BéKa is a code name--almost like a scientific formula that two Toulouse-based science students could have come up with together. In fact, BéKa is the special alchemy created by Caroline Roque and Bertrand Escaich. Caroline was preparing her doctoral degree in biology while Bertrand was beginning to write scripts for comics. When she wasn't studying molecules, Caroline was writing novels and short stories that would soon be adapted into film.
When one of her stories won a top prize in a Toulouse festival, the temptation to devote herself to full-time writing became too strong. Caroline and Bertrand became a fully-fledged writing duo. Together they have worked on several successful series, including "Chinn" (Bamboo), "Filles Uniques" (Dargaud Benelux; Europe Comics for the English edition) and "Coeur Collège" (Dupuis; Europe Comics for the English edition).
In 2022, they teamed up with Bob to create "L'École des petits monstres" (Dupuis; "The School for Little Monsters, " Europe Comics).
Maya - whose real name is Martina Mura - is an Italian cartoonist born in 1997, in the seaside town of Alghero (Sardinia).
From a very young age, Maya loved writing and drawing comics, with a particular taste for stories inspired by everyday life. As she grew up, she discovered manga, which became one of her lasting influences.
In order to satisfy her appetite for Japanese culture, Maya attended the European Manga Academy for two years, a timeless place in the Tuscan countryside where her daily life consisted of drawing lessons, trips to the theater, and Aikido training. There, Maya deepened her knowledge of Japanese working techniques that would establish her personal style. At the same time, she taught herself the art of illustration and color in a way that merges key aspects of Japanese and European graphic culture.
Maya worked on her first comic series - a trilogy - with the publisher Mangasenpai.
Entitled "Nel linguaggio dei fiori" ("In the Language of Flowers"), this sensitive and beautifully illustrated story follows the lives of three 8-year-olds, confronted with the problems of everyday life. The opportunity for Maya to deal with most of the themes that are dear to her, such as childhood, music, and human relationships, with a rare accuracy...
In 2021, Maya joined forces with the duo BéKa ("Champignac") for the youth series "Coeur Collège", published by Dupuis (Europe Comics in English).
In this new creative space, she uses a delicate but lively line to perfectly capture the uncertainties and curiosities of two young teenagers discovering love...
