Talk to any business owner, read any book on business or attend any lectures on building an industry and you will get this from all of them: consistency is a key ingredient for any business to thrive. When a company identifies a need and provides a solution, this solution has to be consistently delivered so that the market keeps consuming the company’s products and the company generates the resources to stay alive. Consistency is therefore a factor of business that is very important. Unfortunately, maintaining consistency has just been the main problem for many industries in Africa, and one of such industries is the comic book industry. Even though there is a vibrant presence of comic book creators online, the number of comics published in Africa remains considerably low. Today, it is easy to find African comic book creators promoting excerpts of comic book projects online. However these comics take so much time to be published or they do not even see the light of day. With this, therefore, it is important to encourage comics creators to work harder and make sure that they are producing and publishing their works in a more consistent way, because consistency helps build industry. In the face of all this inconsistency in production and publishing, however, there are creators and/or publishers who are working hard and doing things differently to make sure that the problem of consistency remains in the past. These actors have published several comics ever since the year 2023 began and they have remained consistent both in the quantity and quality of comics that they put on the market. The following is therefore a presentation of some of the comics that have been published in print or digital format between January and April 2023.
In the first season of CITY BLUES, experience the story of Malika, a university student who, despite all the distractions that university students are exposed to, decides to stick to her values of honesty and loyalty. She is a devout lover who stays in her lane and perseveres despite all the temptations that surround her. Then, something happens which pushes her to the edge of compromise so much that she fears she will stain a reputation that she has fought so hard to protect. CITY BLUES was released in early 2023 and there are several episodes available to devour on the Zebra Comics App and Website. Many more episodes are coming this 2023.
In this comic, humanity has spread amongst the stars, finding new worlds, new friends, and a new frontier. But also, new enemies. In the aftermath of the Great Galactic War, thousands of civilizations, human and alien alike, were left decimated. Chaos reigns in the galaxy. So far, as of the publication date of this article, there are five episodes available with the next episode coming in April 2023. You can enjoy this digital comic on the Comic Republic Website.
One million years before our time, there existed a planet called WONGAN. The beings who inhabited this planet looked like humans, except that they were a million times more technologically advanced than we are today. All was well on this technologically advanced world until imminent destruction stood in its way: the planet was going to be sucked up by its own sun. Deaconess Tomaino (the planet’s ruler) and her team of scientists knew that destruction was on its way, but they did not know that it would come too soon. The only way to save their kind was to send off two survivors to a new world they called JEMIRO, or what we call EARTH. This decision, however, was frowned upon by others who swore that they deserved to be saved too. And so all hell broke loose. JEMIRO was released in February 2023 and there are a ton of episodes already available to enjoy on the Zebra Comics App and Website. More episodes will be released on a weekly basis.
Assegai tells the story of a young girl who is dealing with the loss of both parents and who struggles through life in unconventional circumstances. Living in a war-ravaged town, she plays by near impossible rules of survival while under the care of her only living relative. Now, a looming invasion threatens her life and the lives of the other citizens in this war-torn city. Is this the end of life as they know it? New episodes of this comic were released in early 2023 and many more episodes are scheduled for the rest of the year. It is published by Comic Republic.
This story takes place in Sarh, in 1984. Seven-year-old Kandji marvels at a painting on the living room wall. Dazzled by the scene and the colours of the landscape, he makes a promise to himself to become a painter at a time when Chad is going through one of the most violent periods in its history. Djarabane, “What to do” in Sara, is a reflection on exile and the place of children’s dreams in a precarious political context. This beautiful comic by Chadian comic book author Adjim Danngar was published by Editions Delcourt.
Deep in the equatorial forest, in the palace of T’Zée, a rumour swells. The old dictator has been killed. As the country sinks into the chaos of a civil war, the members of the presidential clan live the last moments of a corrupt regime that is disappearing. The destiny of Hippolyte, son of T’Zee, crosses one last time with that of Bobbi, the young wife of the missing dictator: an impossible and monstrous love is revealed. In the heat of the African night, this is the twilight of an imaginary country, masterfully told by Appollo and Brüno. This beautiful graphic novel was published in early 2023 by Editions Dargaud.
On Mount Fako, somewhere in Buea, Cameroon, Efasa-Moto, the mountain God, rules. He is lord over the sugar cane plantations and elephants that flourish on these slopes. Humans can enjoy the sugar cane and the beauty of the mountain as much as they want. However, they are forbidden from venturing into areas which are reserved for the gods. Unfortunately, Axel Takam and his friends, hungry for adventure and oblivious of these rules, take a trip up the mountain without authorization from competent authorities and end up desecrating the holy lands reserved for the gods. The consequence; Alex Takam is obliged to choose between doing the bidding of the gods for mankind or saving himself and letting mankind perish. The eleventh episode of this Afrojujuism and fantasy title was released in March 2023 and more episodes are coming to the Zebra Comics App and Website.
In Ndoli, old friends reunite and a kingdom is threatened by one child. It is a comic that is heavy on culture, myth and action. The writing is clever, the story is interesting and the art shines in every way. New episodes of Ndoli were released in early 2023. Many more episodes are expected to hit the Comic Republic app and website in the days ahead. This is a great read.
IKEI lives the life of a billionaire kid: chic apartment, celebrity boyfriend, loaded bank account and free cruises to exotic places. Curiously, she is doing all these while grappling with unvalidated courses at the University. The question now is: who sponsors this kind of lifestyle? Well, many think her numerous dates finance her escapades. No! She comes from a wealthy family that can afford anything she may desire. So why does she choose this questionable path? The answer lies in a deeply dysfunctional family. The complete first season of Kawana was released in March 2023 on the Zebra Comics App and Website. It is a must read story that packs romance, family relation and all that is contemporary life in Cameroon.
So, there you have it. These are some of the most prominent African comics that have been released this year and we are certain that you will be seeing more from these publishers in the course of the year. Also, we are aware that this list might not be exhaustive, so this is a first in a series which will bring you regular updates on African comics releases. To make sure you do not miss out on these updates, subscribe to our newsletter and continue to follow us on all social media platforms.
