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BODY OF MISSING GIRL FOUND IN CANAL

Oluwafemi Oluwatobi

The body of a girl identified as Mistura Falomo has been found.

Falomo had been missing since Saturday 29th June, 2019.

Her body was found when it washed through a canal at the border town of Ajegunle, Lagos State.

According to her aunt, Shadiat Awoyefa, she had been playing in the rain while they were at her shop.

'She had been playing in the rain, I called her, so that she could come inside but she didn't answer my call.' Awoyefa said.

The girls family had reported the incident to the police but they were unable to find her.

The girls parents have been devastated ever since the body of their daughter turned up.

The public relations office of Alakuko Police station, addressing the situation advise that parents should always ensure not to neglect their children.

'It's a rainy season and it can get flooded in this part of Lagos, parents should always keep a watchful eye on their wards.'

MAN OF THE LAW- A review

Collectible comics is back with another awesome story. And this time it is a voiced comic titled Man of the Law.

Man of the Law is a centred Frank Martins a police detective charged with investigating the murder of James Bayo. He was a wealthy man rumoured to be into narcotics and kidnapping, he was also a drunk and a wifebeater.

Evidences points to the man's wife but she claims that the police killed her husband. All this goes on in the foreground while in the background are issues of infidelity. First, Frank sleeps with Charles, his colleague's wife. And second Charles being caught pants down with a famous blogger Julie Ajayi who accompanied the victim's wife to the police station, which in the end rendered Charles unreliable to solve the case. Eventually, Frank Martins was given three days to solve the case for inciting the public with his opinions about the case.

In the second episode, Frank continues with the investigation. He came up with a list of suspects but settles to investigate the victim's wife, Mrs. Bayo. He was ambushed and he managed to escape the assault. Upon returning home bloodied, Frank receives the news that Charles knows what he had been doing with Charles's wife.

Man of the Law is narrated with a style common to the crime noir genre which is usually characterized by introspection, cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity.

Murewa Ayodele gives us a brilliant character in Frank Martins. A man determined to get to the truth of a crime while being confronted with the consequences of his philandering. This is an ironical fact that a man who claims to be a man of the Law is also morally flawed in some way, same as every human in the world.

The piece also stars Charles, another man who according to Frank was one of the best in the force. Charles is also the only cop in that police station without a record of wrongdoing, he was also the only one person Frank could look up to. The comic reveals further that Charles was also weakminded and unable to resist temptation.

Julie Ajayi, another character deliberately planted by the victims wife to blackmail the police. And she was pretty good at her job. There is also Oyin, who cheats on her husband (Charles) with Frank and according to him, she is troublesome.

Finally, Mrs. Bayo, the prime suspect in the investigation, a voluptuous seductress and a classic maneater, she seems to be the only one capable of revealing what truly happened to James Bayo.

With this set of characters, Murewa Ayodele has written a piece that would stay with the fans of crime fiction for a long time. The strengths and the flaws of this characters make them unique as well as dangerous in the pursuance of their individual goals.

While the vibrant voicing lent strength the the overall piece, the illustrations were inadequate for the story being told therefore leaving so much to the imagination of the readers. Overall in the first episode, there were 9 illustrations for the whole of 6 minutes 59 seconds and the second episode had 10 illustrations for 9 minutes 21 seconds. More would have sufficed. The overall art by Dotun Akande mirrored the darkness and the ominous feel of the story.

The first two episodes has thrown the story into a climax that one cannot wait for what's to come next.

COMIC BOOK REVIEW

New Men #1

Writer: Murewa Ayodele

Artist: Dotun Akande

Warning: This review contain spoilers.

New men begins with the story of a girl, a lover of a certain boy, Ayo. He is the son to a single father struggling to care for his children.

Both had agreed to jump off a building knowing that doing so would gift them incredible powers. Apparently, this very act was considered highly illegal and very strident measures are taken to prevent such from happening.

In a twist of fate, Ayo jumps to his own death, while the girl survives and ultimately gaining power and becoming an enemy of the state.

A mysterious woman is then charged with finding our girl within seven days which seems to be the beginning of an adventure.

New Men opens us to a dark world of paranoia and hatred for all things super. One unique thing about this book is that super powers are procured through a deliberate confrontation with death, in other words Suicide. And those who survive the act become gods.

The comic points out to the fact that, the act of becoming a new man is a gamble. Only the brave attempt it. However not everyone who confronts death walk away unscathed. The writer also points to the fact that death leads to the recreation of a new being. Hence the name New Men.

