Kofi M. Bazzell‑Smith, artist, educator, and the first professor of Japanese manga practice
in the United States, shares an inside look at his upcoming graphic novel Azuki,
his work in U.S.–Japan cultural exchange, and the development of manga education in America.
Drawing from years of training and research in Japan, Bazzell‑Smith will discuss how manga can serve as
a bridge between cultures, a site of innovation, and a platform for new narratives.
Kofi M. Bazzell-Smith
Artist & Professor of Japanese Manga Practice,
Rochester Institute of Technology
Kofi M. Bazzell‑Smith is an artist,
educator, and former professional boxer specializing in Japanese manga. He is the first professor
of Japanese manga practice in the United States, teaching in the School of Art at
Rochester Institute of Technology. His work centers Black narratives within a Japanese medium,
exploring manga as a space for cultural exchange, linguistic immersion, and new forms of storytelling.
He is currently developing his first graphic novel, Azuki, and is
represented by The Writers House Literary Agency.
Bazzell‑Smith is the Founder and Director of the
Manga Training Academy and leads a study abroad
program in Tokyo that connects U.S. students with the Japanese manga industry.
He is a U.S.–Japan Leadership Program Fellow (Class of 2025–26), a binational fellowship for
emerging leaders shaping the future of U.S.–Japan relations, and he serves on the board of
the U.S.–Japan Bridging Foundation, a scholarship organization supporting American students
studying abroad in Japan.
https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/events/2026/lecture-bazzell-smith.html
And now, from the event:
He was a boxer but also wanted to be a manga artist. He went to Japan and studied with mangaka.
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| This is his grad school manga in which all black people are robots after WW3 |
He's influenced be Neil Cohn's theories. He considers manga to be strongly filmic.
This is his art.
