Cartoons call the shots: An interview with Toby Morris
The National Library’s Abi Beatson and Sam Orchard sat down with cartoonist Toby Morris to talk about his work with science communicator Siouxsie Wiles to inform and educate New Zealanders trying to understand health information about COVID-19.
The shared moments we will never forget
As the world changes so rapidly around us, how many memories of our pandemic experiences have we already forgotten? But what about those shared moments we will never forget?
One of these moments was on the 14th March 2020, when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, at a press conference, announced that New Zealand was implementing some of the toughest border restrictions in the world. She also announced a ban on cruise ships arriving on our shores, asked New Zealanders to avoid all non-essential travel overseas, and signalled soon-to-be-implemented restrictions on mass gatherings.
In essence, at that moment, our lives changed.
However, the Prime Minister was not empty-handed when she made these historic announcements. What she held up in her hands, to help explain the science behind these decisions, went viral, with 4.5 million impressions on Twitter, and was shared widely across both print and broadcast media.
It was a cartoon-style image of the ‘Flatten The Curve’ metaphor designed by comic artist, illustrator and writer Toby Morris, and microbiologist and science communicator Dr Siouxsie Wiles.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern holding up the ‘Flatten The Curve’ graphic on the 14th March, 2020. Photo: Jacinda Ardern/Facebook
Visual explainers
Since that moment, Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles, have collaborated to produce over 55 cartoon-style ‘visual explainers’, covering the subjects of masks, vaccines, contact tracing, genome sequencing, misinformation, variants, and modes of transmission, just to name a few, and these have been shared in their hundreds of millions since the pandemic began, both in New Zealand, and internationally.
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how scientists communicate, and the pairing of a cartoonist and a science communicator has become a cornerstone for New Zealanders trying to understand the COVID-19 pandemic during a rapidly changing landscape of science and health information.
In documenting Aotearoa New Zealand’s experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Library of New Zealand has collected and archived this unique science communication collection. To learn more about this collection, COVID-19 Digital Archivist, Abi Beatson, and Assistant Curator of Cartoons and Comics, Sam Orchard, sat down with Toby Morris over Zoom to chat about this unique moment in our pandemic history, and the incredible collaborative ‘visual explainers’ he and Siouxsie Wiles have made over the last 21 months informing New Zealanders (and the world) of what to expect, and how to handle COVID-19.
Abi Beatson and Sam Orchard: What happened in the hours and days after Jacinda held up the “Flatten the curve” graphic?
Toby Morris: Well, in the immediate moment my phone started going off with a lot of people messaging me screenshots and photos of their TV screens, saying “check it out, this is your graph, isn’t it?”
It was obviously a moment everybody was tuned into. There was a real sense that everybody’s eyes were in the same place, and we were all following these events with such interest. For Jacinda to hold this graphic up, it was quite a crazy time.
It was the first thing that Siouxsie and I had done together. We had done it quite quickly a couple of days earlier and, at the time, we hadn’t gone into it with any kind of sense that this would be an ongoing collaboration. Siouxsie had just asked for a hand in drawing up this graphic, and I was following everything that she was writing with great interest, so I was happy to help her out if I could.
Long description — Flatten the curve
Animation by Toby Morris and Siouxsie Wiles on community perspectives towards the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Animation shows an epidemic curve graph of the distribution of cases over time for two different perspectives towards COVID-19. The first “Whatever, it’s just like a cold or flu” approach shows an epidemic curve graph with a large spike in COVID-19 infections, with the number of infections surpassing the “Healthcare system capacity” line.
The second graph “Don’t panic but be careful” approach, which also includes “Washing hands”, “Not touching face” and “Stay at home when sick”, shows an epidemic curve graph with only a small rise in COVID-19 infections and the epidemic curve remains below the “Healthcare system capacity” line.
Flatten the curve, 9 March 2020. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040917. Alexander Turnbull Library.
In the days after that, as well as getting messages from all of my friends, I also had a message from Siouxsie saying “I’ve got an idea for the next thing we need to do”, and I was like “Great, let’s do it, let’s jump straight in”. Being able to feel like I could use the skills I have to help in any kind of way was a really good feeling. While it was the first time that Siouxsie and I had done something together, we were able to bring to the collaboration years of experience. So, in a way, it felt like a new thing that were doing, but, we were in the mode of “All right, I know how to do this stuff, let’s roll up our sleeves, and get into it”.
