Supa Strikas
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| Country | Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Colombia, East Timor, Egypt, El Salvador, Finland, France, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines, Poland, Republic of Palau, Reunion, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia |
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| Language | English, French, Spanish, Bahasa Malaysia, Tagalog, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi Urdu and Kiswahili |
| Genre | football-themed comic |
| Published | 2001-present |
Supa Strikas is a pan-African association football-themed comic,[1] about the titular football team dubbed "the world's greatest". Despite their enormous talent, the players must adapt in a game where being the best is only the beginning, and where the opposition is always full of surprises. The Supa Strikas comic prints 1.4 million copies per month in 16 countries. Supa Strikas also appeared on Caltex and Texaco as an ad.
The comic's global headline sponsor is Chevron (the Caltex and Texaco brands appear on Supa Strikas’ match and training apparel), with other headline sponsors including VISA, GT Bank and Henkel. Partner sponsors also feature depending on region, including Grassroot Soccer, Metropolitan Life, Spur SteakRanches, VISA, South African National Roads Agency, and MTN amongst others.
Sponsors exposure includes perimeter boards in game scenes, product placement / engagement (e.g.: the team often eats at KFC in the South African edition) and full page advertisements. It is currently sponsored by KFC, Stimorol, Score Energy Drink, Checkicoast and Old Mutual in South Africa.
History and development
The Original series was started in Nigeria, but was later bought by a company in South Bbaty
which led to the change of some character names like; Segs to Shakes. The comic series was first published in South Africa in 2000, following the format of the British comic Roy of the Rovers. Afterwards publication spread to various sub-Saharan African countries.[2] By 2002 publications in the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia. Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda soon followed.[3]
The comic receives sponsorship from several companies, including Nike, Caltex, and other South African businesses. Consequently, the sponsoring firms have their product names placed on various panels.[1][4]
The series was based on the life of Thuthuka "Terry" Zwane, a boy from the Soweto area of Johannesburg.[3] With demand for the comic growing increasingly global, Supa Strikas’ core characters remained local but a more international cast grew around them, including characters of Asian, Latin American and European extraction.[citation needed]
Today, the comic is available across Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mauritius, Reunion, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Egypt); Latin America (Colombia, El Salvador, Panama, Brazil, Honduras and Guatemala); Europe (Norway, Sweden, Finland) and Asia (Israel, Malaysia and the Philippines).[5]
The comic has also been adapted into an animated series by Animasia Studios.[6] The series debuted in 2009 with 47 episodes - each with approximately 22 minute of run-time - and aired in selected regions until 2010.
Main plot
The titular soccer team adventure through the world of soccer in their bid to winning the Super League trophy in their country, dubbed "Strikaland". On their way across the globe, the team explore the roots of the game (from Mexico to China), meet its greatest past and present players and confront the most unscrupulous coaches and players from their rival teams.
The story centres around the team's young striker, Shakes, whom many believe is the best striker in the world. Shakes and his teammates however considers the acclaim as a mere beginning. The game's global legacy and the players who dream of being crowned Super League champions mean Shakes must constantly challenge himself to remain in contention. As a result, he often finds himself spearheading the team's exploration of the unknown – be it a strange land, a strange opposition or a new soccer challenge.
The stories in Supa Strikas combine humour (often in the form of a character Spenza as the comic relief), action, technology and exploration in the context of a real soccer challenge. The stories are usually positive life messages that deal with self-actualization, fair play, teamwork and respect.
Characters
The Strikas
Shakes
- The youngest member and the star player of Supa Strikas, taking the position of the striker. His strength is a lethal combination of skill and determination. He might not know what he's getting himself into, but he's always up for it. He inherits his No. 10 jersey from his father Jomo, who was deemed one of the greatest players in the team's history. Because of Jomo's reputation in the team, Shakes has somewhat attained a fear of living up to his father's legacy, in which he takes as his own weakness. His key move is the bicycle kick.