Being a new man makes one an enemy of the state, therefore there is a task force created to apprehend or eliminate anyone attempting to make him/herself a new man or found with superpowers.

The writer, in this issue establishes two major antagonizing sides to the story, the government, who are obviously anti-newmen and a mysterious organization who seem to have a safe haven or not for the New men. With such pronounced conflict, it's safe to say that we are in for a fun and thrilling ride with well written characters, especially the mysterious woman who enjoys nonchallant banters and sarcasm in the face of seriousness.

However one thing Murewa failed to do was naming the characters. Names are very important in identifying a character, none of them was named except Ayo, the ill-fated lover.

In all, it is a good story with a lot of potential. I hope the writer surprises us with a lot of twists, blood cuddling action that makes for a thrilling experience. And I also hope that subsequent issues dissects the world of New Men more as well as answering majority of the question boggling the minds of the readers.

COMICS IN NIGERIA

WHO'S CREATING COMICS IN NIGERIA?

Tobi Oluwafemi

There was a time in my life when I thought Nigerian comic books were nonexistent, the only comics I knew where the ones my uncle drew and the ones I borrowed from friends. I was kid with a dream to be the first person to create the first Nigerian comic book. I had to reevaluate my aspiration when I discovered Nigerian comicbooks have been around for a very long time. One of the earliest Nigerian made comic book was Wale Adenuga's Ikebe Super and Super Story— which was a big deal in the 70s and 80s. The advent of Supa Strikas in the 2001 ushered in a refined version of Nigerian comics. The last decade has produced a good number of highly creative Nigerian comic book companies and creators. And therefore we are in a time when creators are reaching into their imaginative core dishing out the gripping, compelling and amazing african/Nigerian stories in the sequential arts form.

So the big question is, who is making comics in Nigeria? Who are the major players in this nascent industry?

Below are a number of companies and individuals making waves in Nigeria's comic industry (arranged in no particular order).

1. Comic Republic

When it comes to comics in Nigeria, Comic Republic easily comes to mind. They are famously known for award winning titles such as Guardian Prime, Avonome, Eru and many other titles of the Republic world. Established by Jide Martin, Comic Republic is known for it's captivating storytelling, high-end comic art and vibrant colors which have helped them garner a cult-following across Nigeria. Comic Republic was once featured on CNN for their promotion of African superheroes.

2. Epoch Comics

Epoch Comic is a subsidiary of Epoch Studios. Their products include a blend of superhero, afro-futuristic sci-fi, traditional and supernatural comics. They produce supernatural comics such as Aegis, Seraph, Prophesy. Superhero comics such as; Moon Dust. If you are a fan of supernatural comics, Epoch comics will satisfy your cravings.

3. Mad Comics

Mad comics is an upcoming comic company started by Hafeez Oluwa, who is also a prolific writer. MAD comics navigates the darkside of Nigerian traditions. They tell stories that will make your bowels drop, and terrific art that would make your nightmares come true. Their comics include; Orò, Osita and Disciples.

4. Collectible Comics

Collectible comics are also upcoming. Collectible comics was set up by Murewa Ayodele with his friend and artist Dotun Akande. Together, they've created the following comics; Anarchy, GodKiller, Cliff: Lust and Gravity, Utopia and so on, all away from the superhero craze. One wonderful thing about Collectible comics is their promotion of independent comics, they allow submission of creator owned comics while the owners retain all rights to their books.

5. Spoof Comics

Spoof comics is owned by Ayodele Elegba, the convener of the Lagos comic con. Vantage, Boxsa, Jinx, Teen Techs are some of the comics created by Ayodele Elegba under the aegis of Spoof Comics.

6. Youneek Studios

Though operating out of Nigeria, it is owned by a Nigerian named Roye Okupe. Youneek Studio has set the standard of what comic books and graphic novels should look and read like in Nigeria and probably Africa as a whole. With the gripping tales and near perfect art of Malika and E.X.O, Roye Okupe has succeeded in winning the hearts of many comicbook lovers home and abroad. E.X.O. was received with critical acclaim and has been featured on CNN, The New York Times, BBC, The Huffington Post and more. One unique attribute of the comics by Youneek studio is their promotion of the African culture and this has earned them a number of prestigious awards such as the Glyph Comic Award (2017) and a Heruica Character Creation Award (2017).

7.Peda Comics

The comic New Born is almost synonymous with Peda Comics, being their most popular comic. Apart from their epic fantasy comic, New Born, Peda comics are credited for creating comics such as; ShowDown, Diiche, Tekk Kids, Under the Sun. In 2016, Peda comics' New Born saga won Comic Panel Awards for the most African Oriented comic.

