Reading room - Benoît Sokal interview
Benoît Sokal interview
By Adrian Wajer, February 2005


Prologue


- Hello, my name is Adrian Wajer, I'm a member of editorial staff of polish adventure gaming site Przygodoskop (polish for "Adventurescope") and I have the pleasure to interview you, Sir. Could you please introduce yourself to our readers and say a few things about your life before you began the career of a cartoonist.

Benoît Sokal: Hello. There is not much to say about my life before the start of my career. I was born in Belgium 50 years ago, in a very "classical" family (my father is a doctor). I decided to join an Art School and choosed "St Luc" in Brussels where there was a specific "cartoon" curse. Just graduated, the publishing book company "Casterman"was launching a new cartoon magazine (" A Suivre"). They were searching young authors, and there I was... Since then, all my cartoon books have been published at "Casterman".

- Have you ever been to Poland?

Unfortunately not.

- What bells does the word "Poland" ring in your head?

Poland means a lot, from classical European culture and Arts, to the darkest side of the second world war... Definitely a country deep into Europe.

- When, why and how did you start writing comic books?

As I said, during my studies at St Luc, when I was just 20. Then, I never stopped.

- What drew you to comic books?

The wish to live from what I liked : drawing. Back in this period, cartoon books were very popular and it was a "new" mode of expression.

- What comic book style do you prefer, which one do you find most attractive as a writer? We know that your most acclaimed comic book was "Canardo" but it was not the only thing you did and not the only style that you utilised.

My personal "master" is Hugo Pratt. I love his work. My most personal work in cartoon is an album called "Le Vieil Homme qui N'Ecrivait Plus"... I have to say that I am more involved into video games now, and that my games contain more about myself than my books.


Interactive storytelling


- What brought your interest into computers and how did your adventure with interactive entertainment start?

I started to make the coloring of my albums with Photoshop. And I had to wish to extend the spheres of creativity... I played "Myst" and was convinced. But, when I started "Amerzone", I had no idea that I would like this new field so much.

- Who contacted who first about Microids-Sokal cooperation?

I am not wishing to comment on Microids.

- How big of a challenge was this new form of storytelling to daunt with? What are the constraints and the new possibilities that it has to offer from the creative standpoint?

It was like a new world suddenly opening. 3D is really something great when you are used to conventional drawings. All you learned is still very useful, but it is like being able to make a new drawing just by changing the camera angle. The most difficult part for me is video games is the gameplay in itself : puzzles, dialog... For these parts, I am always working with game designers and listening a lot.

- Have there ever been a situation where there was a storytelling element that you wanted to implement but designers told you it could not be done in the game?

Yes. But we (game designers and I) managed to make it another way around.


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