CFx Comics is an emerging Pakistani Comics Company that provides a platform for writers, artists and creators to show their talent and focuses on various contemporary social issues across the country.
CFx Comics is a widely successful platform that provides a medium for writers, artists and creators to come together and show their talent on a national platform. Amassing a large fan following, CFx Comics have gained traction across the country and are breaking ceilings in the recent years.
Creative Frontiers was founded by Mustafa Hasnain in 2013.Initially, Mustafa Husnain along with GauharAyub and Yahya Ehsan, focused on religious extremism in society with their first comic series Pasbaan (Guardian in English). They later made adaptations and translated the comic into Urdu, hence we were introduced to Pasbaan from Guardian. This prompted them to realize that there is a lack of Pakistani based comicsto educate youngsters through this visual medium. Hence, the creation ofCFx Comics.
Theirrecent initiative includes tackling everyday issues which is known as Comics for Peace. This plan got together university students from across Pakistan to create five comics that highlights social issues that they are passionate for. This ranges from discrimination, hate, violence to extremism, that are highlighted through graphic stories that could resonate with Pakistanis from all around the world. One major feature of CFx is that they employ female comic creators and promote their work and hence why some of the female employees at the company were working in their first job.
One major success point of the company is that they plan to create a market, rather than make profits as they are not concerned with making profits until they have a ready market. Ahmad noted that: “Contemporary media is doing a bad job. So we created this for the progressives who do not watch the typical superficial stuff that’s often sexist and propagates prejudices”. In an effort to create a social change, they are focusing on millennials and young adults as they are educated, rational and not rigid enough to have their personal views change.
Some of the characters that they focus on are not typical western characters as they have characters such as a transgender protagonist, to focus on a taboo topic in the country. Hence, they focus on contemporary issues and want to make a mark in the international market. Ahmad said that: “Really excited about San Diego Comic Con. Bringing these five comics to the world, because we know that no one breached our issues. Western comics have this set of subjects they create around. What we’re doing no else has done”. Other characters include a story of a female doctor with a trouble past that becomes the overall heroine in a way that very few could narrate. The companies recent plan included taking part in Pakistani comic-con known as TwinCon where they received an overwhelming response with a large community.
