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Jessica Micheline (@mapoucomics) Jessica joins us on the Black Superheroes Matter Podcast. Jessica is a Haitian comic book creator and writer who gets her motivation from reading Marvel and DC comic books. In her comic book “Mapou” she creates Haitian superheroes to teach the youth real facts about their rich history and culture. Jessica Micheline is using comic books to depict Haitian history in a way that the youth can engage with and learn new things about who they are and who their ancestors are. “I know it’s a crisis and there’s so much happening but it’s also a great time for reflection like you said, a great time for creating. It’s a great time to be reflecting on ourselves.”
Time Stamps from the podcast:
Question: What was your motivation for pursuing comics?
7:40- 7:57 “I’m Haitian, my families from Haiti and there’s so much rich culture, spirituality, especially when you look back at our history of Vodou and the revolution and telling that story in a comic book I just felt like would be epic”
8:10- 8:24 “In the comic book I depict Loa which are Haitian gods so I’m using real facts. It’s an opportunity for me to teach the youth – the other Haitian-Americans that are trying to understand who they are and who their ancestors are.”
8:28-8:39 “I’m trying to really give them the opportunity to learn history while being engaged in the text. Not a history book or a history class but a comic book, something that they can engage with and connect with.”
10:11-10:29 “The Loa’s themselves have amazing stories to tell and then how that intertwines with our revolution and our history and who we are as people right now. Or the battles that we do in the spirit realm and how that affects our reality.”
20:20-20:36 “I started by collaborating with artists. First I just started writing out descriptions for every character, writing out the storyline like what I wanted the basic storyline to be for my comic book Mapou.”
20:47- 21:00 “I’m a visual person, like I have to see them to give them life. Working with an artist to help me develop the character, help me develop more of their powers, what they’d be doing in the spirit realm and how they might move”
22:06-22:19 “I understand as an artist you can’t do things for free. So I wanted to actually be able to compensate an artist for what they were giving me and I understand that collaboration is a partnership but I still want to pay you.”
26:27-26:53 “That whole concept of being a “starving artist” is not appealing to people. Sometimes we have to buckle down and work a job that might not be the most artistic job but it’s a job that’ll pay for your artistic goals and your progress. You have to kind of make sacrifices where you need to.
Q&A with Jessica Micheline
What do you do?
I am a group home owner and comic book creator
How did you get started?
I’ve always been in love with comic books and I’ve always been passionate about my culture and spirituality. Creating this comic book allowed me to feed my need for understanding and share priceless pieces of our history with other Haitian American youth.
How has COVID-19 affected you?
My group home is for children so they would usually be at school or camp throughout the day. I’m having to pay double the overtime and work double the shifts to make up for all the extra time they are spending at home. Otherwise the slow down has honestly been an amazing time for reflecting and writing.
Has it been difficult trying to find success as a Black creator in the industry?
Actually no. Right now is the best role to be a black creator. There are so many outlets, so many communities, so many peers to connect to and so many ways to do it.
How would you describe your creative style? What/who was your biggest inspiration?
My ancestors are my biggest inspiration, I truly feel they are guiding every step!
What was your favorite superhero growing up?
The Incredible Hulk; Reminds me so much of myself lol
What projects are you currently working on?
Mapou! A comic series about four Haitian American teens who are called to do battle in the spirit realm by their mounting lwa (god).
Why do Black Superheroes Matter?
Seeing our babies in our cosplay, seeing them believe they can be heroes too.
Follow Jessica Micheline’s Work at: https://mapoucomics.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mapoucomics/
Hey, this is Steve. I played football at Oregon State University and University of Hawaii. Now I doodle cartoons and blow stuff up on camera. I also make web comics too. Hopefully I can make this whole thing a full time gig so I can make the big bucks to pay for Medical School! (Fingers Crossed) If you would like more thought-provoking content or a quick laugh consider supporting me on Patreon, checking out my webseries Eyelnd Feevr, or checking out links to my other projects below:
Eyelnd Feevr Webseries | PDX Black Rose Podcast | Stuck E Podcast | Black Superheroes Matter | Artist Portfolio | DIY Arts Tutorials & Blog |