Philosophy goes beyond superheroes and special powers
Are you a comic book collector? If so, when did you start collecting?
Tapelo Zama: I wouldn’t call myself a collector per se. I do buy comics on occasion but I do not buy them frequently enough to call myself a collector. I am more of a casual buyer of comic books. However, I have been buying comics for a very long time, back when CNA used to sell comics and that was way back in the mid-1990s.
What was the first comic book you’ve ever received/read?
I believe the first comic I ever bought was a Superman comic. I was not loyal to one particular superhero and as a child I always tried to mix it up. So sometimes I would buy Superman the next time
I would buy Batman, the next time I would buy X-men just to see how they are different from each other and to explore all these different worlds out there.
Who’s your favourite comic character of all time and why?
My favourite comic book character is quite an obscure one — a character known as Doctor Manhattan in the Watchmen graphic novel by writer Alan Moore
Dave Gibbons. The graphic novel for a long period of time was a stand alone story that existed outside of the DC universe which was a more “realistic” look at superheroes and was a lot more philosophical, a lot more mature and gritty and Doctor Manhattan existed in this world as the only being with superpowers.
Do you have a South African favourite comic book/character? I am going to say Captain South
Africa and the Captain South Africa comic by Bill Masuku. It is a very interesting story, and it is well written and the world is very thoughtfully put together. It also touches on politics and themes that are very topical and relevant that a lot of South Africans can relate to.
What should one look out for when buying a comic book?
If someone is looking to buy a comic book, especially if they go to a comic book store, my suggestion would be to tell whoever is at the store what you like, but to also keep an open mind — you may be surprised at the variety that is out there. There is more to superheroes than Marvel and DC comics. —