4 hours ago
1
Hikari Toriumi, a talented United States-based artist from Tokyo who comes from the world of animation, has announced her debut graphic novel, The Scroll of Kiichi, which she self-publishes. The work will be available in a few days at her booth at LightBox Expo 2025, a festival dedicated to independent creators.
The Scroll of Kiichi is “about two friends who were torn between two households,” Toriumi wrote on Instagram. “The story is a fantastical take on the real historical events happened in the 12th century in Japan.”
“It is my very first time making a graphic novel from scratch, so while I have things I’d like to improve more next time, I’m just super happy that I finished the part 1,” Toriumi added. “Please come take a look at our table 305!”
Check out the original post below:
Toriumi is an Emmy-nominated animator based in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Tokyo, Japan, she moved to the US to attend the California Institute of the Arts, where she received recognition for the three animated shorts she created as a student, including KOISHI, The Walldwellers, and Polaris. In her sophomore year, her talent was recognized by Pixar Animation Studios, where she started her career as a 3D animator, contributing to the Academy Award-winning animated film Coco.
She has also worked on the Academy Award-nominated film Over the Moon, directed by Disney animator Glen Keane (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Tangled), and the Emmy Award-nominated Netflix Original Series Trash Trucks. Her pre-graphic novelist resume also includes working as an episodic director of the Emmy-nominated Tonko House + Netflix Animated film ONI: Thunder God’s Tale. She is currently a story artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Check out images of Toriumi’s debut graphic novel below (found on the artist’s Instagram):
Source: LightBox Expo, Instagram
English (US)