In the global comic industry, shared universes, collectives, and collaborative publishing houses are often the rule not the exception.
Marvel and DC thrived by building shared worlds where characters crossed over, creators worked in teams, and IPs were bolstered by collective world‑building.
In Japan, mangaka studios work in collaborative ecosystems even when individual creators have their own titles under the same house.
In Nigeria, however, the story is very different. Instead of collective efforts, comic books often feel like islands: single creators, single IPs, single visions.
Artists publish alone. Writers release solo titles. Publishers operate independently.
Instead of a unified Nigerian comics brand, we have dozens of unconnected projects all vying for attention in a crowded and fragmented space.
This pattern raises a provocative question: Why can’t Nigerian comic publishers come together and build a stronger, unified industry?
Or more bluntly, what’s stopping us from being greater than the sum of our solo parts?
To answer that, we must dig into several layers of creative psychology, business realities, and cultural dynamics.
The Solo Mindset: A Legacy of Independence or Isolation?
Many Nigerian comic creators identify as “solopreneurs” first and visionaries second.
They often start producing comics because they have a personal story to tell, a unique style that feels all their own, or an artistic identity they don’t want diluted.
In such cases, going solo feels natural. It is freedom. It is expression without compromise.
But there’s a downside: isolation.
Knock on any creative’s door and you’ll hear variations of the same story:
“I didn’t want to share my vision.”
“I was afraid of compromise.”
“I had one idea and I wanted full control.”
These are authentic feelings, but they also hint at a deeper problem: many creators equate collaboration with compromise and loss of autonomy.
In a world where global comic titans operate as teams, Nigerian creators often feel that working together will dilute their voice, their style, their brand.
But does independence always serve the creator, or is it sometimes a defense mechanism against the messiness of partnership?
Ego and Recognition: When Personal Brands Trump Collective Growth
Ego is an uncomfortable truth in any creative ecosystem, and comics are no exception. Creators want name recognition.
They want to be “the one who created X character.” In Nigeria’s burgeoning industry, a creator’s reputation can mean everything especially when trying to attract sponsors, freelance gigs, or international attention.
Solo publishing allows a clear credit line: This is my work. This is my vision. This is my legacy.
But this ego‑driven drive to protect personal brand often shuts the door on collaboration.
Shared worlds require shared credit. Shared ownership means splitting recognition.
And for a generation of creators still fighting for visibility, that can feel like surrender.
Yet when revenue is split among many, there is often more pool to share. But pride often prevents creators from even discussing shared worlds or shared publishing houses.
The question is: Are we prioritizing personal identity over building brands that could be bigger than all of us?
Profit Sharing and the Ownership Quandary
One of the biggest barriers to collaboration is money. Not the lack of it, but how it is shared.
If Creators A, B, C, and D come together and publish a shared comic universe, then the question becomes:
Who owns what? Who gets what percentage? What happens when one character becomes globally successful and the others don’t?
Profit sharing models are complex, and many creators lack experience in negotiation, contracts, or equitable splits.
In the absence of clear industry standards, the fear of losing control of one’s IP is real.
“Nigeria doesn’t have a strong tradition of collective IP ownership,” a mid‑career comic creator recently told me.
“So when someone says we can share a universe, I immediately think, who gets my share? What if I want to sell my character later?”
In other markets, there are established frameworks for these questions. But locally, this conversation is still new and emotionally charged.
Trust Issues: When Creatives Don’t Trust Each Other to Deliver
Trust is the foundation of any collaboration. Yet in the Nigerian comic scene, there are stories some whispered, some widely known of creatives being let down by teammates, deadlines being missed, ideas being copied, or profits being withheld.
This doesn’t mean everyone is untrustworthy. Far from it. But in a space where formal contracts are rare and handshake agreements are common, fear of betrayal is real.
And that fear keeps creators working alone, believing that independence is safer than shared risk.
Without robust legal frameworks, enforceable contracts, and transparent accounting models, creatives often choose the devil they know: solo work.
Free Spirit Culture: Artists Resist Anything That Feels Restrictive
There is a culture within the creative community that celebrates the “free spirit.”
Artists want autonomy. Writers want creative latitude. Game designers want room to innovate. No one wants to feel boxed in.
But here’s the contradiction: true freedom does not exist without structure. Structure is not a restriction. It is a framework that makes big dreams executable.
Creators celebrate freedom but resist discipline. They want control but fear accountability.
They want independence but despise isolation. This free‑spirit mindset is romantic, but not always productive.
The Pros and Cons of Going Solo vs. Collaborative Publishing
Let’s break it down:
Going Solo – Pros
• Full control of creative vision
• Clear ownership of characters and IP
• Faster decision‑making
• Full revenue (no splits)
Going Solo – Cons
• Limited capacity to scale
• Harder to enter global markets
• No shared workload
• Risk of burnout
• Limited cross‑pollination of ideas
Collaborative Publishing – Pros
• Shared expertise (writers, artists, marketers)
• Stronger IP ecosystems
• Bigger audience reach through combined networks
• Shared risk and cost
• Potential for franchise growth (TV, animation, merch)
Collaborative Publishing – Cons
• Complex profit sharing
• Potential for creative conflict
• Requires more trust and legal structure
• Longer decision timelines
Both sides have merit, but the Nigerian comic industry currently leans heavily toward solo publishing, even when collaboration might offer greater long‑term rewards.
Is It Time to Build Comic Houses Instead of Comic Islands?
Look around. Comic titles in Nigeria are multiplying, but each operates like an isolated brand.
There is no central publishing house that rivals the industry.
No Nigerian equivalent to Marvel or Kodansha that allows individual creators to contribute to a shared universe while retaining fair credit and profit participation.
This isn’t necessarily because creators are short‑sighted. It is because the ecosystem has not matured to support shared IP, transparent contracts, and collaborative revenue models.
But as the industry grows, this question becomes more urgent:
Do creators want to remain solo talents, or do they want to build institutions that outlive them?
Because right now, Nigerian comics feels like a thousand different fires burning separately instead of one big fire capable of warming the whole country.
We Want to Hear From You
This article is not the final word. It’s a conversation starter.
Have you ever chosen to go solo? Why?
Have you tried collaborating and failed? What happened?
Do you trust other creators enough to build a shared comic universe?
Would you rather control 100 percent of a small IP or 30 percent of a global franchise?
Drop your experiences in the comments. Tell us your story.
Because until we talk about our fears, our grudges, our victories, and our regrets, we will never know whether collaboration is a threat or our biggest opportunity.