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They are ten Malagasy cartoonists who have been selected for the first artistic residency on the island since the start of the pandemic. This training aims to allow them to perfect their technique, but also to learn how to sell themselves to publishing houses.
From our correspondent in Antananarivo,
They are between 19 and 33 years old and all of them already know how to draw perfectly. On the island, there is no comic book school. Also, the graphic styles of these new talents are free, unformatted.
Review the basics
Mozer is from Diego. The one who is now a fan of ink and paper trained alone, at the age of 8, devouring the works of his idols: ” For a long time, I thought I knew how to do comics, but in fact, it’s been 3 days since I just realized that I didn’t know the basics. Like the framing, ie how to highlight, how to tell a story on a square, the shots, how to highlight them, the characters … »
Cutting, sequencing, storyboard … For the most part, the workshops dedicated to these structuring stages of the creation process are therefore a discovery. Rolling Pen is a screenwriter. It trains in narrative construction. He encourages his students to arm themselves with cultural references.
« You have to know how to soak up everything : conversations, movies, books, even music sometimes. It’s really important when you write a story, insists the screenwriter. Especially when we get stuck on a stage, when we lack inspiration because it can happen, it’s the references that can save us. »
►Also listen: De vive (s) voice – When comics seize on literature
Experience sharing
Franco Clerc is a Malagasy cartoonist. For him, the added value of this residence is the sharing of experience in order to avoid destabilizing situations when it comes to selling.
« Even if there are international authors who intervene, it is also very important for young people to have Malagasy references, Malagasy authors. Me, for example, when I started, 10 or 12 years ago, I had to knock on the doors of foreign publishers. There are those who answered me curtly by telling me : why don’t you post this at home ? Quite simply because we don’t have a publisher with us. »
« Others who asked me if I had already published before, continues Franco Clerc. This is what is done a lot when you are a beginner. Unfortunately, if you are a beginner, it is because in fact, you have never published. And I think it’s important to share with these young people who are starting all these experiences so that they know exactly what awaits them in this obstacle course. »
A common work
And to help them in this crazy adventure, a collective comic strip will be published at the end of the residency. A bilingual French-Malagasy comic book. A great first for the country which has so far no color work in Malagasy. The opus will be presented at the international comic strip festival in Angoulême.
While awaiting its release in bookstores, Alliances Françaises or in reading and cultural activities centers, the aficionados Madagascan comic strip artists will be able to come and meet its authors, see their boards and participate in comic strip creation workshops next Saturday, October 17, at the French Institute of Madagascar.
►Also read: “Afropolitan Comics”, the African comic strip
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