"Magie Noire" ("

Black Magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...

") is a

comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

series by the Ivorian painter and author Gilbert G. Groud. It deals with the dangers of black magic in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. The story is about a father who is married to several women. His favourite wife Zoé has only one child. In order to proceed in sorcery and earn a position of higher power he is required to sacrifice this last son. The child is sacrificed in the world of ghosts. In the real world he falls very sick and throws up daily. The mother, who is not into Black Magic, takes the child to a hospital. The doctors can not find out what is wrong. Still the situation of the child worsens. The illustrations were drawn by hand with ink. The mood is sad and dark which can also be seen in the pictures that are painted in green and brown. Pictures showing the real world are suddenly painted in bright colors. This contrast shows the difference between the real world and the frightening, dangerous world of ghosts. Groud converted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

in 1985 but comes from a family that practised sorcery. His point of view is a very critical one.

Editions

* Gilbert G. Groud: ''Magie Noire''. Albin Michel, Paris 2003, * Gilbert G. Groud: ''Magie noire, Tome 2'' Vent des savanes, 2008,

Sources

English articles: * http://lambiek.net/artists/g/groud_gilbert.htm French articles: * https://web.archive.org/web/20071026085124/http://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/em/cosmopolitaine/index.php?id=14236 * http://www.africultures.com/index.asp?menu=affiche_murmure&no_murmure=903 Mythology in comics Ivorian art African witchcraft Ivorian comics {{comics-stub