GET THE 411…
Here, you’ll find all the latest news, info and updates related to Tephlon Funk!® Like articles, in-depth interviews and podcasts. You can also checkout our Twitter feed for any tweets and interactions posted by us. As well as retweets from fans and everything in between.
Take a look at each publication to learn even more about the series and the process of how the comic book came to fruition. We want to thank all the people who contacted us to help make this possible and look forward to doing more of these in the near future.
DENNIS BANDA | WRITER
Since the comic’s serialization in 2015, creator Stephane Metayer has made great strides in moving Tephlon Funk’s story beyond the page, spawning a collaboration soundtrack with hip-hop artist Fat Jon in 2016 as well as a 50-second animated teaser produced by Black-owned, Japan-based animation studio D’Art Shtajo. With a second collaboration album with Fat Jon titled Tephlon Funk: The Dope Tape.
Uncovering Tephlon Funk with Stephane Metayer and Samurai Champloo’s Fat Jon
ANTHONY GRAMUGLIA | CONTRIBUTOR
Anime is a diverse medium that has influenced tons of creators over the years, both in the East and the West. While many animation studios in America have carried forward with anime-inspired cartoons like Avatar: The Last Airbender, some Westerners have gone off to work in Japan to create anime of their own. Tephlon Funk, an adaptation of an anime-inspired webcomic written by Stéphane Metayer and illustrated by David Tako.
Interview: Stephane Metayer on Tephlon Funk, the unmade Black Anime
VALERIE COMPLEX | FREELANCER
It will take more than mainstream artists to keep this train running. Luckily, several independent creators are working to keep the relationship between Japanese anime and hip-hop a long-lasting one. Tephlon Funk, a manga by Stephane Metayer, takes place in an urban setting and draws influence from Nas’ debut album, Illmatic. Metayer’s goal is to produce an animated show that attracts fans of both genres.
Bridging the Gap Between Anime and Hip-Hop
VICTORIA JOHNSON | JOURNALIST
One of very few creators to bring New York City to life in a manga form. Drawing inspiration from Nas’ Illmatic, Tephlon Funk follows Queensbridge-native Inez as well as three other characters from New York City’s outer-boroughs: Gabriel (Brooklyn’s Coney Island), Giselle (Washington Heights) and Cameron (The Bronx). Together, the four are slowly being brought together for a cause that has yet to be revealed.
Tephlon Funk Is the Nas-Inspired Comic You Need to Read
CALVIN REID | SENIOR EDITOR
The creative force behind the forthcoming graphic novel, ‘Tephlon Funk’, a hip-hop, manga and anime inspired urban drama. It raised $22,027 on Kickstarter in late 2015 to fund the graphic novel, that surpassed his initial goal of $15,000. The project combined a multicultural crime and martial arts tale centered on a 14-year-old girl who is trying to escape life in New York’s gritty Queensbridge housing projects.
More To Come 198: Stephane Metayer and Tephlon Funk
ROB SALKOWITZ | CONTRIBUTOR
An urban crime drama set in a super-stylized vision of New York, Tephlon Funk follows 14 year-old Inez Jozlyn from Queens, who dreams of a life beyond her gang and drug-infested community. Tephlon Funk combines the aesthetics of Japanese-style comics (manga) with hip-hop sensibilities, with a dose of 70’s-era Blaxploitation cinema for flavor.
Three Indie Projects Imagine A Bold New Future For Comics
EVAN NARCISSE | AUTHOR
Let’s say you’ve been yearning for a hip-hop manga inspired by Nas’ seminal album Illmatic. Tephlon Funk might be just what you’re looking for. The demo sample makes it feel like a classic rap narrative told in dramatic, decompressed Japanese comics style. Check out their Kickstarter to see how you can help the creators make Tephlon Funk happen.
TEPHLON FUNK BLENDS HIP-HOP WITH MANGA
TIP JORDAN | CONTRIBUTOR
Noticing the lack of black heroines in the media, and the surplus amount of stereotypical characters. To change the perception by mixing the characteristics of X-Men’s, Storm and Metroid’s, Samus with a New York City backdrop. With many influences like Akira Toriyama, Osamu Tezuka, Katsuhiro Otomo, Bengus, Akiman, Kentaro Miura and Hayao Miyazaki.
