We are in an era of climate change, an era of awareness and above all of education or re-education of our customs.
Who better than a teacher to educate and raise awareness among the new generation, who, through their own words, will then be able to reach parents and grandparents so that together we can find solutions to save our beautiful and precious planet Earth.
The subject is controversial and does not place everyone on the same line of thought, but Sophie Borghesi nevertheless chose this subject to publish her first comic book.
Sophie, herself the daughter of a schoolteacher (our dear and friendly Michel, so devoted to the valley and its community), knows how to find the words to address this issue through a story inspired by her son Rémi.
A family story?
We met with Sophie to ask her questions, both about this literary adventure and about the climate itself.
-Hello Sophie,
Could you please start by introducing yourself?
Hello,
Sophie Borghesi, I have been a teacher for 20 years, I have always loved to draw.
I took drawing classes, comic book classes so that I could publish and edit, and above all, first produce, the story written by my son Rémi.
So I am a teacher and a mom in this project… and an illustrator.
-And how old is Rémi today?
Now he's in his second year of high school, and he wrote this story when he was in sixth grade, on his school binder paper. He used to bring back the little drawings from the beginning.
So he's a real manga fan, "One Piece," "Dragon Ball," all that stuff... and he'd imagined this world of "Meteologia" with all the characters. He showed it to me and I said, "Come on, let's make the story together!"
-William Shakespeare said, "To be or not to be, that is the question." For the Villé Valley tourist office, the question (which we believe will one day be as famous as the famous playwright's tirade) is: are you from the Villé Valley?
No, I was born in Altorf, near Molsheim.
I studied in Strasbourg, my husband is from Paris, and when we wanted to settle down and buy a house, we found one in the Villé Valley!
Why the Villé Valley? Because we did some research, we had friends there, and there was a great atmosphere with all the local associations, like Décibulles. It's located in the countryside, a beautiful place to live, and at the same time, a place where you never get bored! We also saw that there was a youth center for children, and we chose a house that we could buy.
Since then we have lived in Albé and we participate in the life of the village which is very active.
We found a second family in Albé, the people from the theatre, from the village, it's a bit like yes, a second family.
-If you are not a native of the valley, you work there and hold a teaching position at the Saint-Martin school.
What do you like about your job and did it help you in the creation and writing of "meteologia"?
What do I like about it?! First of all, the contact with the children; we're always surrounded by them, we still have to lead a little while remaining close and caring. It's not a manager's position, it's more of a mentoring role.
So this is a position that suits me because the position of manager doesn't appeal to me much.
Providing support, that's good, I like that!
Above all, it's very creative.
We have to create all the sessions ourselves—in French, math, music—and that's what I love. What I really love is that it covers all the subjects. We can do sports, music, drawing, French, math; we can connect everything to work on projects and meet other people.
But to experience all of this, you have to want to get out of the classroom and work on projects. What can be a little difficult in Saint-Martin and the Valley is being alone in your classroom with your young students, and you have to force yourself to see other things because that's what the students in the valley need to see; they need to see other things. Their valley is magnificent, they feel at home there, but they need to learn about the world.
-Did the children in your class(es) inspire you in the writing or illustrations and is the comic strip suitable for their age?
Of course, and after spending time with students from CP to CM2 (grades 1-5), I created a comic book for students from CP to CM2. It's because it's an age I know, I know what they like, which is stories where they are moved but also where there is adventure, all while having gentle drawings.
So yes, it's certain, my students guided and inspired me to illustrate my comic strip.
-If I understand correctly Sophie, the world of "meteologia" was not born from the fruit of your imagination, but from that of your son Rémi.
Could you please explain?
Yes, "meteologia" was born from the fruit of Rémi's imagination.
He created a story about clouds based on an episode of "One Piece" that takes place... in the clouds.
In this world of "meteologia" Rémi created 5 clouds; the sun cloud; the rain cloud, the wind cloud, the snow cloud and the storm cloud.
I found it interesting and I was proud of what he had imagined, of this story about the climate, of having imagined and drawn Dioxyde who is the villain.
We changed some things because I took comics courses and we modified based on what I learned to improve the work.
I always wanted to write a comic book. It was a dream. Some people want to climb Mont Blanc, I wanted to make a comic book in my life, so I said go for it, and the fact that it's Rémi's story will motivate me to see it through, and there will be meaning to it all.
There was an exchange, it really happened with Rémi.
-Without spoiling this story for our readers (your future readers), can you explain what this comic book is about?
This story takes place in the world of "meteologia," which is an imaginary world made up of 5 clouds, with different weather on each of the 5 clouds and different inhabitants on each of the 5 clouds.
On the rain cloud, it rains all the time and we will have inhabitants who are used to this climate.
Everything is going well, but one day the rain on the cloud stops, and disaster strikes: the clouds evaporate. The little cloud character will have to resolve this weather disruption and travel through the different clouds of Meteologia.
It's a kind of road movie because he's going to go to every cloud, meet every type of inhabitant, and fight the villain Dioxyde, who is a kind of intangible, mechanical monster that has disrupted the climate by stealing magical objects.
This story is full of adventures, superpowers, and challenges. In the end, they will all work together to resolve the situation.
-It is clear that you want to involve your readers in the fight against climate change, but in addition, you are addressing the theme of self-confidence.
In addition to raising awareness among readers about climate change, do you want to help children in their development?
Yes, we address the theme of self-confidence and teamwork since in the end all the inhabitants will have to collaborate together to grow a magic tree called Foresto.
Foresto is the one who will fight Dioxyde.
