Jeet Zdung discusses his award-winning graphic novel, conservation and art

Many years ago, Vietnamese illustrator Jeet Zdung came across wildlife conservationist Trang Nguyen’s campaign to protect rhinos. Impressed, he created a comic to support her cause, which led to a long-term working relationship as Nguyen asked him to illustrate the cover of one of her wildlife magazines and later, her book Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear (Kingfisher), for which he has just been awarded the Carnegie Medal for Illustration.

The graphic novel is based on Nguyen’s own work, following a young girl through tropical Asian rainforests as she fights to become a conservationist. Given Nguyen’s busy schedule and frequent travelling, Zdung mainly communicated with her virtually. “She wrote the text and arranged for me to go on a field trip to national parks in Vietnam and Cambodia. She also connected me to Free The Bears and bear experts such as Brian Crudge and Dr Marion Schneider,” the artist explains. “Most importantly, I got to see Sorya with my own eyes—the special sun bear who became the main character.” 

These trips enabled Zdung to “collect necessary materials such as plants, animals and landscapes… to create a tropical forest in the book”. He received help from two young artists, Phuong An and Nguyet Hang Mochi Mun, to classify the plants and wildlife featured in the book. Armed with this insight and Nguyen’s text, he started adapting it into a comic strip. “Trang and I discussed together which information, knowledge and animals should be included. I built a brief storyboard, and a rhythm for the story and for the reader’s emotions. Then came the detailed storyboard, outlining the entire book in detail, including pictures, dialogue and narration. Once this was complete, I proceeded to draw and paint the final version on watercolour paper.”

Trang and I hope that Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear will contribute to creating positive effects for wildlife and nature conservation

He adds: “Because I wanted the experience of reading the book to be like watching a movie, I decided to choose a landscape format instead of portrait. To make the characters and their activities lively and engaging for readers, I have combined the storytelling styles of comics, manga and illustration books.” The Vietnamese version of the book was designed by Linh Phan. Overall, Zdung worked on the book for approximately two years.  

He feels “very honoured” to have won the Carnegie, expanding: “Trang and I hope that Saving Sorya: Chang and the Sun Bear will contribute to creating positive effects for wildlife and nature conservation. For me, it is like planting trees, waiting for them to sprout, take root, grow, and praying that one day they will flower and multiply into a large, sustainable forest. I know this won’t be a quick journey. This award means a lot to me, and I hope that the book and its cherished values will be widely spread and long-lasting.”