This weekend we received a nice bit of coverage form Carib Press in their article “”Legend of the Mantamaji” is a fresh take on a new superhero genre.”
A sweeping tale of magic and mystery, heroes and villains, the series is the brainchild of Eric Seaton who has directed multiple TV shows.
Check out the whole article here: Carib Press.
In one day the Legend of the Mantamaji: Live Action Short will go live! To say that the entire team is excited is an understatement.
What’s even more exciting is how geeked our readers are right now. Thank you for the tweets, Instagram DMs, Facebook posts and emails, we read every one of them. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out some sweet Behind the Scenes footage of the making of the short:
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you know exactly when the short goes live!
Since his publishing company previewed the Legend of the Mantamaji graphic novel as a San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) exclusive months before their release, Eric Dean Seaton has had quite a whirlwind of a year. From its small, but earnest beginnings, the series has gone on to sell out at convention appearances as part of at 15 city (and growing) international book tour, been named a ‘Top Graphic Novel’ by Examiner.com and Atlanta Black Star, added to MTV’s Beach Reads for Social Justice Warriors list, earned brisk sales (including hitting top spots on Amazon.com), had continuous press coverage and has been picked up by major book distributors like Barnes & Nobles stores, Baker & Taylor, Ingram Books and public library systems. Seaton himself has been recognized with a Glyph Comics Awards Rising Star’ nomination and as a 2014 Samella Lewis Award winner for outstanding professional achievement. The momentum continues with Seaton’s appearance on “The Black Panel” – a closely followed SDCC panel – on Friday (10:00am – 11:30am Room 5AB) as well as his sneak peek at the upcoming Legend of the Mantamaji: Live Action Short which can be viewed all weekend at Small Press Pavilion Table P-13.
“Heading back to this year’s SDCC is like returning home,” Seaton said. “Last year, we launched previews of the book as SDCC Exclusives and this year we return with the Live Action Short’s sneak peek and my appearance on The Black Panel. It’s amazing to see how much Legend of the Mantamaji has grown and I am so grateful for all of the support, encouragement and even the discouragement we’ve encountered along the way.”
The Legend of the Mantamaji series will be available for purchase at San Diego Comic Con throughout the entire weekend and the books will be autographed by Seaton. Additional special appearances include: Legend of the Mantamaji artist Brandon Palas and Legend of the Mantamaji: Live Action star Philip Michael.
Remember when you were a kid you would do things in slow motion? Okay, okay, it was last Tuesday, but still, in your mind it was super cool just like the movies. Well, that’s what’s happening in this week’s episode of Legend of the Mantamaji: Behind the Scenes.
We find the team rehearsing more stunts that take place in slow motion with lead actor Phillip Michael, learning on the fly. Watch the video below and please SHARE & TWEET it out to friends!
The past couple of weeks have been great for the Legend of the Mantamaji team. The Legend of the Mantamaji: Behind the Scenes web series began and we’ve been hearing from readers and new fans about how much they enjoy the series so far and that they are looking forward to the Live Action Short (so are we). In cased you missed an episode or two, here is the entire series so far. Be sure to like the videos and share with friends, we need your support!
And don’t forget to pick up the graphic novels that started it all on Amazon, Comixology, Barnes & Noble (and in B&N stores) and on our website!
What does it take to bring a graphic novel to life? That’s the question being answered in the new web miniseries – Legend of the Mantamaji: Behind the Scenes.
The series follows Legend of the Mantamaji creator and TV director Eric Dean Seaton and his production crew over three days as they bring a key scene from Legend of the Mantamaji Book One to life for the Legend of the Mantamaji Live Short.
“It’s fun look inside life on set and a great way to introduce new readers to the series,” Seaton said. “There is everything people love about behind the scenes footage – interviews with the people working on the film, insight on how stunts and scenes are created and the inspiration behind the story.”
Most people have already seen Seaton’s work without realizing it. Seaton has directed more than 200 episodes of 38 hit TV shows including NBC’s Undateable, BET’s Reed Between the Lines, Disney’s That’s So Raven, and Nickelodeon’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a show on Nickelodeon and Disney from the last 10 years that Seaton hasn’t been involved in, a formidable experience that viewers get to see on display throughout the Behind the Scenes miniseries. Seaton however, isn’t looking to show off for the cameras, instead he wants to give back.
“The live action short is a couple of things…first, it’s big thank you card to fans of the series,” Seaton said. “We’re an indie company with a new superhero and people have taken a chance on us. In fact the response has been amazing. We sold out recently at a con (C2E2) and we’ve sold out our initial runs on Amazon twice. The short is our way of saying thank you to the fans for using their power – both on social media and their dollars.”
“Secondly, the short and the behind the scenes series is a chance to gain a bigger audience for the books,” Seaton said. “It’s not easy being the new company on the block. Not only do you have to introduce yourself and your characters to would be fans, you have to do the same to media and the information gatekeepers. It’s an uphill battle for an indie company, we’re definitely the underdog here, but then again, everyone loves the underdog.”
