Welcome to Keiki Comics
Aloha
I’m Tommy Kawabata, an author and illustrator of comics and graphic novels for kids.
Keiki (KAY-kee) is a Hawaiian word for child.
I’m really excited to announce that my second graphic novel, “Go Man Go” is finally all pau (finished). I know, I know it took a plenni (plenty) time, like 5 years. But good things take time, yeah? I went write, draw, snack, rewrite, nap, and re-draw. Now the book stay ready for you on Amazon.
So what’s it about?
Taka, a gutsy 4th grader in Honolulu, Hawaii, teams up with her best friend—Purple Parm—to launch a business and help their kind-hearted neighbor, who fosters stray cats and dogs. The problem? The neighbor is running out of money fast.
“WHAT? NO CAN!”
“You’ll just choke like always!”
That’s what Taka hears when she shares her big plan. The pressure’s on, but Taka is determined to prove everyone wrong. After struggling to come up with the perfect idea, they finally crash into a sweet, sticky, and totally genius mango-themed solution. There’s just one problem: they need help from the smartest (and scariest) kid in class—TJ. She’s also Taka’s worst enemy and the queen of the stink eye.
Can Taka overcome her fears and team up with TJ in time? Or will she choke when it really matters?
This fun and fast-paced graphic novel is sprinkled with Pidgin, Hawaiian, and Japanese words and flavored with local foods, familiar places, and the real spirit of Hawaiʻi. Oh—and plenni (plenty) of stinky, mushy mangos too!
The “Fin-Eating Tree of Waikiki” is available for purchase on Amazon as a paperback or e-book. The e-book can be viewed on Kindle tablets or on a PC, a Mac, an iPhone, an iPad or an android-based phone or tablet with the Kindle app. All profits from the sales will be donated to a children’s charity in Hawaii. Mahalo.