Nick Dunec is telling the story of a Japanese schoolgirl trying to fight a panda.
A graduate of Haliburton Highlands Secondary School, Dunec and business partner Graham Misiurak are in the midst of releasing their first comic book, Yuki vs. Panda.
Raised in Haliburton, Dunec moved to Toronto after graduating from HHSS in 2001 and pursued a career in film.
He met Misiurak and the two formed a friendship and partnership, eventually co-authoring the graphic novel together, which is the first of a series.
The concept behind Yuki vs. Panda was born out of a television show the pair created called Dim Sum, which can be viewed online.
“Graham created the pitch and the idea for the show, I was an assistant producer and consultant on the show,” said Dunec.
Yuki vs. Panda was a one-off skit for the show, eventually evolving into its own story.
Although it was created in 2006, it wasn’t until about three years ago the pair began tossing the idea of a graphic novel around.
“The most popular part of the show [Dim Sum] was Yuki vs. Panda, so we sat down and fleshed out a nice, solid story. We really wanted to focus on these characters.”
Work on the book began in 2011, with the pair creating passionate characters, a solid plot and finding the right artist, said Dunec.
“We basically wrote in a movie script type of format, as that’s what we’re most comfortable with,” he said.
The book is 80 pages and tells the tale of Yuki Lee, an average, Japanese schoolgirl with mystical kung fu powers.
“It’s a love story wrapped up as a revenge story,” said Dunec.
It was illustrated by A.L. Jones, an artist from England whom Dunec and Misiurak selected from a call for submissions.
“We just fell in love with her art and it really complemented our writing style well,” said Dunec.
The first volume of Yuki vs. Panda is finished, however Dunec and Misiurak already have up to volume 12 completed in their minds.
Dunec believes the series will come together quickly now that the first book has been published.
Incredibly proud of the project, Dunec believes he and his partner have a lot more stories to tell.
“We’ve been receiving a lot of positive feedback in the community … we’re really excited about this project.”
Parents Ann and Steve Dunec are very proud of their son, who always marched to the beat of his own drum, said Ann.
For more information about the comic book including information on how to pre-order it visit www.yukivspanda.com.
Information about the comic book can also be found on Facebook and Twitter, by searching Yuki vs. Panda.
The official release date for the graphic novel is set for the end of April.
A dollar from every pre-sale will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund, to support real panda bears.