White Cat Entertainment announced that Chris Mancini and Fernando Pinto have teamed for Rise of the Kung Fu Dragon Master, a new 188-page OGN that arrives in March 2023.
Rick, a small-time crook in Los Angeles, accidentally acquires the power of the dragon and gets mixed up in an ancient mystical battle between good and evil that’s been fought since the days of ancient China. It’s an epic martial arts saga filled with action, magic, poor decisions, dragons, and surly baristas.
“I grew up on 80s movies, arcades, and Black Belt Theater. I thought of everything I loved watching as a kid, and wanted to recreate in a graphic novel the joy and wonder I always felt when watching a classic martial arts movie with meticulously placed sound effects,” said Chris Mancini in a press release. “From The 36th Chamber of the Shaolin to Big Trouble in Little China, I watched them all. I loved everything about them from the epic martial arts fights to the code of honor when defending your school. I also loved watching a disciple receive a disapproving glare from his master as he carries buckets of water up and down a mountain. Yeah, good times—
I got to work with an amazing team, including artist Fernando Pinto and letterers Troy Peteri and Dave Lanphear. It was also a dream come true to work with comics legend Brian Augustyn who edited the book and wrote the foreword. Brian sadly passed away soon after the book was completed and I will always remember fondly the all too brief time we spent working together.”
Rise of the Kung Fu Dragon Master arrives in stores on March 15, 2023.