A debut graphic novel from TKO Studios, Djeliya mixes and weaves a tapestry of West African folklore mixed with Senegalese creator Juni Ba’s love of manga.
This all-ages original story follows the adventures of Mansour Keita, the last prince of a dying kingdom, and his loyal storyteller Awa. Awa, a ‘Djeli’, or royal storyteller, accompanies Mansour as they travel to meet the great wizard Soumaoro. In their travels, they encounter eccentric and colourful personalities from myth and legend and dancehalls! But that’s still putting it all rather mildly.
Djeliya is a wild ride for those of us unfamiliar with the lore and legend of West Africa, of course. Ba’s storyline presents itself in a roundabout way; we get to explore a journey with these characters that is full of symbolism and show. The narrative is not a simple matter of “A to B” with story beats and compressed dialogue. Rather, it meanders, becomes opaque and mystifying to us, and only through careful deciphering do we glean the direction.
Juni Ba’s artwork is emblazoned with big gestures and ornamentation, plenty of kinetic motion, and an enthusiasm that is truly engaging. Visually, Djeliya (pronounced Ja-LEE-ah) is delightfully bold, with colours exploding, figures in all their shapes and angles interacting all over the pages. The sound effects are hand-rendered, the lettering has huge balloons with wide wiggly tails. Colours are all over the rainbow, and bold thick line artwork performs everything from a Rubik’s cube of dizzying confusion to a wonderfully cathartic expression of emotion.
It can be hard to follow, and while intended for teen audiences, not an easy breeze. But for sheer inventiveness and a playful take on combining manga with an African rooted sensibility, Djeliya makes for fascinating exploration. This is a one-of-a-kind, thoughtfully crafted graphic novel that you really should look into.
TKO Studios, Djeliya Graphic Novel, $14.99 for 178 pages of content. Teen 13+
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