Marie Lamy and Kan Sereysopheak were united in their struggle entering the working world for the first time. Realizing they were not alone, the dynamic duo decided to tap into their creative talents and develop comic characters who tackle the challenges life throws at them.
Marie, who is from Mauritius, moved to Cambodia four years ago after studying in China. It was her first foray into the working world, and she found it challenging. However, she was able to find comfort in her friend, Cambodian artist Kan Sereysopheak, also known as Tyl, who was enduring the same struggle.
“I came here for my first job and it was a shock because it wasn’t what I thought it would be. Entering work life was difficult,” recalls the 28-year-old. “I met Tyl and we both found common ground as she was also struggling in the workplace.”
Bonding over their shared love of illustration, graphic design and storytelling, Marie and Tyl decided to use their skills to create a fun outlet for the challenges they and their peers face by creating two comic characters who overcome the trials and tribulations life throws at them. .
“We were both struggling in our own careers, so we thought there are probably other people around our age who feel the same, whether they’re from Cambodia or abroad,” said Marie. “We wanted to use the form of comics to explore topics that are important to us, and other people our age.”
Tyl, 27, said it is the societal pressures that she and Marie face, and the realization that many of their peers are going through the same, that provide the inspiration for the comic strip series.
“Even though we’re at an age where people think you should be super successful or know what you really want in life; that’s a misconception,” added Tyl. “When I was 18, I thought that after college, I will work in what I really want and follow the path I really want and that’s it. But, no, life isn’t like that.”
Using entertainment to educate
The result of Marie and Tyl’s work is Boujee. The online comic features two female best friends, Bou Bou and Jee Jee, who are loosely based on their creators. Despite having opposite personalities, the two young women are full of the same dreams and aspirations and are trying to carve better lives for themselves in Cambodia.
“The core of the story is two young female adults who are trying to get on with their lives. It’s something we think most young Cambodians who come from the provinces to the city can relate to,” said Marie. “Bou Bou and Jee Jee came to Phnom Penh to find better opportunities in work, education or whatever. They’re striving to be where they want to be and achieve what they want in life.”
Since starting the comic less than a year ago, Boujee has tackled various subjects, ranging from female friendships through to body positivity. In addition, they showcase iconic Cambodian landscapes and Khmer cuisine to international audiences. The comic is in English and Khmer.
“We usually write stories that are inspired by our own experiences and try to talk about topics that are important to us,” said Tyl, adding that each ends with a positive message to inspire the audience.
For their most recent story, Boujee teamed up with young Cambodian blogger and influencer, Pidor Ham. “We focused on body positivity and the story was inspired by her personal experiences but we tweaked the character a bit,” said Marie. “We want to tell stories that resonate with the audience and have a positive impact and message at the end.”
Making an impact
“This started as a passion project,” said Tyl, adding that initially they only shared their work with friends and family.
“We were a bit hesitant to share it with the public as we’re both by nature shy,” said Marie. “But we were encouraged by our peers to put it out there.” They set up Facebook and Instagram accounts and started sharing their work with the world and soon found a following.
Earlier this year, their work was noticed by Impact Hub Phnom Penh. They applied for an incubator program and were selected from among 56 candidates. The five-month program, which ends in November, has helped them gain more visibility, build a brand and offered guidance in moving the project forward.
“It has helped us a lot with the whole journey because we got to a point where we have consistent stories but we felt we didn’t really have a proper community,” said Tyl. “With Impact Hub, we have technical and creative support. It has also boosted our confidence in the project.”
While Marie and Tyl are unsure whether they want to transform Boujee into a full-time business, they are determined to continue producing comics that inspire other young women while creating a community of like-minded people.
“We want to build a community of people who like our project and comics. In the future, we’d like to see more people become involved in comics in Cambodia because it’s not really something that is talked about; it’s quite niche,” said Marie, who works as a full-time content writer.
She added that she would love to see a Comic Con event created in Cambodia. “We’re sure there are other people out there who like these things like us but we’re all scattered; we want to build a community.”
In July, Boujee took part in Phsar Art at The Ground Market in Phnom Penh. Organized by N O W H E R E Art Studio, the two-day festival brought together the country’s creatives to showcase their work to the public.
“This felt like a community,” said Tyl. “Artists here don’t really talk to each other much but here we were able to meet other artists and share our experiences and creative works. We also got to meet people who potentially might like the comic and see their reaction. It’s nice to interact with people when they see the artwork and stories.”
Boujee also recently launched a Webtoon account. The South Korean online platform hosts webtoons and digital comics from across the world, attracting international fans.
“The reason we started on Webtoon is because we want the characters to be known abroad and showcase Khmer culture and the lives of young Khmer people. We want this to be portrayed through the comic internationally,” said Marie.
She added that Boujee has already received positive comments on the platform, including one praising them for producing the first Khmer comic they have seen.
“Hopefully in the future, the girls [Bou Bou and Jee Jee] can be a representation of modern girls in Cambodia and act as sort of role models,” said Tyl. “Sometimes we wonder if our characters do something that goes against tradition, but Cambodian girls nowadays are very progressive and we want the characters to represent modern women in Cambodia.”
Follow Boujee on Facebook or Instagram at Boujee.kh.
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