Hey and Welcome to the next Lesson.
Not too long ago, I found myself at an event on Facebook titled: “Buy Indie Comics Day” and figured, hey, why not dedicate an entire (most) month to it. So, for August, since August is Black Business Month I’m spotlighting Black Indie Comic characters that need to be in way more discussions.
Welcome to BLACK INDIE COMICS MONTH.
Starting us off, we have Queen Malika (pronounced Ma-LIE-Ka) from Youneek Studios.
Funny enough, I discovered this comic from Facebook, too. As it was just another ad I usually scroll passed, this one stood out to me. From the very first image I saw of her, she did nothing but exude beauty and, above all, power.
It’s one thing to have a Black-Character-Centered comic, but Malika stands on her own in so many different ways. What gets me the most is how effective she is. She has a pride that can be rivaled by Black Panther himself.
Undefeated in battle, a strategic mind that keeps her people strong and a weakness that keeps her human. She explores multiple dimensions that keeps her strong, but extremely relatable.
Unlike Black Panther, though, Malika doesn’t have the benefit of having vibranium or any other resource remotely as beneficial (or convenient). This is a Historical Fantasy comic that takes place in simpler times. She has to do with what she has and, through countless examples, she shows that she enough.
But that is not to say that her stories are uninspired – FAR FROM IT! Using inspiration from African mythology, creator Roye Okupe crafts stories that should be as well-known and cherished as the Greek ones.
As a Black man in America, I’m not taught too much about African mythology other than biblical stories. These prints instill a sense of pride in me to know that there is more than I was told, there is more to learn – much like Malika in Dragon Trials.
One thing I want to make special note of is the fact that indie characters usually have to be broken into, kind of like that one new “friend” you take to family dinners until they get comfortable…(just me?) But Malika has been known by various different places such as: CBR, Newsarama, and the Washington Post. I don’t need to tell the world about Malika – she’s already there.
She’s even gone on to even have an animated pilot on the way which, for indie comics, is almost unheard of.
In the end Malika is a queen that I’m happy to have discovered and can’t sing praises enough. It’s something I was able to share with my friend and even my own mother. I own the first volume and both one-shots. And something tells me this is just the beginning.
And, hey, before I conclude this lesson, I just want to say a personal thank you to the team at Youneek Studios. I’m new at this blogging thing and Twitter (@RJFAQS #shameless), too. When I tweeted them, I never expected a reply, but I was humbled…when I already have nothing. Genuinely, I cannot support this team enough, guys. Thank you and keep it up!
And if YOU would like to support
and read more of their work, you can go to their site at:
https://youneekstudios.com or their
twitter @YouNeekStudios and you might want to hurry, their next hero is already
on its way!
Well, that’s all for now. So, until the Youneek Studios lets me write for them or they let me cameo in one of their titles, I’ll see you for the next lesson.
Until then, class dismissed!
R.J.'s FAQs of LIFE 
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