What do you think makes these graphics so effective as a communication tool?
Toby Morris: I think part of it, in the simplest kind of way, is that they are a self-contained thing that can efficiently explain something. I get lots of comments from people saying things like “I was having a two-hour conversation with my mum about this, and she was not getting it, and now I have just showed her this, and now she gets it!” I think there’s also something else, which is something I’ve always loved about comics in general; I think comics are really good at getting across both the facts of the matter, as well as the emotional content. You can communicate tone, and all these other layers of information, that is not necessarily in the words.
For example, it is possible to convey a sense of calmness, or a sense of patience, or evenhandedness, in the work, which is unspoken through the words, but the images manage to get it across. I certainly think of the visuals as having lots of layers of communication that are not necessarily explicit, but are very widely understood by people.
Which graphic did both you and Siouxsie Wiles have the most debate/discussion about, and why?
Toby Morris: There have been a few. Some of them were because the situation changed; we did one fairly early on that was just a very simple chart of symptoms, that we thought would be helpful, and lots of people had printed it off and put it up in pharmacies. But then we started getting emails from all around the world. For example, the loss of smell was not thought of as a symptom to start off with, but we had lots of people contacting us saying “I am working at this hospital and we are getting heaps of people coming in with no sense of smell, I feel like that’s a symptom. I know the WHO [World Health Organisation] or CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has not listed it as a symptom yet but I am telling you, you should put it on the chart.”
The situation was evolving so fast that I think we maybe did five or six different versions of that graphic because people kept emailing us, and updating us. So that has been an interesting process where the public has been informing things.
Long description — Symtpoms of COVID-19, flu and cold
The infographic shows a table that describes the symptoms of COVID-19, flu and a cold.
Symptoms of COVID-19 are as follows, it will frequently have a dry cough, fever and breathlessness. COVID-19 will sometimes have a sore throat, headache, body aches and fatigue. COVID-19 may have a runny nose or diarrhoea. COVID-19 will rarely include sneezing.
Synptoms of flu are as follows, it will frequently have a dry cough, fever, headache, body aches and fatigue. Flu will sometimes have a runny nose, sore throat and diarrhoea. Flu will not have breathlessness or sneezing.
Symptoms of a cold are as follows, it will frequently have a runny nose, sore throat, body aches and sneezing. A cold will sometimes have fatigue. A cold may have a dry throat. A cold will rarely have a fever or headache. A cold will not have breathlessness or diahorrea.
Source Who, CDC 20 March 2020. For the latest info please see who.int or health.govt.nz.
Symptoms grid, 20 March 2020. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040919. Alexander Turnbull Library.
The other animation we had a lot of discussion about explained how some certain terms in science mean slightly different things from how the general public use them, like ‘modelling’, or ‘elimination’, or ‘significant’.
These are words that scientists have a specific scientific meaning for, and explaining these scientific definitions took quite a lot of back and forth, so that we could land on something that made sense to both of us, and that was also correct.
Long description — Definitions
Animation showing a few definitions:
When we hear significant it usually means important but scientists mean passed a statistical test.
When we hear sensitive it usually means delicate but scientists mean able to find a tiny amount.
When we hear model it usually means a small replica or a person who demonstrates clothes but scientists mean a simulation or representation of the real world.
When we hear eliminate it usually means remove or get rid of but scientists mean bring cases down to zero or near zero in a particular place.
Scientists would call the usual definiton of eliminate "eradication".
Definitions, 24 April 2020. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040934. Alexander Turnbull Library.
The other thing, that we have debated generally, is how much to include. I think some of the best ones we have done are the simplest in just saying one thing really clearly, and not giving in to the temptation to have lot of caveats, which I know for Siouxsie has been really hard.
I think for scientists the impulse is to try and be very definitive, whereas the process of cartooning is often about simplifying things, and having a bit of a generalisation to sum it up in a succinct way, so I think that is probably where cartooning and science can clash.
Also, some of them we have had to update, for example, the one about the way COVID-19 transmits is a good example.
Long description — How does the virus spread?
Animation by Toby Morris and Siouxsie Wiles on virus transmission and infection during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand.
