Etienne Kubwabo

Etienne has gifted Scotland with its first-ever black superhero in his comic Beats of War, though his talent has not stopped there. He is also a filmmaker who has written, directed and produced award-winning documentaries, short/full-length feature films and over 120 music videos.

Beats of War has already attracted huge media attention in the UK, featuring on television, radio, news and as part of the Black Lives Matter Mural Trail, with an impressive large-scale artwork installed at Platform Arts Centre in Glasgow’s East End.

He used the comic series to explore the feeling of not fitting in and has toured Scotland in 2022 to inspire the next generation through superhero-themed workshops.

Facing challenges with creativity

After moving here as a refugee from the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, he found his home in Glasgow.

Keen to further his studies, he felt GCU was a natural choice and said: “Some of my friends had been to GCU, and they had told me how the facilities in Media and Communications were fantastic, so I decided to apply.”

His time in Glasgow has not been without its challenges, and sadly racism was something Etienne experienced throughout his 10 years living, studying and working in the city.

However, he met lifelong friends and people who influenced him. Both the people and experiences inspired him to create Beats of War, set in his beloved Glasgow.

Etienne said: “I decided to fuse those two worlds together through my story. I could have been violent and got in trouble, but I decided to create a comic to highlight those worlds and include what I feel could change, and what I feel and love about the city, and include the history of the city and much more."