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Supa
Strikas
8/APRIL/2003
Publisher: Strika Entertainment
Writer: Bruce Legg
Pencils: Bonisa Bonani, Peter Woodbridge &
Mfundo Ndevu
Inks: Michael Crafford, Janine Corneilse, John-Evans
Wagenaar & Henri Roberts
Colors: Francois Mostert, Clair Rivera, Jaimie
Vaughan & Tahira Joseph
Price: Free [Newspaper Supplement]
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Local is lekker so join me as I take a look at a local soccer –themed
issue of Supa Strikas. Although very commercialised
this is one freebie comic with oodles of talent behind it.
Two rival soccer teams fight it out, The Strikas vs. Mighty Orlando.
The evil Orlando mastermind, Vince, has managed to recruit an ex-Strikas
player to help them win. With the inside help will Orlando be able
to win the big match?
The story is pretty basic in nature as a comic of this nature normally
is. It has just enough setup to make the on-field action compelling
and interesting. The fun sub-plot centred around two friends trying
to get into the stadium adds too the humour of this issue and is
a nice visual break from the oodles of soccer scenes found within
the pages of Supa Strikas.
Visually this book is up near first place as far as South African
colour comics go. So few local books have colour, due to artistic
choice or printing costs, and when they do come along they are normally
flat and void of depth. The colouring in this book is really
of a high standard. The definition along the fold lines
of clothing is especially nice and the overall colouring of the
uniforms and clothing is of an excellent calibre. My only sore point
on the colouring side would have to be the ‘skin-tone’
colouring, especially on faces. It seems to lack depth because the
colourists have used a soft gradient style. This style seems to
soften the faces and leave a ‘make-up’
feel to a lot of the facial art. This ‘babyfaced’
look just seems odd on all the characters, especially when they
have an angered or evil look. Some sharp lines and adjustments to
facial tones could have completed an otherwise brilliant colouring
job.
One thing to consider when looking at the art on this book is to
take into account that this is a collaborative effort with
three pencillers, four inkers and another four colourists. With
this in mind it is really a very consistent comic considering all
the factors that work against a big team style of production. There
is so much room for failure with so many people involved so it must
be mentioned that the overall result of everyone’s effort
is a very impressive comic from the artistic standpoint.
Ok the major positive and the major negative of this comic can be
mentioned in two words, corporate sponsorship.
It allows this comic to be of a top productive calibre and allows
for free distribution and a full colour print job. It however also
allows for a lot of fans of comics and others to overlook its artistic
merits because it’s free, and it loses artistic credibility
by having enforced logos and products pushed in almost every panel.
Look past these last few negative points and you’ll find a
well rounded showcase of artists exploring a fun local theme.
All credit must be given to the writing team as they contribute
clever workarounds for the advertising by incorporating ad-based
themes into the storyline, such as the Freestyle trick from an advert
being used by a player during the big match in the main storyline.
Overall this has got me excited about the wealth of talent available
in South Africa. I love the fact that it’s showing off SA
colourists, it’s about time. A collaboration of creators have
come together to produce a really fun and enjoyable book
for all to enjoy.
Score 8/10
Reviewed By:Iain Duncan
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Comic Reviews
