In the second part of our interview with Ayodeji, we will talk about top ComicsDI picks for TV and movies and do a deep-dive into the African comicbooks scene. For those of you readers who have not tapped into ComicsDI works, be sure to check them out at www.comicsdi.com and follow them on Instagram, Twitter and/or Facebook at @comicsdi. For Part 1 of our interview, CLICK HERE.
Today, we are going to meet his head illustrator, Babajide Briggs Adebimpe. Briggs, as he is fondly called in the creative industry is a veteran of well over three decades in the industry, his style of art is heavily detailed and he can maneuver styles. When it becomes to exuding the beauty of black and white art, Briggs is King. During the budding days of the comic industry in Nigeria, West Africa, Briggs was a key player and has gone on from there to become a versatile artist. Before working with ComicsDI, he has worked as a freelance artist with a number of other brands, this include: SkyBond Comics, Pneuma Comics/Face2Face Studios, Pax Nigerian Comics, Kosmik Komix, Vortex Comics, Afromultimedia Studio, Idan Studios, etc.
James: Ayodeji, what are some of the key characters you love?
Ayodeji: “For our series title, Njeri, I love Petra the Brave, the fearless guardian of Njeri in the alternate realm. For our title, Lagelu, it’s a big universe on its own so there are many exceptional characters there but one of the characters I like the most is Scorpion, a lethal weapon and assassin without origin. We hope the story unravels the mystery surrounding his origin."
James: From your titles what would you consider to be your favorite picks for movies or series?
Ayodeji: “My pick for this will be Lagelu: The Kingdom on Four Hills.. The story is loaded! In a way it explores the complicated power play, politics and leadership deficiency bedeviling many African countries to raise to their full potential.”
James: When you look at movies from Marvel and DC, like Black Panther, what would you do in your cinematic universe that would differentiate your brand?
Ayodeji: “It’s simple and straight forward: tell authentic African stories with exceptional creativity. It looks too simple, but that makes all the difference.”
James: OK, lets talk now with Briggs. Welcome to CBM! Briggs, what has it been like working with ComicsDI, for how long have you worked with the brand and what do you love the most working with ComicsDI?
Briggs: “I have worked with the brand for over seven years now. The creative head is an open minded personality and is always open to accommodate alternate views even when the views run completely contrary to his. This has made my work easy as head of illustration and when I have to review works brought to my table. Also, the brand is always willing to accommodate dynamic ideas on the creativity of comics and this makes it easy for me to bring my wealth of experience in the comic industry to the table. He gives me room to be me, to do my thing. Aside from this, I love the way they tell their stories; it has depth, the brand is promising and has a lot of potential, I feel strongly if they have more titles out there, with their quality of storytelling, they will stand out.”
James: If you were to pick one of their titles, which would you pick as your favorite, and perhaps for a movie or series?
Briggs: “For me it will be Njeri: The Telesaic Code ; maybe it is because I have read the entire script from the backend when I worked on it back in 2018. Unfortunately, people did not get to see half of the story before the story was paused. Till today, I am awaiting when the brand will bring back the title, then fans can be thrilled by the beauty of real African storytelling on a global scale.”
James: Ayo, can you share with us your observation of the comic industry in Nigeria and Pan Africa, Public reaction in Nigeria, Africa and beyond, what countries… successes, obstacles, etc. What do you think is needed next?
Ayodeji: “To start with, Nigerian creatives within the comic industry have huge potentials and I have come across highly skilled creatives in Nigeria, sadly the lack of proper funding is fast killing the industry. Most of the very talented individuals we have now become a toast of international commissions while local brands are dying by the day.
At the moment I can count at my fingertips how many comic brands are still very active within the country and I personally do not think the socio-economic problems affecting the country is helping matters. There are fewer investors who want to back comic ventures because very few understand the game, most want to invest their money today and reap huge benefits tomorrow, that is the reality on ground. No matter the business model any comic brand operates by, comic business is not a “sprint, it’s a marathon.” If you run it like a sprint, you will burn out quicker than you realize it.
Most of the notable comic brands we have from the west today, the likes of Marvel, DC, Image Comics and Dark Horse did not begin yesterday; it took a while for them to grow what they have and become formidable brands.
Aside from this, the sooner we understand that quality is expensive, the better. Sadly, Nigerian Comic Creators don’t have some of the leverages that their contemporaries in other African Countries and even the West have. I know colleagues in the comic industry either in other African countries and even the West that have funded virtually all their projects through Kick-starters before they eventually got their balance. While Kick-starters are not magic; strategy, planning and work is required but creatives from Nigeria don’t even have that access, it’s like the door is shut against them. When creators cannot generate the capital needed to build their brand, how do they pay the artist, the colorist, the graphic person? So, we have a situation where most of the skills are either looking to corporate organizations or outside the country to get commissions. That is the complicated place the industry is in right now.
Another major obstacle is marketing and distribution, there is no distribution infrastructure to even aid sales of the comic books when produced.”
James: So, what does that leave then. . . the Comic Cons?
Ayodeji: “Yes, for now, the industry has just one major Comic Con, where creators can expect to record massive sales, but that is just one single con in 12 months in a country of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. And you won’t blame the organizers, I am a good friend of the arrowhead of the Con and I understand how challenging it is to organize even ‘that one Con.’
Another Con kicked off this year in Ibadan, the largest city in the country in terms of demography. Because it’s their first, I believe there is a lot of room for more growth.
I also think comic creators in Nigeria should wake up to the fact that this is now the digital age and things have changed largely from when I ventured into comics in the 90s, it was a whole lot harder then. Now, I think any serious comic creator should capitalize heavily on the advantage of the digital media, to drive its marketing and promotion, print on demand or pre-order maybe a strategy to consider while we need more Cons, these platforms are one of the fastest where comics are sold massively anywhere in the world.
On the Pan African front, I think things are beginning to take shape. Just like the uniqueness we have with the Japanese Manga, discussions and arguments are starting to spark in various quarters on how Africa can carve out a niche for itself in comics within the global sphere. Also, how to integrate our rich culture into our content is what makes it unique and African creators are beginning to awaken to this, which is good. It’s not a difficult thing if you ask me, this is where creativity comes in, and if one is not a lazy creator or writer maintaining a balance should not be a challenge.”
James: OK, last question. Based on what you have seen so far in the continent, what is your opinion on the critical success factors to turn African creator-based comic book adaptions to film and series?
Ayodeji: “Adaptions of African comic creators till date are not too common even though I strongly feel that the world is beginning to wake up to the consciousness of more Afro-centric contents, which is why I said earlier that African comic creators have to be careful; fine, we can’t all tell the same stories but your works should not become so westernized that nothing stands it out as the work of an African Creator, there is often a thin line and when it is crossed it is easy for your work to lose its uniqueness.
I think we only started to see western comics shoot into mainstream big screen massively at the wake of year 2000 with Marvel and DC leading the way, so give it some time, I believe soon we are going to be seeing more authentic African Comics getting to the big screens.
For now, I think African Comics need more visibility on global platforms, they need more followership and fan base to get there, keep in mind that a lot of the producers and Hollywood movie studios too will consider the business aspect and where a work is barely known they may see it as a business risk. With enough exposure, I believe comic books by African creators will see more adaptions in years to come!”
James: Thanks, guys, for this very extensive interview. You shared a lot of insights about the comic industry in Africa that we did not know. Looking forward to seeing your work on TV or cinema screens!
Haven't still read Part 1 of our interview? CLICK HERE.