About me

Hey there!

My name is Gigi Murakami, I'm a NYC native manga artist, illustrator, content creator, and small creative business owner at the intersection of horror media, alternative, and nerd culture, and (schlocky) film.

The story of my online store and overall creative business starts at the anime convention space. Under the artist name Koyuki Panda, I began vending in artist alleys, art markets, and fairs in 2013, initially creating art prints and fan art.

I was struggling a lot in my business at that time and feeling lost in my identity as an artist.

During the pause of the pandemic, I had time to reflect on my approach to my business and my voice as an artist. After realizing something needed to change, I started to completely lean into manga, the things that I love, and upgrading my business.

 

Little by little, my artwork and merch design started to improve and I started to develop an actual income from what I was creating. Soon after that, I started getting recognition from many of my personal favorite YouTubers, streamers, and content creators, all whom have enjoyed my work and have encouraged me to continue creating.

 

 

As the years have continued, my business has afforded me a solid place within the worlds of manga, anime, and content creation, and I've gained networks and friendships within this space as a result of all the hard work I've done in previous years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going forward, I want to create more unique original horror-based products that focus on quality and continue to highlight Black women and femmes.