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L i b r a r y
R e s e a r c h
S e r v i c e s
Selina Lock
Comics as a form of research communication
Wysocki, L., 2018. Farting Jellyfish and Synergistic Opportunities: The Story and Evaluation of Newcastle Science Comic. The Comics Grid: Journal of Comics
Scholarship, 8, p.6. DOI: http://doi.org/10.16995/cg.119 (CC BY 4.0)
Asteroid Belter engaged scientists and comics creators in the creation of a science
comic, with both science and comics equally valued, and that the successful delivery
of this project engaged members of the public in science and comics.
Six months after our September 2013 launch, approximately 9850 of the 10000
printed copies of Asteroid Belter have been distributed.
Asteroid Belter as an education and research/community engagement project: http://comicsforum.org/2014/09/23/epic-themes-in-
awesome-ways-how-we-made-asteroid-belter-the-newcastle-science-comic-and-why-it-matters-by-lydia-wysocki-and-michael-thompson/
Teaching and communicating science to the public, especially to schoolchildren,
can sometimes be a daunting task. Cartoons can be used to extract essential
information on complex environmental and social issues and tell stories that
capture readers’ interest, including groups that are underserved by other channels
of science communication.
Bouchard F, Sansoulet J, Fritz M, Malenfant-Lepage J, Nieuwendam A, Paquette M, Rudy ACA, Siewert MB, Sjöberg Y, Tanski G,
Habeck JO, and Harbor J. “FrozenGround Cartoons”: Permafrost comics as an innovative tool for polar outreach, education, and
engagement. Polar Record https://doi.org/10.1017/S0032247418000633
An area of interest & research in it's own right…
The Interaction of Comics & Healthcarehttps://www.graphicmedicine.org/
When could you use a comic strip?
• Presentation
• Poster
• Communicate with the public
– Online
– Printed
• Exhibition
• With research participants
– To recruit
– To explain
• Even some journals (but not
many!)
• In workshops/as reflection tool
WELLCOME
CENTRE FOR
INTEGRATIVE
PARASITOLOGY –
“Our comics are an
important part of our
public engagement
programme”
https://www.gla.ac.uk
/researchinstitutes/iii/
wcip/publicengageme
nt/wcipcomics/
Produced in association
with the Wellcome
Trust, this debut graphic
novel by Dr. Hana Roš
and Dr. Matteo Farinella
is a journey through the
human brain. Funded by
the Wellcome Trust
Peoples (Public
Engagement) Fund
http://www.actwithlove.co.uk/woe-digital-comic.html
Booklet has received
funding from: The
National Institute for
Health Research
(NIHR) Collaboration for
Leadership in Applied
Health Research and
Care, North West Coast
(NIHR CLAHRC NWC)
and the NIHR School
for Public Health
Research (SPHR).http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/reopen/2
018/10/25/communities-in-
control-3d-flip-book/
How?
• An example from
Asteroid Belter – The
Newcastle Science
Comic
• http://appliedcomicsetc.com/portfolio/
asteroid-belter-2013/
What is the story of your research?
• What story do you want to tell about your research?
– All of it, a specific part of it?
• Who are the characters?
– People
• You & colleagues?
• Patient journey/story?
– Things
– Biologicals (e.g. virus)
• Be very clear the message/story/facts you want to get across…
Without funding…
• Re-use of copyright free or creative
commons images– https://gradschoolreadingroom.blogspot.com/
2019/02/finding-public-domain-and-
creative.html
• Comic creation apps, websites or
software
– E.g. Pixton
• DIY
– Have a go at drawing a comic
strip yourself – the art doesn’t
have to be brilliant, it just needs to
get your message across…
J.M. Fischer, "Darstellung ...", 1806: skeleton. Credit: Wellcome Collection. CC BY
They just
want me to
work for the
exposure…
I’m exposed
enough
already!
With funding…
• Factor into your grant application
• Be clear what you want to use the
comic/s for
• Do you need:
– A writer
– An artist
– A creator who can turn your ideas
into a comic
• Is it work for hire? (Copyright?)
• Or more collaborative – the creators
can keep copyright and/or re-use
strip/artwork (e.g. creative commons)
Dancing skeletons, 'Dance of Death'. Credit: Wellcome Collection. CC BY
Woohoo!
Our
project got
funded!
Oi! Trying to
sleep here!
