Hello, friends! While I don’t typically step far outside the bounds of anime commentary, I wanted to take a moment to signal-boost a Kickstarter campaign that I feel strongly about. My friend Briana Lawrence is creating a series of books entitled MagnifiqueNOIR, about a squad of Black, Queer magical girls. You can find more information about the series in general at the MagnifiqueNOIR website.
For many anime fans, especially those of us who had the privilege to grow up with Sailor Moon and other iconic series, the magical girl genre is as integral to our enjoyment of the medium. This book series take’s the genre’s ideals of magic and empowerment and uses them to tell the story of a brand new magical girl squad.
The first novel, “I Am Magical” has already been published and released! It follows three young women, Galactic Purple, Cosmic Green, and Radical Rainbow (along with the mysterious Prism Pink) who become magical girls and defend their city under the eye of Golden Blaze, a MagnifiqueNOIR veteran. The release contains both the awesome story, as well as several wonderful color artwork pieces from various contributing artists, many of whom are returning for the second book in the series. You can purchase the book (available in both e-book and paperback form) from Amazon, Etsy , Barnes and Noble, as well as at most conventions and events Bri and her partner Jess attend as artists and speakers.
The Kickstarter campaign is to fund the production, publishing, and merchandising of the second book in the series, “You Are Magical,” which introduces a new character (Starlight Blue) and expands upon some of the mysteries surrounding the MagnifiqueNOIR organization. There’s lots of great swag for backers, including stickers, buttons, postcards, and of course copies of the first and second books. I hope you’ll take the time to check out the Kickstarter, pass it along to your friends, and chip in some funding to this awesome series! There’s about a week left, and a little over 1/3 of the funding left to achieve (not including some amazing stretch goals!). With your help, the women of MagnifiqueNOIR will continue their magical journeys!
You Are Magical!