“The Standard, Not The Exception”
Spectorals ~ Comics or graphic novels inspired by the African Diaspora. Spectorals conform to a style developed by the descendants of Africa, heavily influenced by musical genres such as Hip Hop, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, and Afrobeats, as well as literature of the Harlem Renaissance and Art from the Diaspora.
Objective
To empower voices typically unheard and under-represented to tell the stories they've always wanted to and provide them the necessary resources to do it.
How are we different?
O1.
Has someone ever told you that it's not an anime/manga if it's not made in Japan? Or maybe you've heard people say "(enter non-black character name here) can't be black" to a cosplayer or artist? What about the tried and true question "Why do they have to race swap? Can't they make original characters?" It's a never-ending discussion of why someone who looks like you shouldn't have your story told. We saw that need and decided to create Spectorals.
O2.
We're a new kind of storytelling platform designed by those who feel left out of the medium. Artists and writers alike can tell their stories in their own voice and style, without being hindered by the rules and restrictions of traditional publishing. Our tools allow you to tell your story, in your way.
O3.
We live in a time where the power to tell stories is more accessible than ever. And we believe that specific stories can make a difference. So not only have we created a platform for us to achieve our dreams and a style that represents every facet of us. We've also designed genre symbols to use for your works. Our symbols encompass the genre as a whole and also embrace that culture. It's as if we created a language for every type of storyteller.
O4.
Our hope is that what we all create together can be the next culture-defining thing like Hip-Hop. But with the nuance of every creator owning everything from the very beginning. No more running for publishing or movie deals with no sense of ownership. Everything that comes out of this new culture will be owned by the people, and all of the fruits of its labor will go to the ones who made it possible. It's time to open new doors of expression.
