The revolutionary power of comics | Somto Adjuluchukwu | TEDxTudu
## Speaker Context
- Speaker identity: Not explicitly stated, but discusses Nigerian/African culture, comics, and spirituality.
- Audience, setting, occasion of the talk: An event where the speaker is presenting, possibly a convention or forum related to comics/culture.
- Any framing the speaker establishes for themselves up front:
- The discussion is a "battle between two ages of beliefs": angels vs. traditional beliefs (gods).
- The speaker emphasizes that "our most distinctive and powerful attributes is our spiritual beliefs."
## People
- Little girl Caucus: Protagonist in the *Land of Gods* comic, born in New York, father Nigerian, mother American.
- Grandmother: Person Caucus visits in Nigeria.
- King Khufu: Pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire who designed the pyramids in Giza.
- Zodiac: Mentioned in connection with the Dogon tribe's astrology knowledge.
- Drake: Mentioned by the speaker when discussing race/identity ("Drake is black").
- Tom Tarr: Presenter who states, "my name is Tom Tarr".
- Jewry Chikku: Presenter representing Vortex Corp.
## Organizations
- Vortex: Comic book publisher; has published over 60 comic books in the past three years and made animated short films.
- DC Comics: Mentioned in comparison to the scope of African stories.
- Netflix: Mentioned as a platform where a bulk of animation content is anime.
## Places
- Africa: General region; source of cultural narratives and spirituality.
- Europe: Mentioned as a contrast to the return concept (Africa/Europe return).
- Nigeria: Speaker's origin; location where Caucus visits.
- Accra: Location of a book festival mentioned.
- Lagos: Location of a Comic Con mentioned.
- Mali: Location of the Dogon tribe.
- Giza: Location of the pyramids designed by King Khufu.
- New York: Birthplace of Caucus.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- Comic Book: Medium of storytelling; Vortex has published over 60.
- Animated Short Films: Created by the speaker's group.
- Spirit Laws: Name of a comic called by the speaker.
- Quadrant/Mirror: Object Caucus encounters in Nigeria that leads her through time/dimension.
- Book: Format for *Mama Juju*.
## Concepts & Definitions
- Return: Goes beyond a physical location; it's a state of mind, a state of heart, and a state of spirit.
- Spirit Fiction: New terminology coined by the speaker; describes African stories driven by mythology, culture, and traditional spirituality/philosophy.
- Black Magic: A term used by white men to describe African wonders; the speaker claims it is not the correct definition.
- Land of Gods: A destination/state the speaker aims for; associated with a return.
## Numbers & Data
- 60: Number of comic books Vortex has published in the past three years.
- 2015 to 2018: Timeframe when the speaker started their company.
- 2019: Year when the group arrived at Kong Ghana.
- 13: Caucus's age when she enters the Land of Gods.
- 30,000: Number of subscribers amassed over the past four years.
- Three years: Duration over which 60 comic books were published.
## Claims & Theses
- Over time, our culture has slowly been eroded, and we have embraced foreign religions/spiritual ethics and called it ours.
- Africa doesn't have a lack of narrative in terms of the stories being told.
- The problem is the direction on which our stories are being told.
- Colonialism has gone into society so much that you don't even need to leave the continent to be colonized.
- Africa needs to acknowledge its history and accept its mythology as part of its history.
- We need to accept our spirituality outside Christianity or Islam as part of our culture.
- Spirituality in the African context is in line with nature.
- The speaker’s group is setting the pace for an entire generation.
- Language is one of the biggest barriers.
- Our language is our power; our language is our truth.
- African culture is commercial; it is commercial in the most commercial way possible.
- The biggest lie is the "international acceptable content" narrative.
- Every single return is a solution, every single return is change, every single return is advancement.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- Spiritual Beliefs as Storytellers: The core system of belief transmitting narratives.
- Spiritual Intervention: Needed when a black child idolizes a black man who did phenomenal things (as a replacement for other forms of recognition).
- Developing Spirit Fiction: A research process that went deep into diverse cultures, such as the Dogon tribe in Mali, regarding astrology.
