Story x Story mayamada

This week, Nigel and Tazziii talk to the new comic duo, Emmanuel Ojo and Camex Udeh. Their first published entry together placed them 4th out of 10 shortlisted in the 2024 Manga Jiman Competition. We learn how they collaborated to produce an award-winning story and their future plans in the world of manga.

In this comprehensive interview, we delve into the process behind comic collaborations. We discuss the story the pair produced for the theme "Forward", their respective roles, and how they handled creative conflict. We also talk extensively about ambition, motivation, and reaching your full potential. It's an energetic conversation you won't want to miss, especially if you're a first-time comic creator or about to publish your first work.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii get folded up and fly as they enter the world of stop-motion for a deep dive into Kubo and the Two Strings (starting at 20:15), with Content Creator Manny Moon.

We get caught up in the animated marvel that brings a lot of texture to a Hero’s Journey that sees some serious and complex themes brought to a children’s feature. As well as the great representation on display, we examine the narrative and subvert the expectations of a cinematic climax to really lean into compassion in its characters and themes. This week's storytelling tip is all about non-violent ends to your story.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Final Fantasy Remake and Rebirth, My Hero Academia, Avatar the Last Airbender live action, X-Men 97, Summertime Rendering, Jujutsu Kaisen.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii talk to content creator and cosplayer Abi, also known as Opal Ink Cosplay. By day, she works as a publishing executive at Future Friends Games, and by night, she dresses as her favourite fictional characters.

We hear how an early passion for games has turned into a promising career balancing multiple creative pursuits. We also hear Abi's perspective on tackling burnout, and the amazing story behind her becoming the official Atreus cosplayer for God of War Ragnarök, a role that allowed her to work alongside Santa Monica Studio!

Abi is a fantastic example of how putting your talents out into the world can bring fantastic opportunities back to you and one you don’t want to miss.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii blur the lines between reality and fantasy as they chase dreams through time for a deep dive into the Satoshi Kon anime, Millennium Actress (starting at 16:50), with Content Creator Izzy Kento and Comic Creator Feff Silvers.

We get to grips with this boundary-pushing narrative that explores the pursuit of love and goals in a way only the acclaimed late Japanese director can do. A simple plot carries a meaningful theme and we debate the expectation of anime among different audiences as we dig into the novel narrative structure that frames a love story for the ages. This week's storytelling tip is about establishing these themes in the opening sequence of your story.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Stardew Valley, Spy x Family: Code White, Baby Reindeer, Delicious in Dungeon, Avatar The Last Airbender Live Action, The Fall Guy, X-Men 97, Andor.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii sit with fantasy author Janelle McCurdy, creator of Mia and the Lightcasters, to discuss her early life journey to becoming a fully-fledged writer and video game content creator.

Listen as we discover how discouragement at college led to 10 years of perseverance that prepared her to achieve agency representation and create worlds of diverse characters that reach readers worldwide. Janelle tells us how she dealt with rejection and found the need to make space to feel negative emotions so she could still celebrate small wins.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii are going it alone as they figure out the secret to cloning for a deep dive into the genre-mashing mystery, They Cloned Tyrone (starting at 24:23), without our usual guest spot.



We take a look at this feature-length debut and examine why it resonates as an entertaining piece that wraps a meaningful message about the treatment of communities by the powers that be. The strong cast carries the material as it moves deeper and deeper into a dark conspiracy, making both dramatic and comedic stops along the way. This week's storytelling tip is all about developing a Mystery Box narrative in your story.



Other stories we're enjoying include: Station 19, Monsters at Work, Peaky Blinders, Good Times, X-Men '97, and Summer Time Rendering.