Comics: A new medium for telling African stories to the new generation and the world

Why these brightly colored illustrations matter.

Ever since I could remember, I’ve been fascinated by comics, eagerly anticipating the weekend’s newspaper and enjoying the latest exploits of “Babu” a mischievous preteen with a knack for getting into all sorts of shenanigans. Whether it was the clichéd bullies, ill-tempered neighbors, or the mangy stray dogs, there seemed to be an endless litany of comedic scenarios Babu found himself mixed up in. 

I wasn’t the only one who found comfort and solace in the weekly comic strips found in the weekend’s newspaper. Almost all the kids I knew were heavily invested in one comic or another. Whether it was the likes of Bongo Man, The Phantom, Flash Gordon, or Akhokhan, these weekly stories had kids nagging their parents for the paper. Something about the fantastical stories, the bright colors, and the bite-sized reading was so appealing to me and other young kids. 

Supa Strikas 

You can’t talk about comics in Africa without mentioning the cultural phenomenon that was “Supa Strikas” and what it did for a generation of young people. This was unlike anything most had ever experienced. No longer was a comic constrained to a couple of squares on a single page. This was a stand-alone pull-out magazine that came once a month, that had characters that not only looked like us, but had names similar to ours, and best of all, it was free.

For the uninitiated, Supa Strikas was a comic that followed the world’s best soccer team as they journeyed across the globe to win the prized Super League trophy. Through teamwork, fair play, perseverance, grit, and otherworldly skills, they could overcome any obstacle in their way. The team’s star was Shakes and his surname would change depending on where you were. In Kenya, we knew him as Shakes Makena. In South Africa, he was Shakes Mokena. In Nigeria, he was Segun "Shegs" Okoro. He was the literal poster boy for African football in the early 2000s. 

Supa Strikas was a moment of pop culture not only in its home state South Africa, but in other parts of Africa, galvanizing both the young and old around one of our most beloved pastimes, football. Its popularity saw it attract some of the largest organizations in Africa as sponsors from the likes of Caltex, Coca-cola, and Safaricom to name a few. To my knowledge, no other comic had done this before so to say that this comic was a rousing success would be an understatement. Their success led to other pieces of content like trading cards, and animated shorts that aired on TV in an era before YouTube was mainstream giving you a sense of its mass appeal.

Its notoriety quickly spread across Africa and it soon became one of the largest circulating monthly comics in the world. Yes, you read that right - the world. Supa Strikas is now available in 27 languages and is enjoyed in over 100 countries worldwide. Currently, Supa Strikas has its focus on digital distribution and has a long-standing successful broadcast partnership in various regions with Disney, Nickelodeon, and Turner. It’s now a top-performing kids' property in the UK, Italy, South Africa, Eastern Europe, and Israel.

But this is not a story about Shakes or the Supa Strikas. Rather, this is a story of the power of comics, their value, and what they can do for a generation of young people, all while teaching us valuable life lessons. It’s an illustration of how these 2D images can become a source of inspiration and heroes for children everywhere.

Why do comics matter? 

Comics made me enjoy reading. Amidst all the “Pow!,” “Bang!,” and “Booms!,” there was often a meaningful dialogue between the characters and villains which I read and re-read numerous times holding my attention longer than any novel could. And given that some comics are written with adult readers in mind, they tend to use words or phrases that are a bit advanced for a child. This engenders curiosity and discovery: you have to figure out what new words mean and how they’re used in the context. Case and point, one of the words that I learned from a comic was “soliloquy,” which I picked up from a Batman comic, and I remember asking my English teacher what this word meant. When I found out its meaning, I tried to use it in every way possible.

Another thing about comics is they have this uncanny ability to tackle difficult topics with ease. They introduce complex ideas to children in a very digestible manner tackling issues like not fitting in, moral dilemmas, consequences, and other important life lessons to young people. The classic hero vs villain comics teach you what’s right, wrong, and responsibility; the comedic/prankster comics give you a dose of humor and what happens when you take a prank too far, while the team-based comics like Supa Strikas teach you about teamwork and utilizing each other’s unique attributes.

Others can introduce foreign ideas or concepts that you wouldn’t ordinarily come across in your normal day-to-day life. I recently came across SuperScientists - a South African comic initiative that’s based on real-life scientists portrayed as superheroes that woke and intrigued my inner child. The project by CodeMakers celebrates South African scientists to inspire children and help them see themselves in the faces and life stories of scientists working today. The premise is that scientists are real people with amazing powers, solving today’s problems and creating the technologies of tomorrow. The creators are inspiring the next generation in a fun, creative way while providing rich information about science and scientists to people both young and old. They are exposing kids to careers and fields that are not common in the African context like Astrophysics, Oceanography, Marine Biology, and Ichnology, just to name a few.

“Scientists can see individual atoms within a molecule, read the DNA of a single cell in a tumour and peer back in time to when black holes collided. They have saved millions of lives through their research and technological advances and are solving questions today that people have asked for millennia.” - Mpho Kgoadi

A reason to invest

I could continue putting forward why I think comics are important but I think you get the gist. To me, comics aren’t just brightly colored illustrations meant to entertain children but rather an alternate form of media. They allow us to celebrate and tell stories in an engaging and visually stimulating manner. I see comics as another learning tool for learning for children and young adults. I think about how kids can get introduced to Norse mythology from a comic on Thor, so that means we can do the same for our own past heroes and legends. We already have Mekatilili wa Menza and Wangu wa Makeri - prominent Kenyan historical figures immortalized and their stories given a new lease of life through comics by the Nest Collective, but this can be the start of something bigger.

In as much as Supa Strikas was successful, having caught the attention of media giants like Disney and acquired by Moonbug Entertainment, the same company that acquired the wildly popular YouTube channel “Cocomelon,” I fear we never really capitalized on comics as much as we could have. Africa has 54 countries all with diverse cultures and a rich history where we can draw inspiration and bring forth new and awe-inspiring stories, all conveyed through comics. 

So comics aren’t just another means of entertainment but a window into this fantastical land full of wonder and amazement - a fun and safe space for children to learn healthy values such as compassion, empathy, and resilience while teaching children fundamental life skills. They are a source of immense value, both culturally and financially and we shouldn’t be so dismissive of them. Comics matter in Africa and there is plenty room of for more.