A drawing of a man saying "The pandemic has been going a year and we've leanred a lot."
Animation shows the man sneezing COVID-19 particles into the air and on the surfaces around him and explains three main ways the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted. These are touching infected surfaces, but more common is close contact like hugging or kissing, or through sharing air with an infected person. And it is also possible that in a confined space the contaminated air can expose people later on.
So remember to wear masks where required, keep track of your movements, wash your hands, keep your distance.
We all need to do what we can to stop more dangerous variants of the virus evolving.
How does the virus spread? 4 February 2021. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040957. Alexander Turnbull Library.
We have also done new ones in recent times updating things we have put out earlier, so sometimes the graphics need to be updated.
Long description — Cheesy powers: now with vaccine
Animation by Toby Morris and Siouxsie Wiles on public health mitigation measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The emmental cheese model now with added vaccines!
Picture of 6 slices of cheese in a row. The cheese slices have holes in them. Words above the image says "More than thrity years ago James Reason created the 'Swiss cheese model of system accidents'.
He didn't call it that at the time — we have Rob Lee to thank for that.
Animation shows arrows moving towards the cheese slices, sometimes they get through the holes and other times they are blocked by another piece of cheese which has a hole in a different place.
Words say "It says that no single safety element is perfect, so systems need layers of protection."
The model can be applied to our response to COVID-19, where we use many layers.
Animations shows germs on one side of the page and a group of people on the other side. There is a large space between these two.
Slices of cheese drop down into the gap, they have different words by them which are, border closures, border controls, isolation for arrivals, physical distancing, handwashing, safe coughing and sneezing, staying home if sick, cleaning surfaces. Words on the screen say "some are things that individuals can do".
More cheese slices drop down they are titled, rapid testing, contact tracing and isolation of cases and close contacts. These are grouped together under the heading test, trace, isolate.
Three more cheese slices drop down, they are titled limits on gather sizes, limits on movement, school/workplace closures. These are grouped together under the heading lockdown. Words on the screen say "and some are combinations that work well together."
Each country is using different combinations of layers. Some more, some less. Animation shows some cheese slices being removed and different combinations of the cheese slices.
Words "In New Zealand we started with border controls, isolation for arrivals, rapid testing and isolation of cases and close contacts. Then a push for personal hygiene handwashing, safe coughing and sneezing, cleaning surfaces, physical distancing and cleaning surfaces before moving into the restrictions of Alert Levels 3 and 4.
Cheese slices are added and the words appear "As time has passed we've introduced new layers, like masks, the NZ COVID Tracer app and improving ventilation. And now we can add vaccines.
Words "Vaccinating our border and managed isolation and quarantine workers and their familes will help keep them safe from COVID-19. But the rest of New Zealand will still need to keep their layers of "Cheese" in place till vaccines are available for everyone."
Cheesy powers: now with vaccine, 20 February 2021. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040960. Alexander Turnbull Library.
Also, several of them are specific for New Zealand — they are about a specific time, or event that has been in the New Zealand news, and would not resonate everywhere else, whereas others work in whichever country you are in.
Long description — Handshake alternatives
Animation by Toby Morris and Siouxsie Wiles on social distancing measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand. Animation shows the “Alternatives to handshakes, hugs, high fives and hongi” including greetings such as “The wave”, “Namaste” and “The ‘east coast wave’”.
Handshake alternatives, 22 March 2020. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040922. Alexander Turnbull Library.
If you could have one of your animations playing on a large billboard on the main thoroughfares of Wellington and Auckland, such as Lambton Quay or Queen Street, so it could be viewed by thousands of people, which one would it be?
Toby Morris: The ones we have done about masks are probably pretty timeless.
Long description — Masks are about looking out for each other
Animation by Toby Morris and Siouxsie Wiles on mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand. Animation shows COVID-19 virus particles being repelled off the outside of a facemask with the words “It might seem like masks are a personal choice. Like we wear them to protect ourselves”, but then goes on to show COVID-19 virus particles being contained within a face mask, clarifying that “But really, masks are about helping to protect others if we don’t know we’re sick.” Animation is accompanied with the words “Face masks can help protect our community from COVID-19”.
Masks are about looking out for each other, 15 August 2020. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040948. Alexander Turnbull Library.
