Shamchar : Shamisa Debroey & Charlotte Dumortier
“This will be the tenth year we've been drawing together! May there be many more...”
Shamisa Debroey (left) and Charlotte Dumortier (right)
Shamisa and Charlotte are two Antwerp based comic artists, illustrators and friends. For Wobby #15 they made a collaborative work for the cover and a comic. Wobby.club asked them about their work and friendship.
Wobby : For the current issue – Wobby #15 – you made the cover and a comic together. How did the process go?
Shamchar : Pretty natural since we're used to drawing together; Shamisa came up with the idea of the fortuneteller, we pingponged a bit until we had a storyboard, then we did a few drawings together and divided the rest (we had busy schedules) and sat together again to colour it.
Wobby : Do you work together often?
Shamchar : Yes, we started Yumyum zines a few years ago and every few months we make something for that, usually a collab. We also sketch together in our free time and made our first commissioned comics this year, read them in Stripgids and in Wobby. We sign as Shamchar.
Wobby : Where did you meet?
Shamchar : We met in the third year of Illustration/Comics at Sint-Lukas Brussels, we both came from different schools, Shamisa from Illustration in Antwerp and Charlotte from Graphic design in Ghent. We grew closer at the drink&draw nights that Charlotte organised at her kot*. This will be the tenth year we've been drawing together! May there be many more...
*typical Flemish word for student room
Wobby : Is life after Art School as you expected?
Charlotte: I forgot what I expected TBH :)
Shamisa: I expected more sleep but didn't expect so much love!
Wobby : How would you describe your work?
Shamchar: We love neon pink, sparkles and shiny butts.
Charlotte: Bold shapes, flashy colours and hair buns.
Shamisa: Narrative, poetic colouring and filled with strong women.
Wobby : You live in Antwerp: what’s typical about the Antwerp illustration and comic scene?
Shamchar : It's a small world and we all get to know each other at Grafixx, Gezeever (an open screen print studio) or the Bries Space. Everyone's nice. There are sometimes drink&draws. The indie comics scene is pretty big, I feel like a lot of the illu/comic artists sprout out zines and events and exhibitions just for fun. There is a good contact with the Fine Art students, the lines between them get blurry.
Wobby : Grafixx – festival for graphic arts – in Antwerp is on this weekend, what should we definitely see?
Charlotte: I look forward to the performances of Valentine Gallardo x Corrupted and First Contact with drawings by Wide Vercnocke. And the exhibitions of Amanda Baeza and Ideaal (a young collective from Antwerp).
Shamisa: I'll be drawing with the Vooruit, and can't wait to meet new people so come and say Hi! And I can't wait for Lukas Verstraete and Martha Verschaffel as a very talented family duo.
Wobby : What kind of books are irresistible?
Charlotte: Neon pink zines and filled sketchbooks <3
Shamisa: Funny zines in gold and flashy colours, and big graphic novels with amazing art work.
Wobby : Which artists should we follow?
Charlotte: Sadrie is young, fun and really good.
Sadrie
Shamisa : Charlotte because she is my fave and Wide Vercnocke cus he bakes pancakes on his insta stories.
Wobby : Do you have any advice for young illustrators or comic artists?
Shamchar : Have fun! Work together! Shit out zines! Never give up!
Wobby : What projects are you currently working on?
Shamisa: I'm working for Vooruit and will be curating a project for Passa Porta Festival 2019.
Charlotte: Screenprinting christmas cards with Senne Claes, Juliane Noll and Sadrie (to be found at Grafixx).
Shamchar: In September, we organise Tekenpudding together with Daniela from KOP, it's a drawing festival and funfair, full of happy little mistakes and weird creations.
Wobby : The end of the year is coming, what are you (not) looking forward to?
Charlotte: Looking forward to see my family and eating grandma's puddings.
Shamisa: Looking forward to FOOD and I hate the cold.
