Comic books were a staple of our lives in the millennial 90’s. They introduced us to the first superheroes, showed us the magical worlds that could exist, contained in the flimsy yellow pages of pulp magazines. They explored science fiction, magic and fantasy, and told stories with universal themes that continue to resonate with us as we grow and evolve. It is a tragedy then, that most of these comic books so many millennials discovered and loved in their adolescence were created by Western storyboard artists, colourists and cartoonists, and told stories about concrete jungles and futuristic vistas, none of which reflected the massive canon of gods, deities, supernatural being and preternatural forces that make our religions and culture. Comic Republic is one of the first Nigerian media companies to see the gap that existed and work tirelessly to close it by creating comic books that predominantly features characters from an African canon, focused only on African stories.

It has taken them 7 years of painstaking dedication, but they have hit an iconic milestone in comic book publishing, one few people believed they would reach because they were an independent startup, creating comics for a hesitant audience. But they have managed to surprise us all by becoming the  first African comic book publisher to create a distinct universe of over 100 African characters. What is even more fascinating is that all of Comic Republic’s comics are digital, eliminating carbon waste from paper and equitable because they are free to read for all enthusiasts from across the world. 

Comic Republic is not just concerned with milestones, they are determined to create a fully immersive virtual universe in which readers can not only find and engage African superheros, but also contribute actively to that world through cryptocurrency. They have become the first publisher in the world (bar none) to create a crypto comic book  with real crypto assets that appreciate in value the longer you hold them and interact with the comic book universe.