

#MoanaNuiPodcast #IndigenousExcellence #OurStoriesMatter #OurVoicesMatter #EmbraceYourPower

Alika Naihe is an artist, game designer, educator, and owner of Hauʻoli Art. Recreating the Legends of Hawaiʻi. Alika masterfully shares his history and culture by taking images, stories and concepts out of museums and into daily life. His broader work and a coach and mentor for Hawaiʻiʻs teens embodies the spirit of the Moana Nui podcast and our ancestors.

In this episode, you will learn:

How Alika went from drawing at 4 years old to teaching and mentoring youth in the island community of Nānākuli

How art led Alika to study Hawaiian culture more deeply and uncover the legacies of his ancestors

About the Hawaiian communityʻs struggle to protect their native environments from the effects of colonization and tourism

How Alikaʻs team developed a game to help high school students deal with depression and guide them to dealing with their emotions in a healthy way 

About Keaweaheulu, a Hawaiian chief that served as a chief consultant to Kamehemeha the Great, Alikaʻs family ancestor

You can find more about Alika at:

http://www.hauoliart.com

https://www.instagram.com/hauoli_art_alika

Follow the Moana Nui Podcast:

http://www.moananuipodcast.com

http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiTube

http://www.facebook.com/moananuipodcast

http://www.twitch.tv/moananuipodcast

Contact: [email protected]

About Moana Nui Podcast:

Moana Nui Podcast is a storytelling podcast to celebrate and honor the history, culture, & perspectives of POC, indigenous, and African Diasporan peoples. 

#MoanaNuiPodcast #IndigenousExcellence #OurStoriesMatter #OurVoicesMatter #EmbraceYourPower #HauoliArt

Greg Burnham is an author/writer, editor, publisher, and history buff. Greg has been writing professionally for nearly a decade. He makes up one half of the Tuskegee Heirs duo. With projects like The Search For Sadiqah, Broken Glass and Grandpa’s Shoes under his belt, Greg recently made the transition to full time writer/publisher. He’s currently working on a bevy of projects, as well as the beloved Tuskegee Heirs.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How Gregʻs love for history drives him to incorporate historical elements into his stories

You can find more about Greg at:

https://platforml7.com

Facebook / Website / Fan Page / Instagram

Follow the Moana Nui Podcast:

http://www.moananuipodcast.com

http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiTube

http://www.facebook.com/moananuipodcast

http://www.twitch.tv/moananuipodcast

Contact: [email protected]

About Moana Nui Podcast:

Moana Nui Podcast is a storytelling podcast to celebrate and honor the history, culture, & perspectives of POC, indigenous, and African Diasporan peoples. 

#MoanaNuiPodcast #IndigenousExcellence #OurStoriesMatter #OurVoicesMatter #EmbraceYourPower #TuskegeeHeirs #SearchforSadiqah 

Allen Carter is an artist, writer, promoter, and the sole creator of two independent comics titles called Damn Tourists and Cosmic Force. He lives in Los Angeles, but is originally from Hawaiʻi. Allen tells us how his favorite childhood cartoons inspired him to create worlds of his own that were patterned after special places in Hawaiʻi. Allen also shares his thoughts on the Black Lives Matter Movement and how we can be effective allies to the people and the cause. 

In this episode, you will learn:

• How Allen uses his every day life to inspire the stories and characters he creates for Carter Comics

You can support and find more about Allen at:

http://www.patteebrandi.com/shop

https://www.instagram.com/cartercomics1/

https://www.facebook.com/allen.carter.9279

Follow the Moana Nui Podcast:

http://www.moananuipodcast.com

http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiTube

http://www.facebook.com/moananuipodcast

http://www.twitch.tv/moananuipodcast

Contact: [email protected]

About Moana Nui Podcast:

Moana Nui Podcast is a storytelling podcast to celebrate and honor the history, culture, & perspectives of POC, indigenous, and African Diasporan peoples. 

#MoanaNuiPodcast #IndigenousExcellence #OurStoriesMatter #OurVoicesMatter #EmbraceYourPower

Dominic Acol is an Oʻahu born, Kona raised artist, woodworker, and owner of Mauloa Haʻawina Designs where he captures the spirit of his familyʻs cherished moments and brings them to life through art. Each handmade piece uniquely depicts the spirit of his ʻohana way of life that bonds the past and future, preserving time until it can be passed down to the next generation.

In this episode, you will learn:

Traditional Hawaiian fishing practices and traditions

What life is like living and growing up in the islands

How observing the patterns of nature and being in tune with surroundings have served Pacific Island cultures through the millenia

Why itʻs so important to pass on life lessons and ancestral knowledge to the next generation

Every one of us has a part to play in the communities we live in.

How Dominic challenges himself to perpetuate his culture through the woodwork he carves with his own two hands.

You can find more about Dominic and his company Mauloa Haʻawina Designs at:

https://www.facebook.com/mauloadesign23

https://www.etsy.com/shop/mauloahaawinadesigns/

Follow the Moana Nui Podcast:

http://www.moananuipodcast.com

http://bit.ly/MoanaNuiTube

http://www.facebook.com/moananuipodcast

http://www.twitch.tv/moananuipodcast

MERCH: http://www.moanamcadams.com/collections/moana-nui

CONTACT: [email protected]

About Moana Nui Podcast:

Moana Nui Podcast is a storytelling podcast to celebrate and honor the history, culture, & perspectives of POC, indigenous, and African Diasporan peoples. 

#MoanaNuiPodcast #IndigenousExcellence #OurStoriesMatter #OurVoicesMatter #EmbraceYourPower