Hikari Toriumi, a talented Tokyo-born, US-based animation artist, has announced that she will self-publish her debut graphic novel, The Scroll of Kiichi. The work will be unveiled in the coming days at her booth at LightBox Expo 2025, a festival dedicated to independent creators.
Toriumi wrote on Instagram that “Kiichi no Maki” is “a story about two friends torn between two families.” “This story is a fantastic depiction of actual historical events that took place in Japan in the 12th century.”
“This is my first time creating a graphic novel from scratch, so there are things I want to improve next time, but I’m really happy to have completed the first part,” Toriumi added. “Please come and see Table 305!”
Check out the original post below.
Toriumi is an Emmy-nominated animator based in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Tokyo, Japan, she moved to the United States to attend California Institute of the Arts, where she received acclaim for three animated shorts she created as a student, including “KOISHI,” “The Walldwellers,” and “Polaris.” In her sophomore year, her talent was recognized by Pixar Animation Studios, where she began her career as a 3D animator and contributed to the Academy Award-winning animated film Coco.
She also worked on the Academy Award-nominated film Over the Moon, directed by Disney animator Glen Keene (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel), and the Emmy-nominated Netflix original series Garbage Truck. Before becoming a graphic novelist, her resume also included work as an episodic director on the Emmy-nominated Tonko House and the Netflix animated film ONI: Thunder God’s Tale. She currently works as a story artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Check out images of Chokai’s debut graphic novel below (found on the artist’s Instagram).
Source: LightBox Expo, Instagram
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