Despite the health crisis, EALC continues its mission of educating about East Asia and its diverse culture. On Thursday, April 30, Professor Persiani's EALC230 "Popular Cultures of East Asia" class welcomed Champaign-area manga artist Kofi Bazzell-Smith for a guest lecture. Born and raised in Champaign, Mr. Bazzell-Smith is a 10-year competitive boxer and mangaka. He speaks Japanese and has studied manga in Japan twice. Creator of the Azuki Manga series and other short works, he teaches a manga storytelling workshop and runs a YouTube channel teaching principles of manga storytelling and production. Mr. Bazzell-Smith gave a wide-ranging introduction to his journey as a budding mangaka, his training in Japan, his contacts with Japanese publishers, and his own approach to manga storytelling.