CULTURE

When Christchurch creative Ben Ning, a personal friend of Cantabrian Magazine, reached out with news of his debut graphic novel, we didn’t hesitate to share it. Deep Black drenches Ōtautahi in a soft cyberpunk glow—an imagined city of fractured skylines, shifting shadows, and bold reinvention.

Launching on 24 October, the novel is a true home-grown creation: written, illustrated, assembled, and even printed in Christchurch. Ning’s vision is equal parts futuristic noir and intimate love letter to the city’s streets, a blend of grit and grace that reimagines what familiar avenues might look like under a different sky.

With a Boosted crowdfunding campaign through the Arts Foundation gathering strong grassroots support and a launch exhibition set to mark its arrival, Deep Black feels less like a debut and more like a movement—an opening into a bold new chapter of local storytelling.