Movies, animation, comics, gaming and tech. Want to know what’s happening in Africa and beyond? Here’s the Run Down for this week.
NEWS OUT OF AFRICA – Comics/Entertainment
Comic Republic Has Signed A Brand New Deal With CAA!
Earlier this year, Nigerian multimedia company, Comic Republic signed their very first production deal with Emagine Content and JackieBoy Entertainment, to adapt several of their comics including Ireti and The Vanguards, for film and television.
The company has signed yet another deal this month but this time, with the American agency, Creative Arts Agency (CAA)
Under the new deal, CAA has promised to represent Comic Republic and create and identify opportunities for them in various areas including consumer products, publishing, games, live action and animation.
Comic Republic founder, Jide Martin, expressed his excitement in finding an agency that understands his company’s vision and that will see to it that “more people experience [their] unique universe of authentic African stories.”
Check out more https://contentnigeria.net/nigerias-comic-republic-signs-with-caa/
Who is Elyon’s?
Joëlle Epée Mandengue also known as Eylon’s is the Cameroonian- born, comic book author of La vie d’Ebène Duta (The Diary of Ebène Duta).
Growing up on Disney princess cartoons, Mandengue always longed to create something like them but was discouraged by her parents and the knowledge that only white men created her favourite cartoons and comics.
But as time passed, Mandengue managed to pursue her dream and finally creater her very own comic La vie d’Ebène Duta, which follows the adventures of a young Black teenage girl in Belgium.
Two volumes of her comic have been released and with an excerpt featured in Saison Africa 2020’s, Comic of the Month.
Check it out here https://www.saisonafrica2020.com/en/comic-month-march-Elyons
But that is not all Mandengue has managed to accomplish.
Mandengue The Co-Curator Behind the Afropolitan Comics Exhibition
Under her name, Joëlle Epée Mandengue, Mandengue has been the creator of the first comic book festival in Congo, Bilili BD. She is also the co-curator behind a number of comic exhibitions across the African Continent. These include the Year of Comics in 2020 and the Afropolitan Comics Exhibition, an online exhibition that features comics from artists within Africa including Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Senegal.
Through her work, Mandengue is proving to young African creatives that there is a place for them in art whilst also showing the world that there is talent and creativity within African worth seeing.
Check out more https://www.facebook.com/ifasculture/videos/afropolitan-comics-jo%C3%ABlle-ep%C3%A9e-mandengue-jean-philippe-martin/1135790866802718/
NEWS BEYOND AFRICA – Animation/Entertainment
Kavaleer Productions’ Adam Adventure Has a Unique Protagonist for a Unique Story
An upcoming animated series in the works at Ireland based animation studio, Kavaleer Productions, Adam Adventure is a series geared towards showing young children the wonder of space whilst also teaching them the importance of taking care of the earth we live in.
But what makes this upcoming animation special isn’t just its unique story but its unique protagonist, Adam, a bright young boy who also happens to be a wheelchair user.
Although a fictional series, Adam Adventure’s lead character is based on a very real young boy also named Adam.
A Real Life Hero Inspires Adam Adventure
After tuning in to the Late Late Toy Show, a primetime chat show handed over to children once a year, CEO and Founder of Kavaleer Productions, Andrew Kavanaugh, met the young boy who would later become the inspiration and hero of his new animated series.
A six year old hailing from Cork, Southern Ireland, Adam is a young boy who dreams of becoming a mission controller at NASA.
Inspired by his story and noting that Adam is also a wheelchair user, Kavanaugh saw an opportunity to create Adam Adventure and represent children around the world with additional needs and show them that they too can achieve their greatest dream.
This new project has seen Kavanaugh working alongside Adam himself as well real life astronaut, Dr Norah Pattern.
Kavanaugh hopes that this new series will show children that “no matter who you are, and what challenges you face, you can follow your dreams, and heart, wherever they may take you.”
Adam Adventure will be produced in Ireland with plans to start production in 2022. The first episodes are scheduled for release in 2023.
Find out more https://www.animationmagazine.net/tv/an-animated-star-is-born-in-adam-%e2%9d%a4-adventure-from-kavaleer-productions/