Meet the Artist behind JEMBER

A lot of comic book readers don’t know about the work involved in creating comic books. Generally speaking, a team of professionals have to come together to bring the story alive. One of these professionals is the line artist.

Sometimes referred to as the Penciller, the line artist is considered one of the primary contributing artists that determines the look of the comic. This person lays down the base illustrations of the story by working of the writer’s script.

For JEMBER comics, this work is done by the Lagos Comicpanel Awards winner, Stanley Obende. I interviewed Stanley to get his perspective on the profession.

Tell us about yourself

I am a Comic Book Illustrator, Storyboard Artist and Concept Designer too. I would also want to call myself an all round creative too, interested in all things creative and info-taining.

What made you want to work as a comic artist?

I have always wanted to be an artist. I love drawing. I love art in general but I also love telling stories too. All kinds of stories. I had a knack for comic books when I got to see my first comic book in Primary school. Being in a country where comic books are not appreciated and also very rare, it was like I discovered fire, and it was very beautiful . It was at that moment I knew I wanted to draw comic books. I would redraw all the images/panels/cool shots from any comic book I could lay my hands on, sometimes even make my own stories using those shots. I would travel kilometers to get a copy of a comic book and read until the shop closed. It was after my secondary school, I knew I have to go through this big time and make a difference here. Then I met some guys who did as big as I wanted through a friend and the rest, they say, is history.

What other works are you involved in?

Well, I am a comic book creator too and my book is Avonome: The Realm Within which has 8 books to its belt now. I have worked on Might Of Guardian Prime, Ireti Bidemi, Visionary, Hero Kekere, Urban Warriors, Urban 30, Strikeguard. Uhuru: Legend of the Windriders amongst others. I have also done some storyboard art for advertising agencies and film houses in Nigeria.

What element of the work gives you the most satisfaction?

As I said earlier, I love telling stories so it would be the storytelling part. Finding different ways to capture the shot of a scene can be complex and puzzling but figuring that puzzle out is very rejuvenating. Telling scenes in a dynamic way that would make the reader know exactly what you’re trying to tell without words is the core to any comic book and once that is achieved, it means everything to me.

Who is your favorite superhero?

That’s very funny cause I have two. Okay, asides from taking out my character and comic book, Avonome: The Realm Within, The Batman would be my favorite. He is the epitome of never limiting one’s self and of becoming better at an expertise. He converted his pain to make something substantial for himself and the good people around him. In that goal, he has been self conflicted as we live in a very negative world but he also proves perseverance prevails.

For others interested in creating comics, what would be the best advice you would give them?

Please draw as much as you want. Keep drawing and when you are feeling bad, draw some more. Also educate yourself on how to go about making comics. It’s bigger than you think. Meet, connect and grow with like minds cause you can easily drift out of your passion if you’re with the wrong group. Always be the best to all your endeavours. Stay good and God bless.

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Beserat Debebe

Beserat Debebe is the founder of ETAN COMICS and the writer/creator of HAWI, JEMBER, and ZUFAN. He was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Indiana University. His works have been nominated for Best Graphic Novel Awards, and featured on BBC, OkayAfrica, ComicsBeat, and more!