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Shinsuke Takahashi, a hired ninja, operates in a world where comic book assassins often serve as mere cannon fodder for heroes. Unlike his lethal counterparts, Takahashi refrains from taking lives. Instead, he specializes in theft, espionage, and industrial sabotage—all for a price. His journey began in childhood, as he dedicated countless hours to mastering martial arts at McDojos. Interestingly, Takahashi’s true identity is William Alarcon, and he lacks any Japanese heritage. However, his deep love for anime led him to adopt Japanese culture and mannerisms, much to the consternation of his friend and partner, Robert Wheeler, a second-generation Japanese American.

Shinsuke Takahashi, known as “The Rainbow Ninja,” bears an unusual mark—a pair of ‘Rainbow’ tattoos etched on both his arms due to a regrettable mishap. Unlike the typical ninja stereotype, Takahashi’s attire adapts to his surroundings, allowing him to seamlessly blend in. His many uniforms earned him the colorful moniker, reflecting his ability to harmonize with various environments.

However, Takahashi harbors a peculiar penchant for collecting gimmicky tools. Among his acquisitions are “ninja claws,” seemingly impressive yet utterly impractical in the real world. Beyond his covert missions, Takahashi’s personal life reveals a vibrant side—he dons anime-inspired outfits, unapologetically flaunting his love for the animated world. The stage for this intriguing tale is set in the enigmatic Rose City, where Takahashi navigates his adventures without crossing paths with other comic book characters.

Shinsuke Takahashi is the first comic published through Mythos Imprint. It is a one-shot comic with no current plans to expand on the character. It was written and illustrated by Illya King. Colors are by William Rail. The comic is available at the Mythos Imprint store and Comixology.

Wynonna Whiskey
Wynonna Whiskey, by Illya King

Wynonna Whiskey is a 10 page short story written by William Rail and illustrated by Illya King. The story features a space pirate and her sidekick, Scotty the Bear. They attempt to steal back a sacred crystal from an intergalactic mob boss.

I wanted to do a parody/homage of the old MTV Cartoon, Aeon Flux, with a dash of Venture Brothers. -Illya

Mr. Rail joined in to write it. The short story is a test run of a possible future title by Mythos Imprint. It can be views on Mythos’ Novellas section at https://novellas.mythosimprint.com/ics/wynonna-whiskey/enter-wynonna-whiskey/.

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 Man-Man, by Illya King
Man-Man, by Illya King

I’m working on a new one-shot, Man-Man the Barbarian. The first page drops this Friday at https://man-man.mythosimprint.com/.

Readers of Totally Naked Man may remember Man-Man from Naked Man Comics #4 in 2012. In issue 4, Totally Naked Man and his friends were transported to the planet Fabulon, where they met Man-Man. The Yellow Skull, disguised as Turtle-tor, tried to conquer the planet.

Man-Man is a homage or parody of the character He-Man. People who know me know I’m a fan of the old Mattel action figure line and Filmation cartoon. The franchise has had a minor renaissance in recent years. Perhaps it is because old people like me have money to splurge on comics and toys. I’m celebrating my fondness for the property by drawing a parody comic.

I hope this story will get a laugh or two. I love fun lighthearted stories. I’m excited to put my own wacky twist on this old 80’s IP.

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This was to be the cover for Mythos Imprint Magazine. The magazine was a project William Rail and I were working on. It would feature stories like Wynonna Whiskey. It would have interviews with local indie talent. For example, the interview I did with Jake Richmond.

Sadly, the project was scrapped because Will and I had a lot on our plates.

Mythos Cover by Illya King
Mythos Cover by Illya King

A very nice postcard from A.J. Roberts.

It started with a postcard.

An old friend of mine (A.J. Roberts) sent me a lovely postcard with a nice message. It was great! I wanted to return the favor. I wanted to send my friend a custom Totally Naked Man patch. I have an account on Printful to make patches. But when I logged in, I noticed my account was not connecting to Mythos.

Here is where I blog more about what I thought happened-

https://blog.illyaking.com/2023/03/19/websites-down/

I pulled on one thread and discovered I made a total mess of the site. 3 years of using Mythos Imprint to play with Out of the Box plugins really messes with a site’s scheduled task.

This year, for some bizarre reason, has been difficult. My Dad had a medical emergency, my partner has had some medical issues (like breaking her foot). My work schedule has changed. It’s been tough to catch up and do some drawing.

Mythos Imprint is under construction. But I have enough content moved over so some visitors can read comics. I’m going to use The Comix Scene as my in-house magazine. After 3 years, no one is going to join a janky website to host their comics. I have combined The Comix Scene with Mythos. I will be combining more content like my old Zetaman stuff into my new installation. I will also NOT be tricking out my site with plugins (especially since most plugins have a short shelf life).

-Illya

Artist Alley Comic Fest 2023 Poster
Artist Alley Comic Fest 2023 Poster

Illya King will be tabling at the Artist Alley Fest this Saturday at 11 am.

Our festival is a minimally curated event, without assessment of aesthetic or narrative quality. Judgements for acceptance as an exhibitor are based on an artist’s ownership of their work, a prohibition of hate speech and advocation of violence, and a minimum approximation to the definition of “comics artwork.”

About the AACF

Mr. King will be selling Black and White sketches for $19.99 as well as many graphic novels and comics from Mythos Imprint.

Check out the Artist Alley Comic Fest this Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm at –

McDaniel High School

2735 Northeast 82nd Avenue Portland, OR

97220

Admission is free for the public!

AACF Table Assignments 2023
AACF Table Assignments 2023