Creators for Creators has announced the 2019 recipients of its annual $30,000 grant. Shobo and Shofela Coker, Nigerian brothers behind the Afro-futurist comic Outcasts of Jupiter, are the third recipients of the grant, which will provide them monetary support and mentorship to create a 64- to 100-page original work over the course of a year.
In an interview with Creators for Creators, Shobo said readers can expect, “Action, adventure, humor, and some gorgeous images. Also a lot of heart, and hopefully a fresh, interesting universe and world view that’s a little different from what they might be used to, an African perspective.”
Shofela added, “Visual influences that draw from contemporary African culture, Moorish architecture, and rich Nigerian mythology. A mind that often composes panels to the rhythm of Fela Kuti and Sade songs. A rare glimpse into an African vision of the future.”
According to the Cokers’ website, Coker CoOp, Outcasts of Jupiter takes place in Morocco in the year 3125. “Earth is a very different place,” the synopsis reads. “Follow four outcasts as they attempt a daring rescue to free their comrade from the Burj, a mysterious tower located in the courtyard of a heavily fortified clifftop palace in the City of Seven Faces.” The comic’s first volume was successfully crowdfunded on Kickstarter in 2014.
The Creators for Creators website makes note that grant recipients have total control over where and how they choose to publish their completed work, but both Iron Circus Comics and Image Comics have pledged to support recipients by publishing their project. Readers who are interested in catching up with the Outcasts of Jupiter story so far can purchase digital or physical copies of the first volume at the Coker brothers’ webstore. Art prints and apparel are also for sale.
Check out a preview of Outcasts of Jupiter below. You can keep up with Coker CoOp on Twitter.
