Yeehawtheboys’ Daniel Vernon releases new comic based on Māori legends

One of Aotearoa’s sharpest cartoonists has taken some of our most enduring Māori legends and given them a modern comic-book treatment. Local Legends is the new collection by writer, illustrator and musician Daniel Vernon (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa), aka YeeHawTheBoys. Released 18 November, Local Legends brings Māori pūrākau to life through Vernon's trademark style and genre-bending storytelling.

Widely regarded for his satirical cartoons about the strange, funny and occasionally painful business of being a New Zealander, Vernon’s illustration work has appeared across online platforms, in the media and includes commissioned pieces. He is also the writer and frontman of Wellington party-punk band DARTZ.

Local Legends presents three iconic Māori pūrākau - Māui vs The Sun, War of the Mountains and Pania of the Reef - and reimagines them in distinctive genres - action, horror and romance. Vernon’s previous books, Slices of Heaven and A Few More Slices of Heaven, celebrated the familiar characters, places, institutions and moments of everyday life in Aotearoa. The projects represent a new chapter in an already varied creative career built on music, illustration, satire and storytelling.

Vernon says, “I've always been interested in the things that make Aotearoa distinctive. Māori myths and legends are a huge part of our cultural identity as New Zealanders and I wanted to explore what they could look like as living stories that continue to entertain and connect with people today. I hope they spark a passion for discovering the wide breadth and beauty of Aotearoa stories."

Local Legends is now on pre-order ($25) via danielvernon.bigcartel.com.

Copies will be sent from 18 November.