Eugene Ramirez Mapondera
| Eugene Ramirez Mapondera | |
|---|---|
 Eugene Ramirez Mapondera | |
| Born | Eugene Ramirez Mapondera April 14, 1987 |
| Alma mater | Rhodes University |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | Co-founding Comexposed |
| Website | lightbulbsandlazers |
Eugene Ramirez Mapondera is an Animation Film Producer and Creative entrepreneur based in Harare Zimbabwe. He is popularly known as the co-founder of Comexposed, the Zimbabwean Comic Book Convention and as the writer of several graphic novels and comic books including Umzingeli (2015 and 2017), Nhepfenyuro (2016 ComicUP Vol2). He has international films credits for projects as such as The Scrt Princess (2016) and Boston (2014) Since 2019 he served as a Co-owner and Creative Director at Kay Media Africa.
Eugene is the lead researcher at a research consultancy firm focused on the Southern African region creative sector. He conducts workshops and master classes on Animation and Game development, and development of new media in Southern Africa.
Early Career
Eugene started his career in 2009 as a comic book writer and artist. He established himself in Harare where he worked remotely as a freelance artist for international projects. His talents could be seen in storyboards for American and European short films, animations, and television commercials. He also did commissioned work for comic book character designs.
Comic Book Career
He started his career as a freelance storyboard artist under advertising agencies such as Upton Fulton And McCann in 2007 and creating 3D visualisation for Barkers Ogilvy in 2010.
He later founded the specialist agency Sigma Digital Studio where has created comic book characters such as “The Dark Mind” , “Nhepfenyuro Man” and “ Umzingeli The Bounty Huntress”.
Eugene is also a graphic designer and 3D artist.
Since 2007 he has worked with advertising agencies and production houses in Harare such as Upton Futlon And McCann, Barker McCormac, Ogilvy, Saint Productions, NTmedia and Open Edge Publishing and Kay Media Africa which he co-owns and Served as Executive Creative Director.
In 2012 he lectured at the Global Academy in the Animation deprtment.Eugene also became the first Zimbabwean comic book artist to work on a serialized comic book title named Hotshots published under Gemazo Soccer Magazine. He was the penciller, inker and colorist for Hotshots the comic book which was featured as the first serialized comic book by the zimbojam.com . He worked on Hotshots for its first 5 issues.
Eugene Ramirez Mapondera has been associated with other Zimbabwean artists such as Nqobizitha Mlilo, Tinodiwa Zambe Makoni, Solomon Maramba, Tafadzwa Tarumbwa, Mhle Nzima, and Rufaro Rutherford Dhliwayo.
ComExposed - Comic Book Convention
In April 2015 Mapondera organized and hosted Zimbabwe’s First Comic Book Convention through the organisation Comexposed which he co-founded with Tinodiwa Zambe Makoni. During the inaugural event which was held on the 25 of April 2015, Eugene’s comic book Title Umzingeli “The African Bounty Huntress” was released in a comic book anthology entitled ComicUp. The annual convention has been held in Harare to date.
“Comic-UP” 2015
Eugene Ramirez was a contributor to Youneek Studios website as early as 2015. Youneek studios is the publisher of Titles such as Exo the Legend of Wale Williams and Malika. The Studio is headed by Roye Okupe
Publications
Eugene has been listed as a contributor to the following publications:
- “Narratives Crossing Boundaries Storytelling in a Transmedial and Transdisciplinary Context” 29 September 2023.
- “The Uncracked Code” Paperback, 12 April 2018.
Awards and Recognition
In 2022 Eugene Ramirez Mapondera was invited to sit as a Jury Member at the Durban International Film Festival (2022)
He has been a judge for other notable art competitions and events including The Future of Work in a Green Economy, conducted by the International Labor organization (ILO).2019, UNESCO’s ResiliArt Illustration Contest.