El Matador
- The team's attacker, wearing the number 20. He is the most expensive player in the Super League. He tends to be melodramatic in character and he is often seen wearing glasses.
Klaus
- He wears the number 2 jersey and plays the striker position. He is the player who is well versed in passing techniques. His strength is coming on as a super sub and terrorising tired defences, hence he is often referred to by the name "super sub". He puts on a vulnerable and comical facade as to lower the opponents' expectations of him in his playing yet he is dead serious when it comes to scoring goals. Klaus tends to sneeze when in a nervous situation. His favourite food is strudel. He also buys his aunt Hilda a present from every city Supa Strikas tour to.
Lankey
- He is El Matador's substitute and wears the number 23. His accent suggests that he is Australian in origin. He is visibly taller than the rest of the team and is white with brown hair. He and Klaus are together known as second choice strikers.
Dancing Rasta
- The captain of Supa Strikas and a well seasoned mountaineer. He wears the number 9. Most fans believe he is the greatest captain in the Super League. He is very motivational.
Big Bo
- The vice-captain of Supa Strikas, wears the number 01 on it. He is known as the greatest goalkeeper in the Super League.
Twisting Tiger
- A right legged midfielder who had previously played for Nakama FC in Japan, wears the number 16. He earns his nickname for his ability to twist his body as part of his playing technique. He considers himself to be very accurate in game-play. He is also superstitious, believing that the presence of his tiger lucky charm would ensure scored victories in every of their matches.
Cool Joe
- He is known as the "king of crossing" as his well esteemed crosses and their technique have helped the team score many goals. He also has a flair for disco music, crediting one record for giving his "groove" on the game and also owning a disco club known as Cool Joe's. He wears the number 7.
North Show
- A player who is a first choice defender with Blok. He wears the number 8.
Blok
- He is nicknamed as such for being able to "block" the ball very well. He is also a capable striker and a very good defender, but somehow is unable to talk intelligibly. He wears the number 55.
Eagle Eye
- A defender that can see anything from a mile away and thus able to score goals from a distance, hence the nickname. He appears in some episodes. He wears the number 4.
Rizo
- Substitute defender to Blok or Eagle Eye. He wears the number 3.
Griz
- Substitute defender for North Shaw. Has a tendency to vomit out of fear or nervousness in matches of a tense environment. He has orange hair and sometimes wears a headband. He wears the number 6.
Noah Murdoch
- Substitute goalkeeper to Big Bo. He wears the number 03. Although he is a very capable goalkeeper, he is shown to be nervous when being called on to replace Big Bo in the team's starting 11.
Aldo
- Backup midfielder. He wears the number 19.
Coach
- The coach of Supa Strikas, deemed the greatest in the Super League. He is also considered the greatest player of all time for Supa Strikas, wearing the number 11 jersey in his time. His name is included in the Museum of Soccer with two of the other greatest players Edwin and Golare.
Other characters
Spenza
- Shakes' childhood friend and a fan of Supa Strikas. As a private investigator, he often helps the Supa Strikas solving their problems on the field, particularly on sabotages coming from rival teams. He is always seen wearing a white hat and with a magnifying glass at hand. He loves to eat popcorn and loves helping Supa Strikas to solve some weird mysteries. he was the best of friends of Shakes since they were still kids.
Formation
Supa Strikas play with 10 men on the team. Their formation is 1-3-3-1-2.
The Supa Strikas formation is as follows: 1.Big Bo (Goalkeeper) 4.Eagle Eye (Defender,Right back) 55.Blok (Defender,Left back) 8.North Shaw (Defender,Centre Back) 7.Cool Joe (Midfielder,Left Winger) 16.Twisting Tiger (Midfielder,Right Winger) 9. Dancing Rasta (Midfielder,Captain) 2.Klaus (Midfielder behind strikers) 10.Shakes (Striker) 20.El Matador (Striker)
Substitutes
23.Lankey (Striker) 3.Rizo (Defender) 6.Griz (Defender) 03.Noah Murdoch (Goalkeeper) 19.Aldo (Midfielder)
Episodes
Season 1
1 "Dancing Rasta On a Ice"
Wearing the captain's armband is a great honour for Dancing Rasta, but after a fall in the Himalayas, he is concerned about his leadership abilities. A kind monk nurses Rasta back to health, and teaches him the importance of leading with the mind as well as the body.
