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DEAR VIRUS...
Lockdown – it was a whole new level of existence. Five weeks where teddy bears paraded, toilet rolls ruled, and our unshaved legs were one with nature. Orcas swam in our harbours, birdsong replaced car horns, and the planet breathed a sigh.
During these strange five weeks I found structure and solace during that long night of the soul drawing a series of covid cartoons, which have now been bought together into a book titled ‘Dear Virus…a cartoonist chronicles love and life in the time of Covid’
The main characters - Mr and Mrs Dear announced themselves shortly after lockdown, and from then on we had daily discussions over the drawing board about lockdown life. Mrs Dear is a large, bulbous lady, her spouse a tiny bald man with a bushy moustache, and on top of Mrs Dear’s head is an exaggerated coil of what looks like poo. It is. I wanted her to be eccentric, perhaps I was inspired by the childhood memory of scouring the hills collecting horse manure for people’s rose gardens.
Inspiration can come from sitting still - It’s a matter of letting your mind wander in any old direction - I sat on my special log by the sea and stared at the sea and the sky to let these ethereal thoughts meander into my head. It was such a respite from a world that was becoming weirder and weirder.
The book is a humorous look at the time during lockdown, but hidden behind the humour often are poignant, delicate sentiments that everyone has had. There are historical reminders - how hard it was to get flour, panic buying of toilet paper, chatting to neighbours for the first time…. Hopefully the cartoons will jog memories of what lockdown was about.”
If there is anyone out there who would like to republish this precious little book let me know, I have an Indesign file ready to go!
