Cameroon.
Cameroon
1945
Cameroonian comics history begins with the sequences of drawings by King Ibrahim Njoya of Bamum in the 1940s, continues with Thomas Durand Kiti's Sam Monfong in the 1970s, and flowers in the 2000s with magazines such as Essingan and Bitchakala and the artist collectives Trait Noir (2005) and A3 (2009).
The Mboa BD festival, held from November 2010 in Yaoundé and later also in Douala, gave the scene a yearly meeting point. Authors such as Joëlle Épée Mandengue, Gunther Moss and Reine Dibussi now publish through crowdfunding, webtoon platforms and publishers in France and Belgium.
23
16
1945
2010s
Artists from Cameroon in the archive.
Comics from Cameroon in the archive.
La Ratte et les Ratons, the earliest comic from Cameroon in the archive.
The decade when the most new comics from Cameroon began.
bande dessinée
Cameroon in 4 chapters
A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.
Cameroon.
4 chapters
Chapter 1
1945
to 1990
Njoya, Sam Monfong and the press
1945
to 1990
Chapter 01
Njoya, Sam Monfong and the press
King Ibrahim Njoya of Bamum made the narrative sequence La Ratte et les Ratons, published in 1945, which researcher Christophe Cassiau-Haurie calls the first Cameroonian comic strip. In the 1970s Thomas Durand Kiti's inspector Sam Monfong ran in a national weekly, and from about 1985 press cartoons became established with occasional comics panels.
1991
to 1999
Chapter 02
Satirical press and caricature festival
Paul Louis Nyemb Ntoogue (Nyemb Popoli) drew the comics page Cinéma Popoli in Le Messager from 1991 and founded the satirical weekly Le Messager Popoli in 1993. The artist association MAC was founded in Douala in 1997 after a workshop with Emmanuel Lepage, and the Yaoundé caricature festival FESCARY began in 1998.
2000
to 2009
Chapter 03
Magazines and collectives
Éditions Akoma Mba launched the magazine Essingan in 2003, and artists such as Christian Bengono, Hervé Noutchaya, Almo, Simon Mbumbo and Christophe Edimo became known through publications like Essingan, Zamzam and Shégué. Artists organised in the collectives Trait Noir (Douala, 2005) and A3 (Yaoundé, 2009), and the youth magazine 100% Jeune ran a comics page by Gunther Moss.
2010
to today
Chapter 04
Mboa BD and new platforms
The A3 collective published the magazine Bitchakala from April 2010 and organised the first Mboa BD festival in Yaoundé on 23 to 27 November 2010; from 2013 it became the Festival international de bande dessinée du Cameroun in Yaoundé and Douala. Joëlle Épée Mandengue's crowdfunded La Vie d'Ebène Duta appeared in 2016, Gunther Moss joined Dupuis's webtoon line in 2020 and Reine Dibussi published the Afro-futurist Mulatako in 2021.
The comics to know
- La Ratte et les Ratons1945 · comic stripIbrahim Njoya. Called the first Cameroonian comic strip by Christophe Cassiau-Haurie.
- Sam Monfongcomic stripThomas Durand Kiti. Inspector character of the 1970s published in a national weekly.
- Essingan2003 · comics magazineÉditions Akoma Mba. Magazine that revealed Christian Bengono and Hervé Noutchaya.
- Bitchakala2010 · comics magazineCollectif A3. Bimonthly magazine in camfranglais, five issues from 2010 to 2012.
- Zamzam le tiers-mondiste2004 · comic book seriesAlmo The Best. Character that reached Spirou in 2004; albums in 2009 and 2012.
- La Vie d'Ebène Duta2016 · comic book seriesJoëlle Épée Mandengue (Elyon's). Crowdfunded series in three volumes, 2016 and 2017.
- Laff Lafrikain2014 · comic book seriesGunther Moss. Humorous series in three volumes at L'Harmattan, 2014 to 2020.
- Mulatako2021 · comic book seriesReine Dibussi. Afro-futurist series based on the Miengu water spirits.
The people to know
- Ibrahim NjoyaKing of Bamum and creator of La Ratte et les Ratons; claimed as Africa's first comics artist.
- Thomas Durand KitiCreator of the 1970s inspector Sam Monfong.
- Almo The BestBorn 1953Prolific comics artist and caricaturist; creator of Zamzam.
- Simon Pierre MbumboBorn 1976Co-author of Malamine and founder of the platform Toom Comics.
- Joëlle Épée MandengueBorn 1982Author of La Vie d'Ebène Duta and founder of the Bilili BD festival.
- Georges PondyBorn 1977Author of the Yaoundé police series CATY and a member of A3.
- Gunther MossBorn 1989Author of Laff Lafrikain and a Dupuis webtoon.
- Reine DibussiBorn 1986Author of Mulatako and founder of Afiri Studio.
More artists from Cameroon
All 23 artists- Annick KamgangBorn 1977 · comics artist
- Christophe N'Galle Edimocomics artist
- Hervé Noutchayacomics artist
- Christian Bengonocomics artist
- Cédric MinloBorn 1992 · comics artist
- Paul Louis Nyemb Ntoogue (Nyemb Popoli)Born 1968 · cartoonist
- Kangol (Kassi Ngoubeyou Olivier)Born 1980 · comics artist
- Chrisany (Francis Taptue Fogue)Born 1978 · comics artist
- Issa NyaphagaBorn 1967 · cartoonist
- Rémy SewadoBorn 1978 · comics artist
- Yannick Deubou SikouéBorn 1986 · comics artist
- Marius DesfoussotsBorn 1975 · cartoonist
More comics from Cameroon
- Lucha, chronique d'une révolution sans armes2018 · graphic novel
- Les enfants du pays2025 · graphic novel
- Malamine, un Africain à Paris2009 · graphic novel
- Android Night2018 · comic book series
- Cinéma Popoli1991 · comic strip
- CATY2012 · comic book series
- Fluide thermal2006 · comics magazine
- La vie c'est la bastonnade2020 · webcomic