Sir Gai - Ibrahim Ganiyu's superheroic alter ego
1. First things first, could you introduce yourself, your company and what you do? Are you a writer, artist or both?
My full name is Ibrahim Adeola Ganiyu, (my alter ego is Sir GAI). I’m a creative person by birth, Graphic designer by Education, Illustrator by choice, Animator by design and an all round artist by everything else. I was born in Lagos in 1976. I schooled early in Lagos, then Ogun state and later back to Lagos, all in Nigeria.
I’m a graphic design graduate from the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos and presently run a creative Products and services company called Imperial Creations Studios Limited (ICStudios) as CEO and Creative Director.
We specialise in Comic, Illustration, Graphics, Animation, Advertising, Video Production and Creative consultancy.
I have worked with and consulted for companies in Video Production, Advertising and TV content development. My core strength is my creative mind channeled most times through my illustrations, animations and most importantly, through comics.
I write (when I can), create story plots (when I can’t), draw, paint (digital and traditional in poster or water colour) and add graphic elements for comic books (both personal projects and all else).
2. How long have you been in the biz?
Always a difficult question to answer but here’s the basics; I have been drawing since io was six and started the company known today as ICStudios when I was 14 (1990) so you could say I have been doing comics and creative works for a little over 19 years now.
3. What inspired you to get into comics?
Is that a question? The real question is what’s there not to inspire you?! Sequential art (comics to the uninitiated) is a great medium for expression that allows both visual and, if your imagination can swing it, audio transmission. A great medium for teaching values, inspiring, entertaining and just bloody fun to read! I always tell people how half of what I know I got from comics. There’s comic physics, comic chemistry, biology, art, socials and even nuclear physics. Add our large and seriously vast cultural and historical heritage in Africa and Nigeria to the mix, there’s a lot to tell and with comics I could do it in a way the whole world could understand. In all the true inspiration is the opportunity to impact the world, one panel at a time.
4. Could you talk a bit about your main title? If you have others, just mention their names.
Dark Edge is our flagship title at the moment. The basic story is about a man who woke up standing in front of a man he obviously was about to kill and cant remember for the life of him who the man is and more importantly, who he is!
Dark Edge is the story of his quest for answers about himself, the mysterious object (daggax) with him and to understand why so many people want him dead. The whole Dark Edge is based on a premise that when a piece of paper or any material at that is burnt partially, the “surviving” parts will forever carry a mark of what has happened… a dark edge, where the fire used to be. Life is like that, Man is like that. What ever has happened to us leaves a mark, good or bad, it becomes part of us. It is what shapes and defines who we are.
Dark Edge the comic is about the scars left on our characters and how some try to understand these scars, others try to fix it and how some are working so hard to get totally burnt.
Other titles coming soon from our stable are; Justice Supreme, Blackguard, Avonome, Lagosia, Area Fada, Tricity, Bigfoot and Sango, the untold tale.
5. I think most of us in Nigeria grew up with superhero comics from the US, 2000AD from the UK and some European comics such as Tintin and Asterix & Obelix. Which of these types of comics would you say influenced you the most as a creator?
I broke my comic teeth on superman (his skin is tough you know), but because I had chosen earlier to be a comic producer, I exposed myself to a lot of comic styles and types. So, I have been and still is into, Obelix, Tintin, DC and Marvel, Darkhorse, manga, a few independent titles, some obscure ones and even some banned ones (no, I will not mention names). How ever the ones that really shaped me as a comic person would be DC comics circa 80’s and 90’s, the Bart Sears and Dan Jurgens era but also my great “babas” Stan and Jim Lee (I know they are not elated)
6. Did you read comic books from elsewhere? If so, could you mention some of their titles?
Elsewhere? Like Nigeria? Quite a lot since the Benbella and Superstory era. Justice and Captain Nigeria, SOS Force, Retaliators, Captain Ecomog, Kinetic, Seige, Aisha to name a few. Then I am also influenced by some specific comic titles like Superman, Spiderman, Appleseed, 2000AD, 300, Sin City, Batman, Hellboy and so many others.
