TEPHLON FUNK! (Recommendation)
What is Tephlon Funk! Exactly?
A comic book series by Stephane Metayer which follows a young girl from Queensbridge Houses, Inez Joselyn, as her life is turned upside down. Along the way, Inez encounters an interesting cast of characters from throughout the Five Boroughs of New York City. Stylistically speaking, Tephlon is heavily influenced by anime and Hip Hop Culture; respectively.
Illustration by: David Tako and Nicholas Safe
One of the first things I noticed about Tephlon Funk! was its beautiful artwork. Before having the opportunity to flip through the pages, I found a set of variant art covers stylized as iconic/Popular Hip Hop albums and few surprises:
- Capital Punishment – Big Pun
- The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest
- The Infamous – Mobb Deep
- Illmatic – Nas
- Aaliyah – Aaliyah
After flipping through the pages, I was equally as excited. American Comics often incorporate color into their illustration but I like how they opted for black and white pages. Along with the art style, it felt very manga-esque. Seeing so many melan-nated people is also a plus. Overall, what wowed me the most was that these pages felt like home. From the people to the scenery. It was New York City.
The buildings looked like Queenbridges apartment building. The windows bars even looked like window bars you find in New York City Housing apartment buildings. But what impressed me the most, was the panel with the Queensborough Bridge (Ed Koch Bridge) featuring the Manhattan Skyline. And to the right, I have a picture taken in June of the Queensborough Bridge The depiction is so accurate.
The panel below also speaks volumes, at least to me. Growing up in public housing, I’ve spent many nights gazing out my window or across the river at the City Skyline. Wondering what else this city has to offer me. This is something I can totally relate too.
Chapter One: The Demo is available for free download.
An anime series is also in the works. You can view the teaser trailer below.
Check it out and let me know what you think?
Images in Courtesy of: Museum of Uncut Funk and Tephlon Funk! (Official website)
