This week, Universal Studio Group's UCP announced a partnership with Comic Republic, an online Nigerian multimedia company that specializes in creating and distributing original African comic books. The collaboration involves developing a film and TV series inspired by characters from Comic Republic's Vanguards Universe. The Vanguards Universe tells the story of humanity's self-proclaimed Gods and their reunion to punish the people of Lagos for the Guardians' sins. American screenwriter Selwyn Seyfu Hinds joins Mad Massive Entertainment to create and oversee the production of projects based on the comic books and the characters in their catalog.

In a press release, Hinds said that Comic Republic’s characters fit into Mad Massive’s mission. "From the moment I plunged into the incredible world of stories and characters built by the wonderful team at Comic Republic, I knew that this was an opportunity to fulfill Mad Massive's mission: To tell stories that reveal our shared humanity, stories that give wings to dreams," Hinds said. "And, as a devourer of all things fantastical from the moment I could read, having the opportunity to create multiple projects driven by characters who spring from the source of it all, from Africa, is truly the stuff of my lifelong dreams. I'm incredibly grateful to the teams at Comic Republic, UCP, and Mad Massive's own Katie Zucker, who doggedly pursued this deal for more than a year. Right now, I'm just amped all the way up to work with our partners to build an entirely new, entirely different comic book universe that will entertain and inspire. Because we come from myth, from majesty, from heroes. And we deserve this."

Established in 2013 by Jide Martin, Comic Republic is a Nigerian-based online multimedia company with a primary focus on creating and distributing original African comic books digitally. The company features an original collection of African stories about heroes and villains, targeted toward audiences of all ages. With a foundation of over 100 unique characters and thousands of pages of comic book art, Comic Republic offers authentic African content and presents a world of diverse heroes with broad appeal.

In a press release, Martin pointed out that Comic Republic is focused on telling stories in authentic forms. "For ten years, Comic Republic has focused on building a community of storytellers and artists dedicated to putting Africa's best foot forward with quality art, animations, comics, and authentic stories that would make all Africans and its diaspora beam with pride. I believe that the perception of our continent is better shaped when more people can look to African heroes as icons,” Martin said. “We were patient to ensure that we found the right partners to take the story to the places we couldn't and, most importantly, do justice to the culture it emanates from while providing much-needed representation for a generation of people that have been left out. The partnership needed to benefit the global community and us by collaboratively taking our stories, nurturing them, and delivering them to a worldwide audience. I am thrilled to be doing this with UCP, and I can't wait to show you all what we've been up to."