2500 drawings, from 32 African countries, were scanned and placed on the web at www.africacomics.net to be consulted for free. A project by Lai-Momo and the magazine Africa e Mediterraneo to promote the largest collection of comics, drawings and illustrations in Africa, unique in its kind, which winds through wars, stories of rebirth, collective imagination and hunger.

It all started in 1999, by a team of experts of African culture and contemporary creativity, looking for new ideas to show Europe the richness of the African contemporary environment. The goal was to overcome the stereotypical idea of ​​the African continent. as a land that needs assistance, as a destination for tourist safaris and cradle of tribal communities. With this idea in mind, Africa and the Mediterranean together with the social cooperative of Sasso Marconi (Bo) Lai-Momo, both involved in the research and development of contemporary cultural movements in Africa, have decided to focus on one of the most expressive artistic forms and global of this decade: the comic book. They have therefore established a partnership with African cartoonists, developing projects and sharing ideas that have culminated in the “Africa and Mediterranean Award for Best Unpublished Comic Strip by African Author“, a competition for the whole of Africa that has helped new authors to emerge and brought the African comic strip all over the world, with exhibitions in Bologna, New York, Brussels, Maputo and Dakar, to name just a few.

Lai-Momo was present at Angoulême Comics International festival 2018

From these numerous initiatives on the African comics, over the years Lai-Momo has received, collected and acquired many original comics, drawings and publications. Most come from sub-Saharan Africa, which now form one of the richest collections of African comics in the world. 2500 drawings that have been digitized, but which can also be physically visited at the Center Sasso Marconi, open to academics, students and experts who wish to see the originals for study and research purposes. Those wishing to visit the collection can write an email: aprogetti@laimomo.it and request an appointment.

Cooperativa sociale Lai-Momo website: http://www.laimomo.it/a/
You can buy African on the website comics published by the cooperative.

Africa e Mediterraneo Magazine (English version):
http://www.africaemediterraneo.it/en/journal/

Gallery of some satirical cartoons and comics from the collection