The McGoogan Health Sciences Library is hosting a temporary exhibition of the comics series “C’rona Pandemic Comics.” The panels will line the Wittson Hall fourth-floor corridor leading to the Sorrell Center and Bennett Hall skywalks. The comics featured are:
- “C’rona Comix,” by Bob Hall, Judy Diamond and Liz VanWormer
- “Tribal C’rona Comix, by Henry Payer, Hall, Judi gaiashkibos and Diamond
- “C’rona Comix II,” by Hall, Bob Camp, VanWormer and Diamond
“Tribal” features the story of Susan LaFlesche Picotte, MD, who also is featured in an exhibit in the Wigton Heritage Center.
In spring 2020, the comics team received funding from the Rapid Response Research program of the National Science Foundation to develop comics that would help youth understand the COVID-19 pandemic. The project built upon a decade of expertise in creating comics about the biology of viruses.
In collaboration with virologists and artists, three comic stories about COVID-19 were developed during the pandemic and posted online during the last half of 2020. The fictional narratives address fundamental issues in biology, virology and network science in order to help readers understand the complexities of living through a viral pandemic.
The stories focus on three themes: the biology and social context of the COVID-19 virus; the relationship of wild animals, particularly bats, to the pandemic; and the impact of the pandemic on Tribal communities. The stories are posted online and are published by the University of Nebraska Press as the book “C’RONA Pandemic Comics,” which includes essays for youth about the virus and the pandemic.
The exhibition runs through Nov. 30. A panel discussion with the authors will be held on Nov. 3 at noon. This virtual presentation is now open for registration.