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Discipline

Māori Graphic Novels

Māori graphic novels are how we hold long-form pūrākau in a form that stays in people's hands. Māui Studios develops Māori graphic novels from initial iwi kōrero through script, page-by-page art direction, illustration, lettering, editorial, print production and distribution — in te reo Māori, bilingual and English editions. Long-form work needs long-form care: consistent character design across hundreds of pages, correct macron and tohutō handling across a full manuscript, and a rights structure that keeps mana over the pūrākau with the story owners. Selected work includes the Takitimu bilingual graphic novel, the Te Haerenga book-length comic for Orion NZ, and the Quantum Comix series. If you are an iwi, publisher, museum or educator with a pūrākau that deserves a graphic novel treatment, we can carry the project end-to-end.

Selected Māori Graphic Novels work

Bilingual interior spread featuring Vatonga and Arutanga
Interior spread depicting the building of Te Manu Karere waka
Takitimu graphic novel English edition cover spread
Bilingual Graphic Novel

Origins of the Takitimu Waka

2024

Atea a Rangi Educational Trust

A custom illustrated bilingual graphic novel telling the journey of the Takitimu waka - designed as a culturally grounded educational resource for intermediate-aged learners across Māori, Pasifika, and European classrooms.

Role

Comic BooksPublishingVisual DesignEducational ResourcesIP & Story DevelopmentStrategic Communication

Deliverables

  • Two bilingual books in Te Reo Māori and English
  • 18-page illustrated graphic novel
  • Custom cover artwork and back-cover layouts
  • 4–6 pages of introductory / contextual content
  • A4 web and print-ready layouts
  • Reusable illustration asset base

Outcome

A culturally rich, visually compelling bilingual learning resource - an 18-page illustrated graphic novel with publication-ready digital and print layouts, plus a reusable illustration library that extends the commission into future maps, activity books, and classroom tools.

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Te Haerenga comic book cover artwork
Te Haerenga village guide encounter scene
Te Haerenga comic spread featuring Papatūānuku
Te Haerenga comic spread with rangatahi exploring the treehouse interior
Te Haerenga village girl renewable energy learning scene
Te Haerenga comic introduction spread
Te Haerenga village guy training scene
Educational Platform + Comic

Te Haerenga

2022–2023

Orion New Zealand Limited

A culturally grounded energy-education comic and pūrākau for Orion NZ, connecting rangatahi to renewable energy through te ao Māori storytelling.

Role

Strategic CommunicationVisual DesignIP & Story DevelopmentImmersive Design

Deliverables

  • Comic book / pūrākau introducing rangatahi to renewable energy
  • Story framework linking Atua, local assets, and infrastructure
  • Quest-based learning concept direction
  • Strategic vision for digital twin city learning

Outcome

Publicly cited by Orion New Zealand Limited in their June 2023 Climate Change Commission submission - an independent, documented endorsement of a culturally grounded framework now positioned for regional and digital-twin expansion.

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Quantum Comix cover - Te Haerenga o Tama rāua ko Kōtiro: The Quantum World
Quantum Comix interior spread - Māui emerges and the lab plunges into darkness
Quantum Comix interior spread - the trio enter a rift in time and space
Quantum Comix interior spread - superposition and the quantum world
Science Communication

Quantum Comix

2024

Te Whai Ao - Dodd-Walls Centre / Tūhura Otago Museum

A character-driven illustrated Comic Book making quantum physics accessible to rangatahi - developed with Te Whai Ao - Dodd-Walls Centre and Tūhura Otago Museum for school and museum distribution.

Role

Strategic CommunicationVisual DesignScience CommunicationPublishing

Deliverables

  • Illustrated Comic Book - script, character and world design, full illustration, page layout
  • Print-ready files and digital version
  • Scientifically reviewed narrative co-developed with Te Whai Ao researchers
  • Public-facing asset for school and museum deployment

Outcome

A complete, scientifically reviewed illustrated Comic Book - giving Te Whai Ao and Tūhura Otago Museum a high-quality public-facing science communication asset, and modelling Comic Books as a legitimate format for frontier-research engagement.

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Frequently asked

About Māori Graphic Novels

What's the difference between a Māori comic and a Māori graphic novel?
Scale and form. Comics are episodic and shorter; graphic novels are long-form, standalone books — usually 60+ pages with a single narrative arc. Both can be te reo Māori, bilingual or English.
Do you produce bilingual editions?
Yes — te reo Māori and English editions, either as parallel editions or bilingual within a single book. See the Takitimu bilingual graphic novel case study.
Can you handle print production at scale?
Yes — we manage print production, ISBN, distribution and delivery for graphic novel runs alongside creative production.

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