Alter Ego - Paperback

by Lisa Manobal (Author), Brandon Montclare (Author), Minomiyabi (Author)

This 96 Page Graphic Novel is the official companion to the Alter Ego album, written by LISA and brought to vivid life by celebrated Japanese artist MINOMIYABI. Step into a neon-drenched cyberpunk city where Vixi--a quiet tech genius--prefers fixing arcade machines to seeking the spotlight. Despite her reserved nature, she becomes the unexpected bond that unites four remarkable friends: Roxi, a pressured social star yearning for genuine connection; Kiki, an unstoppable arcade champion with an unyielding spirit; Sunni, a gentle peacekeeper concealing her inner storms; and Speedi, a fearless risk-taker learning to slow down. When three ruthless bullies trap Vixi in a virtual reality nightmare, her friends dive headfirst into the digital battleground, proving that while Vixi may work alone, she never has to fight alone.

Author Biography

LISA is a rapper, singer, and dancer best known as a member of the globally renowned K-pop girl group, BLACKPINK. Beyond her success with BLACKPINK, LISA has made a name for herself as a solo artist and has broken several records globally with singles "Lalisa" and "Money" charting in the top 10 of the Billboard Global 200. "Money" holds the record as the longest-charting song by a solo female K-pop artist on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and on the U.K. Singles Chart. LISA broke three Guinness World Records in 2023 as the most Instagram followers for a K-pop artist (currently at 105 Million followers on the platform), she is also the first solo K-pop winner at both the MTV Video Music Awards and the MTV European Music Awards. Brandon Montclare is a comic book & graphic novel writer. He's the creator of Lunella Lafayette, a.k.a. Moon Girl from Marvel's hit Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. The superhero plays a special role in the Marvel Universe as the world's smartest person. The Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur television series premiered February 2023 on the Disney Channel. Other comics writing includes the cult classic Rocket Girl for Image Comics and the forthcoming Secret Book Club for Penguin Random House. As a young editor at DC Comics as well as its prestige imprint Vertigo, Brandon helped bring several modern masterpieces directly to readers: All Star Superman, Batman Year 100, Sweet Tooth, and Day Tripper A native New Yorker; NPR proclaimed Brandon's comics writing "effervescent" while Broken Frontier called it "the Saturday morning cartoon you wish was on TV." Miyabi," meaning "elegance" in Japanese, captures the essence of MinoMiyabi's artistic journey--a pursuit deeply rooted in balancing aesthetics with logical consistency. Born in Yokohama, MinoMiyabi studied Astrophysics at Tokyo University of Science before diving into Animation at the Academy of Art University. MinoMiyabi began their professional career as an animator for Los Angeles-based productions, eventually moving into a role as a concept designer at Walt Disney Imagineering. Recently, they have collaborated with notable artists including Gorillaz, LISA, and YUNGBLUD, and have engaged in projects with prominent brands such as All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Balmain x Fashion Week 2021. Since 2012, MinoMiyabi has expanded their expertise through drawing workshops at major conventions including Anime EXPO, Comic-Con International, and notably, Naoki Urasawa's exhibitions at Japan House LA in 2019. Currently, MinoMiyabi is immersed in developing JEHANNE and several original comic series, continually striving to expand their creative horizons