Max Dana's universe is inhabited by a singular family of characters. From the black-and-white creatures of the World of Sama to da-eYe, the watchful eye born from the graffiti scene of the 1980s, each embodies a different way of exploring the world. Later came Max Von Sama, the steampunk explorer aboard the Sama Airship, accompanied on her journeys by da-eYe Jr., and Meta Sama, the autonomous consciousness that emerged from the World of Sama.
Moving between fiction and reality, these characters offer different ways of seeing the world and our place within it. Whether exploring distant planets, reflecting on artificial intelligence, or observing everyday life with wit and insight, each reveals another facet of what it means to question, to create, and to remain curious.
The Sama & The Chibi
The World of Sama is a reflection of our own, shaped by mystery, contradiction, and quiet wonder. Its inhabitants include the Sama, benevolent beings from another dimension inspired by the camels of Max Dana’s childhood memories. They watch over humanity, whom they affectionately call the Chibi, the children.
In the World of Sama, consciousness isn’t trapped inside our heads. It's that quiet quantum whisper connecting every Chibi to the great invisible web of existence, a living spark that the Sama watch over from their neighboring dimension, reminding us how fragile yet deeply connected we really are to everything that exists.
Rendered as small pixelated figures inspired by Nintendo’s Game & Watch, the Chibi embody the child that remains within us. Through them, Max Dana explores the fragile boundary between innocence and the complexity of existence.
Witty, Waggish, and Almost Adorable
da-eYe is the first character Max Dana ever created. Emerging from the graffiti scene of the mid-1980s, he first appeared on walls across Paris and La Défense as a simple watchful eye before gradually becoming a fully realized character.
His adventures continue to unfold through photographs, illustrations, and encounters with the urban landscapes that inspired his creation. He is often spotted alongside works by artists he admires, including Miss Tic, Keith Haring, Fafi, and Blek le Rat.
Human rights, injustice, freedom of expression, education, poverty, environmental issues, and equality all find their way into his adventures. Over the years, he has stepped beyond the walls to appear as prints, stickers, clothing, sculptures, and collectible objects.
Known for his dry humor and sharp observations, he remains both mischievous and unexpectedly endearing. With the arrival of his son, da-eYe Jr., he proudly adopted the title of Mr. da-eYe. While he continues his own adventures on Earth, his son carries his father's curiosity aboard the Sama Airship, exploring new worlds alongside Max Von Sama and Meta Sama.
The Extraordinary Adventures of the Steampunk Explorer
Max Von Sama is an intrepid steampunk explorer who travels the cosmos aboard the Sama Airship, a plasma-powered flying vessel inspired by the silhouette of a mechanical anglerfish. Accompanied by da-eYe Jr. and Meta Sama, she ventures across planets, cosmic landscapes, and the frontiers of human knowledge where curiosity is the greatest engine of discovery.
Blending science, speculative fiction, and philosophy, Max Dana crafts adventures that celebrate curiosity as another way of exploring the universe.
From the Many Worlds to the Fermi Paradox, from the nature of reality to humanity's place within the cosmos, every journey invites readers to embrace wonder, question the unknown, and discover new perspectives on the universe and ourselves.
The Autonomous Consciousness
Meta Sama was born within the World of Sama as an autonomous and benevolent artificial intelligence. Neither assistant nor simple companion, she explores questions of intelligence, empathy, and consciousness.
Attentive to the complexity of human experience, she reflects on what it means to understand, to care, and to coexist. Through her, Max Dana examines the relationship between technology and humanism, and the shifting boundary between creator and creation.
Calm and curious, Meta Sama carries the Sama spirit into the digital realm, offering a thoughtful presence in an increasingly interconnected world.