One of the big underlying concepts that we have tried to explain in lots of different ways is that many of the safety measures we take, like vaccination or wearing masks, we are doing for the broader good rather than just self-preservation.
There was one fairly early on, which was showing where you can take steps to make a big difference downstream. And out of everything we’ve done that was probably one of my favourite ones.
Long description — Break the chain
Animation by Toby Morris and Siouxsie Wiles on public health mitigation measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand. Animation shows an increasingly multiplying pattern of pink lines and dots to visualise the typical exponential growth pattern of the COVID-19 virus. Animation then shows how a single decision, such as “This person worked from home”, and “This person didn’t go to that BBQ” can significantly reduce the exponential spread of the COVID-19 virus in the community.
Break the chain, 22 March 2020. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040921. Alexander Turnbull Library.
One of your most recent graphics includes sound, with you and Siouxsie being the voiceovers artists. What prompted this change, and what has been the response?
Transcript — Power up: Get vaccinated
How vaccines power up the fight versus the virus, even if you're fit and healthy.
Imagine you're playing a game and you get a cheat code that lets you practice fighting the boss without taking any damage.
Your immune system gets to try out different strategies until you figure out the right moves to defeat it.
Attack the claws. Knock off helmet. Attack knees. Jump on back. You Win!!
Figuring it out can be tiring, that's why sometimes we get side effects.
Your immune system gets a workout, but there's no way you can get the virus from the vaccine.
[Applause]
“Phew, did it!”
But now, if you do see the real boss in the future, your immune system already knows the correct moves to defeat it.
“Pfft - Done this before.”
Attack the claws. Knock off helmet.
Sometimes, it might take a couple of turns…
“Okay, give me one more go...”
That's why we sometimes still see vaccinated people get the virus.
And, you might ask, if it's still possible to get the virus even when you're vaccinated then why bother getting vaccinated.
Because the boss is hard, even the fittest, healthiest people can get really knocked around but vaccinated people beat it much faster and one less day with the virus will make all the difference in stopping the spread.
The best thing is this isn't a single player game. The more people who are vaccinated the more we win.
When we're vaccinated, we're protecting the people around us too.
Our parents, grandparents, communities, everyone.
Power up. Get vaccinated.
Power up: get vaccinated, 16 September 2021. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0041089. Alexander Turnbull Library.
Toby Morris: With the “Power Up Get Vaccinated” video we were trying to deliberately make it for young people, around the time when they changed the age of who could get vaccinated from 16 down to 12. We were thinking about what to say to 12 to 15-year-olds who, all of a sudden, have this choice, and their parents are trying to explain it to them. We thought, well, if it’s for kids maybe we approach it slightly differently from usual.
It was more work, and I had to involve people from my work to help us out with editing the audio, and doing sound design. So it added some steps to the process, which would be hard to do every time, but in that instance I think it was worth doing.
One of the coolest things is that some of the graphics have been translated into other languages, including some into te reo Māori, and other Pacific languages. Tina Ngata contacted us, and asked if she could do a te reo Māori version of the Power Up Get Vaccinated video, and I had assumed that she would do the GIF version with the statics, but it came back a few days later with a translated voice-over, and the sound effects, and everything, so it was quite neat to see that evolve.
Transcript — Te pakanga a te rongoā āraimate ki te huaketo
Te Pakanga a te rongoā āraimate ki te huaketo (Ahakoa nakawhiti, kāore rānei)
Whakaaro ake kei te purei koe i tētahi kēmu, ā, ka whiwhi koe i te waehere...
[Arrow points to Toa] ‘Pūnaha awhikiwi’
[Arrow points to te pāhi] ‘Rongoā ārai mate’
... ka tuku i a koe kia pakanga atu ki te pāhi, kāore he whakawhiu ki a koe anō
Ka whakamātau tō pūnaha awhikiri i ētahi rautaki kia mōhio rā anō a ia me pēhea rā e takahi i tana hoariri
“Ākina ngā matihao. Werohia ngā pona.
[Kāo]
E peke ki runga i te tuara. Tukia ngā matihao.
[Kāo]
Tātātia te mahunga. Werohia ngā pona. Ekeina te tuara.
[Kāo]
Wetekina te pōtae. Tukia ngā matihao. Puritia te waero. Tātātia te mahunga. Ekeina te tuara.”
