St. Cloud’s Ayomiku “Yomi” Adegbile published his second science fiction graphic novel, “Freedom Colony”.
St. Cloud’s Ayomiku “Yomi” Adegbile, a dual-enrolled undergraduate in Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), published his second science fiction graphic novel, “Freedom Colony”. This novel follows his main character Abraham, a traveler that returns to his hometown, inspired by the scenic landscapes and historic cultures within Kissimmee and St. Cloud.
Yomi’s main character, Abraham, travels the world for ten years searching for a home he rarely felt he had growing up. Inspired by Yomi’s own travels and his struggles being away from his own hometown, Abraham searches through different communities until he finally discovers where his “home” truly is as he returns to Central Florida.
“Home isn’t always where you’re from, it’s where you make it.” Adegbile said.
The inspiration behind the story is drawn from two separate ideas. The first is the concept of a traveler who underwent “scarring”, a former Nigerian practice that involves the scarification of a person’s face as a way to show cultural identity, or as a rite of passage. The second is the concept of an underground city, where one’s citizens have been isolated from modern day society and how it alters and changes the ways they live and how they interact with those on the outside. Yomi took these two concepts to create “The Freedom Colony.
“This book is inspired by a lot of American folklore,” said Yomi, currently studying Cultural Anthropology and Illustration in college. “My time traveling has also shown me a lot about the United States and has helped me put society into context. It was cool learning about the American folklore, and heritage.”
When creating this story, he said his desire to explore different cultures alongside his yearning to feel closer to home, Yomi began researching and incorporating many different aspects about the Central Florida region into his story, from the palmetto bugs, Sip n Dip donut shop, and Veteran’s Memorial Library he used to frequent, to the South American folklore and historic Seminole/ Jororo communities that lived in the region.
He blends these multiple elements into Abraham’s journey through culture, community, and selfdiscovery.
“Florida has such a rich heritage of just so many different cultures interacting here. Even in Kissimmee… it’s a nice mixture where you can experience so many different cultures.” he said. This young adult graphic novel follows the themes of freedom, abandonment and grief, cultural understanding, and religion. Abraham undergoes a shift in his life as he returns home and tries to discover his place among those within this underground society meant to protect those who felt opposed and displaced. With the deeper and heavier themes woven into the story, young adults and adults will relate best to the central message of the story.
For more information, Yomi’s “The Freedom Colony” can be found on Amazon.
