Markeveli237: Un mangaka Camerounais et anglophone.
Hello fellow readers! (Ash ze bilinguisme).
La semaine du bilinguisme vient à peine de passer (on était tous un peu…beaucoup dans les affaires de la CANtotalenergies2021 eheh). Et devinez quelle écurie éditoriale a les meilleurs bédeistes bilingues du Mboa? C’est NOUS!!!!!
Vous ne le saviez surement pas, et il est plus que temps que ca change. Alors un peu de projecteurs sur nos auteurs bien aimés et dorlotés ne ferait que du bien.
Aujourd’hui, nous débutons la rubrique de découverte de nos talents avec le très inspiré mangaka Camerounais (rien que ca!) Markeveli237.
Waandacomics: Qui est Markeveli237 ?
Markeveli237: I am Mengnjo Mark kernyuy. Born in Foumbot, Noun division , West region of Cameroon to parents from Kumbo, Bui division, North West region of Cameroon on the 6th july 1995. I had my ordinary level certificate in GBHS foumbot and my advanced level in GBHS kumbo. I always had a passion for priesthood and arts but eventually choosed my artistic path. I am currently a 2D animator at waanda stoudio Cameroon and a manga artist for Mastermind comics Texas, Dallas, USA with one publication to my name entitled Black Knight.
W: Comment es tu arrivé dans le monde de la BD?
M237: I always loved to represent my movie heroes and action scenes on paper and the first time i read a manga (dragon ball), when i was in grade 5, i became obsessesed with representing art in that manner. i hoped to get a formal training someday but my plight was constantly met with disappointment as most people thought it was merely a form of distraction. However, i kept on making stories. At first fanzines of shows i watched on Tv then later thanks to encouragement from friends an original story i titled last exorcist. It almost got published but failed due to the fact that my characters were typical of the japanese style.
After multiple failed attempts of its publication, i resolved to create an african story. This proved to be a difficult task since i had no resources or leads on how to proceed. I was so frustrated i almost gave up. Then after i dropped out of university studies in order to find a way to get pro as an artist, i was signed in with Mastermind comics as a manga artist on august 2019. Then i used my frustration as inspiration to create the first volume of Black knight, which was a story based on a guy who was ignorant of his culture and heritage.
After 4 chapters, i decided to do a prequel so as to give depth to the stories origins titled Black knight bloodline which i published on webtoon on the 7th of july 2020. Later that year, i had another publishing contract with Waanda comics Cameroon, which exposed me to the local and African market.
W: Black knight… ton premier projet majeur ? De quoi parle t-il?
M237: Black Knight is indeed my first published comic. Its creation was a leap of faith given i had no educational or prefessional experience. I only based myself on knowledge and critics i got from other artists on anatomy and the art of comic making and youtube tutorial videos. The story was however well received on webtoon with a 9.75 rating on 10.
The story is based on Akone daniel a 17 year old boy who knew nothing of his cultural heritage due to modernisation and foreign education. His journey begins when he stumbles on an old man who marks him witha powerful curse. Prince Said,a custodian of culture and tradition in the bongnyang nation finds and decides to mentor Akone on the ways of the old. This fictional story will involve issues of identity crises and difficulties faced by african teens in a third world country reality in an action packed fantasy.
The prequel that is currently running is based on a Prince Said, who as a bastard struggles through a harsh society until he is given purpose as an assassin to end a tyrant who is revealed to be his father. In this part i give more depth about the world of bongnyang and the black knight universe. The prequel, black knight bloodline currently runs on webtoon and is on sale at Waandacomics.cm for the locals, Mastermindcomics.net and comixology for the rest of the world.
W: Etre un auteur de mangas anglophone au Cameroun est-il un inconvénient? As tu des lecteurs francophones?
M237: Honestly, I haven’t felt inconvenienced in any way because of i’m an anglophone and my comics are in english. I think the real problem lies with how popular the trade is. I believe its quite common with francophones given most of them watched manga as kids and understood the language contrary to many anglophones who discovered Ben 10 and Avatar mostly only when DVD’s were available.
Besides there are not many anglophones who are into the comic business in this country. You’d find graphic designers, fine artists, architects and sculptors but rarely a comic artist. I applaud Zebra comics and Project Zenara for their efforts. Perhaps their success will push more anglophones to get into the trade.
I do have francophone fans given they’re largest local consumers and so far my editor have been super encouraging. Theres a huge lack of content and I believe my brothers are super creative for if they’ve proven themselves in the music industry I believe the comic world will not be different.
W: Un contrat de diffusion numérique avec WaandaComics : comment ça se passe ?
M237: So far, i am very satisfied with the terms and conditions of my contract with Waanda comics. Given it offered me lots of advantages like a pay (laughs), orientation to sharpen my skill as a comic artist and exposure to cons and opportunities related to the field of graphic design and arts in general.
Waanda comics has a qualified staff ready to assist me in everywhere to reaching my goals. Their vision has gathered and raised many artists across the country through multiple partnerships with Foreign institutions. If you are a youngster seeking to be published or seeking information on how to get better at the trade i recommend you to reach out to the studio through their social media handles and contact numbers.
W: Quelles sont tes perspectives dans le 9e Art?
M237: Black knight is going to be a very long story. I believe because it’s not just about Akone and Said, but about cultures and we all know that african culture is too vaste given the different tribes that live in our continent.
Every arc will seek to capture peculiar beliefs (some fiction and others historical) that has shaped peoples culture and traditions in Africa. Other projects that are in the works are seed of woyengi and last exorcist which i will unravel in the years ahead.
Thanks and be sure to add up on my social media handles (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook).
Nous souhaitons une bonne continuation à Markeveli237 et vous encourageons à découvrir son travail sur votre plateforme préférée (Faites vite, bientôt il sera une star hors de prix!).
You want more content in English? Check the followings:
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