He came to D.C.

from Nigeria; created

his own African comic book world
By David Betancourt, Washington Post on 09.01.16
Word Count 1,027

Roye Okupe quit a web designing job to found comic book company YouNeek Studios. Photo: The Washington Post by
Stephen Voss

WASHINGTON - Roye Okupe didn't read comic books growing up in Lagos, Nigeria.
Comic book shops weren't around. Instead, Okupe was introduced to superheroes through
Saturday morning cartoons such as "Transformers" and "X-Men."
So when he set out to create his own Nigerian superhero, he thought animation was the
way to go. That idea led Okupe on a journey that culminated in him debuting a new
universe of African superheroes. Just not in the way he originally planned.
Okupe, now 31, arrived in the United States in 2002, attending George Washington
University and earning a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science in 2007 and
2009. In between those degrees he took a class in animation at the Art Institute of
Washington. After college, while working as a Web developer for International Software
Systems in Greenbelt, Maryland, Okupe was able to put together an eight-minute animated
trailer featuring his rst superhero creation, Wale Williams, a young, 20-something Nigerian
who suits up in high-tech armor to become the African superhero E.X.O. (Endogenic
Xoskeletal Ordinance).

Okupe shopped his trailer to distributors, television networks and investors for a year and
got nowhere. One movie producer even told him that E.X.O. looked interesting, but he
should think about changing the race of the character.
"That was a down period for me. I really had to dig into believing in myself that I could
actually get this done," Okupe told The Washington Post. "Hearing that from someone who
was in the (entertainment) industry, I almost took it for the gospel. But if you have a dream,
it's your responsibility to make it happen and then people will join the bandwagon once
you start to get some recognition."
Okupe decided to take inspiration from another superhero medium: live-action movies. He
was impressed with Marvel's ability to satisfy both hardcore fans and the general public
alike with its movies. But Okupe concentrated on the format so many movie superheroes
originally came from: comic books.
Comics were much more affordable to produce. Okupe had never written a comic before,
so he ruled out trying to take his ideas to mainstream comic companies. And when he
didn't hear back from "lower-tier" publishers, he decided to produce E.X.O. independently.
So in the summer of 2014, he cashed out his 401k, resigned from his job and founded
YouNeek Studios, the company which he would use to debut his rst comic book, "E.X.O.
The Legend of Wale Williams."
"It's a very big change and a particularly scary one," Okupe said of the moment he quit his
job. "But I knew that to make the impact that I want to make in the comic book industry, I
couldn't do it with a nine to ve.
"I was working as a Web developer and making good money. But this has always been a
dream of mine and I always tell people if you have a dream, no one's going to make it
happen for you."
Okupe recruited four artists in Nigeria to help him produce his rst E.X.O. comic. Ayodele
Elegba would edit his writing. Sunkanmi Akinboye would be his interior pages artist.
Raphael Kazeem worked on coloring and Godwin Akpan did cover art. Not counting the
two times a year he returns home to Nigeria, Okupe does all his communicating with his art
team from his apartment in Rockville, Maryland. It was important for him to have a team
that could capture the cultural essence of his homeland, as E.X.O.'s ctional city of Lagoon
City takes inspiration from Lagos.
"(The artists) are there on a day-to-day basis. They can feel the vibe," Okupe said. "I
wanted people that were close to home but I also really wanted to prove that Nigerian/
African artists as a whole can do stuff that's comparable to what you would see in Marvel
or DC and I think I've been able to accomplish that."
Marvel of course, is home to perhaps the most famous African superhero of all, The Black
Panther, who is a king ruling over a ctional African paradise (Wakanda). Okupe's tales are
also ctional but he aims for a more authentic African feel. The book's characters use
Nigerian colloquialisms (translated in captions), traditional clothing and the country's
monuments.

"The country of Nigeria and the continent as a whole, you always see war, famine, terrorism
we touch on those points," Okupe said. "But I try to pump up as much positivity as I can,
because I feel that's lacking when it comes to Nigeria and Africa as a whole in the
mainstream."
The rst E.X.O. comic debuted on August 31, 2015, and a second arrives Wednesday.
Instead of publishing monthly like many comics, YouNeek Studios produces chapters as
graphic novels, a format Okupe hopes gives potential new readers an easy jumping-on
point without having to worry about catching up on back issues. In the future, Okupe
hopes YouNeek Studios will publish two graphic novels a year.
Okupe worked with printing company Print Ninja to get his comics printed and into select
comic book shops, but they can also be purchased digitally via the YouNeek Studios
website, ComiXology, Amazon and Apple Books.
Okupe used personal savings and family support to fund YouNeek Studios. Two successful
Kickstarter campaigns, which Okupe promoted via blogs and social media, helped cover
the cost of printing. He puts "every dime" he makes from the comics back into YouNeek
Studios and supports himself via freelance Web design work.
"I haven't been kicked out of my apartment yet," Okupe joked. "So I guess I'm doing
something right."
Okupe is now ready to focus on expanding his YouNeek universe with new characters,
including Fury, a female character introduced in the E.X.O. books, Malika, a warrior queen
based in pre-colonial Africa and Windmaker, a hero who has the ability to control the wind.
Creating superheroes is a thrill, but Okupe is most proud of the self-built, diverse fan base
that he hopes will stick around for more adventures.
"I'm having people in South America buy my books. People in Europe and Asia buy my
books," Okupe said. "So it's not just African or African-Americans, it's pretty much anybody
who is interested in a great story."