The 12 episode series publishes weekly with the first episode clocking in at four minutes and the other episodes coming in at an internet ready viewing time of two minutes each. The series leads up to the launch of the eight minute film Legend of the Mantamaji: Live Action Short.
“This is an exciting and important step for the series and for the company [“And… Action!” Entertainment],” he said. “We’re able to show that we here for the long term, positioned for growth and we get to show off what the Mantamaji can do which is really fun. I’m living my two big dreams directing and creating comics.”
The brainchild of one of the hottest directors on the small screen, Eric Dean Seaton’s Legend of the Mantamaji, with its high-flying adventure, brilliant art and fast-paced action, is landing at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo this weekend. The series brings together diverse characters that are not tied to stereotypes and has gained the recognition of critics, fans and award committees alike.
With ancient knights, fire swords and 3,000 year old legends, Legend of the Mantamaji is just the kind of graphic novel fantasy lovers dream of – and the kind of series that is changing the face of superheroes in comics. “It shouldn’t be unusual to see ethnically diverse characters and strong women in the genre. Yet, there is still a problem with representation in sci-fi and fantasy – despite readers’ requests,” Eric Dean Seaton, television director [Undateable, That’s So Raven, Austin & Ally, Bella and the Bulldogs] and creator of the Legend of the Mantamaji series, said. With thousands of comics and pop culture lovers attending this weekend’s Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Seaton looks forward to connecting with fans of the series -and meeting new ones – at Booth 136, Thursday through Sunday, at McCormick Place — 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive.
“At its core, Legend of the Mantamaji is a fantastic adventure series inspired by my years of directing really great shows. People want good stories that have heart, are smart, funny AND represent the broader world,” Seaton said.
Nominated for a prestigious 2015 Glyph Comics Award and riding high off the release of the third book in the series, Seaton recently expanded the national book tour to 14 cities in the U.S. and Canada:
Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo [C2E2] (April 24-26)
East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 15 – 16)
Puerto Rico ComicCon (May 21 – 24)
Heroes Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina (June 19-21)
Comic Con San Diego (July 7 – 12)
OnyxCon, Atlanta, Georgia (August 15 – 16)
Wizard World Chicago (August 20 – 23)
Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, Canada (September 3 – 6)
Long Beach Comic Con in Long Beach, California (September 12-13)
Wizard World Columbus in Columbus, Ohio (September 18 – 20)
New York Comic Con (October 8-11)
LA Times Festival of Books (April)
WonderCon Anaheim (April)
Black Comix Arts Festival, San Francisco (January)
You don’t have to be at C2E2 to pick up the series! Read a sample chapter and pick up in our store today!
“Representation matters, and not just to minorities,”Eric Dean Seaton, television director and creator of the Legend of the Mantamaji series said.
“We are sending kids out, unprepared, to encounter a world that is much more diverse and rich than it is made to appear in literature and comic book culture. We are stunting their imagination and their futures with one-sided stories.” With an expected 150,000 book lovers attending this weekend’s L.A. Times Book Festival, Seaton hopes to connect with fans and gain new ones of all backgrounds and ages at booth 743 Saturday and Sunday.
“People have sometimes overlooked the series as being ‘just for Blacks,’ or ‘for feminists,’ but that’s their hangup, not the story’s,” Seaton said. ‘The focus is not on the race of the characters. There’s no monologue about being a strong woman in the series. It’s not diversity for diversity’s sake. The characters are focused on figuring out the mystery and coming to grips with the idea that supernatural forces are going to destroy the world. It’s an awesome adventure story with magic, mystery, superpowers, evil doers…everything superhero fans love about the genre.”
The Legend of the Mantamaji series brings together diverse characters not tied to stereotypes and has gained the recognition of critics, fans and awards committees alike. Nominated for a prestigious Glyph Comics Award and riding high off the release of the third book in the series, Seaton recently expanded the national book tour to 13 cities in the U.S. and Canada.
Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo [C2E2] (April 24-26)
East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 15 – 16)
Puerto Rico ComicCon (May 21 – 24)
Heroes Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina (June 19-21)
Comic Con San Diego (July 7 – 12)
OnyxCon, Atlanta, Georgia (August 15 – 16)
Wizard World Chicago (August 20 – 23)
Fan Expo Canada in Toronto, Canada (September 3 – 6)
Long Beach Comic Con in Long Beach, California (September 12-13)
Wizard World Columbus in Columbus, Ohio (September 18 – 20)
New York Comic Con (October 8-11)
About Legend of the Mantamaji:
Legend of the Mantamaji tells the story of Elijah Alexander, an Assistant D.A. who has learned that his childhood storybook legends are actually the true stories of his heritage and that he is the last of a race of mystical knights known as the Mantamaji. After realizing he’s only part human, Elijah struggles with the shift in his world and becomes a hunted man charged with ridding the world of an ancient evil no other Mantamaji has ever been able to defeat. The full-color, action packed series has hair-raising plot twists and smart storytelling for all superhero fans.