[KA TOA KOE!!!]
Ehara tēnei i te mahi māmā, nā reira ka puea ake ētahi pānga
Ahakoa te nui o te mahi a tō pūnaha awhikiri, e kore koe e pā ki te huaketo mā te whiwhi i te rongoā āraimate
Toa: “Hā kua tutuki”
Engari ināianei, ka kite ana koe i tō pāhi a ngā rā kei tua, kua mōhio kē tō pūnaha awhikiri me pēhea te pare atu i te hoariri ki rahaki
Toa: “Ata koia, kua oti i ahau tēnei i mua
Tukia ngā matihao
Tātātia te mahunga”
[Kāo]
I ētahi wā, ka rua pea ngā wā...
Toa: “Ei! Kia kotahi anō te wā...”
Koina te take ka pā tonu te huaketo ki ētahi tāngata kua whiwhi i te rongoā āraimate
Ka toko ake te pātai, mehemea e tarea ana te whiwhi tonu i te huaketo ahakoa kua riro i te wero āraimate – he aha te take me whiwhi i te rongoā āraimete?
Nā te mea he taikaha te pāhi. Ahakoa nakawhiti, pai te hauora ka tuia tonu te tangata
Engari e tarea ana ngā tāngata kua wero ki te rongoā te pare atu i te huaketo
[Arrow points to] Tukia ngā matihao. Puritia te waero. Tātātia te mahunga. Ekeina te tuara
[KA TOA KOE!!!]
Ko te mea pai, ehara tēnei i te kēmu takitaki
Te pukahu o ngā tāngata kua āraitia, ka nui ake te heipūtanga ka wini
Mehemea kua āraitia, kei te tiaki hoki tātau i ngā kāwai whakapā. O tātau mātua, o tātau tīpuna, ngā hapū, ngā tāngata katoa anō hoki
Whītiki, maranga. Haere kia werohia koe e te rongoā āraimete
Te pakanga a te rongoā āraimate ki te huaketo, 16 September 2021. Toby Morris, Dr Siouxsie Wiles and Ngā Marae Kāenga o Matakōa: COVID-19 digital animations. Whakamāori (translation) Pohatu Poutu, narration Tina Ngata, and supported by Te Aroha Kanarahi Trust. Ref: DCDL-0040916. Alexander Turnbull Library.
Several more of the graphics are available in te reo Māori, with the translations being done by author and kaiako Hēmi Kelly. How did this come about?
Toby Morris: We have a relationship with Hēmi Kelly through the Spinoff. He has done some translation work for us, so the relationship was already there. The purpose of having them as Creative Commons is that people are able to adapt them if they want to, and translate them into other languages, without that being a copyright issue - we wanted to make sure they were as accessible as possible. I was really happy when people translated them into Samoan and Tongan, and a few other languages as well. Through our work with WHO (the World Health Organisation) everything we did was in 7 languages, and that is another benefit of using GIFs as the text is relatively editable, and easier to translate.
Long description — E noho i tō kāhui
Animation by Toby Morris and Siouxsie Wiles on social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand. Animation shows two “bubbles” separating a young family and an elderly couple from each other. A person walks from one bubble to the other saying in te reo Māori: “Ka peka atu au …”, and subsequently both bubbles ‘pop’ and disappear. Animation is accompanied with the words “E noho i tō kāhui. Kia haumaru ai ētahi atu”.
E noho i tō kāhui. Kia haumaru ai ētahi atu, 26 March 2020. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040963. Alexander Turnbull Library.
Long description — Fa’ailoga e ono aliali mai ile COVID-19
Illustration by Toby Morris and Siouxsie Wiles on virus transmission and infection during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand. Illustration is translated into Sāmoan and shows a “Fa’ailoga e ono aliali mai ile COVID-19” visual chart that includes twelve symptoms of COVID-19 in Samoan. They are tiga le tino, leiloa le manogi, lelava, tafe le isu, leai se manava, tiga le ulu, tiga le fa’a’i, mafatua, fiva, ma'i manava malulul and tale.
Fa’ailoga e ono aliali mai ile COVID-19, 3 March 2021. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040915. Alexander Turnbull Library.
