African comics

Traditional publishing and in digital publishing. This increase in the number of publishers will provide more avenues for African creators to publish their work and encourage many others to create African comics. Comics have usually been about superheroes, fantasy worlds, romance and contemporary life. This has influenced African comics creation so deeply that many African creators find it difficult to create anything new, even when there is a lot around them which can serve as inspiration. This is not to say that there is a problem with doing superhero, science fiction or fantasy comics. The issue here is that comics are a veritable platform for promoting cultures and ways of life, but many African creators do not take that opportunity to promote their own cultures. In the end, we witness so much creative potential being buried in reproducing what comic book enthusiasts have already seen over and over again. However, side by side with this trend, there is a rising consciousness of the need to tell original, authentic and undiluted African stories through different mediums, including comics. It is thanks to this consciousness that comic book companies like YouNeek Studios, Kugali Media and Comic Republic have been able to get the attention of mega production companies and sign important deals with them. This consciousness will only continue to grow and the future will see African creators making more use of African history, culture and traditions to create comics that sell Africa to the world in interesting ways. The interest in comics will continue to grow, the need to tell authentic African stories will grow even more and this will culminate in African creators and publishers making more money from their respective activities. Today, there are a myriad of ways to monetize comics and so, much more money will be made. From subscriptions (both physical and digital), to digital coins, to monetizing with ads to adaptation deals, African comics will see brighter days in the future, and enable creators and publishers to make a decent living from their work. Adaptation into other entertainment formats is a big deal in the comic book industry. Adaptations into animation, video games, movies and merchandise always bring more consumers, exposure and revenue to comics. In the future, African comics will see more of this because many more comics from the continent will provide very interesting stories, characters and worlds that are excellent for adaptation into

Let’s state this from the start: the future of African comics is brighter than it has ever been imagined to be. From its humble beginnings to present day, African comics has seen growth that has been slow but steady. Actually, this slow rise in interest and consumption of African comics began to fade away when the internet showed up. With many more people owning digital devices like smartphones, PCs and tablets, and the deep penetration of the internet on the African continent, African comics have seen better days, reaching audiences which were impossible to reach before. Now, all of the above sounds nice and cosy, but the state where African comics finds itself is not all roses and perfumes. To get into perspective, African comics still sit at the bottom of the podium when compared to comics from North America, Europe and Asia. Sales numbers are still considerably lower, production quality is not yet at its best, production quantities are still small and distribution is still a headache. Yes, it is true that African comics have come a long way and are doing better than ever, however, there are still a lot of things to be done to ensure that African comics reach their full potential and bring to the continent what it should normally bring. So, what will the African comics market look like in the future? Here are some predictions for you. As you may already know, there are three art styles which have dominated the world of comics; American realism, Franco-Belgian style and Japanese Manga style. Yeah, we know there are a myriad of variations and art styles out there. However, these comic book art styles are developments from any of the aforementioned styles. This is the same story for Africans, mostly. Generally, Japanese manga has been a huge influence on comic book art in Africa. At the same time, though, we see a lot of influence from American and Franco-Belgian comics. In anglophone Africa, Japanese manga and American comics are highly appreciated. Franco-Belgian art styles add to the above in Francophone Africa. These influences are so strong that many artists find themselves virtually drawing characters that look like Japanese. This has been an issue for some time and it could be seen as one of the main reasons why African comics do gain the same attention and success as their western and eastern counterparts. Much of

Ever since the MARVEL box office hit Black Panther, African Comics are getting a lot more attention. However, African comic creators have been on the scene long before Black Panther entered theaters. Below is a semi-exhuastive list of emerging African Comics from all over Africa. West Africa Nigeria, Ghana, Cote D'Ivoire The West African comic book scene has been one of the fastest growing industries since 2005. Nigera, specifically, has created a vibrant comic pop culture. The Lagos Comic Con recently celebrated its 7th year anniversary hosting a wide range of talents and creatives from Africa. Neighboring countries Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire are also emerging with their own vibrant communities. Here are a few of the creators powering the West African Comics Industry forward. Nigeria: Comic Republic, Vortex, Youneek Studios, Epoch Studios, Spook Comics, Versa Comics, Wildfire Comics, Shadow Black Entertainment, Kolanut Productions, Panaramic EntertainmentGhana: PBE Production, Leti Arts, BZL Illustration StudioCote D’Ivoire: Bayou Youneek Studios - NigeriaBZL Illustration Studio - Ghana East Africa Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda On the East African comic book scene, the Kenyan industry leads forward with multiple comic creators such as Milome Comics, Comics DI and Were Studio while emerging comic creators such as Etan Comics from Ethiopia, Bravo Entertainment from Tanzania and Elupe Comics from Uganda compound on the industry. Southern Africa South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia Kwezi by Loyiso Mkize is one of the biggest comics in the South African comic scene, followed by Shaka Rising and Young Hustla Initiative. In Zimbabwe, we’ve got

The aforementioned formats. This is already happening today with comic book companies like Comic Republic, Kugali Media and YouNeek Studios, and the trend will only continue to grow. It is true that African comics are not yet witnessing the kind of growth that comics from the United States, France, Belgium and Japan are witnessing. However, African comics are gaining more and more attention and market share as days go by. Yes, shortcomings still exist that make things difficult for African comics to emerge properly. This has made it difficult for creators to create great comics and publishers to generate the kinds of revenue they should normally be generating. Nevertheless, with growing consciousness in the need to create content based on all that is Africa, the availability of new ways to distribute and monetize, and interest from production partners from across the world, the future of African comics looks brighter than it was ever imagined to be.