South African comics
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A South African comic is a book or periodical published in South Africa that contains sequential art stories.
South African comics are usually self-published books that cover a wide range of subject matter and styles.
List of South African comics
[edit]The following list represents comics that are currently available in print:
- Agenda (2012–present)
- Azani comics (2005–present)
- Clockworx (2005)[1]
- Captain South Africa (2015-present)
- Crimson (2013–present)
- Dark Encounters (2020)
- Echo Gear (2013–present)[1][2]
- Free Beer (2010–present)
- GEP (2009–2011)[3]
- GEP Pulp (2011–2014)[3]
- Gofu (2013–present)[1]
- Iron Nail Afternoon (2020–present)
- Juvies (2012)
- Kwezi (2013-present)
- Madam & Eve (1992–present)
- Mengelmoes (2013–2016; complete)
- Nero (2013–present)
- Philo's Wish (2013)[4]
- Project Tilian-Rep (2013)
- Psi-Ave bi-annual graphic magazine (2000; 7 issues)
- Rebirth (2012)
- Run! There's Dinosaurs In The City (2014)[5]
- SECTOR (2015–present; 10 issues)[6]
- Soccer Warrior (2002–2018)[7]
- Sophie the Giant Slayer (2013–present)[8]
- Super Dud (2014)
- Supa Strikas (2008-present)
- The Baby Killers (2014)[5]
- The Cat Lady (2014)[5]
- The Lil' Five (2012–present)
- The Number 1 Game (2013–present)[1]
- The Oneironaut & Other Tales (2013)[1]
- The Souvenir (2014)[5][9]
- The Tree Of Life Trilogy (2014–present)[5]
- The Way of Tao and Zen (2014)[5]
- Velocity Graphic Anthology (2010–2015)
- Velocity: Darker Forces (2014)[5][10]
- Wrath (2013)
- Zana (2015–present)[11]
List of South African webcomics
[edit]The following list represents comics that are currently available in webcomic format:
- Cottonstar (2012–present)
- Juvies (2008–present)
- Kowakawaii01: Grim (2018–present)
- Mars Comics' The Book of Reality (2019–present)
- Rise (2020-present)
- Tomica (2014–present)[5][12]
- Druidae (2022-present)
- Smoke Fur And Stone (2014–present)
- Super-Dud (2013–present)
- United Stars Comic Book (2020–present)
- Vibe Comics (2015–present)
- Week Daze (2008–present)[1]
Notable South African comic book events
[edit]2013 saw the biggest ever Free Comic Book Day event organised in Cape Town by Readers Den, a comic shop in Cape Town. Local comic creators launch their new publications and showcase their work at these events.[13]
The 2014 Reader's Den Free Comic Book Day event saw the launch of 15 new South African comic books, with some creators traveling from different parts of South Africa for the event.[5] The Reader's Den Free Comic Book Day event was replaced in 2016 with FanCon Cape Town Comic Con, an international comics convention that is held annually in April.
The Open Book Comics Fest forms part of the annual Open Book Festival, which takes place every September in Cape Town. The Open Book Comics Fest promotes South African comic artists, illustrators and cartoonists and includes a marketplace of over 40 tables, curated by Moray Rhoda.[14]
Comic Con Africa debuted in Johannesburg in September 2018.[15][16]
These comic book related events host market places where local comic creators sell and sign their self-published comics, launch new comics and deliver comic-industry-related talks, panels, and workshops.
Notable South African comic book creators
[edit]One of the most successful South African comic creators working on international comic titles and publications is Joe Daly, the creator of The Red Monkey,[17] Scrublands,[17] Highbone Theater[18] and the Dungeon Quest[17] series. Highbone Theater and Dungeon Quest are published in the USA by Fantagraphics Books. In Europe, Dungeon Quest is published by L'Association. It was nominated for the Ignatz and Eisner awards and won the coveted Angoulême Jury Prize.[19] His work has been described as "surreal, scatological, yet grounded in its depiction of loneliness and longing."[20] Slings & Arrows praised it as "an irreverent satire of geek culture."[21]
Other South African comic creators with international publications include Karl Stephan,[22] the author of Sparko, published by SLG; Sean Izaakse,[citation needed] an artist on Pathfinder for Dynamite Entertainment and various Marvel Comics titles; Jason Masters,[citation needed] who has worked for DC Comics on various titles, including Batman, and for Dynamite Entertainment on James Bond; and Lauren Beukes and Dale Halvorsen, who co-wrote Survivors' Club for DC/Vertigo.[19] Artist Warren Louw[citation needed] illustrates variant covers for KRS Comics.