- Cross-over Event: The nature of the *Spirit Laws* comic book.
## Timeline & Events
- Past three years: Period in which Vortex published over 60 comic books.
- 2015 to 2018: Period when the speaker was building their company.
- 2019: Year they arrived at Kong Ghana.
- Past 10 to 15 years: Period when many people started aspiring to study abroad.
- Last four years: Period leading up to the current fifth year.
## Examples & Cases
- Mango tree: Analogy used for needing to "pull the branch" to get the fruits (metaphor for creating trouble/change).
- *Mama Juju*: The first comic book made, which required making "a lightness out of our black magic."
- Harry Potter: Example of a foreign narrative trope that shouldn't dictate self-perception for black kids.
- Doing a biological experiment: Illustrates a breakthrough that shouldn't require learning English first.
- Japanese/Chinese civilizations: Example of self-sufficiency demonstrated by creating their own "Google" and "Twitter."
- *Land of Gods*: Comic book case study featuring Caucus, the mirror, and the Land of Gods.
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- Choice between economics/econometrics/numbers/tables vs. telling stories: Speaker choosing narrative over traditional career path.
- International acceptable content vs. authentic culture: The lie perpetuated by the international market.
- Physical location vs. State of mind/heart/spirit: Defining "Return."
- Being colonized by systemic belief vs. developing own culture: The ongoing struggle.
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- It's okay for black kids to watch Harry Potter, but it's not okay for a black kid to express the desire to wield an axe (implying limited roles).
- While many people know Zeus and Poseidon, the knowledge needs to be deep/practical, not superficial.
- The speaker concedes that the current focus is not just on "doing stories under a table in the studio hiding."
- The speaker notes that the *Land of Gods* story is one of many that went on, and some details might not be relatable due to the speaker being from Nigeria.
- The speaker cautions that taking the opportunity/decision as a holiday is wrong; it must be seen as purpose.
## Methodology
- Researching diverse cultures: Used to populate the Spirit Fiction concept, specifically mentioning the Dogon tribe and their astrology knowledge.
## References Cited
- The Dogon tribe in Mali: Source of astrology knowledge studied.
- King Khufu: Reference regarding the depth of Egyptian knowledge that rivaled the Enlightenment.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- We need to acknowledge our history and accept our mythology as part of our history.
- We need to accept our spirituality outside Christianity or Islam as part of our culture.
- We need to practice it, even if it's not in the most active way (e.g., going for festivals like the festival in Akwamu).
- We need to take pride in our language and put it at the forefront of our education.
- We need to stop colonizing ourselves.
- We need to find the Land of Gods; it is not just "coming back to Africa."
- Purpose is central: "Every single return is a solution... it's purpose."
## Implications & Consequences
- If the culture is not valued through language, the outcome is that children learn to dress/aspire to school abroad, leading to loss of culture.
- If the "international acceptable content" lie is believed, creators will produce mundane, repetitive, and controlled content.
- If the speaker's ideas are followed, the outcome is building a self-sufficient culture with its own technological/creative platforms.
## Open Questions
- How can a child in a remote area of West Africa have a breakthrough in science if they have to learn English first?
- What is the specific nature of the "Land of Gods" that the children must discover?
## Verbatim Moments
- "it's your state of mind it's your state of heart and it's your state of spirit."
- "Africa doesn't have a lack of narrative in terms of the stories being told but the problem is the direction on which our stories are being told."
- "I have something to tell I have a story to tell I want to tell these stories I want to you know I want to break out from the cycle."
- "Kangana is a swahili word that means togetherness and the only true way that we can actually come together to achieve our journey to the land of gods where we are right now is by doing it together."
- "the land of god speaks about the little girl caucus year born in New York her father Nigerian her mother American she comes back into Nigeria on a holiday to see her grandmother and discovers a miracle."
- "African culture is commercial its commercial as for the TEDx sake it is commercial in the most commercial way possible."
- "Returning is understanding your purpose as an African child as African descent as African origin is taking pride in your culture is taking pride in your spirituality."