Waypoints help us find our way.

On a journey, a waypoint is a place you stop along the way. In GPS, it’s a set of specific coordinates on a map. In video games, it’s a reference point used by players to navigate the game’s world.

There are waypoints in life, too.

A waypoint is a life-changing experience — a wake-up call, a turning point, a paradigm shift. An unexpected encounter that changes the direction of a person’s life forever.

So what is “Waypoints”?

“Waypoints” is an online manga (comics) anthology series produced in Japan, featuring the work of Japanese, Korean, American and Canadian artists and writers. Each tale brings a unique point of view. Each story has a different artist. Each character’s experiences are unique. But each of these characters has met someone who has changed their hearts and set them on a new path. 

That someone is Jesus Christ.

The stories in this series are based on the biographies of Jesus found in the New Testament of the Bible. Each story is told from the point of view of a character whose life was changed by encountering Christ. We hope you’ll join us for the journey, and perhaps experience your own waypoints along the road.

Read below and you’ll find some information about the people behind this project. Click HERE to read some manga, or check our our blog HERE.

Waypoints Artists:

Ryo Azumi

Ryo Azumi is a Japanese manga artist from Tokyo. After studying animation at a design school, she started working as a cartoonist. She has presented a lot of her comics through commercial magazines as well as through self-publishing. Ancient history of Scandinavia, mythologies and fantasies have became an inspiration to her manga. Her works include “The Ring of the Nibelung,” “Mysterion,“ “Old Testament I – Genesis”, ”New Testament III – Revelation.” Most of her comics are available in ebook formats such as Kindle. You can see more of her work on her website.

Masiu

Masiu is Japanese. She grew up watching the anime of Studio Ghibli and the TV series “World Masterpiece Theatre.” She studied entertainment art at a university in CA. Since coming back to Japan, she has done illustration work and has been serializing comics with a Christian publisher. Her work includes: illustrations for card game series “Bible Hunter,” and the manga series “St. Francis of Assisi — The Brilliance of all Life.” You can see her work on her website.

Masumi Noda

Masumi Noda is a Japanese artist who studied Nihonga (a Japanese style of painting) at Kyoto Seika University. After working as a designer at a publishing company, she became a freelancer, working on book illustrations, caricatures, design, and manga. She currently works as an illustrator, manga artist and designer. Her best known manga is “Manga Shiokari Pass,” an adaptation of the famous novel by Japanese author Ayako Miura. You can see more of Noda’s work on Instagram or Facebook.

Tomi Yoshikawa

Tomi Yoshikawa comes from Japanese and Peruvian roots, and was born in Peru. He started drawing at the age of four. His family immigrated to Japan and later to the US where he received his B.A. in illustration from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver, Colorado. After graduation, he spent a year in LA before moving to Japan and starting his career as a professional graphic designer. Since 2011 he has been a freelance graphic designer and illustrator working from his home studio. His artistic influences include both Japanese manga and American comics, as well as surf and skate culture. You can see more of his work HERE.

Igor Cicarini

Igor Cicarini has been a professional artist for some 20 years, working as a cartoonist, illustrator, art director and character designer, both in his native Brazil as well as internationally. He works in both manga and American comics styles, and has done work for such major US companies as Marvel, Dynamite and DC. In addition to comics work, Igor has also worked for video game and trading card companies, including helping to produce a card series to celebrate Ultraman’s 55th anniversary in the USA. To see more of Igor’s illustrations, you can check him out on Instagram.

Youmin Park

Youmin Park was born in Korea but lived in South Africa for a decade while graduating high school and getting her BA in Information Design at the University of Pretoria. She has completed several freelance illustration & design commissions, including independent graphic novels and comics, with English-based clients. As Japanese and American comics have been her great inspiration since her teens, with her life experience in diversity in South Africa as well, her visual style blends Asian and Western influences. She always strives for meaningful visual narrations, hoping to touch readers/viewers’ hearts with metaphors, symbols, and messages. You can see her portfolio HERE.

Mukai Makito

Mukai Makito is Japanese. He studied animation at a technical school. His artistic inspiration comes from old Japanese anime (such as the works of Mamoru Oshii). He has had a vision for creating comics of Bible stories, so through this project he feels his dreams are coming true. He enjoys reading and loves coffee. You can see his work on his Twitter.

Robin A. White

Robin A. White is Canadian and has been living in Japan since 2008. A mostly self-taught artist, Robin studied and worked in graphic design before going to Bible college and becoming a missionary. The past several years he has been serializing his own webcomics, first “Doodze” (now available as a book) and then “Pods,” as well as doing several short side projects along the way. His influences include Brian Lee O’Malley, Gene Luen Yang, Pendleton Ward, Erik Larsen and Jeff Smith. You can see Robin’s work on his website.

Other Waypoints Staff

Script Writers: Zach Motts, Robin A. White, Yoko B. White, Mickey Veach

Translators: Yoko B. White, Emiko Harmon

Editors: Robin A. White, Yoko B. White