James: Peter, hope you had a great time at the Anime Dallas Con this weekend and recently you all were at the Nairobi Comic Con in November. We hear the fan response has been amazing to your comic books. To wrap up our first interview together, can you tell us more about your universe, the Pedaverse, the different titles, and what they are about?
Peter: “Yeah, our comics get completely sold out during these comic cons. There is a huge appetite by people across cultural, gender and age demographics who love these stories. To answer your question, actually, we have a multi-universe. I personally don't like a single universe of stories because it kind of limits you to just a few perspectives. I prefer giving different perspectives on African heritage because there are so many stories to tell.
We start with regular comic book issues to begin the process or the journey toward the story arc, then those that do not have a comic book issue series short endpoint, we turn into graphic novels. I am just going to share a few, but we have others as well on our website. We have primarily mature audience titles and a few titles for kids.
I would highlight THE CHRONICLES OF THE NEWBORN: RISE OF THE MLEZI, which showcases A LOT of African cultures and heritages in one single universe. This read will give you a massive ingest of African legacies and from this world, spin-offs. The Mlezi are guardians created by the ancients to protect humanity from extreme and celestial threats.
CHAYOMA (pronounced Chah yoh ma) is a medieval epic fantasy built around the methodologies coming from East Africa. It is like Red Sonja meets Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Conan the Barbarian. So, if you are familiar with those, you know it is going to be very tough and exciting. She is one of the characters from NEWBORN, so this is a full epic tale focused on her because she plays a pivotal role in the whole Newborn saga. We have deities and demigods of that era and our aesthetics of the fantasy world are inspired by the times.
MBUZE (pronounced Ehm booh zey) focuses on a character who is also part of the NEWBORN series whose family was cold-bloodedly murdered by ravaging marauders and follows his path of revenge. It is a tale based on the ancient Kingdom of Kongo which was founded by Lukeni Lua Nim and is located today in Northern Angola, Cabinda, the Republic of Congo, and the western portion of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
DI ICHE (pronounced Dee eeh chey) is a modern action crime drama set in the streets of Lagos, Nigeria. We also utilize the local Igbo language, with translation for the readers.
OLAJU: THE EDGE OF ORIGINS (OLAJU pronounced Oh lah joo) is another favorite our fans are excited about with great anticipation. It is a colorful, visually stunning story about the legendary Nigerian tree people (in the Igbo language they are called Nkpuru Osisi (pronounced En kay poo roo Oh see see). This would make an amazing animated movie! After their high priest decides to take control of creation itself, three young planters of the tree people undergo feats of peril and rise above their original purpose to achieve the impossible in saving the earth and existence itself.
Another title is SHOWDOWN . Within the hustling and bustling of Paradyse City, a shadowy organization is close to revolutionizing a new type of bioweapon in the arms black market. Under the cover of an entertainment media outfit, they have created the perfect testing ground in form of a live combat tournament show. In the midst of all this, a young man from out of town who arrives in the big city in search of his brother crosses paths with a laid-off police detective who is secretly on a case involving the disappearance of an old colleague of hers. The two become an unlikely pair as their paths lead them to the live combat tournament. . .Showdown!
And last but not least, is a family favorite, AMAZING TEK-KIDS. In a far future, an evil Nigerian scientist, who is bent on world domination, cracked the quantum space- time continuum theory and created a real time machine. His intent is to reverse reality in the past so he can reign supreme in the future. . .But a group of young cadets in a special, elite tactical division of the Nigerian police force jump time with him to put an end to his ungodly campaign. Equipped with futuristic gadgets and abilities, they are launched into an unwinding pursuit against the mad doctor. This would be a super-fun cartoon series!
James: How do your characters stand out over the competition?
Peter: “We don't come from a concept of what already existed, what we try to do is showcase these characters from the raw form; we go back in time and keep it original as if it were somebody at that time creating the story. Our studio does not want to be governed by the “norm”, what is “trending”, but take bold fresh approaches.”
Readers can enjoy online browsing of Peda’s books for free, then order print collector copies directly from their website www.pedaentertainment.com. Find them on Instagram at @pedacomics, on TikTok at @pedaentertainment and Facebook at pedacomics. And be sure to visit Peter and his team at the comic cons!
For Part 1 of our interview, CLICK HERE.