Baptiste Drausin mentioned that, like many people his age, he’s really into pop culture, making it natural for him to incorporate pop culture characters into his work. "At first, I enjoyed blending different characters to create something new, but then I decided to use them for a better cause—ecology."
We asked Baptiste why he decided to focus on ecological and environmental topics in his comics.
"It was after my year of traveling across Australia and Asia. I visited different places that were paradises but were destroyed by human activity and pollution. I wanted to use my art to raise awareness about ecology by incorporating pop culture characters so people would feel more impacted by environmental issues. Because when you see a polar bear dying, it affects us quickly, but if you use a character that people love suffering, it will touch on your childhood and therefore leave a much stronger impression."
Spreading awareness about ecological issues can be a challenging task, especially when combining important messages with beloved characters like Beauty and the Beast or Mowgli. We asked Baptiste about his creative process and how he blends these messages with such well-known characters. "It depends. Sometimes, I start with ecological issues I see in the news and try to emphasize them with a pop culture character. Other times, I start with a character I haven’t used before and look for a situation where I can fit them in."
The artist shared that he hopes his comics spark discussions between people. "And, who knows, maybe even open minds and inspire some to change their mindset," he added.
