Weg

As you all know, I interviewed Ephameron and Pieter van Oudheusden a while back about Weg, a graphic novel that Eva drew and Pieter wrote. Eva or Ephameron as she’s called is an oddity in the Flemish graphic novel scene seeing as she’s well, a girl and usually tells her stories solely with illustrations, making Weg her first actual graphic novel and worthy of another interview. I had already interviewed her last year about Art Trek, an annual art show above Mekanik, Belgium’s coolest comic book store.

Anyway, Weg tells the story of a young woman who is writing a children’s book and runs out of ideas. She decides to take a walk to clear her head. This all seems pretty straightforward but what makes this book so unusual is in fact the story that accompanies Eva’s characteristic fragile dreamlike drawings namely, a story about a bear and a little fox who embark on an unusual friendship. This unconventional combo of children’s tale and grown-up drawings create an uncanny atmosphere that requires a little input from the reader because things aren’t always what they seem.

Weg is a fast read but don’t be fooled by its odd simplicity as there as so much more lurking beneath the surface. Both artists truly excel in their own personal expertise and together they have created an unexpected gem filled with longing and bewilderment.

If you want to know more about their collaboration and the autobiographical aspects of the book, you’ll just have to read the actual interview which will probably kick ass! Or I hope at least since I spent most of the afternoon transcribing it. One thing’s for sure, it’s the first and only time (so far at least) that Pieter has been interviewed with Eva, talk about a scoop!