Quiz
1

What are the two CENTRAL ideas of the article?

(A)

Okupe is an artist who wants to publish Nigerian comic books, and he is

unsure of how to go about hiring writers and artists who can do the job.

(B)

Okupe is an artist whose comics feature Nigerian superheroes, and his

success has been immediate and unprecedented.

(C)

Okupe is a writer who focuses on Nigerian superheroes, but getting his work
published was difcult even though he has now found success.

(D)

Okupe is a publisher who is looking to expand the comics market in Nigeria,

and he is looking for writers and artists to lead this work.

Which of the following sentences BEST reects the CENTRAL idea that Okupe would not give
up on his goals despite setbacks?
(A)

Okupe, now 31, arrived in the United States in 2002, attending George
Washington University and earning a bachelor's and master's degree in
computer science in 2007 and 2009.

(B)

One movie producer even told him that E.X.O. looked interesting, but he
should think about changing the race of the character.

(C)

"But if you have a dream, it's your responsibility to make it happen and then
people will join the bandwagon once you start to get some recognition."

(D)

"But I knew that to make the impact that I want to make in the comic book
industry, I couldn't do it with a nine to ve."

Which sentence BEST summarizes how movie producers and distributors have affected
Okupe's career?
(A)

Movie producers and distributors were very interested in Okupe's work, but
he did not want to sell his vision for money.

(B)

Movie producers and distributors were not interested in Okupe's vision, and
their lack of support motivated him to start his own company.

(C)

Movie producers and distributors disliked Okupe's ideas, and they made
sure no one in the industry would meet with him.

(D)

Movie producers and distributors wanted to publish Okupe's work, but he

wants to work for himself and make his own schedule.

According to the article, each of the following has contributed to Okupe founding YouNeek
Studios EXCEPT:
(A)

receiving a development deal for E.X.O.

(B)

being rejected by producers and investors

(C)

being advised to change the race of his main character

(D)

not receiving replies from "low-tier" publishers

Answer Key
1

What are the two CENTRAL ideas of the article?

(A)

Okupe is an artist who wants to publish Nigerian comic books, and he is

unsure of how to go about hiring writers and artists who can do the job.

(B)

Okupe is an artist whose comics feature Nigerian superheroes, and his

success has been immediate and unprecedented.

(C)

Okupe is a writer who focuses on Nigerian superheroes, but getting his

work published was difficult even though he has now found success.

(D)

Okupe is a publisher who is looking to expand the comics market in Nigeria,

and he is looking for writers and artists to lead this work.

Which of the following sentences BEST reects the CENTRAL idea that Okupe would not give
up on his goals despite setbacks?
(A)

Okupe, now 31, arrived in the United States in 2002, attending George
Washington University and earning a bachelor's and master's degree in
computer science in 2007 and 2009.

(B)

One movie producer even told him that E.X.O. looked interesting, but he
should think about changing the race of the character.

(C)

"But if you have a dream, it's your responsibility to make it happen and
then people will join the bandwagon once you start to get some
recognition."

(D)

"But I knew that to make the impact that I want to make in the comic book
industry, I couldn't do it with a nine to ve."

Which sentence BEST summarizes how movie producers and distributors have affected
Okupe's career?
(A)

Movie producers and distributors were very interested in Okupe's work, but
he did not want to sell his vision for money.

(B)

Movie producers and distributors were not interested in Okupe's vision,

and their lack of support motivated him to start his own company.

(C)

Movie producers and distributors disliked Okupe's ideas, and they made
sure no one in the industry would meet with him.

(D)

Movie producers and distributors wanted to publish Okupe's work, but he

wants to work for himself and make his own schedule.

According to the article, each of the following has contributed to Okupe founding YouNeek
Studios EXCEPT:
(A)

receiving a development deal for E.X.O.

(B)

being rejected by producers and investors

(C)

being advised to change the race of his main character

(D)

not receiving replies from "low-tier" publishers