Cartooning in Africa is as varied as the continent itself, but the forms in general will be familiar to readers worldwide. Editorial cartoons have long been used to express political viewpoints, though often under government scrutiny, and newspaper comic strips serve the same entertainment functions as they do elsewhere. Comic books exist as well, though they often feature sporting heroes instead of superheroes.
Yet in more recent years, cartoon art has played an ever-increasing role in how African artists view and define their own culture. Both Senegalese cartoonist T. T. Fons’ popular character Goorgoorlou and the South African comic strip institution Madam and Eve have spawned televison sit-coms. Biographies of Africans (and their descendents) like Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama are also popular. And Disapora artists regularly produce testimony-bearing narratives in comics form, such as in the magazine Africa e Mediterraneo. African cartoonists continue to build their own cartooning traditions.
“Voices” exhibit case and posters, with accompanying iPad display.
Continue on to: Exhibit – Further Reading
