The comic book
ʻĀina Force Comics
Five Hawaiʻi Island keiki, one mission: stop the sludge before it reaches the reef. A free comic about what really happens under Hawaiʻi Island, and the keiki who fight for the water. 3 issues so far, with more on the way.
Every issue
Pick an issue and start reading.
Each one is 22 full-color pages. Read them in order, on a phone, a tablet or full screen on a computer.
Issue #1
The Great Sludge Rises
Something is seeping through the lava rock under paradise. When a giant sludge monster rises to foul the reef, five young heroes have to learn to fight as one team.
Read Issue #1 →
Issue #2
Secrets Beneath the Island
A stream vanishes overnight, and the team dives into hidden lava-tube rivers to find out who is filling the island’s underground water with sludge.
Read Issue #2 →
Issue #3
Attack of the Stinklings
Little sludge creatures called Stinklings crawl out of a kitchen drain and swarm the neighborhood, and the team’s big cannon only makes it worse.
Read Issue #3 →
Issue #4
Coming soon
The team isn’t done yet. Check back here for the next issue.
Meet the team
Five keiki. Very different talents.
Malia
cyan dive suit, ponytail
Leads the dive. Her wrist scanner tracks the sludge underground and throws up shields.
Kai
red headband, hibiscus shorts
The strong one and a surfer. Opens the way and protects people in the path.
Leilani
pink suit, hibiscus in her hair
Reads the clues and the water. Her pink gauntlet makes force shields.
Koa
glasses, yellow jacket
Runs the tablet, the maps and the safety checks, with a robot partner.
Pono
orange shirt, green gear
The big-hearted inventor. Builds the gadgets, sometimes before testing them.
For the grown-ups
The monster is made up. The problem isn’t.
Hawaiʻi Island has about 48,600 cesspools, and together they send about 29 million gallons of untreated wastewater into the ground every day. Our porous lava rock lets it reach groundwater, streams and the reef. State law says every cesspool must be upgraded, converted, or connected to a sewer by 2050.
The comic turns that into a story keiki want to read: a team that learns to work together, test its plans, and protect the water. If they ask what’s under their own yard, our free picture book and property check are good next steps.
ʻĀina Force helps homeowners navigate cesspool conversion by coordinating information, introductions, documentation, and communication. Engineering, permitting, installation, and inspections are performed under separate agreements by appropriately licensed independent professionals and contractors. ʻĀina Force comics may be shared freely with families, schools, and community groups.
