Spotlight on Nigel Twumasi
CEO of Mayamada

When did you first become interested in manga? What was it that attracted you to the industry?

I started out watching cartoons and anime when I was in primary school, and I always enjoyed creative pursuits like drawing and storytelling. I got more into manga in secondary school and throughout my time at university, but I went into a software engineering career after graduating. After spending over eighteen years in the software engineering world, I decided that I wanted to pursue my passion for manga and start my own business. Together with a friend of mine, we started Mayamada, a manga company that prided itself on creating our own characters, stories, and comics. Since then, my passion for manga has grown extensively and I now have more appreciation for the process of how manga is created. You also realise how many people know of the industry without realising!

How did you find setting up your own business?

I always liked the idea of having my own brand, something that I could distinguish from other manga creators and have full creative control over. Until you start, you don’t know all the opportunities available to you, and you certainly don’t know all the barriers! I decided that I wanted to learn the full process of making the individual comics and quickly realised how much work goes into creating each issue. Therefore, I went to a Comic-Con event to see if we could talk to artists and illustrators who could bring our manga to life in the style that I liked. Luckily for us, I found a great artist who has now worked with us for many years, and she understands how work and what we are trying to convey. This has helped bring our brand to life, and my hope is that we build a community of diverse voices behind it. However, there was never any thought of failing as it was a pathway that I wanted to pursue, and I did my upmost to weather all the challenges that came our way.

What are the challenges you’re currently facing?

A criticism of the creative sector more broadly is that here in the western world, creativity is not seen or valued as a workable career pursuit. Money is always at the forefront of the challenges we face, as the cost of living is affecting small independent businesses such as mine. However, you have to have an inherent self-belief in your brand and show that the world ‘needs’ the product you are selling. You must be able to convince others above everything else! For me, this included knowing where to look, how to develop characters for wide audiences and keeping going when everything goes wrong!

What do you make of the current manga industry? Are there elements you like or dislike?

Throughout the process of building Mayamada, I have found that there has been more acknowledgement of manga as a concept. For me, manga highlights characters and personalities that don’t always get the spotlight. We wanted to provide something a bit different than the archetypal ‘hero’ character that we always see, so we designed characters that explored themes that younger audiences could relate to. Manga explores more ‘human’ emotions, like doubt, pain, heartbreak, and resilience which strikes a chord with a diverse group of readers.

However, there are some elements that could be improved. The giants of the industry focus intently on what audiences want, via market research and trends, however they pay far less attention to what creators want and are asking for. This is particularly prevalent when we look at representation within the sector.

What is your perception of the diversity within manga and the video game industry more broadly?

Manga is a seven-billion-pound industry but only ten percent of its workforce is from an ethnically diverse background. This is especially acute in the creation phase of manga, and the lack of representation within the industry perpetuates the idea that this industry is not for them. This is a systemic issue within the video game industry, with companies making record profits paying lip service to representation rather than enforcing concrete policy.

Hence, I started my ‘Do I look like a gamer?’ campaign to work with young people, helping them understand issues around diversity, readiness for work and inclusion. Through a kick-starter via national government, I was able to undertake workshops in storytelling and provide work experience at Mayamada to eight young people. I never thought that I could be a teacher, but through organising these experiences, it has proven to me that there are plenty of young people interested in taking up a creative career. I would like to see a further push for those interested in illustration, art, and storytelling to be given more access to careers coaches and for schools to take a more proactive approach.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

I would have loved to have had more money setting everything up! I’m sure every business owner would say that, but you also must have a strong self-belief in your product. If you like your idea, and you think it has a strong foundation, keep running with it! Most importantly though, you need to be able to enjoy the process of creating your product, rather than be continually focused on the outcomes.

What does the future hold for Mayamada?

We have lots of ideas! We want to be a representative and inclusive brand filled with people who love what they do, whether that be video editing, content creation or events. Further down the line we are thinking of ways we can incorporate our characters into merchandise, toys or possibly a video game.