a magnificent graphic account of Shikoku

How did you come up with the idea of ​​making the Shikoku pilgrimage?

It was following my pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in 2015 that I heard about the one in Shikoku. Eight years later, I had the means, the desire and the need to do it.

Although it is called “the Japanese Compostela”, this path is much more difficult: circular in shape, in the heart of nature, it is more strenuous and more isolated. The landscapes are varied and more exotic than in Spain. The fauna and flora are also more impressive, notably by the presence of numerous reptiles.

Did you intend to publish a graphic story on the subject?

I left with the desire to write a story about it, but above all the desire to walk. I had not contacted a publisher before my pilgrimage. When I returned, it took me a little time to fully appreciate the benefits of this walk, because it is an intense experience that you become aware of over time.

Then, by sorting my photos and transcribing the voice notes recorded during the trip, I realized that this material formed a story and that I was ready to approach publishers.

Did you draw there or on the way back?

I didn’t have time there. Walking was already an ordeal in itself! In fact, to complete the entire route, I had to cover around twenty kilometers, on average, per day.

While this pace may seem easy to maintain on the way to Santiago, this is not the case on the island of Shikoku. The heat, the mosquitoes, the trail paths in the mountains, the weight of the bag, the language barrier and sometimes hazardous signage: this course turned out to be much more trying than I would have imagined.

So it was on my return that I made the drawings, using my notes and my photos.

Your graphic universe is very particular, because you create and color your plates by hand, without computer assistance. Why this choice?

I draw with colored pencils, because it’s the tool I’m naturally most comfortable with. I don’t like the idea that you have to equip yourself with expensive or technological equipment to create. The pencil, easy and light to carry, is the simplest tool. It is one of the first that we put in the hands of a child to learn to communicate and create – first through drawing, from kindergarten, and then through writing.

I also like the idea that a single tool, as simple but essential as the pencil, can connect writing to drawing.

To tell the story of this pilgrimage, what are the advantages of the graphic story compared to a text book, a photo album or a documentary film?

On this subject, there already exist testimonies in these other forms but The Molt is the first graphic story. Sometimes pilgrims bear witness to this experience only as walkers, and not as an artist or writer. Their point of view is therefore often focused on technical and practical questions.

Here, I wanted to give another dimension to my story, more introspective and poetic. In addition, a path like that of Shikoku is very visual: landscapes, Japanese culture, temple architecture. Being an illustrator, it would have been a shame if I limited myself to a purely textual description.

Can you explain the title: The Molt ?

Molting is defined as a change that affects the skin of an animal. For example, snakes molt to grow or get rid of parasites on their skin. This title is a reference to the snakes that I have encountered on numerous occasions. But it also alludes to the symbolic old skins I left behind while walking.

On the way to Compostela, upon arriving at Cape Finisterre, pilgrims sometimes burn a piece of clothing, a symbolic extension of themselves, to give them a “new skin”. In 2015, when I arrived on this beach, I also wanted to burn one of my clothes. Unfortunately, because of its synthetic material, it was a disaster! Moreover, this gesture is now prohibited for ecological reasons.

Did the creation of your graphic story contribute to this inner journey?

It was indeed like a second trip, also quite trying. On average, to produce a book as an illustrator and screenwriter, it takes me two years. And during these twenty-four months, we go through a long journey where anything can happen! Once the book is printed, we are far from the initial journey, but it is a way to remember it and share this experience.

What disorientated you the most in Japan?

The ocean and the mountains, because I was born in Belgium. In this “flat country”, apart from the North Sea, there are no large bodies of water, not much relief, no luxuriant fauna or flora. Furthermore, I lived most of my life as a city dweller, in Brussels. During my trip to Shikoku, I finally found myself in my place, part of this nature.

This experience fueled my questioning of the city lifestyle. For around ten years, I have lived in France, where the landscapes are more varied than in Belgium, and I recently moved to a small town on a human scale, closer to nature.

What did you like and dislike about this pilgrimage?

I enjoyed almost everything about this trip. Even the trying or embarrassing moments, because I consider them as learning: for example, when an elderly man tried to lure me into his room in the evening, or the (too) numerous presence of snakes on the road. Today, I see difficult situations as opportunities to fight back.

Furthermore, before, I sought to avoid conflict or lack of comfort. Now I see conflict as a way of asserting and defending what feels right to me – and that is truly liberating.

But to answer your question more precisely, what I appreciated most in this country was the extreme kindness and benevolence of the Japanese. I like their culture and their welcome. Shikoku will always have an important place in my heart!

In your story, did you want to stay close to reality or create a work of fiction?

In my books, I always try to be as close as possible to reality. As I said, I work using photos and recordings that I transcribe. When I return, when I listen to these recordings, all my memories come back to me, and I know exactly what emotional state I was in during my walk.

Each day had its share of challenges to overcome, and I displayed a wide spectrum of emotions, from fear to wonder to total discouragement: that’s what I tried to express in this book.

What did you particularly like to draw?

I like drawing fish: they bring me a feeling of calm. I also like to draw food, which whets the appetite!

EWere you dressed in white, and did you perform the rituals at each temple?

When leaving, I decided to bring white clothes, which is the color of the pilgrimage. But there is no rule to be observed by the henro (or Shikoku pilgrim): everyone dresses as they wish. At the shop of the first temple, you can buy jackets, hats, white shoulder bags with the official inscriptions of the pilgrimage, but I preferred to make do with what I had taken with me.

I performed the rituals in each temple, except the heart sutras which must be recited while chanting in front of the main temple and the one dedicated to Kukai (774-835, better known as Kobo-Daishi, founder of the Shingon Buddhist school), because I did not feel comfortable there. Instead, I said prayers while lighting candles and burning incense.

Can you describe Japanese hospitality to us?

The Japanese have a keen sense of hospitality, but you need to know the codes to ensure your stay goes smoothly. In the ryokan (hostels), for example, it is essential to book your accommodation in advance and arrive before 5 p.m. A later arrival is a lack of respect and disrupts the host, because he or she has already prepared the meal, the bath water and the room. As a result, he may think we are lost and take his car to go looking for us.

On my way, I never stopped receiving help, for example to find my way. I also received many offerings, which are called osetai : drinks, food, small stuffed animals, lucky charms. One day, I even received a mother-of-pearl bead found on the beach by a Japanese who lived facing the ocean.

Do you have plans for other trips, other graphic stories?

I think I will continue walking for the rest of my life. However, since I adopted a cat, leaving for two months has become impossible for me! I will therefore favor shorter walks, like Stevenson’s path, but I don’t think I will make a graphic account of it. Currently, I would rather collaborate on projects in pairs, as an illustrator or screenwriter, to discover a new facet of the profession.