GuideOctober 20266 min read

Congolese Comics and Graphic Novels: A Century of Comic Art from the DRC

From the colonial press of 1921 to Papa Mfumu’Eto, Barly Baruti and the new superheroes of Kinshasa: the history of Congolese comics and the artists who made it.

Zaiire and the ISOLELE cast of Congolese superheroes

Congolese comics are one of the richest comic traditions in Africa, from newspaper strips to full graphic novels. Born in the press of the Belgian Congo in 1921, they lived through colonial rule, Mobutu’s Zaire and today’s Democratic Republic of the Congo. Here is their history, the artists who shaped them, and the new generation writing the next chapter from Kinshasa.

Beginnings in the colonial press

The first drawn strips appeared in Belgian Congo newspapers in the early 1920s. For decades, most of these pages were made by Europeans, either for European readers or to “educate” Congolese ones. From 1948, the magazine Nos Images ran Les Aventures de Mbumbulu in Lingala, Swahili, Kikongo and Tshiluba, a moralising series drawn by a Belgian missionary. Hergé’s Tintin in the Congo (1931) fixed a caricature of the country that generations of Congolese artists would spend their careers answering.

The first Congolese authors

In the 1950s, Congolese artists took up the pen. In 1953, Paul M’Bila launched Mbu et Mpia in La Croix du Congo. In 1958, the Kinshasa writer Albert Mongita created Mukwapamba with artist Georges Lorofi, and he is often called the father of comics in the country.

Jeunes pour jeunes and the age of magazines

After independence, the Kinshasa magazine Jeunes pour jeunes, launched in 1968, became the first great school of Congolese comics. Denis Boyau, Sima Lukombo, Lepa Mabila Saye and Mavilus created African heroes young readers could see themselves in, such as Apolosa and Sinatra. In Lubumbashi, Mwana shaba junior published Mayele, the longest-running series in Congolese comics history.

Mongo Sisé and Barly Baruti, the pioneers

In the 1970s, Mongo Sisé made Zaire laugh with Mata Mata et Pili Pili while slipping in sharp social criticism. In 1980 he joined the Hergé studios in Brussels, a first for an African cartoonist, then returned home to launch the magazine Bédé Afrique. Barly Baruti followed: from Mohuta et Mapeka to Eva K. and Mandrill in Europe, then Madame Livingstone and Chaos debout à Kinshasa, he became the most internationally recognised Congolese comic artist.

Papa Mfumu’Eto and the comics of the street

In the 1990s, Kinshasa invented its own popular comics. Papa Mfumu’Eto 1er sold photocopied booklets on the street in urban Lingala, mixing political satire, the mystical and everyday life. Many artists self-published and sold their own work by hand. That spirit of the author who produces and distributes his own books is still a mark of the Congolese scene.

A generation known around the world

In the 2000s and 2010s, Congolese comics crossed borders. Pat Masioni published Rwanda 1994 and later drew Unknown Soldier in the United States. Serge Diantantu told the story of Simon Kimbangu, while Hallain Paluku, Al’Mata and Thembo Kash found publishers in Europe. In Kinshasa, the magazine Kin Label, led by Asimba Bathy, connected artists and published collective books such as Congo 50, on fifty years of independence.

ISOLELE: the new chapter of Congolese comics

ISOLELE belongs to this story. Founded by HRM King Kufulula, born in Kinshasa, the ISOLELE Universe brings together more than 300 characters and works with 49 illustrators between Kinshasa and Bukavu. Its hero, Zaiire, the Prince of Kongo, is a demigod born on the banks of the Congo River. Mwindo Lumumba, the first African Panther, joins the Mwindo epic of the Nyanga people with the legacy of Patrice Lumumba. Zaïko, a kid from the Kivus, tells eastern Congo from the inside.

ISOLELE gave this African-born comic form its own name: Katiomics, from Katiopa and comics, the way manga belongs to Japan. Katiomics are comics and graphic novels drawn, coloured and written by African artists. Shango et Zaiire is published in six languages, including Lingala, Kikongo, Swahili and Tshiluba, so Congolese children can read superheroes in the language they speak at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Congolese comics?

Congolese comics are comics created by artists from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They first appeared in the press in 1921 and today include authors published in Africa, Europe and the United States.

Who are the great Congolese comic artists?

Among the best known are Albert Mongita, Mongo Sisé, Barly Baruti, Papa Mfumu’Eto 1er, Pat Masioni, Serge Diantantu, Hallain Paluku, Thembo Kash and HRM King Kufulula, creator of the ISOLELE Universe.

Are there Congolese superheroes?

Yes. ISOLELE creates Congolese and African superheroes such as Zaiire, the Prince of Kongo, Mwindo Lumumba and Zaïko, in a universe of more than 300 characters.