Kuredi, Chalkis. Next to the “mad waters” of Eurypos, on the drawing board, the pen tirelessly draws images and stories with its ink. It belongs to Petros Christoulias, a native of the capital of Evia and one of the most prolific illustrators of the increasingly vibrant domestic comics scene. With a style reminiscent of the Franco-Belgian school of “gang design” of the 80s and 90s, a deep and careful study of the characters and landscapes he creates, and a wise harmony of drama and comedy, the 43-year-old Halkidian creator works professionally with 1997 and since then he has collaborated with fanzines, magazines and newspapers and has drawn series such as “Intramuros” and “Trenches”, as well as completely created others such as “Secret Identity” and “The Bat Trilogy”. which have already become classics. His latest work, a graphic novel-biography of the great Greek medical researcher Georgiou N. Papanikolaou, has just been published by Papadopoulos and is an occasion for a conversation with him.

– It is true that the main characters of my stories are not superhumans, but on the contrary, they feel different and out of place in their environment and struggle to be accepted. In fact, the setting of these stories is meant to emphasize this element, whether it be the chaotic Greek city of the present, a nostalgic version of a city from another era, or even some exotic landscape. After all, often the place plays an important role in the plot. Even in my latest book, which is a biography of such a famous person, you can see the adventures of a person who feels special. And, yes, I have already made sure that all this is not accidental and that it also speaks of my own character, of my own insecurities and obsessions.

– I like simplicity, so I try to convey the idea of ​​the image with as little chatter as possible. Wishing to preserve only those features of Papanicolaou that would be necessary for me to preserve his expressiveness, I opted for a simplification of their form. I wanted to emphasize this triangular nose solution because I think it ultimately enhances the design and perhaps the overall “cartoon” approach gives it the necessary lightness, which also suits my overall style.

– Chalkis is the city in which I grew up, and when I left it, it was charged in my mind – naturally – both in a positive and negative way. When I returned to her permanently a few years ago, I tried to see her with fresh eyes and get to know her again. Living here, every once in a while a smell or sight takes me on a little trip back in time, which helps me stay in touch with my younger self and remember my creative impulses.

– Studying at the Academy of Fine Arts (ASHT) was a valuable stage in my education and aesthetic education, but what worried me both before and during my studies – and, obviously, after – comics and illustrations. And it probably has to do with references I had as a child, such as, for example. all these great European comedians that I got to know from Babel magazine, and also that with these narrative tools I could create character stories, which is what I always wanted to do. Also, in this space, I found a community of people that I really like, and I feel that we have something in common, even though we are so different from each other in style and character.

The main characters in my stories are not superhuman, but instead feel different and out of place in their environment and struggle to be accepted.

– It is difficult to analyze the creation of such a complex media, but I can say for sure that in relation to a motion picture, which is the product of a collective work, a graphic novel can be created even by one person. And, although it sounds lonely, it also has good sides, such as, for example. the composition and creative calm that one can have when working on something alone.

– I have always written my own stories, and this is due to my need to tell and create worlds. But I have also worked with many good children’s books and comics authors, and each time it was a very interesting experience that taught me a lot.

– The theme of the book itself made this project important for me, as it is a biography of a very important person who goes beyond the borders of our country. Papanicolaou’s contribution to humanity is undeniable. In addition, for me it was also an opportunity to tell a story that I had not tried before.

– This is not the first time in my work that I have been engaged in research with historical content, but in this case, when I tried to biographically study such a great Greek, I felt a heavy sense of responsibility. I tried not to fall into the trap of subjective judgments and also not to create tepid iconography, and I believe that dr. PAP, with his very human features, helped me avoid such things. When it came time to create a script, after initial research, I was faced with the specifics of the medium itself, which requires documentation, including at the image level. Each scene required its own research, and often this process led me to small revelations that illuminated fascinating details that were on the periphery of the central story.

– Somewhere in the beginning of my research, I stumbled upon an event that I wanted to use as a storytelling tool. After the death of Papanicolaou, an American doctor brought to his country a branch from a plane tree that still exists on Kos, under which Hippocrates taught. He planted it in the yard of a Cornell University clinic and dedicated it to a Greek researcher who worked there. In search of information about it, I could not establish where this tree is and whether it is still alive. With the last of my strength, I sent an email to the Cornell Archives. I still remember my mute childhood excitement when I received an answer with the necessary information about this still living plane tree in Manhattan.