Helicopter pilote Maywood Ripley appeared for the first time in the Kuifje (Tintin) magazine in 1986, and , since then, lived through many adventures

Ripley (1986-1993)

Maywood Ripley is an helicopter pilote. She's a self-willed modern woman with the sense of humour, action and - oh yes! - tenderness too. Her first adventures consisted of short stories, bundeled by Erika Raven in 1992 as Ripley (1986-1993). This album tells the stories Lotus, Lena and Conversations. Erika Raven's comments are very open and show how poor the vision and the entrepreneurship of comic strip editors is these days...

ISBN 90-74592-04-X
With the support of the Bronzen Adhemar Stichting

Editor - Studio Raven
Drawings and script - Erika Raven
Lay-out - Aero-Physics
Printer - Claes Printing

Lotus

'The first version of Lotus was published in Kuifje/Tintin (Lombard) in 1986. What was published was totally different from what I had drawn and written: the dialogues were changed, the Dutch version was suffocated by spelling and language errors, the colours were awful and all pages were mutilated because the story had to be shortened. In the album I tell the original Lotus story'.

Lena

'Lena wwas born in 1988. It was supposed to be an introductory story, explaining Ripley's new environment. And I wanted to introduce Mary-Lou, who would appear - later - in Ketangau River. I didn't touch this project for years since I could not sell Ketangau River, which was ready, to a publisher. I needed all my time for the ongoing changes of drawings and script."

In 1993 I decided to respect Ripley's chronology: first finish Lena, and then look what will happen. There's a huge difference with Lous: Ripley had become a grown up woman who was not affraid to use her charm as a weapon".

Conversations

"Conversations was my 1990 New Years' card. Ripley tried to come out again. It got a small booklet with this story."

After a boom period in the '80 the Flemish edition sector collapsed. Erika started Studio Raven to publish her strips by herself. After the short Ripley stories she published a long one, spread over two albums, Kota Base en Ketangau River.

Ripley works as a pilote in Kuching, Borneo, she gets the unexpected visit of her girlfriend, photographer Mary-Lou. A story full of adventure, intriges and emotions, along with power and desire. After a rescue operation, in which a colleague dies, Ripley waits for Mary Lou's return in the capital Kuching. Mary Lou had left for an expedition on Ketangau River. Unfortunately, the whole team disappeared. Ripley doesn't realise how she's manipulated. She starts getting suspicious after having received some strange messages...

Kota Base

ISBN 90-74592-06-6

Ketangau River

ISBN 90-74592-07-4
With the support of Willy Van Poucke,Michel Kemeneers and Harry De Ceukelaire