As a Black kid growing up in Sacramento, I never imagined that one day I’d be balancing the worlds of medicine and storytelling. Yet here I am, a Black MD/PhD candidate in integrative neuroscience, and the creator of Nimbus and the Cütie Catchers. This project is more than just a comic; it’s a reflection of my life, my community, and the challenges many of us face navigating spaces that were never designed for us. Nimbus and the Cütie Catchers is a whimsical, action-packed story that centers around skin care, but its roots dig much deeper, into the heart of the Black experience.
Growing up, I didn’t see heroes that looked like me in the comics or in science textbooks. I didn’t see stories that talked about the real struggles Black people face when it comes to skin health. The few anecdotes I got from family and friends often didn’t work, and now I live with the scars on my face and body—both literal and metaphorical—of misinformation and lack of access to proper care. I wanted to create something that blends fantasy and education, a story that’s fun but also empowers people, especially young Black kids, to take control of their health and confidence.
The Quirky Misadventures of Nimbus and the Cütie Catchers is an adventure that follows Nimbus, a toy brought to life, as he embarks on a journey to save his best friend Roscoe from the terrifying Cütie (pronounced as “cootie”) epidemic taking over the Eyelnd of Iltopia. Along the way, Nimbus teams up with unlikely allies like Spicee Pickles and Sheeperstilskin, learning that skin care isn’t just about looking good—it’s about feeling good and being healthy from the inside out.
The cüties in this story aren’t just fictional monsters. They represent the insecurities, misinformation, and societal pressures we all face, especially in Black communities. The monsters are a metaphor for how skin issues can weigh on our confidence and how misinformation can lead to long-lasting damage, much like the scars I’ve carried for years.
I wanted Nimbus and the Cütie Catchers to feel approachable, fun, and, most importantly, educational. I know firsthand how daunting it can be to navigate the world of skin care, especially as a Black person in medicine, where representation is scarce, and resources often aren’t tailored to us. My mission with this story is to provide a roadmap for young readers—something I wish I had growing up. If people see these lessons grounded in empirical data through the lens of an exciting adventure, maybe they’ll apply them to their own lives.
This comic is for those who’ve ever felt like they don’t belong, for those who’ve struggled with skin health, and for those who just love a good adventure. It’s for anyone who’s ever been told their scars define them—but knows deep down that they’re so much more. More importantly, it’s an example of digital innovation as all my work comes to life with animation and sound as part of my series Eyelnd Feevr Augmanted Reality.
Preorder the book: https://shop.iltopia.com/products/cutiecatchers
Read the story: https://www.wattpad.com/story/377000770-the-quirky-misadventures-of-nimbus-and-the-c%C3%BCtie
Join Nimbus on his wild, whimsical adventure and see for yourself how a story about cooties can be so much more. Together, let’s save our skin, our health, and our confidence—one misadventure at a time.
