When Anfernee Robinson was 9 years old, he fell in love with manga. That’s a style of comic books and graphic novels from Japan. His favorite was a series called Naruto. In it, a young ninja fights to be the leader of his village. 

    But as Anfernee got older, he realized something: None of the manga stories he loved had characters that looked like him. He decided he wanted to change that.

    In 2020, Anfernee founded AnimeBae Studios. There, he creates manga and anime [ah-nee-may], or Japanese-style animated shows, featuring characters of color. 

    Anfernee’s first manga series was called Akai [uh-KEYE]. It became a bestseller on Amazon. Currently, he’s working on two more series, an anime show, and even a toy line. We talked to him about his job. 

What’s it like writing your own manga?

    There aren’t really any days off! I’m always thinking about new stories. Sometimes a picture can spark an idea for a setting or how a character looks. I take photos of things that inspire me—nature, buildings in busy cities, roller coasters at theme parks.

How do you start writing a story? 

    I often start with a timeline. What main events are going to happen in the story? Then I figure out who the characters are. Many of my characters are inspired by people in my own life. I think about how they will connect with or react to one another. 

How is the art created? 

    I sketch it all out myself first. Then I work closely with several manga artists. We discuss how everything should look, from the speech bubbles to the characters’ clothes. For just one chapter, we review the art hundreds of times! 

Why do you think the work you’re doing matters?

    Having diverse characters is important. It helps people feel seen. I hope that my work inspires others to create the characters they want to see in books, TV shows, and movies.

What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?

    As you start writing, you’ll have a lot of bad ideas. That’s OK! Some days, it might feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. Stay focused on your goal. Step by step, you will get better.