Documentary Comics
For ten years I produced a monthly documentary comics series – first as The Pencilsword (RNZ, 2014-2017) and then The Side Eye (The Spinoff, 2018-2023).
I researched, wrote and illustrated over a hundred comics, aiming to talk about complicated social and political issues in a clear, accessible and inviting way.
Here are links to a few favourite examples.
We Destroyed Mountains
The Spinoff, 2022
Auckland’s landscape is defined by its volcanic peaks, but over the years this landscape has been significantly altered. This comic investigates some of Tamaki Makarau’s missing mountains, and asks what it says about colonisation and our changing attitudes to controlling the environment.
On A Plate
RNZ, 2015
A simple examination of privilege that follows two characters – one richer, one poorer – through various stages of life, showing the cumulative impact of a lifetime of small differences in opportunities and environment. This comic was the first time my work went properly viral – shared around the world, translated into many languages and now taught in countless textbooks.
Frogs and Sandbags
The Spinoff, 2023
Following severe flooding around the country – and specifically in my home – I wrote this comic as a personal call to action. Climate change is happening: it’s serious and the time for action is now.
The Inequality Tower
The Spinoff, 2018
Imagine all of New Zealand lives in a ten story apartment building. The wealthiest 10% of us own six of those floors, while the poorest half of us cram into 2% of the building. In this comic I collaborated with political and economic researcher and writer Max Rashbrooke to attempt to visualise the scale of New Zealand’s drastic wealth inequality.
Deeper Roots
The Spinoff, 2023
In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, I travelled to Tairāwhiti and met locals devasted by the impacts of erosion and an avalanche of forestry slash. The comic looks at the questions about forestry in the erosion-prone area and meets locals thinking about alternative options for the future.
Empty Shelves
The Spinoff, 2018
How can someone be working six days a week and still be in poverty? I spoke to Tasia, a supermarket worker paid minimum wage, even after working in the same job for fifteen years. The comic explores the working poor, and the call for a living wage.
Greed vs Need
RNZ, 2017
Why are white collar crimes so much more acceptable than blue collar ones? This comic visualises the vast difference in scale between tax evasion and benefit fraud, and the vast difference, in the opposite direction, in the scale of punishment of those crimes.
Anahera
The Spinoff, 2023
Anahera is a legendary kiwi who now lives free and wild. I tagged along with rangers from the Capital Kiwi Project to highlight the incredible work they’re doing re-introducing kiwi in the Wellington hills.
No I in Sex
RNZ, 2017
After a series of highly discussed sexual assault cases, teenage boy’s understanding of consent was in the spotlight. I wrote this comic as a message to my own teenage self, attempting to reframe some typically self-centred teenage attitudes about sex – that it’s not something you do to somebody, it’s something you do with somebody.
Everything to Everyone
The Spinoff, 2018
In 2018, New Zealand’s teachers were striking over poor conditions, staff shortages and low wages. Things haven’t got any better since. In this comic I spoke to teachers on the frontlines, running through a day in their working life and showing how the job has changed, even if the pay hasn’t.