2 "Cool Joe Looses His Groove"
Funky Cool Joe gets into the rhythm before every game with his favourite song. But when the evil Toni Vern switches his record, the star player can't understand why he's useless on the field! Shakes puts his friend on the case, but will Spenza PI solve the mystery in time?
3 "The Lost Star"
On a trip to Rio to play Brazilian masters-of-flair, Clube Palmentieri, Supa Strikas are demolished in a "friendly" beach game. The only person who can help them is a legend of the game... who has been missing for thirty years!
4 "Compound Compromised"
The beautiful cat burglar, Kat, is notoriously good at infiltrating high-tech buildings! Under orders from Strikas' arch-enemies, she plants a spy bug in the Secret Training Compound! How will the team be able to counter the cunning Invincible United in their upcoming game?
5 "Blasts From The Past"
.Supa Strikas travel to Mexico to confront the biggest goalkeeper in the Super League. Shakes uncovers De Los Santos' past, and makes an amazing discovery in the big man's hometown: mysterious Aztec ruins... and the origins of the game itself!
6 "Between Friends"
As Supa Strikas face Twisting Tiger's old team, FC Nakama, but Nakama coach Ura Giri releases a DVD of all Tiger's secret moves to punish him for leaving the team. Now the famous midfielder needs to find new moves... and fast!
7 "Instinct Extinct"
Pressure is on as Supa Strikas arrive in Spain to play Barka FC and star striker, Riano. But Shakes gets some training from Riano's old Coach, Golare, which turns out to be less than helpful! Now, can Shakes forget everything he's learned to overcome Barka in the big game?
8 "Big Bo Lockdown"
Big Bo helps local prison inmates by training their soccer team. But Knuckles, a nasty convict, looks just like the great goalkeeper and switches places with Big Bo! How will he escape in time for Supa Strikas’ epic game against the mighty FC Colossus?
9 "The End Of Dreams"
After a mishap with the bumbling Professor, his coffee, and the state-of-the-art Match Measure Machine, things go horribly wrong with Shakes’ exercise plan! Though Coach warns him against it, Shakes steals the programme, only to get himself injured the night before Supa Strikas’ clash with the formidable Iron Tank!
10 "No El' in Team"
El Matador's selfish play causes headaches for Strikas. Coach sends him to Solinesia to learn the ancient football game that is all about teamwork. But hopes are dashed when he is banished from the country! Thank goodness for Khin, a monk who slips Chinlon scrolls into El Matador's bag!
11 "Wolf In Coach's Clothing"
Coach's stress levels have been steadily rising... time for some serious bed-rest and relaxation! But Supa Strikas enemies realise it's the perfect time to send in a saboteur: one who will coach Supa Strikas as BADLY as possible!
12 "Communication Blok"
The Blok, Supa Strikas’ solid defender, speaks only his native Brislovian. He relies on visual signals to communicate with his teammates. But evil opposition coach, Toni Vern, plots to exploit this, and ensure Supa Strikas will be playing blind at their next fixture!
13 "Ball Control"
The countdown to the Super League Final has begun! Supa Strikas will fight their old rivals Invincible United. But the deceitful Vince smuggles a remote-control ball into the stadium on match day! Supa Strikas will need the help of Spenza PI to get to the bottom of this trickery!
Season 2
1 "Led Steppin'"
To boost sales of Cool Joe's new line of boots, Supa Strikas must wear them for upcoming clashes. But Invincible United's Vince is up to his usual tricks. He swaps Cool Joe's boots with ones that get heavier as you play! Now, how will Supa Strikas beat their old rivals?
