Stephen Smirl's Island Tales Comics

Island Tales, created by Stephen Smirl, is a comic anthology based on folklore and mythology from the Pacific. Some stories are adapted from traditional stories while others are modern retellings of the classics.

To the left, art from Nanaue's Bite, a modern version of the Hawaiian folktale of the Shark-man Nanaue. Nanaue's Bite is available for purchase at the Island Tales store.

To the right, Goddess #1 print from the Island Tales print shop.

Visit the Island Tales site to view more art from the various comic book artists who worked on the project.

Trina Schart Hyman's illustrations for Children of the Dragon

Children of the Dragon: Selected Tales from Vietnam is a collection of Vietnamese myths and legends retold by Sherry Garland and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.

De rides the giant raven in The Raven and the Star Fruit.

Pleasantly subtle warm-cool color temperature shift on the raven's feathers. The concentric bands of turquoise in the sea below nicely evokes the clear waters of Vietnam's beautiful beaches.

The marriage of Princess Mi Nuong and Son Tinh, Lord of the Mountains in The Legend of the Monsoon Rains.

Delicious depiction of Southeast Asian fruits in the foreground: durian, mangosteen, starfruit, rambutan... It's nice to see the flora of tropical Asia get some love :-)

Giovanni Manna's illustrations for "The Barefoot Book of Giants, Ghosts and Goblins"

The Barefoot Book of Giants, Ghosts and Goblins is John Matthew's retelling of nine traditional supernatural tales from around the world. 5 stories out of the 9 stories are from non-European cultures, specifically Cheyenne, Hausa, Chinese, Evenk and aboriginal Australian. The illustrator is Giovanni Manna.

In 'The Bunyip', a group of Australian youths capture a young aquatic monster...

In 'Little Ooyani', the Evenk hero makes himself iron wings to confront the cloud-dwelling demon who devoured his people.

In 'A-Man-Among-Men', a Hausa tale about the origin of thunder and lightning, two giants battle in the sky.