The books feature artwork by Brandon Palas, colorist Andrew Dalhouse who has worked with From Boom, Dark Horse, Image, Marvel and DC and lettering by Deron Bennett, who was nominated for an Eisner Award for his work on titles like Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand and Helldorado, among others.
I sat down with Crowfinders to talk about just about everything! We got into directing, including everyone’s love of “That’s So Raven; world building for Legend of the Mantamaji creating, marketing, our social media successes and my unique way of writing the books that made things easier and faster for me. I also shout out some of our early supporters: Black Girl Nerds, The Shadow League and Thelonious Legend!
Check out the whole interview here: Crowdfinders Episode 9: Eric Dean Seaton
The Glyph Comics Awards recognize the best in comics and with the release of the 2015 nominees, the judging committee shows there is no shortage of talented creators producing quality work made by, for and about people of color. Television directorEric Dean Seaton scored a ‘Rising Star’ nomination for his first graphic novel series, “Legend of the Mantamaji: Book One and Two,” marking another high point in the series’ debut. In the past year, Legend of the Mantamaji has seen Amazon sell outs, been picked up by major distributors including Barnes & Noble, the creation of a 13 city comic convention book tour, Live Action Short and a flurry of excitement from superhero genre fans of all races and ages.
“The nomination came on my daughter Legend’s first birthday, which seems just perfect,” Seaton said. “I am truly honored to be nominated and that people are so supportive of the series. I set out to write a great story first and to make characters that reflect the world around me – multicultural, with strong male and female characters who have depth to their personal stories. It took six years to build the Mantamaji world, working at night after being on set during the day. It was a real team effort and we’re still having so much fun, we’re already well into the next book. There’s so much talent out there, and those nominated represent a very small sample of the great work being published.”
The Legend of the Mantamaji series has been named a “Top Graphic Novel” by Examiner.com and Atlanta Black Star and all three books made the top 10 list for Graphic Novels, Contemporary Women on Amazon. The 2015 Glyph Comics Awards take place on Friday, May 15 at the African American Museum in Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 6 p.m.
About Legend of the Mantamaji:
Legend of the Mantamaji tells the story of Elijah Alexander, an Assistant D.A. who has learned that his childhood storybook legends are actually the true stories of his heritage and that he is the last of a race of mystical knights known as the Mantamaji. After realizing he’s only part human, Elijah struggles with the shift in his world and becomes a hunted man charged with ridding the world of an ancient evil no other Mantamaji has ever been able to defeat. The full-color, action packed series has hair-raising plot twists and smart storytelling for all superhero fans.
The books feature artwork by Brandon Palas, colorist Andrew Dalhouse who has worked with From Boom, Dark Horse, Image, Marvel and DC and lettering by Deron Bennett, who was nominated for an Eisner Award for his work on titles like Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand and Helldorado, among others.
Praise for Legend of the Mantamaji:
“Standouts include female characters who are smart, strong warriors equal to the male characters in the book with no “a**-to-the-camera” poses, great pen work by Brandon Palas, coloring by Andrew Dalhouse of Boom!, D.C. and Marvel, and lettering by Eisner-nominated artist Deron Bennett.” –Buzzfeed Community
“Fans who bemoan the ‘big two’ for a lack of vision, or effort, to create bold new characters and franchises, should learn that innovation can often be found elsewhere. ‘Legend of the Mantamaji ‘ has all of the excitement, imagination and suspense to be a TV or film series on its own, but instead it is here as a comic to be enjoyed by the masses who crave them. ‘Legend of the Mantamaji’ volume one is a must read for those who crave all of the spectacle and action of superhero comics, yet want a comic which offers creative new ideas and a progressive storyline with real weight behind it,” Alex Widen, Brooklyn Comic Book Examiner
“Legend of the Mantamaji is teevee director Eric Dean Seaton’s (Sonny with a Chance, That’s So Raven, Good Luck Charlie) first shot at writing comics, but this is clearly a professional storyteller with writing chops and a lifelong love of the medium, both of which are on full display here. I am not sure what I expected when I was invited to review Legends of the Mantamaji, but I can tell you I was definitely impressed by the quality world-building and storytelling.” –GhettoManga.com
About Eric Dean Seaton:
As an episodic director, Eric Dean Seaton has directed 200 television episodes of 38 different hit TV series, including NBC/Warner Bros. comedy “Undateable,” TBS’s “Ground Floor,” BET’s “Let’s Stay Together,” Disney’s “Austin & Ally” and Nickelodeon’s “Bella and the Bulldogs.” He has also directed 18 music videos and two pilots for Nickelodeon, as well as two pilots for Disney XD. Seaton is a Cleveland, Ohio native and graduate of The Ohio State University. Eric, his wife children live in California. Legend of the Mantamaji, named a Top Graphic Novel series by Examiner.com and Atlanta Black Star, is his first graphic novel series.
For Media Interview | Book Review Requests Contact: Terreece M. Clarke, (614) 467-0361 | Press(at)Mantamaji(dot)com or TClarke(at)LifeSliceMedia(dot)com | LegendoftheMantamaji.com