Pepper and Carrot - How do you not own this
Kids comics don't get much better than this
Book title: Pepper and Carrot - Series
Author: David Revoy - French artist living in southern France
Publishing Date: Webcomic began in April 2014 - Most recent print - Book 4 Feb 2022
Publisher: self published by David Revoy
Book title: Pepper and Carrot - Series
Author: David Revoy - French artist living in southern France
Publishing Date: Webcomic began in April 2014 - Most recent print - Book 4 Feb 2022
Publisher: self published by David Revoy
Intro
The story behind the books is just as interesting as the books themselves. David (or Deevad on some social networks) is a revolutionary whose purpose is not only to produce amazing comics and art, but also to disrupt the system and change the landscape of comic production and marketing entirely. A quick look through David's online portfolio demonstrates the quality of work that he produces and a little more digging will reward the curious reader with an inspirational story of an artist who has made a career for himself while not succumbing to the pressures of the status quo.
Physical book quality
I currently have only read the digital versions of Pepper and Carrot, purchased through the DriveThru comics online shop, but am looking forward to holding printed versions in my hands in the near future. The simple fact that this whole series is available for purchase digitally, and has been posted as an online webcomic is part of the reason that David's work has been so groundbreaking in so many ways.
Story and characters
Pepper is a young witch. She is taken in by a group of older witches who agree to teach her their way, which they call "Chaosah". Pepper doesn't always agree with her mentors, and strives to do her best, but often makes mistakes. Sometimes Pepper shows her teachers that they can do things in new ways and sometimes, she ignores their advice and lives to regret it. With her trusty familiar, a cat named "Carrot", she makes friends, learns magic, and grows up a little throughout the 4 book series. Each book is make up of a series of short stories, between 7 and 14 pages. Each story is an entire concept that can stand alone, but there is some continuity and progression for the characters as the books progress.
The short stories, at times seemed as though they might express some sentiment that I disagreed with, but eventually Pepper learned something that I thought was both meaningful and valuable. There are themes of responsibility, gratitude, virtue, honesty and respect, to name a few. I found that over-all the messages were positive. Some of the stories are expressed almost entirely via visuals, with very little text or dialogue, but most are presented in a relatively standard comic form. The author is French, so there are a few moments where a North American reader may feel culturally out of place, but they are minimal.
As a whole body of work, I could definitely see myself enjoying reading these stories with a very young child and having the material spark many valuable conversations where important lessons may be discussed and learned. As with any form of media, having a parent engage with their child and the material is ideal so that they can help the child understand the positive messages being put forth by the author. The fact that there is a little "nerd culture" humour is just a bonus.
Art style and quality
David is a consumate professional. The quality of his work is a beacon of light to all industry professionals and organizations, demonstrating that it is not the cost of the tools but the skill of the artist that creates great art. David has made it a mission of his to use only open source/free/libre tools to create this work and has done a remarkable job in showcasing what those tools can do. it is hard to believe that all of his work on these comics is done digitally. There is so much character, liveliness and texture in the work. David has drawn, inked and coloured the entire series of books using the freely available "Krita" art program. In a professional environment where students are taught to utilize the "industry standard" programs, which often cost thousands of dollars, or hundreds per year on a monthly subscription, David has produced the highest quality digital artwork using free and open source tools. Aside from the quality of work that David produces, his commitment to using these tools and making all of his work compatible with the creative commons licence is inspirational.
The comics themselves are beautiful. David's characters are so cute and well drawn that they instantly draw the reader into the story. I often find myself lingering on a page and just marvelling at his balance of painterly texture, and distinctive linework. Within the books, David also allows the reader to see some of his foundational sketches and "pencils" which are remarkable on their own. David's use of colour, light, shadow and special effects serves the cartoon styling and the story well. I truly don't find anything worth criticizing in his work and cannot heap enough praise on him for his style. through the series, David does some experimentation and if you look through his blog posts, you will see that he is a consumate professional who is rarely satisfied with his own work and always striving to improve.
Final thoughts
I personally love David's commitment to open source free/libre software and the creative commons licence, but have to say, even without that aspect of his career, this body of work is phenomenal. David's characters, backgrounds and environments are all beautifully drawn and rendered in a cartoonish, but painterly style that I simply cannot get enough of.
I hope that David continues to produce these stories for many years to come and that he gets the recognition that he deserves for the remarkable quality of his art and his storytelling.
For those of you who prefer to see the video reviews, subscribe to my youtube channel - blackManic Arts, or just go straight to the video for this comic here - Pepper & Carrot.