LJ Phillips has contributed work to Borderx,[23] Future Sci-Fi Tales, Horror Haikus, The Red Ten, Iron Nail Afternoon[24] and Dark Encounters among others. Her work has been published under her own name and a male pseudonym. Some of her articles on comics were published by Black Ship Books and included in Into the Comics-Verse: Comics and Contemporary Culture.[25] She has interviewed international comic creators such as Terry Moore, Stjepan Sejic,[26] Liam Sharp and Tracy Butler.[27] In August 2020, LJ was the recipient of a comic grant by Eisner-nominated publisher Shortbox.[28] and in 2022, was included in the Otherwise honours list.[29]
Afrikaans comics
[edit]There also exists a smaller Afrikaans scene. Notable examples include the alternative and acidic adult comics produced by the Bitterkomix collective, which was founded in 1992 by Anton Kannemeyer and Conrad Botes, as well as the gritty Coloureds series by brothers Nathan and Andre Trantraal.
Retailers
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Watson, Mandy J (30 April 2014). "Comics: South African Roundup #4". brainwavez.org.
- ^ "We Interview South African Comic Book Artist Vincent Sammy". 24 April 2014.
- ^ a b "GEP - Your all-in-one entertainment comic book". www.gep-comic.com.
- ^ "FCBD Artist Spotlight: Luis Tolosana - Fortress of Solitude". 16 April 2014.
- ^ "SECTOR". sectorcomic.tumblr.com.
- ^ "Soccer Warrior: About".
- ^ "FCBD Comic Spotlight: Sophie the Giant Slayer". 16 April 2014.
- ^ "We Interview The Creative Team Behind The Souvenir: Jason Geland and Daniel Hugo". 24 April 2014.
- ^ "Fable Forge". Archived from the original on 2014-05-27. Retrieved 2014-05-26.
- ^ McMillan, Graeme (10 February 2016). "Diverse Comic Book Nominees Unveiled for McDuffie Awards". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Tomica #1 Review".
- ^ Watson, Mandy J (15 May 2013). "Comics, Competitions, And Cosplay At Free Comic Book Day 2013 Cape Town". brainwavez.org.
- ^ Van Rooyen, Melissa (6 September 2013). "Comic Fest at Open Book Festival - Posters". Between 10 and 5.
- ^ Wilson, Craig (14 September 2018). "Comic Con Africa 2018 in photos (and a video)". Stuff (South Africa).
- ^ Williams, Fazielah (28 September 2018). "Comic Con Africa In A Day". brainwavez.org.
- ^ a b c Watson, Mandy J (29 August 2013). "Comics: South African Roundup #2: Joe Daly". brainwavez.org.
- ^ "Comics Book Review: Highbone Theater by Joe Daly. Fantagraphics, $34.99 (570p) ISBN 978-1-60699-922-6". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ^ a b "The Secret Identity of SA Comics - Design Indaba".
- ^ "Comics Book Review: Highbone Theater by Joe Daly. Fantagraphics, $34.99 (570p) ISBN 978-1-60699-922-6". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ^ "Slings & Arrows". Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ^ "Karl Stephan". lambiek.net. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
- ^ "BORDERx: A Crisis In Graphic Detail".
- ^ "Creator Spotlight Interview: LJ Phillips on Iron Nail Afternoon".
- ^ "Into the Comics-Verse: Comics and Contemporary Culture". Amazon.
- ^ "Black Ship Interviews Stjepan Sejic".
- ^ "The Pulp Press Interviews Tracy Butler".
- ^ "Delighted to announce the recipients of August's ShortBox mini-grants". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-09-07.
- ^ Lothian, Alexis (2022-02-14). "2022 Otherwise Fellowships « Otherwise Award". Otherwise Award. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
External links
[edit]- South African comics at Africa Comics
- South African political cartoonists at the Encyclopedia of African Political Cartooning
- Comics: South African Roundup
- Comics: South African Roundup #2: Joe Daly
- Comics: South African Roundup #3
- Comics: South African Roundup #4
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