Hey all. I wanted to share the history of The Mannamong, how I came up with my original ideas, and how it evolved over time with a series of posts — starting with the initial concepts I had for the two main leads, Kali and Tonto.
The whole thing came to be when I was finishing elementary school and starting middle school. Ideas would come inspired by other fictional works that I grew up watching and reading that would make up the entire premise. But one story that kickstarted the process was Lilo and Stitch.
When that movie initially came out in 2002, I wanted to write and draw a similar story. The thing that ultimately stuck out to me compared to other animated films, including Disney’s own catalog, was how the movie used Hawaii’s culture to tie into the story’s heartfelt message: “That no one gets left behind.” In addition to enjoying Lilo and Stitch’s characterization and relationship, I wanted to create my own version of that kind of story. When a girl with a troubled past encounters a rebellious being from another world.
The idea I played with in my head throughout the years was imagining the two going on many adventures after developing a deep bond. Over time, their designs were shaped to stand off on their own, separate from the inspiration of Lilo and Stitch. But I still struggled to come up with a proper introduction for how the two would meet, how they would become friends, and what was the overall point of them being together. The Mannamong didn’t truly start until after I graduated from college in 2015 with my goals dead set on seriously crafting a story with these characters one day. And that was when I realized I had a key issue. I had no antagonist.
Like with Lilo taking in Stitch, who’s destructive personality was a handful for her to tame, I thought the best course was to have Kali and Tonto start off on opposite ends. Which helped me deliver the twist to the mannamong: Spirits of nature who were meant to help humanity with one rogue that haunts her.
I decided to make the mannamong spirits of nature to work in line with Kali’s background. While there’s no connection to real-life locations and tribes, I took inspiration from Native American and Mesoamerican cultures to make up Kali’s ethnicity. I built the artistic themes around those elements. Having her mother tell her bedtime stories about them, she grew up seeing them as guardians watching over her. And meeting one who treated her otherwise created the plot I needed.
As to where this rocky relationship is heading, I’ll leave it to you to read the story and find out. But the biggest takeaway I gained from holding on to these characters for so long and honing my skills as an artist and writer is this: Ideas never truly begin the way they start in your head. Over time, I worked hard, molding these two to become the best I could possibly make them. And I hope that how their story plays out will inspire many new generations that feel just as moved as I did by that classic animated flick.
