The Kwezi Collector’s Edition 4 comic book – which follows the adventures of a young African superhero – was recently launched at the Readers Den in Claremont.
The Kwezi comic is set in Gold City, a hustling Johannesburg-esque metropolis. In this edition which includes issues 10 to 12, comic enthusiasts will find out if Kwezi’s newly formed superhero team is ready for “anti-hero” sentiments, a new bad guy and a prophecy come true.
The authors and illustrators of the comic Loyiso Mkize, Clyde Beech and Mohale Mashigo spoke on the process of putting the comic together and their future plans for the Kwezi comic, at the launch earlier this month. Ms Mashigo, an award-winning author joined #TeamKwezi on this edition.
Kwezi creator Mr Mkize, developed a love for art from the age of five and has followed his passion to this day – becoming a fine artist, comic book illustrator and founder of a visual arts company.
Mr Beech is an art director, colourist and digital painter, having worked on some of the top comics in the country including Kwezi and Supa Strikas.
Ms Mashigo is a storyteller and singer/songwriter whose debut novel, The Yearning, won the 2017 University of Johannesburg Debut Prize.
Speaking on his motivation behind the comic, Mr Mkize said: “We have never had a superhero that looks like us and speaks like us and shares the same experiences and environment as us.”
He said this edition would resonate with 80s and 90s children and features the typical “bad” characters of that era.
“We had so much fun creating the ‘anti-hero’ and wanted it to be something people were familiar with,” said Mr Mkize.
As for the future of the comic, Mr Beech, said they had an idea of where they wanted the comic to go and characters they wanted to develop further but said the possibilities were endless.
The first three Collector’s Editions of Kwezi have been translated into IsiZulu, IsiXhosa and Sesotho.