It was after meeting the president of the Lyon BD Festival at the International Comics Festival of Algiers, “the Mecca” of comic book artists from around the world, that the life of Ebene Duta — or rather Elyon’s, its creator — took a complete turn. Now read in 42 countries, from Canada to Australia by way of Cameroon, she stopped by the NOFI offices to tell us about her incredible success.
In a few words, who is Elyon’s?
Joëlle Ebongue is my real name, and I’m a full-time comic book author. I used to work as a copywriter during the day and an author at night, but comics became so time-consuming that I had to give them more space in my life. “Elyon” comes from Hebrew, it’s the name of a God. As a Christian, I believe that I come from somewhere, that I belong to someone — hence the “’s” to signify “belonging to.” Plus, the name is gender-neutral. Girl, boy, you can’t tell. You can’t trace the author’s gender or origin. That way, readers focus more on the content of my book than on my private life.
How did your graphic journey begin, what’s your background? Did you attend a design or graphic arts school?
I studied at the Saint Luc School of Arts in Liège, Belgium.
I’ve been drawing since I was very little. I was fascinated by images and cartoons — when I threw tantrums, my cousins would put me in front of the TV to calm me down (laughs). I was 7 years old when I wanted to marry Walt Disney. I was convinced talent could be passed on through marriage — kind of like people say “like mother, like daughter” or “he takes after his father.” I cried so much when I found out he had already passed away (laughs). It’s a funny story and really shows how I thought as a child, but it’s also what determined my persistence in this field. I made an irreversible decision: I was going to become a comic book artist, on my own.
From the beginning of this journey until now, have you gone through difficult moments?
There are difficulties in the creative process: finding the right tone, because what makes me laugh won’t necessarily make you laugh, writing, fitting stories into just a few panels, staging scenes, bringing ideas to life… All these steps take a lot of time. The first volume of The Life of Ebene Duta, for example, was started back in 2009. I also faced difficulties with publishing houses. Franco-Belgian comics have very precise codes and formats, while I showed up with stories made of 6 panels, then 5, then 4 and back to 6, orange speech bubbles — white in traditional comics — and warped frames, which usually symbolize dreams. All this to say that technically speaking, I didn’t exactly start with advantages on my side.
People made me understand that there was already another “Black” character in the market at the time: Aya of Yop City. Another comment that came up often, from both white and Black people, was that there was no interest. “We’re looking for exoticism, and you’re showing us a ‘Black girl’ without problems who studies” (laughs). Plus, Black audiences supposedly don’t read — thanks television for that stereotype (laughs). All of that destabilized me psychologically, sure, but it never discouraged me.
Did your family and friends always support your creative path, or did you feel resistance regarding your career choice?
My father struggled with it at first, while my mother supported me but remained skeptical. When they saw how determined I was, the positive feedback, and especially my first publication in Spirou Magazine, something changed — my father was very emotional. They were there for me when I was in Belgium, they were there afterward, and they’re still here today, which means a lot. My little brothers too, in their own way. Funny story: they’ll tell me, “Did you see the latest Disney movie? It’s beautifully drawn, right? What you do is great too, don’t worry, but admit it, Disney is SU-PER well drawn!” (laughs).
People like Christian Dzellat, founder of the NOFI portal, really boosted me. After talking with him, you feel like you can change the world (laughs). He’s the kind of person who encourages you and makes you want to move forward. That’s how he started sharing my drawings on the Noir&Fier Facebook fan page. I went from 1,000 to 5,000 fans, then 10,000. Wow (laughs)!
Tell us a bit about your comic book. How did the idea come to you? Did you always want your own comic? Who is Ebene Duta?
I’m the author of several comics, but LVDD — The Life of Ebene Duta — is the project I really wanted to focus on. First of all, why Ebene Duta? Because “duta” means “drawing,” and “ebene” stands for “Black,” even though the protagonist has light skin (laughs). Ebene is a 25-year-old young woman who left her country, Cameroon, to study in Belgium — instant culture shock (laughs). Nothing but “ndem” happens to her (expression meaning crappy luck, miserable life): not having the curves of a “real” African woman, a long-distance relationship, crazy friends, chewing sticks to eat, the blond guy at Mak Do, basically… read LVDD.
You raised an impressive amount of money to publish your book. Did you expect such enthusiasm?
Not at all! A self-published book made by someone from Black Africa receiving such attention — that had never been seen before. I have incredible fans who even created the hashtag #supportlvdd in support of Ebene. That little girl is loved (laughs). The fundraising campaign started in November/December 2013 after meeting the president of the Lyon BD Festival at FIBDA (International Comics Festival of Algiers). He told me that if I managed to gather the funds needed to publish my comic — which was still digital at the time — namely 12,500 euros, I would be able to participate in his event. A real challenge! That’s how crowdfunding began.
I wanted this campaign to reach both Europe and Africa, and even allow Black people to invest in a Black project. In the end, after all the “ndem,” the illness, and various problems, we managed to raise 15,149 euros, which is 2,649 euros more than expected.
Very important note for fans and future fans: the money raised for LVDD is used ONLY for activities related to this project — publishing the comic in French and English, participating in festivals, handling transportation of the books, storage, postal shipping, etc.
If you could collaborate with an author, a graphic artist, or any other professional, who would you choose and why?
Oulaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, there are so many, I don’t even know where to begin (laughs). Let’s say Barbara Canepa and Alessandro Barbucci — creators of the comic series SkyDoll — because I absolutely love their line work, the fluidity of their storytelling, their panel layouts… honestly I love everything they do… Stromae because he’s a wildly talented mad genius… Pénélope Bagieu, Bastien Vivès, Richard Bona… there are so many incredible people, it would be an honor to create projects with them.
What advice would you give to someone who, like you, loves drawing and wants to make a career out of it?
To the young and not-so-young people reading this interview, I only have one sentence for you: Hold on tight! Nothing is easy in this world, so persevere and keep pushing. The artistic field is not simple, but after the effort comes victory, and recognition will be your greatest comfort.
What can we wish for you in the future?
To see Ebene on television in her own animated series (laughs)! But otherwise, the publication of more volumes with the same enthusiasm for my stories.
Any final words?
Thank you again for this interview, and thank you to all the fans who make it possible!
