He wore tights, he was a pure hero, fighting for good for the sake of being good. The story and its main character, Kwezi, take place amongst the hustle and bustle of the City of Gold. Refresh and try again. 5 things you can learn from the creator of a South African superhero. Sure, we have to figure out what happens when he rescues people from a blazing fire, it will burn off. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. All of that!”, “All of the answers were self-serving, boost himself, boost his own profile. A short white boy, who had been really into the talk and super excited, raises his hand and earnestly and innocently asks Loyiso when he’s going to put a white character in the comic, “a character who looks like me.”. Mkize has created illustrated artworks for a number of comic book projects and is also a fine artist in his own right. What makes the narrative of Kwezi profound is that it is set in a South African context, making it easy for a South African audience to relate to the characters. Just like Kwezi, Loyiso is always hustling. Update: From June 1st, Kwezi has been stocked in Exclusive Books stores nationwide – making it the first South African comic book to be made available at a major retailer. His company produced the South African superhero comic book series KWEZI. (And beyond.) Update: From June 1st, Kwezi has been stocked in Exclusive Books stores nationwide – making it the first South African comic book to be made available at a major retailer. “We gave it a try and we sold out on the first try. This is the book I want to give all of the kids in South Africa. Go get yours! May 31st 2016 To see what your friends thought of this book, Kwezi: Issues 1-3 Collector's edition (Kwezi series, 1), I was not impressed with the Sesotho translation and some of the grammar mistakes in the dialogue but the graphics are amazing and the storyline, enchanting. So, what are these differences then? His preferred medium is … For this reason, each of the heroes with whom Kwezi interacts add a starring role to somewhat sidelined cultural elements in our country. I realised very soon after that I can’t do it at all myself.” By this point, though, Loyiso had enough down to get people on board. Loyiso Mkize He studied and now lives in Cape Town where he has worked as Head illustrator for the south african soccer comic series Supa Strikas. But once I did, I couldn't stop reading. A parallel: it’s hardly as if the Thor comics was made due to the world’s unquenchable demand for new adventures featuring classic Nordic heroes, but the original mythology had enough juice in it to squeeze. It’s cool to see a proudly South African comic like this, set in what seems to be pseudo-Johannesburg! And the publishing? Really?” That’s not to suggest that his friends weren’t supportive, but rather to highlight that when starting a creative project it’s often easy to focus on the limitations – to point out who's done it before and use that as a reason not to push on. With Loyiso as the creator and illustrator, the talented team behind the comic is also comprised of Clyde Beech the colourist, Viwe Mfaku the digital art director and Peter Phillip the software engineer. A bit of a chameleon; he has established himself as an illustrator, designer, and fine artist. Loyiso Mkize is no stranger to the world of South African comics. This is recognised by Loyiso, who insists that despite any conflicts that the protagonists may encounter, the stories for now need to remain positive ones. What makes Kwezi, a 19-year-old resident of Gold City, any different from other comic book heroes? But that’s not important.”, He’s right: no South African kid suddenly endowed with superpowers would suddenly go full Sea Point mom and pull on head-to-toe tights. Like any other kid walking the streets of Johannesburg, Kwezi likes girls and fashion, but his life gets more intricate when he learns that he is different from his peers. Welcome back. “To me, it’s always been important to make characters that look like us and speak like us and dress like us. But one of the more interesting anecdotes comes from earlier this year when he addressed some primary school kids at a quite-larney private school in Johannesburg. Let’s give it a try!”. It is noteworthy to him also just how much praise he gets from older women excited, presumably excited to have their kids grow up with relatable protagonists who they can inspire them. Loyiso’s hope is that Kwezi will ultimately become a cult figure; a one of a kind superhero that truly represents the youth of South Africa. Alice Oseman Recommends Her Favorite YA Graphic Novels. by David Philip Publishers. But then, back at the drawing board, he decided to step back and to walk the streets the story is set in and really understand how it would be if a kid in this context got superpowers. He recently shared his story at a Cape Town Creative Mornings talk; here are 5 things we learned while listening. With Kwezi, we finally have a South African superhero who deals with local issues and makes references to local jokes and who uses slang that is true to the streets of Johannesburg. Furthermore, when you make them interact with the unique aspects of modern South Africa, with fictionalised caricatures of local rappers, comedians and celebrities, what you’re left with is fictionalised yet authentic. Can't wait for more. I can't wait to read the next issue. After years of reading Marvel and DC and their ilk, reading Kwezi was a pleasure! Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Start by marking “Kwezi: Issues 1-3 Collector's edition (Kwezi series, 1)” as Want to Read: Error rating book. It started off a bit slow, so it took me a while to get into it. Kwezi means ‘star’ in Xhosa and Zulu; an appropriate name for a 19-year-old youngster who discovers that he is gifted with super powers. He doesn’t wear the spandex – he wears jeans, All Stars and a leather jacket. Furthermore, Loyiso is always prepped with spare Kwezi issues in his bag, knowing that if he happens to bump into someone of note in the streets, a far-reaching selfie can do double the work of conventional marketing. "After pushing and trying we eventually met up with the people at New Africa Books," Loyiso explains, telling the story of a warm, older white woman meeting with him and taking a look at the book, “This is amazing.