I’m Martin Berberian, designer of ZOON and co-founder of Blackstudio, a French studio specializing in the language adaptations of manga, comics, and webtoons. In only 12 years, our studio established itself as a leader in the fields of French translation, copyediting, and lettering.

No more DIY!
In 2021, I noticed the lack of programs and software truly dedicated to the world of comic book publishing. Driven by a constant desire to find better ways of working to improve our studio’s performance, without compromising the quality for which we are known, I’ve decided to put an end to the do-it-yourself approach and start dreaming of better ways of working, more suited to webtoons, a medium that sadly does not have any dedicated software.

Today it’s feasible
At that point, the idea took shape and moved from fantasy to a concrete study of the market and all possibilities. It’s not an easy road, but it’s attainable today: you can develop your own software and programs without breaking the bank. I was keen to include other trades in the comics production chain, areas I still work in every day. The more I thought about it, the more virtual materialization of the production chain seemed obvious to me: it’s this know-how that enabled Blackstudio to improve the quality of all its projects.

A healthy environment
Creating my own virtual work environment also prepared me to set healthy frameworks. In our industry, translation, proofreading, and lettering gigs are based on trust between the publisher and the creative partner, and I have no desire or need for this software to encourage micromanaging of my work. Avoiding toxicity in our professional environment is another objective that speaks to me. That’s why I’ve imagined a production chain marked out by validations defined by each creative partner, within a framework where appreciation, esteem, and respect are the key words. No one but you will know where your work stands until you decide it is finished.

Software designed for you
The rise of all kinds of AIs, unethically infiltrating every professional environment, has only strengthened my desire to put freelancers at the heart of my software. It’s for you, to preserve what makes you special in your profession, to highlight your human creativity, that I designed ZOON. Isn’t it better to help others work more easily than to build an artificial intelligence designed to take everything we have left?

Supporting ZOON means supporting you. It means promoting a tool that will only seek to improve your performance. It means working solidarity, even alone, as home.