MAKING MONSTERS WITH MEDICINE
Katharsis Story Studio is your source for original, genre-bending stories, commissioned media and character design for film/TV. Katharsis aims to bring new creative worlds to life with an ancestrally-rooted and intentional approach.
Kamil Oshundara is a graphic novelist, screenwriter, and producer who is dedicated to creating cathartic media that bridges social justice with diverse storytelling mediums. Their work redefines monstrosity, giving form to the invisible powers we often fear or ignore. Growing up, Kamil empathized with monsters more than mortals, questioning why the most powerful beings are always demonized and slain by unimpressive heroes. This deep empathy for the unknown was fueled by a love for anime, horror, and speculative fiction.
At UCLA, Kamil’s passion for research, Black speculative filmmaking, and art as social change solidified. They sought to utilize their art to reflect a more accurate world—one not of heroes slaying monsters, but of societies ruled by them. Western media paints queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, POC populations as monstrosities, while historical terrors thrive unnoticed, feeding on the vulnerable to sustain oppressive systems. Through fine art, film, and performance, Kamil reframes societal monsters as otherworldly powers to be acknowledged, not destroyed. Each artwork invites us to 'lay eyes' on the unseen, guiding us toward harmony with the monsters among us.
As a McNair Scholar, Kamil explored Black horror and Afrofuturist world-building, researching political art-making by Black women artists from the Panther Party and Black Speculative Arts Movement, with guidance from acclaimed horror author/professor Tananarive Due and esteemed ethnomusicologist and American studies scholar Shana L. Redmond. This approach to “social horror” further crystallized during their three years as Cultural Executive at Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions, where they contributed to projects like Us, Lovecraft Country, The Twilight Zone and The Candyman remake, and executive produced Wendell and Wild. Their experiences as a producer and junior development executive equipped them to meet the demand for BIPOC-centered stories that empower audiences to confront the monsters in their lives.
Since 2020, Kamil has served as a cultural consultant for major projects like Disney's Tiana series, The Princess and The Frog theme park ride, and Gravity Falls. They previously worked as a Staff Writer for Amazon Studios, are currently developing an animated show with Wattpad/Webtoons, and continue to evolve Katharsis Story Studio.