We are living and surviving today in a world with a virus that has changed so much of how we were used to living. It has affected everyone in America and most of the world whether you “believe” in it or not.
Talented artistic folks have invariably impacted significantly. While many artists were used to the working at home that has become the new norm for so many more, the world is different than it was pre-COVID19, and we knew that it would be only a matter of time before we saw creative expression of what the pandemic has wrought in comic form.
That time is now. We present to you PANDEMIX: Quarantine Comics in the Age of ‘Rona!! Available Today!!!
A group of nineteen talented artists and writers have come together to share their impressions of how they are seeing the world that we live in today. It is a wonderful collected anthology of comic goodness, but wait there’s more. This self published digital edition is available on Patreon , and all proceeds go to charity with donations to The Hero Initiative.
The collection is curated by Dean Haspiel who also serves as co-editor alongside Whitney Matheson. There are fifteen stories ranging from one to six pages. It is masterfully organized and is an inspiring read.
“When Covid-19 sparked a global pandemic and national quarantines, I worried about my creative colleagues,” Haspiel says. “Many of us lost freelance work, and the comic book industry shuttered for a while. But I felt compelled to rally cartoonists to confront the pandemic and make art out of it. Art that can help comic creators in need.”
Reading through anthologies can be difficult, particularly when having to adjust to different artistic styles and content. That is not the case with this book. Each story accommodates the next excellently.
The stories range from silly, to informative, to sweet, to heartbreaking. There is not a bad story in the lot of them, and in the end, there is a spark of light in the dark in each of them. I think that is something we all need, and I cannot recommend this book enough.
The narrative content is amazing, but the visuals are off the charts. Some are full color, some are black and white, some use a limited palette. Each stories color scheme matches the tone of what is being conveyed.
I will say that Jen Ferguson is AMAZING. Her piece is exquisite. But they are all really great, and I feel a little bad singling one out for praise. You should check them all out.
Where do you get this amazing collection?
You can go to the Patreon page for the anthology and get a digital copy there. https://www.patreon.com/pandemix/
You can also follow the anthology at @pandemixcomix on Instagram and Twitter.
The full list of creators involved in this collection, in order of appearance, is:
Josh Neufeld
Marguerite Dabaie
Peter Rostovsky
Joan Reilly
N. Steven Harris and Frank Reynoso
Kristen Radtke
Whitney Matheson
Morgan Pielli
Dave Proch
Jen Ferguson
J.J. Colagrande and George O’Connor
Ellen Lindner
Jeffrey Burandt and Christa Cassano
Dean Haspiel
Owen Brozman
For more information on Hero Initiative and the good work they do, check here.
