There should be a law in physics (or something) by now that states that every human being likes free stuff. That irrefutable fact should be hailed as one of the fundamental truths of human existence – the truth that everyone and anyone enjoys owning or consuming stuff that they did not work for or pay for. Well, whether that is good or bad, the fact remains that despite how funny it may look or sound, people will hop on the next free thing once it is made available to them.
This is particularly true for lovers of comics whose appetites for the entertainment medium never dies. A new comic is always good news for comic book fans. This even gets better when the content is free. A rare commodity like African comics will therefore garner even more attraction when it is free to read. This is particularly great at a time like this when many comics lovers are looking for what to occupy their minds with during these summer holidays.
If the above matches your profile, then you are in the right place. There are few places where you can find great African comics and there, they will be completely free. The following, therefore, are platforms where you can get these comics.
1. ZEBRA COMICS
Zebra Comics is a Cameroonian digital comics platform where comic fans can find original and authentic African stories. Like many digital comics platforms out there, Zebra Comics packs a list of varied genre comics that are bound to satisfy comics fans from different horizons with different tastes. Afrofuturism, fantasy, romance and slice of life are amongst the comics genres that you will find on the platform. The peculiarity of this platform, however, lies in the stories that are hosted there. From the first panels, anyone can easily notice that the stories are deeply rooted in African cultures, traditions and way of life. This makes the platform unique and provides great value for anyone who wants to escape life’s daily hurdles with quality entertainment.
The Zebra Comics platforms comprise an Android and iOS app, and a website. African Comics fans have the possibility to enjoy comics on this platform for free, and this will last for as long as comic books are still a thing.
2. COMIC REPUBLIC
Comic Republic is a Nigerian comic book publisher that just celebrated its tenth year of existence. For the last decade, this company has been publishing comics, mainly online, for African and international audiences alike. Comic Republic is mostly known for its focus on creating African Superhero characters for comics fans who are looking for something different from mainstream superhero propositions. In a world where Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Japanese Manga still dominate in terms of superhero stories, Comic Republic is a real breath of fresh air to comic fans. Their superheroes are African and their stories are based on African cultures, traditions and ways of life. This makes them very unique in the superhero space.
You can access and consume Comic Republic’s comics on their website and android app. This is high quality content for you, and it is all FREE.
3. VORTEX CORP
Like Comic Republic, Vortex Corp is a Nigerian digital comics platform which focuses on publishing African comics. There is a great variety of comics on the platform and you can access it with a PC, smartphone or tablet wherever there is an internet connection. The difference between this platform and the other two on this article is that not every comic book on this platform is free. The available free comics are just the first episodes of IPs available on the platform. Nevertheless, comics fans still have the opportunity to discover African comics on this platform with the availability of Free episodes. Vortex Corp content can be accessed via their website.
4. YOUNEEK STUDIOS
Again, this another Nigerian digital comics platform. Just like the others on this list, YouNeek Studios creates and distributes high quality African comics. Some of their iconic titles like EXO and Iyanu: Child of Wonder have even garnered adaptation deals from mega houses like HBO and Cartoon Network. This is evidence that the content on this platform is indeed great. On the downside, not everything here is free, so you will have to buy some content. Nevertheless, this platform offers a ton of content of their stellar African comics for free, enabling fans to be able to have a taste of what their stories, characters and worlds really are.
5. RAPTURES IO
Again, like many of the propositions on this article, Raptures IO is a Nigerian digital comics platform. Focusing on publishing comics in the webtoon format, Rapture IO’s android and iOS app offers a ton of original African comics created by African comics creators recruited by the company. The content is original and you can read a lot of content for free. However, not everything is free on the platform. Like Vortex Corp, you have access to a few episodes of existing comics for free, but will have to pay to continue reading the rest of each story.
These days, it is by far easier to find and consume African comics than it was some years ago. With the availability of the internet, things have become easier, as African comics creators and publishers just need to publish their comics online and reach millions of fans across the world. And as icing on the cake, there is so much Free content online in terms of African comics today. So, if you have been looking for how to get into African comics, just check the platforms mentioned above and you will be thrilled.
