Stephane Metayer

Stephane Metayer was definitely in a "N.Y. State of Mind" when he created the manga-inspired series Tephlon Funk. As a native New Yorker himself, Metayer describes his increasingly popular series as a "love letter" to the five boroughs. Illustrated by David Tako and Nicolas Safe, Tephlon Funk serves as a unique and grounded representation of the everyday gritty life of the Big Apple, and as a Haitian-American born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, it's not hard to pinpoint where the 30-year-old Metayer gains his inspiration. But that's not the only feat that Tephlon Funk has accomplished. Last year, Metayer raised over $22,000 for the project on Kickstarter --- $7,000 more than his goal. The series is also a rarity in having not just one black lead, but four. The cast features Inez Jozlyn, a mixed youngster who's looking for a way out of the crime-infested Queensbridge; Gabriel, a '70s-esque character from Brooklyn's Coney Island; Giselle a Dominican badass with a mean spin-kick from the Washington Heights; and Cameron, an undercover cop who resides in The Bronx. Metayer chatted with ComicsAlliance to talk about how Nas' Illmatic influenced his work, the possibility of an animated series, and what readers can expect next from the four-member crew.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again -- black comics are enjoying a renaissance right now. As black creators permeate the comic book world with independent series and web comics, black characters are making headway onscreen and on the page. Power Man and Iron Fist #1, which was released last week from a black creative team, received rave reviews ahead of Luke Cage's upcoming Netflix series later this year. D.M.C., of Run DMC fame, has been flexing his comic creating muscles in his series, DMC. And black creators have been tearing up Kickstarter with their creations. In order to celebrate work by black comic creators, ComicsAlliance is highlighting some of the artists and writers who are bringing diverse characters and their own stories to the pages. Check out part two of our list below --- and if you haven't already, check out part one here.