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Kickstarter Campaign for Graphic Novel Based on Osamu Tezuka's Alabaster Manga Canceled

The companies launched the campaign on October 4. The campaign aimed to raise US$30,000 by November 3. It had raised US$1,379 from 29 backers in its first week. As the campaign did not raise the listed funds, it will not receive the money. Backer rewards include digital and physical copies, including autographed ones.

Chuck Brown would have written the graphic novel with artwork by Anna Weiszczyk.

Noir Caesar describes the graphic novel:

Reimagined for a new generation of readers as a contemporary graphic novel from Noir Caesar, Alabaster reinterprets Ralph Ellison's novel "The Invisible Man," and follows a former successful Black athlete, James Block, who is framed by his girlfriend and wrongfully imprisoned. While inside, James befriends a disgraced scientist that gives him the solution to his problems—a laser gun that either turns its subject invisible or kills them upon usage. After serving his prison sentence and locating the device, James disfigures himself in a failed experiment that turns him partially translucent, like alabaster. Angry, vengeful, and with a new identity, Alabaster wreaks havoc on bigots and hypocrites alike.

The company stated that the reimagined story aims to "add some depth and layers" to the titular main character, and add details about the African-American civil rights movement in the 1970s.

North American publisher Digital Manga funded a Kickstarter campaign to localize and publish the two-volume Alabaster manga in 2015.

Tezuka launched the manga in Akita Shoten's Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine in December 1970. The manga ended in June 1971.

The manga inspired a stage musical that ran in Tokyo and Osaka in June and July last year.

Source: Kickstarter