Comic Con Africa reminded me of one of my favourite things: walking through artists’ alley at a South African convention and discovering exceptional home grown comics from talented local creators. In the same vein, and definitely something to get excited about, Cape Town animation studio Triggerfish is set to release the first in what it intends to be an ongoing series of graphic novels telling African tales.
First up, on 31 January 2023, is Pearl of the Sea, a middle grade comic by Anthony Silverston, Raffaella Delle Donne, and Willem Samuel. The 166-page adventure follows Pearl, a young girl from South Africa’s west coast, who meets a mythical sea creature while abalone poaching to help cover mounting family debts.
Then, available worldwide from 6 June 2023, there’s KARIBA, a 230-page middle grade fantasy comic from Daniel and James Clarke, with story contribution from Daniel Snaddon. KARIBA draws inspiration from the folklore of the Zambezi River and the history of the construction of the Kariba Dam, the world’s largest man-made reservoir. In the comic, young Zimbabwean heroine Siku discovers that she’s a descendant of the Great River Spirit Nyaminyami and must use her magic to bring life back to the valley.
Pearl of the Sea and KARIBA are being published by Catalyst Press, an independent book publisher dedicated to African authors and African stories. Founded in 2017, and co-headquartered in Texas and Cape Town, Catalyst Press has published over 40 titles across a number of genres, for readers of all ages.
Pearl of the Sea and KARIBA will be part of Catalyst Press’s newly-relaunched graphic novel series, Panel & Page. Previously known as the African Graphic Novel Series, comic books published under this earlier banner include the historical epic Shaka Rising and follow-up King Shaka: Zulu Legend.
With studios in South Africa and Ireland, plus a global remote workforce, Triggerfish first gained attention for its animated animal adventures Adventures in Zambezia and Khumba – which were box office hits in South Africa. Since then, Triggerfish has created the movie Seal Team and upcoming series Mama K’s Team 4, both for Netflix. Also in the pipeline are kids’ superhero series Kiya, and African sci-fi-fantasy anthology series Kizazi Moto, coming to Disney+. Triggerfish has also made the Oscar-nominated and International Emmy-winning short films Revolting Rhymes and Zog.
In addition to being available in most bookstores or via online book retailers, Pearl of the Sea and KARIBA will be releasing in ebook format.