So all the inhabitants are different, they have different appearances, but it is together, from all the clouds, that we will succeed.
I wanted to show my students that even if they are small today, they will grow up and that even small in a good way they can convey ideas and that they can succeed.
I wanted to send a positive message to their anger, no, you are not going to live in a horrible world because we hear a lot of things like that.
-I read in the press that you had chosen to write a non-gendered story.
So there are no men or women in Meteologia?
Why and what is the purpose of having made this choice?
Actually, what I mean is that this story isn't just for boys or girls. I mean that both boys and girls can find themselves in this little cloud, which is, after all, a "cloud."
In some salons, I noticed that it interested both girls and boys.
-Who did you write this story for? Was there a specific age group in mind?
The targeted age group is primary school.
Did I realize that before I did it? No!
I wasn't thinking about publishing, but about creating, about making my son's comic book. So, subconsciously, I drew for elementary school students (grades 1-5) because that's the world I'm immersed in. It's only now that it's published that I realize the audience that appreciates it, and it's the same audience that reads comics for the first time.
-Do you think that the younger generation is more sensitive to the issue of climate and, moreover, do you think that they are capable of raising awareness among parents and grandparents about the rapid awareness needed?
They are, of course, more sensitive to climate issues; they are very sensitive to environmental issues. It's discussed a lot in class and in their social circles. There's also a lot of children's literature being published on the subject.
Yes, they are capable of raising awareness among grandparents, but I think that grandparents, at least in the Villé Valley, don't need to be made aware because they are already conscious of climate issues. In fact, many parents and grandparents buy the comic book for their children and grandchildren because of the topic, thinking that it deals with the environment and that it's good, that it will interest them.
It's a topic that children enjoy because it speaks to them.
-Sophie, did you create all the illustrations for this comic strip?
Yes, I did that! It was a long process, it took me 4 years!
I draw in large format but now I've learned, today it might go a little faster.
What do you enjoy more, writing or drawing?
Actually, I like both!
So I would say… Invent!
-Have you ever illustrated stories before, either for other authors or to present work to your students?
Yes, I illustrated a children's book for Claire-Lyse Schmitt who wrote "When Emile Died".
She wanted to be able to talk to children about death and she asked me to illustrate it.
That's why she's in the acknowledgments because it's something you don't refuse your best friend, and so I was kind of backed into a corner.
I asked her if she was sure, and so I made these illustrations thinking I could do it!
That was a starting point.
-Have you always been drawing or did you take lessons to be able to illustrate this story so well?
Yes, I took courses at the Alsace Image school, evening or Saturday morning classes with Johannes Roussel, who is a comic book artist. He helped me a lot; it allowed me to persevere throughout the project and make progress.
At first he told me "no, in a year we only do 4/5 pages" and I told him but I want to make a comic book! And even if he didn't believe it at first, well I went through with the project.
Johannes helped me a lot and corrected me. He redrew almost all the characters' hands, because knowing how to position the hands is complicated.
-You have decided to donate €1 per comic book sold to Nature Centre of the Ried and Central Alsace.
Did the nature center help you with the environmental issues in your story?
No no, they didn't help me, it's my publisher who likes to donate €1 from pre-sales or from the book to a charity.
So he asked me which association I would like to help (on the subject of the environment of course) and the nature center was obvious because they support classes and I benefited from their interventions with students and at the same time it is the proximity.
-Let's change the subject a little, Sophie.
What do you like about the Villé Valley?
I like the many associations and the fact that it's like a big family.
I also like the fact that it's beautiful, the walks, the hikes. I go for walks every weekend.
There's always something going on, it's alive!
In addition, we now have many friends, we are never alone, and when we go somewhere we always meet someone we know!
-Your favorite spot in the valley? And why?
Well, it's above our house in Albé, above the heritage path, where we have a 360° view, where we have a view of the Climont.
But there's also the airfield in Albé because... it's my home and because we have a beautiful view!
-What are your other passions, Sophie?
I love to dance, I love to sing, anything that allows me to express myself and create. I also love cafés and theatre where we create and write in the same way! We bring joy to people and connect with each other.
“Creating to share” is exactly what it is! We share the creative process, we do it together, and then we share it when we are on stage.
-Do you consider yourself to be a person involved on a daily basis in the fight against global warming?
The ecological and environmental question is always in a small corner of my mind, and it adds another factor to my decision-making process for everything I do. It's something that's somewhat subconscious, but it makes me ask myself the question every time.
Do I really need to buy this again, or can't I reuse the old one or find a solution elsewhere?
This environmental issue isn't my top priority, but it's part of the choice. Sometimes it's not an option, sometimes the environmental question takes a backseat because I don't have time right now, but it's always there!
-If you had to ask just one thing of the inhabitants of our planet to reverse the climate trend, what would it be?
My approach would be to use what already exists. If a house already exists, don't build a new one, renovate or repair it.
Perhaps we could also try to work closer to home… but at the same time, work is incredibly important. If we find a job in Strasbourg that we like, then we go to Strasbourg, but we try to get there by train.
-How did your students react when they found out you had written a comic book?
"Oh teacher, you draw sooooo well!!!"
They all said that or "you're so lucky to be able to draw like that."
-Sophie, before we leave you, do you have a final word, a thought or a quote that you would like to share with us?
You have to believe that you can achieve it, it takes time but little by little, if you want something, you can achieve it!
Perhaps not at the national level, but at the personal level.
Thank you very much for your time, imagination, and involvement.
We sincerely hope that your comic book will be a success and that it will enable many to understand and make the necessary shift to restore climate balance.