8. Awele Emili

She's a webcomic artist whose weekly comic strips iJournals are mostly posted on Instagram and Twitter. Her slice of life comic hilariously narrates stories of the Nigerian way of life and family. Her comics resonates with many millenials as she steadily gains followers. She has been featured in Kobini, Pulse.ng and many other sites.

9. St. Wosh

Like Awele, St. Wosh also posts his comics on Instagram and Twitter. His comic strips also narrates funny and relatable situations of the Nigerian society particularly the invincibility of Nigerian mothers. In over a year of posting, he has amassed thousands of followers.

10. Obaranda

Obaranda was created by artist and writer, Justin Irabor and has become a household name on Twitter. Obaranda thrives on its wittiness, dark-surreal humour, and satire. Justin Irabor doesn't just make people laugh with his comics, he also seeks to address societal and political issues in the Nigerian society in an amusing way. The sketchy art style of Obaranda lends strength to its narration.

11. KRO Onimole

Crasher comics is a gut bursting webcomic created by KRO Onimole. He has been making the strips since 2002 and still ongoing. Crasher Comics won the 2017 Comic Connect award for the Best Webcomic. Though Onimole has ceased to upload comic strips on the Crasher Comics website, he now posts his strips on his instagram page.

12. Awonda

Awonda is the brain child of Collyde Prime, an illustrator based in Lagos. Awonda is distinct in it's presentation of Nigeria. Awonda comics says it as it is, never watering down street slangs in its scripts. Titles from Awonda comics include; Adura and Misfits.

13. LineBug Comics

Owned by Sunkanmi Akinboye, an award winning artist popularly known for his work on Roye Okupe's E. X. O. Linebug comics are set to release their debut comics hopefully this year(2019) or next. Linebug comics include: Weju and Front line.

14. Wildfire Comic

WildFire comic's Ara won the 2017 Comic panel's Award for the best African oriented comic book.

15. Revolutionary Comics

Revolutionary comics came into public view in 2018 and it has wowed us with an awesome comic; Trinity, a comic which dissects the political sphere of the country. Revolutionary Comics boasts of a team of highly talented writers. They were nominated for the 2018 Fist Awards for best Writer. Another comic from Revolutionary comics is Drama Queens which will be released soon.

16. Taniarts Concept

Not new in the comic industry, Taniarts stands out for its consistency. It is credited for creating Elements.

The Nigerian comic industry is growing in leaps and bounds, thanks to these companies and creators, even those unmentioned, including those who unfortunately stopped producing comics. Companies like; Vortex, Comic bandit press, IC Studios, Jigida comics etc.

It's 2019 and we are expecting to see a flood of badass comic books that would change the face of the industry.

ANIMATION IN NIGERIA

Animation in Nigeria is no longer a mirage or a dream. It is a reality. A reality that has spurred the advancement of storytelling and it has proven to be one of the best and creative forms of impacting knowledge and ideas to its audiences. Why? Because with animation, virtually anything is possible.

Though Nigerian animation industry is comparatively small to the rest of the world, it is growing so exponential that the Federal government lauds its potential to facilitate economic growth and development.

Nigerian Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed stated this last year during the opening ceremony of the 4th French and Japanese Embassies Animated Film Festival at the Institut francais du Nigeria in Abuja.

He said, “It is worthy to note that with the inclusion of Nigerian content in the animation film festival, it will create adequate employment and contribute to the growth and development of the nation economy."

Anyway, this is just to tell us how big a deal animation is in Nigeria coupled with the fact that Nigerians yearn to consume locally made animated content.

Away from the macro economics of animation (which isn't important right now), several animation studios have contributed to the growth and development of animation in Nigeria.

The following animation studios (2D and 3D) are listed in no particular order.

Ajebo toons

Ajebo Toons was founded by Egwuve Majomi Yugbovwre. She is a 2d animator and one of Nigeria's few female animators. Ajebo toons is one of the most popular animation studios in Nigeria, known for the viral and hilarious Aje and Kpako animated series. Aje and Kpako details the misadventure of two boys. It is funny, relatable and most importantly, it is Nigerian in all ramifications. Asides Aje and Kpako, Ajebo toons have begun releasing episodes of a new animated series, Bubu and Fawol.

2. Spoof Animation

Spoof Animation is one of Nigeria's leading 2d animation studio focused on telling compelling African stories through animations. Spoof Animation was founded in 2015 by Ayodele Elegba and have since remained a solid name in the animation industry.

