What IS CHIMERA?

CHiMERA is a shapeshifting sci-fi detective thriller 15-issue limited comic series inspired by Hawaiian mythology, set primarily in solar-punk Hawaii.New Honolulu police investigator Akela Barrett’s mercenary past comes back to haunt her as a merciless killer targets her shapeshifting black-ops squad.

#1 - HOME

A disastrous leak compromises a secret military squad created by Island Health & Wellness Spa, a front for a genetics program that developed theCHIMERAS: Mercenaries given the power to shapeshift into car-sized beasts.Narrowly surviving their last mission, Chimera Akela Barrett returns home with her squad, only to be forced into a shock collar and demonized by the media.Yet quiet hatred isn't the only thing monsters should fear.

#2 - Mortal

Malevolent 'aumakua, mo'o, shapeshifters, monsters.
As black ops mercenaries return home to utopian Neo ‘Āina, the public discourse is upturned with shocking leaks:THEY are among us, and they're dangerous. The anonymous leaker delivers another name: CHIMERAS. Not human, not animal. Something in between.Chimera Akela Barrett regrets everything. The power the Company gave them in exchange for their indentured servitude. The missions that still give her nightmares. The monster hiding just beneath her skin. The shock collars locked around their necks. And now, the rabid public at their doorstep.The only spots of hope are the bonds she forged with her fellow Chimeras: Chavez, Ramirez, and Walters; and the surprise promotion to detective at her father's precinct.She's terrified both are about to be ripped away from her.

#3 - Rescue

Narrowly surviving an assassin’s blade, Akela becomes paranoid that her friends are next.Shocked as the news champions her as a mythical folk hero for a daring rescue caught on camera; Akela struggles to both keep her partner in the dark and catch up to the mysterious assassin as he sets his sights on human targets.

Who are we?

A two-person, self-funded team of indie creatives!
CHiMERA is 100% human-made! We think it’s so much more fulfilling to make comics ourselves.We use Beat Screenplay, Final Draft, Procreate, Illustrator, Indesign, and Photoshop to accomplish this (not Adobe’s AI tools.)
(Though, if a robot wants to do my dishes and laundry, I won’t complain.)Sam M. Smith (that’s me!) is the writer, letterer, graphic designer, and layout artist of the series. She won the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards with her breakout hit screenplay CHiMERA, the Big Apple Film Festival with Newshound, and the Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival has officially selected five of her screenplays.José M. Villarroel is the artist (penciler, inker, colorist, and cover artist!) of CHiMERA and El Dios del Olvido. He’s known for his zeal for gritty, visceral manga-inspired art and a diverse range of influences, including Junji Itō, Hiroya Oku, Masamune Shirow, and Shigenori Soejima.As you can imagine, our inspirations lean towards the Akira, Gantz, Blade Runner, Nier, and Ghost in the Shell side of body modification and cyberpunk stories… namely, the exploration of what it means to be human and the search for hope in desperate situations.