The mission: To create a poetry comic anthology inspired by Powerful, Provocative, or Political’ South African Women. Stories are powerful things. Storytelling is one of the most effective ways to put ideas into the world. Comic books have captured the imaginations of many people worldwide. The comic book medium is a booming industry. The idea behind this project is to spotlight South African women who made history and ensure their stories aren’t overlooked by illustrating them through the poetry comic form.
Icons are ordinary people who, against difficult odds, spoke up. The icon is what we choose to remember. Who are some of the South african icons that should be remembered? This is where I asked whose story matters? The saying goes ‘history is written by the victors’.The historical narrative is still being written by those with the most power. Knowing this helps to combat one sided narratives. The concept of historical revisionism encapsulates how a project like this can aid in the empowerment of women. The stories of African women matter. Where are the stories of the heroic South African women in schools or media? It’s always the Anc men, the Bikos and Jan Van Riebecks that are the focus. As a South African woman, it feels like women have no place in the country’s history. It seems as if female icons are largely marginalised in our historical narratives.?
The aim is to create poetry comics based on South African icons. There are so many women with stories in South Africa to choose from. A good place to start for this comic concept is through definitions and an exploration of the criteria need to make that choice. The icon criteria was based on the obvious being gender and nationality. The last criteria was to look at candidates who embody an African feminist identity. The word ‘feminism’ is an import to Africa but the concept has existed long before the word even reached our continent. An African feminist identity signifies the history and legacy of South Africa and the women who challenged forms of oppression. African women bear the responsibility to protect and preserve the histories of African women.
Frank Darabont once said “Visual storytelling of one kind or another has been around since cavemen were drawing on walls”. Storytelling is one of the most effective ways to put ideas into the world since the dawn of time. I am interested in storytelling though comics and poetry. I’m not telling the story of my chosen icons in their voices or just relaying their biographies. This project is more of a personal reflection on their fearless lives and what the cultural legacy of these women has meant for South Africa.
(Click to Explore Project)
Comments