Asides other short animation skits, Spoof animations have been credited for producing the rib cracking animated comedy, Area Daddy. In 2016, Area Daddy went on to win the first edition of Digital Lab Africa’s transmedia category. And it's pilot episode was screened at Annecy in 2017. One thing is certain however; Area Daddy will be gracing our screens real soon.

3. Magic Carpet Studios

Magic carpet studio is a 2d and 3d animation studio based in Lagos. Their vision "is to bring stories, ideas and dreams to life through bursting colours, exciting motion and spectacular visuals using emerging technologies". This is highly evident in their animation projects such as Meet the Igwes, the soon coming Passport of Mallam Ilia and many others.

Coupled with animations, Magic Carpet studio are also involved in illustrations and game development.

4. Anthill Studios

One of the biggest production studio for 3d animation in Nigeria. It was founded by Niyi Akinmolayan in 2008. Anthill studios has an impressive 3D animation portfolio which includes projects such as; Plaything, The Sim, Malika, Retrieve the Droid and Peak Milk’s Lola and Chuchu series. And coming in 2019 is their first full length animated film, Frogeck. No doubt when completed will be historic.

The studio also helped promote an animated Kickstarter campaign for Roye Okupe’s Malika. Animation on the successfully backed pilot would be completely handled by Anthill studio.

Asides animation, Anthill studios is also an indomitable force in film making industry.

5. Komotion Studio

Komotion studio also a 3d animation studio geared toward creating animation contents that promotes our slowly eroding culture. Soon, Komotion studio will be releasing a starstudded full length animation called The Dawn of Thunder, a story of Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder.

6. Freak the f**k out

Freak the F**k out, a horror animated series of skits was created by Kanso Ogbolu. It tells unfortunate stories of characters who end up getting murdered in the most brutal way. I could say it the first of it's kind since other animation studios tilt towards family and kids entertainment.

7. Orange Vfx Limited

Founded in May, 2010, Orange Visual Effects Limited is recognized as one of the leading 3D and Visual Effects content creator in Nigeria. Orange Vfx limited provides content solutions for clients who want to tell their stories and advertise their products.

8. Smid Animation Studios

Smid Animation was founded by Damilola Solesi. In September 2018, their project The Makerbolts was also pitched at the Lagos Comic Con, where it was selected alongside Toonup Animation's Garbage boy and Trash Can as one of two projects that will present at Annecy’s MIFA Pitches Animation du Monde in 2019.

Early in March this year, Smids Animation's Boxed Series was also screened at the Cape Town international Animation Festival.

9. High breed Animations

Highbreed Animations is an Animation Company, based in Lagos Nigeria.

They have two company Mascot characters, Ojo and Ebuka and within a one and half year of startup they have been able to produce two episodes of animation short titled Ojo and Ebuka Series. And Currently they are working on their first short Film titled Felele featuring their two mascot characters.

10. Toonup Animations

Ridwan Shades Moshood highly talented illustrator and animator heads Toonup Animation. In 2018, Garbage Boy and Trash Can a production of Toonup Animation won Cartoon Network Africa’s Creative Lab Competition.

In September 2018, the project was also pitched at the Lagos Comic Con, where it was selected as one of two projects that will present at Annecy’s MIFA Pitches Animation du Monde in 2019.

Toonup is known for their attractive animation style almost in semblance of cartoon network classics. Toonup animation is also credited for producing, In My Hood and Into the Odd.

11. Scroll Entertainment

Scroll Entertainment was established in 2015 by talented artist and animator Harry Dunkwu. Scroll Entertainment is an animation company that specializes in the creation of content such as 2D/3D illustrations, comics, movie storyboards, concept art, animations, cartoons and game development arts. Scroll Entertainment also conducts digital art & 2D animation trainings between.

12. Basement Animation

Basement animation is one of the fastest growing animation studios in Nigeria. They are focused on producing Kids, Teens & Family entertainment content.

In 2017, Basement Animation was listed among the Top 5 Nigerian Animation Studios in Discop Book . They Co-produced L’arbre à Palimpseste a pilot episode which was selected to represent Africa and compete with other global counterparts at Animation du Monde 2018 Anncey.

Basement Animation next project Downtown Lagos, a 2D animation, will be released soon and it promises to be awesome.

Animation in Nigeria is going global as many animation studios are working very hard to show the world what they can do. As nascent a industry, the future of animation in Nigeria is bright. And hopefully in the end, Nigeria's Animations will stand toe to toe with the big names of the world.