African comic book collection exhibited at Camp Lemonnier

By Mass Communication Specialist First Class Larry Foos

CJTF-HOA Public Affairs

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti (Aug. 2, 2010) These were not your ordinary books. Using
illustrations and storytelling, the pages are a reader’s sanctuary to discover moral stories or fables
passed down from generations past. They are Africa’s very own comic books, and a unique
collection of them were displayed at the Camp Lemonnier’s dining facility in Djibouti July 30.

Comic book collector Don Dodson had one motive in mind -- to display his African comic books
to make people aware they not only exist, but they also contain stories relevant to Africa’s culture.

“They share the culture of Africa – the positive culture,” Dodson said. “These share the fun part,
the history, the moral stories and fables that are passed down from father to son in different areas.”

Dodson, who currently works as a civilian contractor on camp, started collecting the African comic
books about a year ago. He came across them while working on his African-American comic book
collection. He’s already collected 38 African-based comic books and is in touch with the comic
writers to expand on that.

“I thought, wow that’s a new area. Why don’t I show the African culture through comics to
Americans and anyone else interested while I’m here. That’s how I got started,” Dodson said.

Some of the comic books on display were written and distributed in Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia and
Egypt. One of them was written in Kuwait, representing the Middle East. He says Kenya seems to
print the most number of comic books of those he has, but they are all hard to get.

“Many of them are from the mid-80’s (printed) in Kenya. They are hard to get because they are
(only) in Africa,” Dodson said.

Dodson says some of them can be acquired by printing off of Web sites.
In the meantime, at least for a couple hours, Camp Lemonnier personnel had a chance to see some
African culture illustrated in comic books.