Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Roye Okupe attended the prestigious Kings College Lagos before moving to Washington DC to study Computer Science up to MSc level. He is a talented professional who has been involved in a number of laudable projects. In this exclusive interview, he spoke to Innovation Village on his new project that can be a global success and a game changer. He called it EXO – a superhero story about a futuristic Africa.
Roye Okupe: I briefly attended the Art Institute of Washington to study animation. However, most of my skills are self-taught through sleepless nights and countless books and online videos. By day I am a Web Developer (9-5) but on nights and weekends I focus on pursuing my passion in Comic Books, Animation and everything Superheroes.
While I do have animation expertise, it is nowhere close to the quality I believe is necessary to produce a great feature animation (or TV series). It was then I decided I would focus on being Producer/Writer/Creator. That is where my true strength lies. I have at one point in my life been involved with: Web Design, Graphic Design, Animation, Editing, Visual Effects, Directing, Feature Film Production, Script Writing, IT, Business Development, Sound Design and Music. Acquiring these skills have given me a rare talent to delegate and manage huge multimedia projects because I can talk with and give instructions on any one of the aforementioned categories.
Innovation Village: What projects have you been involved with before, which ones are you doing now?
I have worked on several animated projects and short films as well as a few TV commercials projects. However one of the bigger projects I worked on was being Assistant Director, Producer and Editor on a feature film titled D’Comeback which premiered in 2012 at the Silverbird Cinema in Lagos. You can see the trailer here (I developed it).
Let’s talk about this full color graphic novel project. What is the story and vision behind it?
E.X.O. The Legend of Wale Williams in a 2-part graphic novel set for release later this summer. The plot of E.X.O. follows the journey of an impetuous young man named Wale Williams who is tricked into returning home after a 5-year absence. Upon his return Wale finds a cryptic nanosuit that grants superhuman abilities, left behind from his now missing father Dr. Williams. After initially refusing to have anything to do with his father’s work, Wale realizes he must use the suit to investigate his father’s disappearance, as well as persistent attacks on his people by an extremist named Oniku.
What are your plans for it?
My mission with EXO: The Legend of Wale Williams is to put Africa on the map when it comes to telling superhero stories, be it animated or through superhero comics and graphic novels. We have so many people with a wealth of creative and appealing stories on the continent, but they never really get the proper commercial exposure. I myself experienced this when I approached investors and distributors. I was told it was a great idea, but there was no fan base for this sort of product. But I refuse to believe that. I believe if done properly (great script, good production values etc.), Nigerians, Africans and people all over the world will be receptive. We don’t necessarily love characters like Superman, Batman or Spiderman because of their place of origin. We love them because they have great stories we can identify with. That’s why I took my time (5 years so far) in developing the story and characters. My hope is that EXO fulfills my life long goal of adding something unique to the superhero genre.
What are the unique features of this initiative?
It’s a superhero story about a futuristic Africa. It’s something that hasn’t really been done before. I did that because it’s the last thing you think of when you put the two words “Superhero” and “Africa” together. With the tech industry booming in Africa, I wanted to in my own way shine light on that fact. There a certain way Africa and Africans a portrayed in some international media outlets, I want to change that. Why can’t we have a smart African person (or people) building sophisticated technology? We have that right now and its time the world is aware.
How much do you need in all?
A lot – and that’s just for the book. And don’t even get me started on the cost it would take to eventually produce the animation hopefully in the future. To date I’ve invested a lot of money into producing the book. The Kickstarter is to raise as much money as possible to complete it and hopefully print as many copies as possible to get enough buzz.
I can see more than $3,000 have been pledged, what does that suggest in relation to the project?
I think people, and not just Africans, but people all over the world are ready for something like this. It’s about time we get more “commercial” African superhero stories. And like I said I am not the only one, neither am I the first. There are a lot of talented people in Nigeria and Africa producing great work. They need the exposure. I’m hoping I can experience a certain level of global success, because that will only attract investors and distributors for not just me, but everyone else who has a similar project in comics, animation, film or even video games. It’s a movement for diversity in the genre and the movement is way bigger than me or E.X.O.
What other funding options are available and why are you not exploring them?
Trust me I have explored every option including begging investors and distributors. It seems like I came from nowhere but this has been in the works for almost 4 years. I tracked down and chased investors and distributors all over the globe. Some expressed interest but it never went anywhere. In this business it’s about who you know. And I knew no one influential in the biz. It was actually a very tough time for me and I was close to giving up. But I thought to myself, rather than wait for someone to give me millions for the animation, why don’t I take matters into my own hands. Fund the book yourself, put it out there and let the public decide whether or not it deserves to be produced as an animated movie or series. If we get enough buzz it will be easier to get a network or distribution deal. Because then we have proven there is a market for it.
Who will enjoy the graphic novel mostly, and what is the target market?
Personally I believe if you love a good story you will like the book. However I cannot deny that it is targeted at people who love superhero stories. And it’s not just for Africans. Anyone can enjoy it. Like I said we don’t watch Spiderman because of where he is from, but because we can identify with his story.
I tried to make Wale as relatable as possible. I didn’t want to make him too different from you and me. We all have things we struggle with, pains from our past and worries of our future. Wale is a very troubled soul at the beginning of the book. Throughout his journey he learns a lot of painful life lessons as we all must do as we grow. Without giving too much away, the best way to explain his journey is that it is a story of redemption.
What are the market potentials for it?
I strongly believe it can be a global success and a game changer. It just needs to get in front of as many people as possible.
Which almost similar project do you think yours could be compared to?
Hmmm, (that’s a) tough question. I don’t think I can pinpoint a singular project. What I’ll say is it has everything superhero fans generally hope for.
