Planet Divoc 91 Featured Interviews 

Sara Kenny On The Journey To “Planet DIVOC-91”

By | July 15th, 2020
Posted in Interviews | % Comments

We live in unique times. The past few months have lead to people approaching the problem and issue of COVID-19 in many different ways. It had and continues to have a huge impact on the comic industry in terms of distribution, stores, and the lives of creators and fans alike.

This past week it a new project, “PLANET DIVOC-91” was announced. This ambitious project is a 9 part Sci-Fi satire web-comic funded by some of the most prestigious scientific organizations in the UK about “a pandemic in the far reaches of outer space.”

Divided into nine chapters with each handled by a different creative team and published by WebToons it will feature work from Charlie Adlard , Alex Paknadel, Hannah Berry, Sara Kenney,  James Devlin, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou,  Elsa Charretier, Marco Finnegan, Leslie Hung, Warwick Johnson-Cadwell, Matt Kindt, Alitha Martinez and David Rubín.  The series is set in a future where humanity is threatened by a global pandemic and all young adults aged 16-25 have been transported to a terraformed alien world to ensure their survival. In addition the project looks to “entertain and build a community on WEBTOON where young adults can get empowered and drive positive change by helping direct research.”

To learn more about the story of “PLANET DIVOC-91” and the larger project we were able to speak to writer Sara Kenny and Bella Starling who worked on the first chapter of the series. They discuss the project, sci-fi, the use of humor in crisis and more. A big thanks to the team for discussing the project and their work. Be sure to check out “PLANET DIVOC-91” and join the conversation on Webtoons today!

At the end of the interview, also check out some process pieces from the cover by Elsa Charretier!

This is a really unique project, what was the idea behind the project and “PLANET DIVOC-91?”
Bella Starling: In my job, when COVID hit, all around me, people were asking: How do I make sense of this pandemic and the avalanche of information that comes with it? Sara and I quickly realised that we were equipped to help, by working with creators, scientists, young adults to explore – in an alternative setting, with some of the ‘heat’ taken out of the situation – some of the aspects of a pandemic, to help make sense of the situation. At the same time, we were aware that young voices were absent from discussions about the pandemic and wanted to change this. I work in a scientific research environment and when COVID hit, scientists and researchers massively mobilised to answer the call for more knowledge about the pandemic. It’s hugely important for such research to include the voices, perspectives and experiences of young adults. So, “PLANET DIVOC-91” is both about offering edutainment about the pandemic and creating change within the scientific system to include the voices of young adults and create better, more relevant science and policy.

Sara Kenny: I was working with Dr Bella Starling, Director of Vocal at Manchester University NHS Trust on projects about infectious diseases and participatory arts, when Coronavirus hit. For many of us in science engagement and beyond, I think the pandemic triggered a deep feeling that we needed to do something useful. So we started asking some of the young adult groups we were working with whether they would be interested in a comic, with a process built in to help them express their views.

We knew we were on the right track when in early May the British Science Association (BSA) produced a report that revealed 9 in 10 young people felt scientists and politicians are leaving them out of the Covid-19 conversation. The story features Sanda and Champo who are siblings from Birmingham in the UK. They have been ‘zapped’ to another planet and discover that an Extinction Level Event (ELE) is threatening earth. You don’t get to find out what that is until chapter 2 – but it’s not a pandemic!! We wanted to take a more allegorical approach to exploring what’s going on.

The series, which will have 9 part, is going to be released on Webtoons. With the goal to reach a large audience, especially young adults was this the thought behind releasing it in the digital medium space?
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SK: We asked the young adults what they would prefer, and they said digital. Also it was an equity issue. We did a lot of research in terms of format and we found that almost 100% of young adults in the UK have smart phones, but many don’t have access to tablets or computers. We’re a global project and in India and South Africa, whilst less young adults have phones, it’s still the predominant way of consuming digital material. And 78% of Webtoon content is read by phone, so it felt like the most inclusive platform for this project. Finally there’s no paywall.

If it does well digitally it would be amazing if we can find a publisher, so we can have print copies to offer up for sale in comic shops. Then people like me, who like to sit in a cosy chair (with my big magnifying glasses, which have been super-glued back together 10+ times since lockdown) can read the print version. We actually thought about this at the beginning and spent ages with James Devlin (Colourist/ Designer) and Kirsten Murray (Editor) figuring out how to make it work for Webtoon and print!

For this first issue you worked with Charlie Adlard on the art. I imagine a lot of people are familiar with Charlie’s art from “The Walking Dead” but what was it like working with him on art duties and that team up like? There are a lot of cool character designs in this first chapter, was that a collaborative process with your team?

SK: It was really great working with Charlie – we had lots of email chats about the format while we were working through whether Webtoon was the right way to go. Originally it was supposed to be far less pages but setting up the characters and storyworld needed more space and time and he didn’t complain when I kept adding pages (although perhaps he was having an internal silent scream)!

