African comics that deserve a place on your shelf

In short: Aya of Yop City by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie is the
obvious way in for an adult, Akissi by the same authors, the one for a
child. Beyond those two, African comics cover far more ground
than French bookshop shelves suggest: from Gabonese satire to the
South African superhero, by way of a new generation of creators who blend
mythology and science fiction.

Let’s clear up a misunderstanding right away. “African comics” is not a
genre — any more than “European comics” is. You’ll find social chronicle,
autobiography, fantasy, superheroes and reportage. What ties them
together is a point of view: African stories told from
the inside.

The table, at a glance

The classics: where to start

Aya of Yop City — Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie

Abidjan in the late 1970s. Aya wants to become a doctor; her friends mostly
think about going out. It’s a neighborhood chronicle — funny, tender, never pitying
— and that is exactly what made its mark: an everyday Africa where people laugh and
fall in love, a world away from humanitarian imagery.

Why read it: it’s the comic that put African comics on the map
in French bookshops. It was also adapted into an animated film.

Who it’s for: teens and adults. The romantic storylines are aimed at a
teenage readership at the very least.

Akissi — Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin

The same author, for children. Akissi is a little girl from Abidjan who
gets into one scrape after another. Short gag format, very physical humor.

Who it’s for: ages 6-10. One of the rare children’s titles where an African child is the
comic hero, not the subject of a lesson.

La Vie de Pahé — Pahé

The graphic autobiography of a Gabonese author, between Gabon and France.
Funny, biting, sometimes scathing about the way Africans are seen in Europe.

Who it’s for: teens and adults.

The more demanding works

Malamine, un Africain à Paris — Christophe Ngalle Edimo and Simon-Pierre Mbumbo

Malamine Karaboué holds a doctorate in economics from the Sorbonne. Shut out of the posts that
should be his back home because he is not from the right ethnic group, he
gets by in Paris as a stretcher-bearer. The book tackles head-on the question of brain
drain and of going home, without offering an easy answer — and goes as far as showing
how bitterness can turn into political resentment.

Who it’s for: adults.

Une éternité à Tanger — Eyoum Nganguè and Faustin Titi

An African teenager who wants to reach Europe and ends up stuck in
Tangier. Published long before the subject was all over the media.

Who it’s for: ages 14 and up. A hard subject, handled without complacency.

Tamba, l’enfant soldat — Marion Achard and Yann Dégruel

Before a truth and reconciliation commission, sixteen-year-old Tamba testifies about what
he did during the war. The story of a child forced to fight, then of his
rebuilding. The subject is grave, but the telling stays accessible to a
young reader. The country is never named — a deliberate choice by the authors.

Who it’s for: ages 12 and up, ideally followed by a conversation.

The new generation

Djeliya — Juni Ba

A free retelling of the epic of Sundiata Keita
set in a devastated world: the last prince of a dying kingdom and
Awa Kouyaté, his djeli, march toward the tower of the sorcerer who destroyed their
world. The art is stylized, far removed from Franco-Belgian realism.

Why it matters: it shows that African oral heritage can
feed contemporary fiction instead of just being preserved.

Good to know: published in English by TKO Studios. Check whether it’s available in
French before giving it as a gift.

Kwezi — Loyiso Mkize

A young man from Gold City — an imaginary metropolis modeled on Johannesburg —
discovers he has powers, and that they bind him to a heritage he
used to shrug off. The first South African superhero, in a genre where Africa is
usually absent or decorative.

Who it’s for: ages 10 and up. Published mainly in English — check
before giving it as a gift.

Also worth reading: African Mythology: Gods, Spirits and Legends
— the background many of these authors draw on.

Our comics

We publish comics for a specific reason: the titles above are
excellent, but very few are aimed at readers aged 6-12, and even fewer feature
contemporary African children as the heroes of their own story.

Mariam Plays Ball

In the backstreets of Abidjan, Mariam wants to become a footballer. Everyone around her
keeps telling her it’s not for girls. An Ivorian story about
perseverance, with no moral tacked on at the end.

Who it’s for: ages 6-11.
👉 Discover Mariam Plays Ball

The Awakening of the Jeli, then Dissongo

Our Afrofuturist series: the figure of the jeli, the griot, transposed into a
West African science-fiction universe, where legends are still passed down
under the palaver tree. Two books out — The Awakening of the
Jeli opens the story, Dissongo continues it.

What you need to know: it’s an ongoing series — start with book one,
The Awakening of the Jeli. And if you’re looking for a complete story in a single volume,
go for Mariam Plays Ball.

👉 Book 1 — The Awakening of the Jeli ·
Book 2 — Dissongo

How to choose

By age, first. The gap is huge between Akissi (age 6) and Une éternité à
Tanger (14 and up). The comic format is misleading: just because it’s drawn
doesn’t mean it’s for children.

Then by taste. Social chronicle (Aya, Akissi), autobiography
(Pahé), social issues (Malamine, Tamba), fantasy (Djeliya, Kwezi,
The Awakening of the Jeli).

Check the language and availability. Part of Africa’s comics output
is in English or published locally, so it is hard to find in French
bookshops. It’s a real limit of the market, not a detail.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best-known African comic?
Aya of Yop City, by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie. It’s the series that
opened French bookshops to African comics.

Are there African comics for children?
Yes, but the choice is still thin. Akissi from age 6, and books from African
publishers such as Ultimes Griots for ages 6-12.

Where can I buy African comics?
The big titles are in general bookshops. For African publishers, the
most reliable option is their own website.
👉 Our shop

African comics and manga: what’s the difference?
They are distinct graphic traditions. French-language African comics are
close to the Franco-Belgian format (hardcover album, full color). An African comics
scene influenced by manga does exist, notably in Nigeria and South
Africa.

Are all African comics about serious subjects?
No, that’s a cliché. Aya and Akissi are funny above all.

👉 All our creations