While OTAKUKON 2023 is going to be Zimbabwe’s first ever full day anime convention, a lot of work has been done and continues to be done to grow the community. One such section of the community is that of comic books and manga. A significant portion of the OTAKUKON community has read or continues to read manga and comic books, most of these are read on digital platforms. We would like to see the comic book and manga community grow in Zimbabwe. That said we want to grow several elements; the comic book and manga creation side as well as the consumption, that is, the readers.
The community we wish to create is an open resource one that links all members of the digital and visual arts field in Zimbabwe, Africa. We aim to create a platform for artists, writers, and enthusiasts alike to share their passion for comic books and graphic novels. With the creation of this community we have a vision to triple comic book creation and consumption in Zimbabwe by 2029. This is an ambitious goal, but OTAKUKON Zimbabwe is determined to make it happen. The community believes that Zimbabwe has a wealth of untapped talent in the comic book industry, and they want to help nurture that talent.
Creating comic books is not an easy task. It requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and creativity. One of the biggest challenges around creating comic books is learning how to do it as a business. Many artists struggle with the business side of things, such as marketing, distribution, and financing. OTAKUKON Zimbabwe aims to help artists overcome these challenges by providing them with the lessons and opportunities they need in order to nurture the skills necessary to obtain the resources required.
Comic book distribution is another challenge that artists face. Zimbabwe has a small market for comic books, and distribution can be difficult. OTAKUKON Zimbabwe is working to change this by creating a platform for artists to showcase their work and reach a wider audience. The community is also working to establish partnerships with local bookstores and libraries to make comic books more accessible to the public. Finding comic books created by Zimbabwean Authors is already a hard enough task, we hope over time this can change. Accessing comic books from international markets has also proved to be a difficult thing, with very few making it within the borders and those that make it sometimes being overpriced.
How to go about growing the comic book and manga community in Zimbabwe
Comic Book Competitions
This year, OTAKUKON has already hosted a comic book competition in partnership with Bill Masuku, one of Zimbabwe’s most successful comic book authors. Bill is an author who’s work consistently has him featuring at Comic Con Africa and on projects with big names like Netflix. Together we share a passion around African and even more specifically, Zimbabwean storytelling. There are a lot of stories to tell within Zimbabwe and over time and with more comic books coming out, the quality and quantity of these stories can be vastly improved upon.
Our first Comic book competition garnered interests from a small group of artist and it was exciting to see the stories that came from it. While the limitation was for the stories to be based on sport, the creativity of Zimbabwean authors shone in that competition, with the eventual winner Panashe giving a great story called Hweshe.
As we approach OTAKUKON 2023, the culmination of the 5 events we have held this year across anime, merchants, cosplay and gaming, we are running another competition for comic book creators. This second comic book competition tasks our authors to enchant us a story about food. We believe with each competition we are able to expose new and existing authors to some of the challenges and expectations of carrying the title of comic book author professionally. From deadlines to publisher based limitations on work, we want them to experience all of this. Ultimately we also want comic book creators to be exposed to peers within their industry who have done more and who can share lessons that reduced the mistakes they can make along the way.
Comic Book and Manga Libraries
In the 5 year window to follow, we would like to establish a comprehensive library of manga and comic books, ranging from local to international works. We understand that coming up with this collection of books will not be easy to begin with so we will work at it slowly and engage partners with a keen interests in the cultural exchange benefits of a program like this one and the literary impact it can have on a country like ours.
Once we have built up a small library, the starting point will be to have a library active at OTAKUKON mini events. This will allow attendees to take a seat and read one or some of the books available while the event goes on. This will hopefully mature into a mobile or even a physical location library at the end of our 5 years. Accessibility to this content will not only benefit readers and enthusiasts but it will also benefit local creators by giving them a channel to distribute their work. OTAKUKON events
In conclusion, this comic book community managed by an Anime Convention organizer. With a goal to grow the comic book and manga community in Zimbabwe, OTAKUKON has a vision to triple comic book creation and consumption in Zimbabwe by 2029. OTAKUKON Zimbabwe aims to help artists overcome the challenges around creating comic books, learning how to do it as a business, and comic distribution. The community is working hard to nurture the talent of Zimbabwean artists and bring their work to a wider audience. If you’re an artist or enthusiast, we encourage you to join the OTAKUKON Zimbabwe community and be a part of this exciting movement!