From Cape Town to Donning a Cape

Pierneef, J. H. Composition in Blue. 1928. Oil on Canvass.

Kentridge, W. Other Faces. 2011. Charcoal and coloured pencil on paper

Cramer, J. Super-Dud. 2014. Comic Book.

Soweto, 1976. Thugs and gangsters ravage the town. A hero was needed, and policeman Danny Ndlovu answered.

(Left) Lee Falk, The Phantom. 1936. (Right) DC Comics, Superman. 1932.

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(Left) Strika Entertainment, Supa Strikas. 2000 – present. (Right) Mamba Media, Soccer Warrior. 2000 – present.

- SA COMICS CIRCA 2000 (GOOD SPORTS)

At the time, both Mamba and Strika felt that the most accessible content for profitable comic venues is sport, and more specifically, football. Projected audiences can generally relate to one of the most popular sports in the country, and the sport-comic was a proven favourite with youth, with British titles like Tiger’s Roy of the Rovers and Skid Solo being regularly consumed by South African youth from the 80’s onwards.

Corporate sponsorship was also much easier to attain, with both Supa Strikas and Soccer Warrior trading hands with various brands, ranging from Caltex through to Lucky Star and even KFC. The popularity of the titles guaranteed exposure and in return, the sponsorship funded the titles.

Supa Strikas proved to be so popular that it even has its own animated series on the Disney Channel, a first for South African comics.

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Luis Tolosana, Falcon Comics. 2015

The industry… is looking really healthy right now. I remember just a few years ago how incoherent a lot of it felt and how difficult it was to connect with collaborators or see what everyone was doing. That’s changed rapidly in the last few years and I think, like with a lot of scenes across the country, the internet’s helped a ton with making things a little easier to follow if you’re willing to put in the effort.

To be honest I almost had a mental breakdown trying to get Super-Dud #2 finished. It was actually affecting my marriage. I would be upstairs inking and colouring from the minute I’d get home from work till about 3am the next morning. Then still getting up for my day job… I guess that’s what you get for been a one-man comic creator.

“Now is the best time EVER to do comics. Start small and put it out there and no matter what the feedback - learn from it and do some more.”

“…the real beauty of being creative is making the work, angst, depression, triumphs and all. So make comics and make them now.”

No country proves that comics are an extension and expression of a nation's psyche more than South Africa. Historically, local comics have never been able to move out of the shadow of national events and the cultural stresses that form our country. Politics, sport and societal concerns dominate our society and this is reflected in the comics South Africans create and identify with.