2 "Training Trap"
An Invincible United henchman bungles a reconnaissance mission into Strikas’ training compound, trapping Shakes an El Matador in a security lockdown! Little does Vince know, this is exactly what the two forwards need to find the weakness in their opponent's defensive wall... but how will they get to the game?
3 "Super Skarra"
Invincible United's unscrupulous striker, Skarra, kidnaps the Professor and forces the fitness genius to help him outdo his enemies. Now Supa Strikas come up against a frighteningly super-sized opponent! Shakes must have his wits about him to figure out how to overcome this giant!
4 "Spaceballs"
Supa Strikas are annihilated by Orion's amazing airborne moves. Coach takes them to a space facility to train in a magnetic levitation chamber. But Supa Strikas get more than they bargain for when an evil henchman blasts them into outer space on a shuttle test flight!
5 "El Sound Of Silencio"
Rival team, Invincible United, orchestrate a fan ban for upcoming Supa Strikas matches! El Matador doesn’t think it's a big deal, but come crunch time, he cannot perform in the empty stadium! Will his biggest fan be able to save the day?
6 " Amal Three's a Crowd"
Supa Strikas get the fright of their lives upon hearing that Sultans have signed famed triplets, the Amal 3. They are said to have a psychic connection that cannot be beaten! Now it's up to Cool Joe to figure out whether the Amal 3's gift is fact... or fiction!
7 "Bad Altitude"
Supa Strikas are to play the notorious Iron Tank at their stadium high in the Alps. Because of the altitude, Iron Tank remains unbeaten on home ground! To Coach's dismay, Shakes and North Shaw struggle to acclimatise, and are sent on a mountain adventure to adapt to the altitude!
8 "Blok/Attak"
The Blok, Supa Strikas defender, speaks only his native Brislovian. Evil opposition coach, Toni Vern, unnerves him by recruiting his brother, Attak. But Vern invents a collar that allows Attak on-the-spot language translation! The plot thickens when Blok receives a similar device... which is secretly controlled by Vern!
9 "Tough Luck"
Things go horribly wrong en route to Hydra's floating stadium when Twisting Tiger's lucky charm is flung into the ocean! After a terrible game against Hydra, Supa Strikas set out to recover the charm. Beneath the stadium they discover Hydra is hiding a big secret!
10 "Hypno-Test"
The most prized artifact in Supa Strikas' club history is the Secret Training Manual. The book travels to the Museum of the Beautiful Game in Los Angeles, where Supa Strikas are set to play FC Technicali. But Shakes uncovers a nefarious plot involving hypnosis... and their own training manual!
11 "Big Bo, To Go"
When Big Bo loses his memory in a nasty fall, opposition team, Cosmos, waste no time ensuring he won’t make it to the upcoming match. Now Shakes must conquer Bo's incredible home training course to discover the big man's whereabouts!
12 "Beautiful Gaming"
Hack,a pro in the video game"Super League 3000X" has won the grand prize in the Super League 3000X competition----traveling with Supa Strikas to their next match in Japan with Nakama! In Japan, Supa Strikas` coach got kidnapped by Ura Giri, the Nakama`s coach. While Hack ran away because Supa Strikas didn`t really gave him a good welcome. Now Supa Strikas have to find Hack back because he holds the key to beat Nakama.
13 "Bringing Down The House"
In a provocative move, Vince buys Shakes’ childhood community centre! During a televised interview, Skarra impulsively agrees to play Shakes for the beloved grounds. But Supa Strikas aren’t up against any old team. They now face a team of the Super League's best players... and The All Stars are unbeatable!
Season 3
1 "Hot Shots"
The Supa Strikas got invited to film a TV show called"Strike Team" in the off season.They got so into it, that they believe they are really the best in the world. They refuse to listen to coach and just playing their own cool and style play. Being desolated by the team, coach decided to make them get used to the heat in the Middle East by going on foot to the Sultans` stadium.Which being kidnapped by the raiders in the desert.Can they escape just in time before the Sultans` game?
