Not all Japanese-style comics known as manga are imported from Japan. "Undertown," a manga book series that is getting some exposure in the United States, is the brainchild of local native and Duquesne University English and philosophy graduate Jim Pascoe.

When he was growing up in Carnegie, Pascoe enjoyed reading comics and graphic novels. But then he lost interest in them. "I went through this period where they weren't cool anymore -- they were for kids," says Pascoe, 37, who now lives and works in Los Angeles.

Then a new breed of comics began coming out -- like Alan Moore's "Watchmen" series and Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns."

"They weren't for younger kids," he recalls. "They spoke to me as very powerful examples of storytelling. I started to feel like I would like to do something that was as interesting and moving as these books."

Manga has been popular among readers of all ages in Japan for decades. Manga, which means "comics" or "whimsical images" in Japanese, are graphic novels that have become wildly popular among teen readers in the United States. Bookstore and library shelves are teeming with these books, which are drawn in bold, usually black and white illustrations.

"I wanted to tell a really exciting adventure story that kids could get into and could be appreciated as they got older," Pascoe said.

"Undertown" is a collaboration between Pascoe and illustrator Jake Myler. The book was published by Tokyopop, a U.S.-based manga publisher with offices in Japan and Europe.

It's an adventure story that centers on Sama, a 10-year-old boy who's saddened by his father's illness. He crawls under his bed to retreat from the world, and drops through a portal into a fantasy world called Undertown. In exploring Undertown, he learns about a magic Sugar Stone that may be the key to healing his father's illness.

The first volume in the "Undertown" trilogy came out last fall. The other two will complete Sama's story.

The fantasy world of "Undertown" started out as improvisation, Pascoe said. He began writing about a group of characters, which started to take on a life of its own. "I just started writing this stuff down. It was very free form -- almost like a dream diary. Good characters tell you where they want to go."

The story line mirrors Pascoe's own personal experiences. His father was getting ready to undergo heart transplant surgery, and the emotions and feelings that were welling up as part of that experience found expression in "Undertown."

"The book talks about issues of guilt and responsibility as they relate to a boy maturing and coming of age."

"Undertown" isn't getting lost in the shuffle of new publications. Universal Press Syndicate has picked it up as a syndicated newspaper comic. Two pages of "Undertown" run as a serial in Sunday comics sections in around 50 U.S. and international newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer, he said. The newspaper deal is designed to use the appeal of manga to draw younger readers to newspaper comics sections.

Pascoe is happy with the way his book has translated into a serialized feature. It was written as a fast-paced page-turner, so the two-page installments work as a weekly cliffhanger, he says.

He's considering the idea of creating an original "Undertown" newspaper strip, but right now, finishing the book trilogy is taking up most of his time.

Pascoe has also worked as a writer on several other comic book projects, including Dark Horse's comic book versions of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and Disney Channel's "Kim Possible" series.

Although he has a longtime fascination with comics, he says he has no desire to illustrate his own, and plans to stay focused on writing.

"It's a visual medium, and I think very visually. I've been lucky to be able to work with artists who have better technical skills, and who bring their own artistic vision, both creatively and technically, to the mix."