In a world of Hollywood multiverse storylines — we’re looking at you, Marvel — there’s a new alternate universe brewing, and it’s taking place in San Antonio.
The Down Market is showcasing an alternate reality version of the Alamo City through diverse voices, backgrounds, and innovation via the manga medium.
Meet The Down Market
The Down Market is a creative agency based in San Antonio and has recently dipped its toe in the world of manga — a widely popular style of graphic novels originally published in Japan.
It plans to infuse the style of manga with San Antonio’s vibrant culture through a cover series.
Each week, The Down Market will post different manga covers showcasing various scenes of the Alamo City and it’s unique characters. The covers will have their own short story that tells the tale of a futuristic San Antonio.
Cyberpunk San Antonio
“The Down Market: Manga” has four characters, all with different Texas + cultural backgrounds.
Taking place in a not-so-distant future, the 210 has been transformed by becoming an energy production hub. The world is filled with neon highways, laboratory districts, and the River Walk has seen a glow up — becoming a floating market + entertainment hub.
At the helm is Founder + Creative Director Ja’el Sundown, who brings his childhood dream of creating comics to life with the new series.
Check out the first cover issue and meet the protagonists.
An augmented reality experience
It’s one thing to read a comic, but it’s another to actually experience it. We’re not talking MCU-budget blockbuster — even though that would be awesome — but by putting the power in the palm of your hand.
The Down Market is launching an augmented reality initiative that brings the covers to life. Attendees of the upcoming Creative Mass can use their smartphones and scan codes to create various scenes from the comic covers.
Expect to see a character accidentally dropping a burger combo from the top of Frost Tower, and other virtual surprises.
