LOS ANGELES, CA (November 19, 2024) – Celebrated authors Shobo and Shof (New Masters) draw from their Nigerian heritage for the heist of a lifetime. Joined by Eisner winning illustrator Alexandre Tefenkgi (The Good Asian), Shobo and Shof bring BRONZE FACES to BOOM! Studios in 2025. Prepare for a story that’s at once an exhilarating adventure and a breathtaking descent into mythology, history, and the horrors of colonialism.
Soho, London. Estranged childhood friends Timi, Sango, and Gbonka reunite on the eve of the British Museum’s historic purchase of the works of Timi’s father. Timi has been invited as a “guest of honor,” but what the Museum is heralding as a triumphant acquisition, the trio see as nothing short of brazen cultural theft.
Emboldened by a night of drinking and shared outrage, the friends concoct a scheme to steal back the seminal artwork themselves!
But when the trio find themselves in possession of “The Register,” a document outlining dozens of colonial-era stolen artifacts, their sights turn even higher to the Benin Bronzes–the British Museum’s cache of nearly 1,500 works of stolen art from the Kingdom of Benin…
“Bronze Faces is our bold answer to the question, ‘What if we took our heritage back by any means necessary?’ We’ve crafted a story that’s part heist, part homecoming, and part myth. I can’t wait for readers to dive into the action with us,” said series co-creator Shobo.
“Bronze Faces is an idea we all may have had at some point standing in some of the world’s most prominent museums. ‘What happens if I just took that priceless sculpture home with me back to Nigeria? While jamming to afrobeat, preferably Fela, wearing a bronze leopard mask, flipping the bird, and wearing a stylish getaway outfit that you can see from space’… Right?!” said series co-creator Shof.
“The creation process for Bronze Faces is completely different than what I’ve ever done so far,” said series artist Alexandre Tefenkgi. “The creative team is composed as if we were crafting an animated feature, which is new and thrilling for me. So much care, research and attention to details are being put into this work, it’s just mad. I couldn’t NOT be a part of this, even if the challenge of drawing these issues is definitely going to make me sweat this winter!”
BRONZE FACES #1 features main cover art by series co-creator Shof, and variant covers by acclaimed illustrators Alexandre Tefenkgi, Dan Mora (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), and Tula Lotay (Somna).
BRONZE FACES is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; bestselling horror anthology Hello Darkness; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; Ghostlore by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs; Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Underheist by David and Maria Lapham; Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross; Minor Arcana by Jeff Lemire; Vicarious by Ryan Parrott and Eleonora Carlini; and The Creeping Below by Brian Azzarello and Vanesa Del Rey. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Corrino from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Simone Ragazzoni; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle, Rubine, and Francesco Pisa.
BRONZE FACES #1 will be available in comic shops February 5, 2025. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.
For continuing news on BRONZE FACES and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on X.
About Shobo:
Shobo is a writer and narrative designer born in Lagos, Nigeria, and currently based in Prague. His work includes creator-owned comics such as Outcasts of Jupiter (Kickstarter), New Masters (Image Comics), Buckhead (Boom! Studios), and Hot Ground (Heavy Metal Magazine). In addition to comics, Shobo worked as a Narrative Designer on The Lamplighters League for Paradox Interactive and helped establish the indie game studio Endless Adventures Inc. in the Philippines. With a passion for cultural authenticity and storytelling, he focuses on developing African-centered worlds, characters, and narratives that resonate deeply with audiences.
About Shof:
Shof is a Nigerian illustrator and director for animation. He co-created and illustrated New Masters (Image Comics), an Africanfuturist adventure comic with Shobo in 2022. He has primarily worked in animation as an art director on such projects as the animated documentary, Liyana (Prime) and as a director/writer on the short film, Moremi (Disney +). His primary influence comes from a love of Yoruba mythology, sculpture, and printmaking craft from Southwestern Nigeria.
You can find me @shofcoker on social media.
About Alexandre Tefenkgi:
ALEXANDRE TEFENKGI is an international comic book artist of Vietnamese-Djiboutian descent. He’s the visual creator of the Eisner and Harvey winning comics The Good Asian with Pornsak Pichetshote, as well as the post apocalyptic love story Once Upon a Time at the End of the World with Jason Aaron. He specialised in character-driven stories and emotional poetry. His craft is devoted to expressing the complexity of human relationships.
