All About Us

Wits AfroManga is a fourth-year research project created by and for the Wits Digital Arts Department. It is currently the only research project of its kind in the country and consists of both a practical and theoretical component.  

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The practical component requires students to work in teams of two to produce a complete chapter of a unique AfroManga. These chapters are compiled into an annual compendium, which is distributed on a one-time basis. Artists and writers work together to realize their story arcs by carefully considering how written scripts translate into panel layouts, character designs and speech bubbles. As such, both artists and writers must take on various roles to complete their projects. 

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The theoretical component involves student-led, academic research in and around comics and manga as a cultural practice. Here, students spend their time interrogating the storytelling conventions used by the global comics industry; the social and cultural impact of comics and manga on the African creative voice; and what it means to produce AfroManga within the Southern African diaspora.  

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This project takes place over six to eight months, during which students are also able to participate in marketing and networking activities such as Comic Con Africa and the Fak'ugesi Festival.