It’s December 7th, and all Iva Toguri wanted was two things: to go home… and to eat a hamburger.
The year was 1941, Iva was in Tokyo Japan, and she was an American.
When the kempeitai (Japanese Military Police) showed up at her Aunt’s home, asking for her to denounce her American citizenship, Iva proudly refused. This found Iva struggling to survive on the streets of Tokyo, labeled an “enemy of the people”. Before long though, Iva’s survival led her down the path to becoming one of the most infamous and nefarious characters in the South Pacific…Tokyo Rose.
Tokyo Rose: Zero Hour, is a proposed graphic novel project from Andre R. Frattino, creator of the Successful 2017 Kickstarter, Simon Says: Nazi Hunter(due out through Image Comics September 2019), that looks to tell the little-known story of an American woman struggling against all odds to survive in two worlds that consider her the enemy. Intrigued? Check out the full campaign at http://kck.st/2OHMTCz.
Frattino is teaming up with Artist Supreme, Kate Kasenow, who is fresh off her latest project, Form of a Question, the graphic memoir of Andrew J. Rostan, surrounding his experience on JEOPARDY! (the book is available now from BOOM! Studios). Frattino and Kasenow are together looking to raise $7,500 on Kickstarter to actualize Iva Toguri’s story in a 75-page graphic novel they hope to have out by July of next year.
Frattino and Kasenow are working with Atheris Publishing for the Kickstarter-edition of their book. Atheris Publishing is a division of Atheris Entertainment, which has successfully funded three board game projects themselves (Cul-De-Sac Conquest, Mutant Crops and Supernatural Socks) and consulted on another successful board game project (Ore: The Mining Game). With Atheris’s success in gaming, they’re now turning their attention towards comics.
In a world that is still rife with misinformation, inequality and racial/gender prejudices, the tale of Tokyo Rose has never been more relevant than it is today. This story isn't just about an Asian American woman caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's the story of every American today who experiences or witnessed racial inequality, misrepresentation and gender bias. It's the story of an underdog who, despite everything working against her, struggles to survive and doesn't give up. It's the story of the best part of what is America.
Tokyo Rose: Zero Hour is live on Kickstarter through May 2nd.