Tag: comic books

Graphic Novels and Comics for #ReadingAfrica Week

Think that #ReadingAfrica means just traditional novels? Not even a little! In addition to all of the great novels out there, you can also get your African literature in the form of comics and graphic novels. We’ve got a few suggestions for some you may want to add to you TBR list.

The Aya Serieswritten by Marguerite Abouet illustrated by Clément Oubrerie, translated by Helge Dascher. Loosely based on the author’s life in Cote d’Ivoire, these stories focus on 19-year-old Aya and her friends as they navigate life in Yop City in the 1970s.

The Kwezi Series by Loyiso Mkize, Clyde Beech and Mohale Mashigo. Love superheroes? Then this is a great pick. Set in the fictional South African locale, Gold City, nineteen year old Kwezi discovers he has superpowers, but he also discovers that those powers come with a great responsibility. Is he up to the challenge? Read an interview with the comic’s creators here.

Continue reading “Graphic Novels and Comics for #ReadingAfrica Week”

This Week in Literary News

First things first: exciting news for our Catalyst readers! Every Friday of August, we’ll be hosting a sale on our website featuring titles of a certain theme. Today’s sale – 40% off both the physical and e-books of all of our Children’s and YA titles when you use the code SUMMERFRIDAYS at checkout! Tune in every Friday to find out the theme of next week’s sale. Next Friday (drum roll please!), our literary ladies take the stage with a sale on all female-authored Catalyst titles!

“It” is official! Stephen King has a new novel coming out next March. Matthew McConaughey is adding “author” to his résumé, and Lebron James is getting in the (writing) game with a new children’s book. Team Edward? You’re going to love this: Stephanie Meyer, the YA goddess who gave us Twilight, just gave us one more.  Midnight Sun hit shelves this week and the series’ cult following is going berserk. Ryan Reynolds is making a movie based an essay in the popular New Yorker column, “Shouts & Murmurs,” and Dan Sheehan’s announcement of it makes the news even better.

Still behind on reading the 2020 Booker longlist? Let Electric Lit decide your next pick for you, based on your quarantine habits. And because I’m a sucker for a good book quiz, head over to Book Riot to find out what pop culture librarian you are. Continue reading “This Week in Literary News”

Stay in and Color!

As we’re all practicing social distancing right now, things can get a little, let’s say, monotonous, at home. We’re all looking for fun activities to keep us entertained. We here at Catalyst want to help you, and so we’re pleased to offer coloring pages from our books Shaka Rising and King Shaka by author/illustrator Luke W. Molver. Download the pages: Shaka Rising, King Shaka

Karen Vermeulen, the artist who has designed a number of our covers, also has a coloring page available for download, with others available to her Patreon subscribers. Download her page here. You can learn more about Karen and her work, including her online workshops, at her website www.karenvermeulen.com

 

February’s Spotlight Author: Luke W. Molver

Luke Molver

This month’s spotlight shines on author/illustrator Luke W. Molver. Luke is the co-author (along with Mason O’Connor) and illustrator of the first book in our African Graphic Novel Series, Shaka Rising: A Legend of the Warrior Prince, and the author/illustrator of its sequel King Shaka: Zulu Legend. Both of these books are published through Story Press Africa, our collaborative imprint with Jive Media Africa. As part of our ongoing Author Spotlight Sale, this month we’re offering Shaka Rising for 50% off!

Shaka Rising is the story of a legendary Zulu leader’s rise to power during one of southern Africa’s most turbulent periods. Shaka’s story is one of family drama, political intrigue, and warfare, and is told in a nuanced and exciting way that’s both entertaining and educational. Add in Luke’s fantastic illustrations, and you’ve got a great book for the young reader in your life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke and Shaka Rising have had an incredible run since the book was released in 2018. It has earned rave reviews from The Wall Street Journal (“[M]arks the launch of a welcome historical graphic-novel series set in Africa”); Kirkus (“A worthy introduction that offers a young Anglophone audience entry into a legend of Africa”); and Booklist (“This is a tale comics has heretofore not done justice to, and it’s handsomely presented here.”), among many others. It was also shortlisted a Nommo Awards for African Speculative Fiction in the Graphic Novel category, and was named an Honor Book for Older Readers by the Children’s Africana Book Awards.

In addition to his work on the Shaka books, Luke is also a comic book creator whose work, most recently, has been featured at the Johannesburg Art Gallery’s exhibit The Art of Comics. You can also learn more about Luke in this short video interview with Beautiful News South Africa or this interview with Smash Pages.

All this month, and only at our site, you can get the paperback version of Shaka Rising for just $8.50. Order here

It’s Giveaway Time!!

To celebrate the release of King Shaka: Zulu Legend in both the US and South Africa, we and our partners at Story Press Africa are giving away four copies in each country! To enter, follow us on one (or all) of our social media accounts.

 

 

Hello, FanCon Cape Town!

Luke Molver (and his work) at FanCon

Last month, author and illustrator Luke Molver (Shaka Rising) headed to Cape Town for FanCon, an annual comic and pop-culture festival. He shared his thoughts about the event (and some pretty great pictures) over at Durban Is Yours:

Organized by Readers’ Den Comic Shop and now in its third year, the annual comic and pop-culture festival was held in Cape Town from 28th – 29th April, to its largest attendance yet. Local and national comic creators, cosplayers, artists and fans engaged with international guests in a big ol’ pop-culture hootenanny of superheroic grandeur.

Even in the most affectionate way, I hesitate to use the words ‘geek’ or ‘nerd’ to describe such events nowadays. Pop culture being so ubiquitous in our media and daily lives, these interests can hardly be described as ‘niche’ any longer… and events like FanCon show that these interests are alive and passionate in South Africa, in bright comic book colours and punch-out- the-page costumes.

The cosplay cruisin’ around the con ranged from amateur to professional, and there were some insanely imaginative and creative outfits paraded about. You’d be amazed what can be constructed outta some glue, a shoebox, a few toilet rolls and a broomstick, and I’ve got a heckuva lot of respect for the home-made effort put into some of those costumes. I sold comics to a Jedi while chatting to the Guardians of the Galaxy, and borrowed a light from Daenerys Targaryan as she shared a gwaai with ol’ Jonny Snow. Workshops from international professionals such as Riki Lecotey and Chris Donio, who worked on props for the new Avengers Infinity War movie, gave cosplay enthusiasts and casual visitors the opportunity to literally learn the tricks of the trade.

Read the rest here!