Illustrator & Artistic Lead Illustrator & Artistic Lead Nathan Cayanan Nathan Cayanan — is a comics creator, writer, illustrator, and college professor. He has written about the Asian diaspora, evolving AAPI identities, and the struggles of the perpetual foreigner. He has taught writing in Taiwan, China, and the United States at USC International Academy, UC Irvine, Irvine Valley College where he was awarded Part Time Teacher of the Year in 2018, and Cal State Fullerton where he currently teaches at the School of Business in Economics. In 2022, he was selected to participate in the DC Comics’ Milestone Initiative as a writer and had his story published in the “New Talent Showcase: The Milestone Initiative.” For Sound Off , he served as both an illustrator and Artistic Lead, guiding the student artists to compose the pages for this book. The pages he illustrated are the cover and pages 16, 23, 28-31, 38, 45, 47, and 51. Cassandra Perez Cassandra Perez — I am a 17-year-old artist who loves manga and anime. I mainly draw in black and white, but I’ve found a new love for coloring! I’m also interested in animation and character design/concept art. With a lot ahead of me, I’m ready for anything life throws my way! Cassandra illustrated pages 4-6, 13-15, 20-22, and 39-41. Kelly Tieu Kelly Tieu — I’m a Taiwanese American artist based in Irvine, California. My work is inspired by video games and East-Asian pop culture. I love creating colorful and cute art in different mediums (3D models, digital illustrations, paintings, etc.). In the future, my goal as a character designer is to merge my passion for games and all things cute. Kelly illustrated pages 10-12, 17-19, 35-37, and 42-44. Joyce Wen Joyce Wen — I’m a student at Irvine Valley College Since I was young, I loved to draw, starting digitally when I was 12. I participated in this comic book because it was an opportunity to learn and improve myself. The process was indeed challenging, but the experience was also sweet. I enjoyed getting to know our veteran students and reading about their encouraging stories. I feel extremely lucky and honored to be a part of the Sound Off project. Joyce illustrated pages 7-8, 24-26, and 32-34. About the Artists About the Artists 50