As you know, the Alexander Turnbull Library is actively documenting New Zealand’s experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the researchers and historians of the future will be curious about this time for decades to come. What research/historical questions do you think will be asked about this collection in 100 years’ time?
Toby Morris: This is such a good question, but it’s quite terrifying to think about. Everything you make in your life is, I suppose, in the moment, but these were really head down in the immediate moment. I can’t think of what the answer would be off the top of my head, but I have been so interested to see comics and cartoons from earlier pandemics - every now and again, on my social media, stuff pops up, and it’s people talking about anti-vaxxers, but it is a 1918 Spanish flu anti-vax cartoon, and it’s got people wearing top hats, and the typography is dated, and it’s of its time style-wise, but, beyond the top hat, and the funny twirly writing, I think lots of the ideas do stay the same.
Wot's this 'ere vaccination for? Observer, Volume XXXIII, Issue 48, 9 August 1913, Page 17.
Lots of those old cartoons are still people trying to solve the same puzzles that Siouxsie and I have been trying to solve. For example, how you convince people about a collective good? There are lots of the same sorts of communication challenges. It’s quite an exciting thought, but also a humbling one, to think of researchers and historians looking at this stuff in the future.
What has been the most unexpected or rewarding part of this collaboration?
Toby: I think, for me, in the big picture sense, just moving into the world of science communication was a career twist that if you had asked me five years ago, or two years ago, I would not have thought that I would do. I did not really see that coming, and it has now led to some interesting opportunities.
I felt really lucky last year — for example, we ran a workshop, and we got funding to introduce a bunch of scientists to a bunch of illustrators, to see what work comes out of that, and there are people who did that workshop now working away on projects that are really exciting. So that was a really constructive thing to do.
The other big one was that through the Spinoff we have created a creative agency called Daylight, and we have 16 or 17 full-time staff working there, and lots of it is visually led science communication projects. So, I feel really lucky that there are opportunities that have come out of this work directly or indirectly, and also created work for my fellow illustrators and creatives, and helped other organisations explain things more clearly. It all feels pretty good, and I would not have picked that this is where I would go.
There have also been lots of organisations interested in trying to replicate the success of the things that Siouxsie and I have done, some of it is health related, but in other areas too. For example, we have done some work for the Ministry for the Environment, including work on the topic of climate change to help explain things in a way that everybody gets it. Whether it’s a new interest, or a renewed interest, in taking an illustration-led or visual metaphor to explain things, I feel like there’s heaps of potential there.
Looking back, what have you learnt most from producing these animations/graphics and, looking forward, what is next for the Toby Morris/Siouxsie Wiles collaboration?
Toby: I think that aside from the amount that I now know about how vaccines work, I feel quite vindicated because I have spent lots of my career trying to convince people of the potential of comics and illustrations and I think my overwhelming feeling is that I was right all along. I knew the comics could be really effective for these kinds of purposes.
The path of following science communication will probably be something that I won’t be able to shake for a while. With Daylight, we are just getting started really, and I think there are more things to explore there. Cartoonists in general have really long careers, and I feel like I have 40 more years of doing this possibly, so it is exciting to think that I can keep trying new things. I am also trying to promote comics in general, and trying to show people the range of comics that are being made in this country, and I still enjoy the thought of making more kids’ books, and I’d like to try to write a film one day - I have many different ideas for creative projects!
Abi and Sam: The wonderful thing is that we can archive everything you do …
Toby: Well that’s slightly terrifying to think about, but good too!!
Siouxsie and Toby, 12 May 2021. Toby Morris and Dr Siouxsie Wiles: COVID-19 digital animations. Ref: DCDL-0040970. Alexander Turnbull Library.
Further reading
More information on the Library’s COVID-19 collection can be found in the following links:
A note about animated GIFs
The animated GIFs (Graphics Interchange Format) in this blog post have been converted to video to enable start/stop functionality for accessibility purposes.
A note about these videos
These videos have been released under a Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-4.0 licence. This means you are free to use them providing you give credit and share under the same conditions. More details here. The Spinoff has asked that all users of this material send an email to info@thespinoff.co.nz noting where and how they have used the material.
This blog is co-authored by Assistant Curator of Cartoons and Comics, Sam Orchard, and COVID-19 Digital Archivist, Abi Beatson.