Tak Toyoshima
Creator, "Secret Asian Man" Comic
Tak Toyoshima
Creator, "Secret Asian Man" Comic
Biography
Born and raised in NYC’s Tribeca neighborhood, Tak Toyoshima is an American cartoonist with over three decades of experience in the comic book industry and is a veteran of public speaking for over 20 years. He is the creator/artist of the comic strip "Secret Asian Man." Starting as a two-page monthly in a Boston-based arts magazine, "Secret Asian Man" became a weekly comic strip for the next six years. In the fall of 2006, "Secret Asian Man" was scouted by United Features Syndicate ("Peanuts," "Dilbert," and "Boondocks") and developed to launch in July of 2007 as the first Asian American comic strip since the days of Bruce Lee and Charlie Chan. The Daily Days, a collection of “Secret Asian Man” daily syndicated comic strips, has gone into its second printing to celebrate Toyoshima’s 25th anniversary of creating SAM.
Among other creator owned projects, Toyoshima created Kwok, a self-published short story fundraiser to assist Asian seniors in the wake of the surge of xenophobic anti-Asian violence during the pandemic. In 2023, he published Make Good Choices, a choose-your-own adventure book where readers navigate their way through challenging topics such as gun violence, critical race theory, police brutality, and abortion. His literary agent is currently shopping around a YA graphic novel memoir about Toyoshima’s upbringing in NYC.
Toyoshima has worked on many other comic art related projects and publications in support of marginalized communities including Secret Identities: An Asian American Superhero Anthology, New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei, APB: Artists Against Police Brutality, But Enough About Me written by NBC news anchor Richard Lui, and any more.
When not working on his own creations, he is the Art and Communications director for MICE (Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo), New England’s premier comic book convention for creators outside of the mainstream superhero world, celebrating its 16th year in 2025. Now living in the Boston area, in his spare time, Toyoshima teaches a weekly comics and sequential arts class to middle school aged kids in Massachusetts' south shore area where he was awarded Instructor of the Year.
Speech Topics
Asian Americans in the Mainstream
Asian Americans are an extremely diverse group with very different histories that inform their experiences; however, they do share some common struggles, including stereotyping, an "exoticized" identity, and a culture that seems to openly allow the mockery of Asians in TV, movies, and the media. In this candid keynote, speaker Tak Toyoshima opens up a discussion about the unique challenges that Asian Americans face in mainstream culture as it pertains to visibility, perception, and popularity.
The Diversity of Attitudes Within the Asian American Community
While Asians may appear to be a monolithic group sharing many common experiences, the diversity of attitudes of how Asian Americans think of themselves, and how they feel others treat them, is very diverse. Some AAs take the stance of the oppressed and marginalized group and organize to bring about change. While other AAs feel pointing out their own ethnicity works against the greater goal of simply being treated just like any other American. And even other AAs feel they are in an advantaged position where the model minority myths of being smart and successful liberate them from the more oppressed histories of other fellow minorities. This discussion does not judge a person’s perspective but provides a space to openly consider other points of view.
Comic Books as a Teaching Tool
Over the past decade, there has been an explosion of interest in comic books and graphic novels in education. Librarians across the country eagerly stock their shelves with entertaining and even challenging reading materials for young readers. Sometimes to the consternation of school parents! Comic books provide students the perfect environment for exploring different worlds or the world right outside their door. Comics also provide an easy transition into the visual arts, making possible a curriculum that includes students making their own comics where they can explore an unlimited number of topics. Part presentation, part workshop, this discussion will help attendees consider how they can use comics as a teaching tool.
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