On Tuesday, 23rd July 2024, the digital platforms of TikTok and Instagram were abuzz with the introduction of a new art style known as Afroblot. This announcement was made by Godwin Jackson (ArtGodwinKing) in his regular updates on the comic and animation industry, shared via his social media accounts. He discussed Erivic Adedayo’s comic book, Jogunomi, which utilises this novel art style dubbed Afroblot, sparking a lively debate in the comment section.

Some users expressed skepticism about the name choice. One comment read, “What's with all this Afro this and Afro that? Why can't we come up with something creative? You're giving Europeans and Americans ammo to generalise our art.” Others outright challenged its novelty. “I can usually distinguish between manga, manhua, and manhwa at a glance. I've seen issue 0, and this style cannot claim the entire genre since other Nigerian artists are using their own styles. So, Afroblot?” another comment noted.

While some struggled to embrace Afroblot, others praised the innovation. “It looks really cool ❤️,” commented Olajide Ajayi, a concept artist and illustrator. “It’s unique and dope,” read another comment.

In response to the controversy, Erivic posted a character design from Jogunomi issue 0 on his page, elaborating on Afroblot in the caption. He expressed gratitude for the attention the discussion was bringing to the comic industry. “I’m glad this is the first time in a long while we are having such a significant conversation about comics, rather than music, movies, or other trendy topics.”

He addressed the concerns raised online about the new art style. “A lot of the conversation has been, ‘Why Afro? Why not a different name? Afro is overused and will create an identity problem in the future, like Afrobeat. Others will want to claim it.’ ‘Afro’ is just an English word that helps denote something from African people. Think of Afro (hair), Afro Samurai (a Samurai of African descent), Afro-Caribbean, etc. Afro simply connotes anything of African origin. Africans are too multilingual to find a single word that represents all African people without favouring one tribal language over another. So, Afro is the safest choice.”

Erivic also explained why he did not opt for a name like Naijablot, highlighting how his career and art have been shaped by influences from various African countries, including Nigeria. He stated, “Another question strongly asked was, ‘Why not Naijablot or something Nigerians can claim?’ My works have long been Afrocentric, and some influences for this development come from old comics from various African countries, including Nigeria. So, it’s impossible to box myself and Afroblot into Nigeria alone.”

He further clarified the need for this style and refuted claims that Afroblot existed before his use of it. “Afroblot, as a pattern, developed from Nigeria but with several influences. Also, Afroblot emerged as a solution to a problem in the African comic book space. You can read the Afroblot section on my website,” he wrote. “It draws influences from existing styles and comics, but it is unlike anything you’ve seen before,” he added.

In a chat with Erivic about the controversy, he mentioned to TheACE that he would be releasing a detailed directory about Afroblot soon.

If you would like to be one of the first to access it, subscribe to our newsletter.