All images courtesy of Paul Louise-Julie
The Pack is an "African mythology" graphic novel that debuted earlier this year. Conceived, written, and drawn by New Jersey-based French-Caribbean artist Paul Louise-Julie, the series is part of its creator's larger goal of creating a new mythology for the Black Diaspora. "Mythology is a fundamental part of civilization. It is the foundation upon which art, philosophy, and society are all based," Louise-Julie previously told us about the importance of mythology to the Diaspora. "Unfortunately, that foundation is missing in the Diaspora – or it’s been lost," he explained. "If we can regain that, we can regain our identity, which, in the end is everything. Identity is what determines the way the world sees you and consequently what you can contribute to it."
Each of the series' five seasons are broken down by region (North, East, West, South, Central), with each season comprised of about five sagas focusing on a particular kingdom or realm. "The idea is that with every saga, people will be introduced to another fantasy realm and thus, a unique look at Africa," Louise-Julie said when we spoke in April. The series opens in the north, beginning with the story of a pack of ancient Egyptian werewolves in issue 1. In an email, Louise-Julie shed some light on what to expect from issue 2:
"Issue 2: Brothers Out of Bond picks up right where A Wolf in Egypt left off. Khenti has escaped Pharaoh's stronghold and now races to Khufu to find his brother. We find out what happened to Nekhet and the Shadows in the Aftermath of Akhenon's assassination. We also see Khufu, the Old Capital and home of the pyramids.Issue 2 took longer because it had 10 times more detail than Issue 1. Every Panel was painted in full detail like an Oil Painting. Many of the background sets were done by creating by High resolution Matte Paintings which were then inserted using Green Screen. The story is much more action packed and you start to see the much bigger world that the Pack live in."
Issue 2 of The Pack is out now and available for purchase on iBooks and Kindle. For more, read our interview with The Pack's creator, Paul Louise-Julie, and keep up with the series on Facebook.
'The Pack,' Issue 2: Brothers Out of Bond (Courtesy of Paul Louise-Julie)
'The Pack,' Issue 2: Brothers Out of Bond (Courtesy of Paul Louise-Julie)
'The Pack,' Issue 2: Brothers Out of Bond (Courtesy of Paul Louise-Julie)
'The Pack,' Issue 2: Brothers Out of Bond (Courtesy of Paul Louise-Julie)