2 "Sky's the Limit"
From Toni Vern to Colonel Von Pushup, the Super League's greatest minds are perplexed by team Orion's mysterious new tactics. It seems they have all been trumped by Coach Black's otherworldly brain power. Unfortunately, Supa Strikas' own tactical genius, the Professor, has been fired! Can Shakes convince him to refocus on cracking the Orion Code?
3 "Own Ghoul"
Supa Strikas play the Supa League's mysterious new side at their creepy mountain-top stadium. But Big Bo's form takes a serious nosedive when he hears that a former Grimm FC captain haunts the stadium! Is Big Bo just superstitious or is there something more to the legend of Spike Dawson's ghost?
4 '"Suit Yourself"
When Klaus get pushed into the starting lineup just before a big game against Technicali, the pressure quickly gets to him. So, when he stumbles upon Toni Vern's latest invention, a soccer super-suit, he steals it for himself. Klaus must choose between being the main man and coming clean to his teammates.
5 "Sleight of foot"
When Invincible United's foul play gets them in trouble with the Super League, Vince hires a magician to pull off the ultimate soccer illusion: how to foul and dive without being caught! Supa Strikas are used to Invincible United's dirty tricks, but can they handle their magic tricks?
6 "Cool Joe loses his groove Pt 2"
When Cool Joe gets signed by a big record label it's a dream come true for the Supa Strikas winger. But soon he gets caught up in show business - losing the groove in both his music and on the soccer field! With Supa Strikas dependent on him for a crucial Iron Tank match, will Cool Joe face the music about his newfound career?
7 "One Super League under the sea"
The Supa Strikas play against Hydra FC. Which have a new technique past every defence team. Coach has his men ready for the coincidence, but North Shaw only cares about his waves. So, he went surfing without having Coach noticing him. Which have been sabotaged by Liquido. Hydra`s floating stadium is also sinking down because of the high swell. How will North Shaw get back to the stadium which is underneath him?
8 "How to get a header in, in the super league"
Coach sends Shakes for some special training with an eccentric heading coach, nicknamed the Battering Ram! After dodging soccer balls fired from cannons and leaping off cliffs, will Shakes master the training before the big game against Barka? Scrap that... with training like this, will Shakes make it to the game at all?
9 "Suspended Animation"
Ahead of a big Technicali encounter, Shakes reveals his secret... The Zone. But Shakes finds himself in the twilight zone when Coach organises some virtual reality training to find the source of The Zone. As the training gets weirder and weirder, Shakes starts to suspect that things are not what they seem!
10 "Dribbler on the Roof"
Supa Strikas take their game to the next level as they play Sultans in Skyball Ultimate 5's - a action-packed tournament on top of the world's tallest building. What's more, the winner is decided by public vote. But, with the Sheikh pulling strings to make sure Sultans win, how will Supa Strikas finish on top?
11 "Cheese, Lies and Videotape"
When Shakes, Klaus and El Matador sneak out to an underground mall in Tokyo, the Nakama coach blows their cover! To evade crazy fans and rabid sewer rats the trio must use all their tactical and physical resources to get back to their training camp undetected by their Coach... and play a crucial game against Nakama!
12 "Shakes On a Train"
With a volcanic ash cloud grounding air travel, Supa Strikas take a luxury steam train back home for their Invincible United clash. But they soon find themselves embroiled in mystery when their high-tech training carriage disappears in the dead of night! Can the Men in Red solve the crime and win the game?
13 "Dooma`s Day"
Dooma, the Invincible United`s new captain, has been hired by Vince. With Dooma`s help, Invincible United had squeezed into the super league finals, against their rivals, Supa Strikas. But Skarra had been really mad at how Dooma took his place as captain. Because of that, he decided to uncover Dooma`s past. While Shakes got ahead with his plan because of Spenza`s curiosity. Shakes discovered Dooma`s secret. But ruined by Skarra. Shakes got attacked by a psychiatrist,who had helped Dooma with his previous game. How would Shakes break free? Can Supa Strikas be the super league champion for the third time?
