From DC Comics Milestone Initiative Alum Nathan Cayanan: Suspicious Activity, a Gritty Filipino-American Crime Saga

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Los Angeles, CA | October 2025

Hot Tropiks announces the official publication of Suspicious Activity, the debut crime novel by writer Nathan Cayanan, one of today’s leading Filipino-American voices in U.S. comics. A DC Comics Milestone Initiative alum, Cayanan brings sharp, cinematic storytelling from comics into his first full-length work of prose. The book is a hybrid novel/graphic novel, weaving traditional prose with sequential art storytelling that heightens its noir atmosphere.

Suspicious Activity plunges readers into the underbelly of Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley through Bingo, an accountant for an Asian-American mafia run by Filipino-American crime boss Marvin Andrada. Haunted by greed, violence, and paranoia, Bingo embodies the noir grit and cultural specificity at the heart of the book.

"Suspicious Activity is more than just a crime story," said Cayanan. "It’s about identity, survival, and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of choices that shape us. I wanted to write something tense, meaningful, and maybe a little unhinged."

Hot Tropiks, an independent press dedicated to bold and diverse storytelling, calls the novel a flagship release. “Nathan is a creative powerhouse. A triple threat as a writer, illustrator, and creator. With Suspicious Activity he pulls readers into the SGV, into Asian American stories that are whispered about but rarely told,” said Angelo Mendez, Publisher at Hot Tropiks.

Launch & Availability
Suspicious Activity debuts on October 25, 2025 at the Liwanag Lit Fest in Long Beach, CA, where attendees can purchase copies and meet the author. Following the festival, the book will be available for order through www.hottropiks.com and other fine retailers.

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Early Praise
“Suspicious Activity is written with confidence, edge, and inventiveness—not for their own sake, but in service of a human story centered on characters worth rooting for. Around them is a gritty yet endearing world that captures an Asian American reality not enough stories have done justice to. Once it got going, I didn’t want it to end. Nathan Cayanan is one of the most exciting Filipino voices creating stories right now.”
— Rexy Dorado, Creator of Maharlika

“Starts off with a literal bang and never lets up, leaving you desperate for the next chapter. An explosive read!”
— Jaena Rae Cabrera, Filipino American Center, SF Public Library

“Suspicious Activity is filled with drama and action, unfolding a brilliantly complex plot where the central character unravels a world of Asian American deviancy and criminality — one rooted in a larger reality rarely discussed in society today.”
— Dr. Joseph Bernardo, Historian, Loyola Marymount University & Co-Host of This Filipino American Life Podcast

About the Author
Nathan Cayanan is a Filipino-American writer, educator, and creative entrepreneur based in California. A graduate of USC’s Master of Professional Writing program and an alum of the DC Comics Milestone Initiative, he has taught at USC, UC Irvine, and Cal State Fullerton. His work includes the sci-fi graphic novel Stellar Remnant, projects with DC Comics, and now his debut crime novel Suspicious Activity.

Press Contact
Angelo Mendez
Hot Tropiks
info@hottropiks.com