The protagonists Sanda and Champo were loosely based on my older cousins Lisa and Rob, who are mixed Burmese/ Trinidadian and came to the UK from Trinidad after a family tragedy. But they are not as cool as Charlie’s creations (sorry fam!) Charlie was worried about getting the representation of the young people right, as we’re both old codgers we wanted them to feel authentic and relatable. I think he did an amazing job – for me he always manages to convey a lot of emotion through his characters, which is what makes his work so compelling. When I saw the alien designs it was a lovely moment and I hope the audience will warm to them – I think if I was zapped to an alien planet I’d wanna buddy up with them. Is that strange? Possibly.

From the very start you guys are doing a lot of world building which for Sci-Fi is often key. With a series that is going to have multiple creators involved how did you attack building the world for your story?

SK: The first thing we did was consult with young adults from around the world about what they were thinking and feeling. Words and thoughts such as ‘isolated’, ‘scared for family’, ‘confused’, ‘not knowing who to trust’ came up and all played into building the story-world.

I read a lot of sci-fi as a kid and I loved the Kim Stanley Robinson trilogy about Mars. I got slightly obsessed with terraforming, so this made it into the story. I liked the idea of there being a sort of refugee planet for species to go, if their planet was at risk of an Extinction Level Event. We’re actually consulting with some exoplanet experts, Prof Tim Naylor and Prof Nathan Mayne about where this planet could really exist and what it might look like, so more on that soon.

I wrote character bios for all characters and then built up the story-world, so we had a series bible to refer to. I wrote down a number of catch phrases the characters would use and obviously thoughts on their personality and possible character arc. Then when writing chapter 1, I planted some ideas that could be developed and paid off as the series evolves. We’re setting up meetings with the young adults, experts and writer/ artists so an exchange of ideas is taking place.

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Tackling these topics head on is often tough and in this first chapter I think you guys did a great job of layering it with a lot of humor. Was there a tone you were setting out to establish with the series and how did you want to approach humor in the series?

SK: I just think the world is so grim right now and humour is a good way to deal with things – but not everyone will agree with that. I remember when I worked on the BBC medical series Casualty, I did a couple of shifts with the real paramedics. Man, they were so funny and had a very dark sense of humour. They told me all about the twisted stuff they had seen and that humour, for them was the best way to get through it. I’m the same – I love gallows humour. I obviously wanted the humour to say something about the world, but humour can be a personal thing, so we’ll have to see how the audience responds.

With a “pandemic outbreak in the far reaches of outer space” this story clearly hits home with our current situation and looks to address how young adults have been feeling during that time. As a creator how has this time been for you and how has it informed your approach to writing and your approach to this narrative?
SK: I was really stressed at the beginning as a freelancer, I had a couple of TV contracts cancelled and I was one of the people in the UK who didn’t qualify for government support. I have young twins and the home-schooling thing for me was a joke. The house is now filled with creations made from toilet rolls and cardboard boxes. But I’m a resilient person, I’ve had tough times in my life, but I always bounce back.

I wrote the story back in May and as in my previous comic “Surgeon X,” I wanted to explore issues around equity. As a mixed-race person, who also has a lot of privilege, it’s been a time of great reflection. Importantly the equity and health issues are also something the young adults are really interested in digging into. So we’re listening to who they want to speak to and setting up interviews with experts who can help them think through what they want to see change.

Maybe this is too similar of a question but what do you see as the importance of the project in tackling peoples thoughts on Covid especially with the project having the backing of many scientific organizations in the UK?

BS: Ultimately, this project is important both in providing a creative and imaginative medium to explore the science of pandemics and creating change within the scientific and policy worlds to listen better to young people’s ideas, perspectives and experiences to make better, more relevant research and ultimately better healthcare. All the scientific organisations involved in the project are open to listening and creating this change – they wouldn’t have funded this project otherwise! They have been extremely generous with their time and support, and giving us access to some hugely influential people – including the Chief Scientific Advisor to the government in England! We will be sure to be holding our scientific partners to account and demonstrating the change that “PLANET DIVOC-91” creates.
SK: It’s about the feedback loops we’ve created, which through storytelling and creative expression allow the young adults and artists to explore what they think and feel about the pandemic and what needs to happen next. Then by working with these scientific orgs – we influence, by helping to steer the direction of research and share our views with the ambition to influence policy. I’m sure some might think this is a lofty ambition, but Bella and I have been doing engagement work for decades and have a plan that might just work…

I love that young adults are being involved in many aspects of the project and providing a lot of the back matter for the series. Have you been able to look at what they have been submitting or interact with them in their roles in the series?

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SK: Yes this is a big part of my job. I’ve worked with Kat Cresswell and Paolo Arru who are part of Bella’s team, to assemble the young adult group and have been interacting with them; setting up masterclasses; attending the expert interviews; discussing the comic narrative and bringing them together with the comic creatives to share ideas. I feel a great responsibility for them now – I want them to be heard, develop resilience and find ways to use their power and above all remain hopeful about their future.

What do you hope readers take away from this series and project?

SK: We want to build a community and for the readers to actively engage with the content and tell us what they think. To use storytelling to imagine better futures and how we might get there. Webtoon has a comments section and we’d love to build a community there. It will be a space where we can listen to our audience’s thoughts, concerns and ideas. We’re also exploring whether we can run some Q & As with experts; masterclasses with creatives. Ultimately, we want the readers to feel empowered and to have hope.

Cover layouts by Elsa Charretier
Cover inks by Elsa Charretier
Final Cover

Kyle Welch

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