You know what I usually see whenever someone brings up the Polynesian area? Tikis like in SDCC 2019, dancers, and surfers. Comics are no exception, surfing definitely is a deeper thing than people give it credit for. But then I find out about groups who take things into their own hands. Polynesian Comics are a bit of a rare breed. Most of the time, whenever they appear it involves the above things and the supernatural. But there is so much more to this than just tourist traps.
Early Polynesian Comics
As per expectation, most Polynesian Comic characters are usually just token members who evoke the Hawaiian pantheon. I know how much the islanders love to keep their cultures close. To be frank, it’s a part of their everyday lives, showing a deep respect to the world around them. But even then, most of them don’t even stick around for very long. The exceptions including Silversword make it seem like the island Natives are disappearing. What about people who actually live there though? Comics are still relatively new there and content from the US and Japan spreads like wildfire.
The mysticism surrounding the islands also encompasses many stories. Pineapple Man of a short indie title for example is the avatar of a war god. The series displays the multicultural aspects of Hawaii including some Japanese influences. Still it has some things that some fans don’t like, such as Atop-the-Fourth-Wall’s diagnosis of Youngblood’s Disease. But the series has enough of a following for a comeback. Then there are the occult detectives like Koni Waves and Hawaiian Dick. To be fair, each are okay looks into the island’s folklore. But again, Ghosts and Gods aren’t the only things in Hawaii.
Picking Up The Slack
The research into how Polynesian comics depict their culture is a topic people take interest in; just ask San Diego State University’s PISA program. Here people contribute to a growing list of comics for people to see. Two that catch my eye defy the usual themes and tropes of Polynesian comics. The first is The Kukui Project where science fiction depicts the Kingdom of Hawaii with a space program. With the number of telescopes in Hawaii, it seems reasonable. Naturally there are conflicts when it comes global politics, but it doesn’t have that great an audience.
Then there’s the second one, in this case a franchise of comics. Mana Comics is an independent publisher as the brainchild of passionate creators. With the Hawaiian Islands growing into something bigger than the older stories, it’s time to show why. As founder “Christopher Caravalho” states, there are stories and legends of heroes from long ago. But rather than stick with legends of old, new legends form everyday. Hence the purpose of Aumakua; the first of the group are these old heroes, the current ones however are all from diverse backgrounds. This reflects how the Hawaiian islands hosts people from around the world.
Polynesian Comics Unite
The Aumakua also steer me in the direction of a collective of Hawaiian creators. Dubbing themselves, the Hawaiian Comic Book Alliance, creators from across the islands join and spread word about themselves. Through them, Comic Cons form and their recognition reaches the islands’ neighbors. With such a rich culture and history, it’s almost a shame that only Hawaii makes progress.
The Tonga, Samoan, and New Zealand territories all feature lands and people who have stories of their own to tell. In fact there are notable people of various descents who regularly decorate the big screen. Dwayne Johnson even has his Samoan ancestry in full display in a Fast and Furious spin-off, Hobbs and Shaw. Jason Momoa himself states he brings Polynesians into the DC Universe as Aquaman. You can’t really ask the main companies any of these though; it’s best to start at home.
The Reading Warrior project is dedicated to this idea. With five sets of stories detailing Pacific Island heroes both mythical and contemporary. All illustrated by local comic artists who want to inspire the next generation of heroes.
All of these stories, all in a setting where exploration and faith are integral to identity. Everybody has a way to live, it’s just a matter of showing the world what you’ve got. Thanks for coming and as always remember to look between the panels.