7. When do you think the Nigerian comic book industry will experience a boom (if at all)?
The way the world is going creative, the fact that most comic companies outside Africa are running out of story materials and thus need fresh insight plus the current insurgent of comic people in Nigeria I believe there will be a boom and it’s coming soon. Much sooner that imagined.
8. With the closure of NuMetro, and bookstores around the country struggling to make their profits, do you believe that there is still enough of a reading culture to sustain this nascent industry?
Understanding your environment is what helps keep a business going. People still read a lot; the question is what do they read? There are ardent readers out there in search of materials that align with their desires, and there are those who will read a material if they have first seen it in motion. The key here is to understand what the people want. The readers are out there.
9. Are you privately funded or working with a loan/grant?
Privately funded, I don’t like creditors looking over my shoulder as I work.
10. What challenges have you faced being a comic book creator in Nigeria?
The challenges are as you would find in any developing industry, distribution, funding, transactions, lack of trust, getting experienced producers (printing, our printers don’t know a thing about comic production), equipment to name some.
Of course there is the mindset and cultural barrier to break but with the right kind of product and planning we are finding it easier to operate with each edition published.
11. In my experience, there seems to be a serious lack of trained talent from which to draw from in order to make comic books. Do you find that this is the case and if so what do you think could be done to change it?
Yes, the talent issue. The manpower issue is there and the cause is obvious. We are just getting into a stage where is now not a hell-damning act to draw and most talented guys you could hire are busy in some bank or advertising agency slaving away while they grumble at their bosses. There are artisits and writers ready to draw and write but because the comic business may not yet be regarded as a career yet they prefer to hold on to their day jobs and work freelance on the few projects available. However things are changing, more comic producers are coming out and with initiatives like the Lagos Comics and Cartoons Carnival organised by Revolution Media, comic communities like The United Comic people of Nigeria and comic promotion efforts of companies like Sky Bank, De United foods (Indomitables) and Mustard Seed (Comic panel magazine) and of course your Nigeria Comic showcase website the scattered dots of comic people is coming together like the Justice League and the results will be Universe-shaking! ICS has been organising creative training programmes for Individuals and Schools on comics and animation and the feedback has been amazing, the Talents are here!
12. In the interests of academic research we ask you to make a choice right here: DC or Marvel?
Do I need to still say it? DC joh!
13. Which comic industry model do you think we could benefit the most from by emulating? The American, British, European or Japanese models? All of these have different approaches to work, team sizes, roles and even the modes and frequency of distribution. Do you think one model has all the answers we need with some tweaking or should we pick from all of them and make a new hybrid? Or maybe even ignore them altogether?
There’s a lot to learn from all the industry models, after all they are the fore runners but I would say study them, see their good sides, learn their secrets, learn their mistakes and, using these details, create a unique Nigerian model. This I believe is the surest way to ensure the success of the industry in Nigeria and also to enhance the exportability of comics from Nigeria. And it’s already begun.
14. What do you feel Nigeria could bring to the table of the international comic book scene?
We have a lot to offer. Our culture, traditions, festivals, legends, myths, ideaologies, our crazy social life, our trials and triumphs and even a day in the life of a Nigerian living in Lagos is enough for a must-read comic book. The world need to know more about Africa, and our perspective is soooo radical they’d love it!
15. Do you think there will be a market for Nigerian comic books overseas?
I strongly believe there’s a market for any good, well written and drawn comic book anywhere in the world and if we produce this, yes there is a market for it.
16. What Nigerian comic book has sparked your imagination and/or competitive spirit?
Wow! Tough one. The trouble is mentioning one that I didn’t have a hand in. hmmm…I will say for now, Pandora’s Aisha and Euporya’s Kinetic. There are some others I have seen yet to be released on Nigeria comic book showcase website and some others that I like. Can’t wait to see them
17. In closing, could you leave a message for those reading this?
For Nigerian comic artists, writers, readers, colourists, producers and lovers out there, keep the flag flying, create good stuff, be original, do “pari ise” (fantastic) artworks and never stop. Also let’s encourage the industry and unite. The comic people are coming!
Thank you for your time.
