Overview
These animations and illustrations, created by comic artist Toby Morris in collaboration with Dr Siouxsie Wiles and translated by Hēmi Kelly, explained some of the key concepts of the initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Originally published by online magazine The Spinoff, the illustrations were shared hundreds of millions of times and used by the governments of New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, Scotland, and Germany among others.
The illustrations were such successful explainers that the World Health Organisation (WHO) contracted the team at The Spinoff to create new content to support the WHO’s efforts. For Morris, who was creative director of the work for the WHO, creating illustrations about such serious and important concepts was ‘quite a mental load,’ but the motivating force for him was being able to use his skills to help people. He believes the Covid-19 graphics were so successful because he always tried to keep the message as clear and simple as possible and give his work a ‘human touch’ so it felt like a person talking to a person.
Dr Wiles, an infectious diseases expert, started writing about Covid-19 for The Spinoff in January 2020, and in early March she decided to write about the concept of ‘flattening the curve’. A graphic was already circulating but what Wiles felt was missing was information about what individuals could do to help. She asked The Spinoff if she could collaborate with an illustrator, and that was the start of what Wiles describes as the most ‘fulfilling and impactful’ collaboration of her career. Although she runs a Bioluminescent Superbugs Laboratory, it is in science communication that she feels she has had the most impact, and she has been told that the graphics created with Morris have saved lives.
References:
Edmunds, Susan. 2020. 'How a Kiwi media company became the World Health Organisation's latest Covid-19 weapon.’ Stuff, 21 June, https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/121881009/how-a-kiwi-media-company-became-the-world-health-organisations-latest-covid19-weapon
Morris, Toby, interviewed by Dylan Horrocks. 2020. 'Quarantoon 1: Toby Morris'. Youtube video, 9 April. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTlFHdtsK40
Spinoff staff writers. 2020. 'The bumper Toby Morris & Siouxsie Wiles Covid-19 box set.' The Spinoff, 19 May, https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/19-05-2020/the-great-toby-morris-siouxsie-wiles-covid-19-omnibus/
Wiles, Siouxsie. 2020. Presentation and interview, Facebook Live Event, The Centre for Science Communication, 29 April.