New platforms are bringing African comics to a broader audience

FOR ZIKI NELSONTV it began with cartoons: “X-Men” and “Spider-Man”. These led to “Archie” and “Asterix” comics, then Japanese anime and manga. But as he devoured animated work from elsewhere, something was missing. “We had this African heritage and no one was telling stories about where we’re from.”That is changing. New platforms are bringing African animators to a global audience. One is Kugali, co-founded in 2017 by Mr Nelson with a fellow Nigerian, Tolu Foyeh, and Hamid Ibrahim, a Ugandan. It sells comics from across the continent and creates its own animations. In December Kugali announced a landmark deal with Disney to make “” (The Future), a sci-fi series imbued with Yoruba culture.