Â鶹ӳ»´«Ã½ senior Branden Hall hopes that one day Zeek St. Cloud finds his true purpose in life \u2013 but he knows that\u2019s going to take thousands of years.<\/p>\n
Hall, who is majoring in creative writing and advertising\/public relations, and his brother Horacio are enabling Zeek on his journey, and recently received an offer of help from Charlotte Hornets basketball player Johnny O\u2019Bryant III.<\/p>\n
If this all sounds like fantasy mixed with reality \u2013 it is.<\/p>\n
The brothers from South Miami Heights are real, but Zeek resides in the new manga comic Stratum 21<\/em>, soon to be released by O\u2019Bryant\u2019s creative agency, Noir Caesar, which produces creative art, fashion and music.<\/p>\n Hall said a Noir Caesar representative saw images of their characters on Stratum 21<\/em>\u2019s Instagram and reported back to O\u2019Bryant, owner and founder of the company, who arranged to carry the brothers\u2019 first comic series on the company\u2019s website. O\u2019Bryant has been in the NBA since 2014 and he started his company to intertwine Japanese anime culture with African-American street wear and hip-hop culture.<\/p>\n The first chapter of the story is scheduled to come out Sept. 21. Stratum 21<\/em> takes place thousands of years after a cataclysmic event shattered the planet Strata into 20 pieces. The inhabitants have rebuilt society but three factions are fighting for control. Main character Zeek knows little about the world he lives in until he meets a Seeker and learns what life entails. Aspiring to join their ranks, he leaves his swamp home in search of life\u2019s greater purpose while joining forces against the dark side that despises the Seekers.<\/p>\n \u201cStratum 21<\/em> is exactly the title we were looking for to add to the fall lineup. It’s about adventure and discovering yourself in a world that’s fallen off the brink,\u201d said Corey Mikell, production manager for Noir Caesar. \u201cIt’s a timeless tale of self-discovery and the pursuit of happiness in an unfavorable situation. It teaches people to keep moving forward, no matter the setback.\u201d<\/p>\n Hall said physical copies of the manga will be released every seven chapters.<\/p>\n \u201cThese books are special because they can be read as any other comic would, but if one were to download the app, Stratum21+, which is in the works, and put their phone camera over the images on the page, the panels will begin to animate on the mobile device,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n