Fanbase Press has announce that they will release a te reo Māori translation of the LGBTQIA+ coming-of-age graphic novel, Four-Color Heroes, in celebration of Māori Language Week (September 11-17, 2023).
Written and illustrated by Aotearoa/New Zealand-born creator Richard Fairgray, Four-Color Heroes is set in a New Zealand high school during the passing of the Civil Union Act 2004. As tensions rose nationwide over the basic equal rights of same-sex couples, two boys were fighting a battle on a smaller scale, against enemies from within and without, as they found love and self-discovery through the pages of a comic book.
Māori Language Week has been held in New Zealand since 1975, providing an opportunity for the celebration and promotion of te reo Māori as a living and dynamic language – one of two official languages in the country.
In light of Richard’s New Zealand roots, it was vital for us to not only celebrate the indigenous language of the country, but to engage in the Māori Language Week theme of “making the language stronger.” We were honored to partner with New Zealand-based Komako A. Silver and Alejandra Jensen (The Art of Taonga Puoro) for the translation and incredibly appreciative of their thoughtfulness and expertise throughout the process.
Four-Color Heroes will be released digitally in te reo Māori via Hoopla on Monday, September 11, 2023, and via Comics Plus, Google Books, Google Play, and Kindle Direct on Wednesday, September 13, 2023.