Teams
These are the teams which represents each country from each continent in the Supa Strikas series. Teams which includes:
Supa Strikas: The main team which represents South Africa. The team's player roster line-up is becoming more and more international. They are currently called the "Best Team in the World". Their lead strikers are Shakes and El Matador, their captain is Dancing Rasta and their coach is Coach.
Invincible United: The main antagonists, the team also represents South Africa with Italian origins (which can be seen from the stadium designed like Colosseum in Rome). They are Supa Strikas rivals. They are the meanest and the most dishonest team in the Super League. Their coach is Vince and their lead striker and captain is Skarra (who was once Shakes' best friend) .
Sa Ming United: The team representing China. They have a small appearance in some of the episodes. Their lead striker is Sa Ma Wee.
Sultan: The team representing the United Arab Emirates. Their former lead striker's and star players were the 'Amal 3.Their coach is Sheikh Ali Zaman. They only appeared in two episodes which are"'Amal 3's A Crowd" & Hot Shots.
Colossus: The team representing Greece. Their coach is Nick Kickalopolous. One of their star players is Percy.
Orion: The team representing France. Their lead striker is Andre Meda. The team's specialty is airborne play. Their coach, Professor Black, is crazy about space observation and exploration.
Hydra: The team which also represents France. Their stadium floats in the middle of the sea. Their coach is Coach Del Aqua. Their lead striker is Liquido. Their captains name is Strong.
Cosmos: The team representing the United States of America. Their coach is a cowboy hobo. Their lead players are Ninja and Bolo.
FC All Star: An all-star team consisting of all the lead players from the teams that the Supa Strikas has faced so far. Their team captain is Skarra. This team only appeared in the final episode of the series 2, Bringing Down the House.
Palmentieri: The team representing Brazil. Their lead striker and captain is Don Aldo. Their legendary player is Edwin.
Azul:The team representing Mexico.Their best player is De Los Santos,the goalkeeper. Their manager is Honcho Gomez.
Barka FC:The team representing Spain.Their lead striker is Riano. Their Stadium is in Barcelona.
Iron Tank:The team representing Germany. The team is composed of former Bundeswehr members. Their coach is Admiral Von Pushup and their lead striker and captain is Johann Uber. Their lead midfielder is Thor.
Nakama FC:The team representing Japan. The team is composed of Karate, & Ninjutsu practitioners. Their coach is Ura Giri. Their lead is Miko Chen.
FC Technicali:The team representing Los Angeles. Their coach is Toni Vern. Their lead striker is Chuck T Chipperson and John J. Johnson Jr. is their lead defender. The team mostly uses technology in the game and are also one of the biggest cheaters in the Super League, second only to invincible united.
Grimm FC:The team representing Romania.Their coach is Coach Belmont. Their legend is Spike "Awesome" Dawson.They only appeared in one episode which is 'Own Ghoul'.
See also
References
- ^ a b Pilcher, Tim and Brad Brooks. (Foreword: Dave Gibbons). The Essential Guide to World Comics. Collins and Brown. 2005. 292-293.
- ^ "Supa Strikas to Hit Local Market." Africa-Asia Intelligence Wire/Africa News. Saturday 7 December 2002.
- ^ a b "Supa Strikas." Texaco. Accessed October 20, 2008.
- ^ Pilcher, Tim and Brad Brooks. (Foreword: Dave Gibbons). The Essential Guide to World Comics. Collins and Brown. 2005. 295.
- ^ "Komik melangkau sempadan" (in Malay). Kosmo!. December 9, 2008. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
- ^ "Animated Series." Supa Strikas. Accessed October 20, 2008.
External links
