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UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
College of Architecture & Engineering
School of Arts and Design
BDS 413: PROJECT PAPER
(DESIGN IN ILLUSTRATION)
CREATING POP ART INSPIRED FICTIONAL COMIC BOOK TO RAISE
CEREBRAL PALSY AWARENESS FOR YOUNG ADULTS IN NAIROBI
By:
MURAGE ANDREW MUNENE
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Supervisor:
Mrs. Francesca Odundo
A Project Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of
Bachelor of Arts in Design (B.A Design)
Submitted on the 14th of January 2015
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DECLARATION
I declare that this project entitled “CREATING POP ART INSPIRED FICTIONAL COMIC BOOK TO
RAISE CEREBRAL PALSY AWARENESS FOR YOUNG ADULTS IN NAIROBI” is my own work and
to the best of my knowledge has not been presented to any other university/college for a degree or any other
academic award.
Signature……………………………………………..
Date………………………………
MURAGE A. MUNENE
B05/41421/2011
School of the Arts and Design, University of Nairobi.
This research project has been submitted for examination with my approval as University Supervisor.
Signature……………………………………………..
Date………………………………
MRS. FRANSESCA ODUNDO
School of the Arts and Design, University of Nairobi
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DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this gratifying and memorable project to my youngest and only brother Alfred, a
cheery young man living with Cerebral Palsy.
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ABSTRACT
This project aimed at developing a pop art inspired fictional comic book that will not only entertain but also
most importantly educate on cerebral palsy to a group of young adults aged 17 to 25 years of age. The
choice of sequential art for this topic is inspired by the order of information, clarity and much visual
communication that is needed in any other health communication project.
Since the establishment of CPSK in 1994, many Kenyan parents have acquired a lot of information about
cerebral palsy through the various campaigns mounted by the society. Such awareness campaigns include
annual charity walks and dinners, medical camps and Christmas parties. Indeed since the campaigns begun,
the Society has continued to register at least two new cases every week. The net effect is that many parents
with CP children are steadily recognizing the need to seek assistance for their children as opposed to hiding
them at home. The Society remains a source of inspiration and hope by offering free counselling to
parents/guardians towards acceptance of their children’s condition and consequently provide love and care
for the child.
The problem arises in the fact that many of the population aware of Cerebral Palsy are parents, family and
close friends of the affected. The younger generation however has very little or no acquaintance about it.
This might eventually ensure that persons afflicted by cerebral palsy in Kenya are rehabilitated to enable
them realize their full potential. By acceptance to those affected and support from those not affected.
Cerebral Palsy, though affecting a very large number of families, it is less known and expected by the
unaffected latter. This might lead to a lack of direction or proper handling once a baby with the condition
is born in a family unfamiliar with such cases. Some, due to their unfortunate ignorance, may affirm their
child’s innocent condition to witchcraft, family curses, sickness (which it’s not) and may fail to start therapy
on their son or daughter with positivity and acceptance early enough.
Whether this type of health communication can be achieved by a simple comic book such as the SARA
comic book series, or the trending magazine, SHUJAAZ, that employs much of pop culture. Young
generation in Africa are appreciating pop art more than their older counterparts as they have grown with
television sets and an increased number of comic art exposure such as the FLASH GORDON, PHANTOM
and POPEYE that have been featured on Kenyan leading newspaper nearly for two decades.
Pop trends are spread widely through the media and mass distribution, so they become a kind of common
language made of ideas, desires, images, melodies, and standards of entertainment and beauty. Beginning
in the 20th century, artists began to use images and items from pop culture as elements in their art. This
practice is called appropriation—the process of taking symbols or systems out of their original context and
putting them in new ones. Borrowing from popular culture reached its zenith in the 1960s with the pop art
movement and continues to this day with many postmodern artists.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE………………………………………………………………………………………10
INTRODUCTION OF THE STUDY
Introduction
Background of the study
Statement of the problem
Objective of the study
Research questions
Significance of the study
Limitations of the study
The scope of the study
Conclusion.
CHAPTER TWO………………………………………………………………………………………..14
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
Pop Art
Cerebral Palsy
CPSK
Effective Health Communication
Cognitive and affective illustrations
Exemplars: Sara Communication Initiative
Shujaaz
Conclusion
CHAPTER THREE……………………………………………………………………………………...41
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
Introduction – summary of the whole chapter
Study design
Target population
Sample design
Data collection procedures
Data analysis methods.
Data Presentation Methods
Conclusion.
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CHAPTER FOUR………………………………………………………………………………………44
FINDINGS AND RECCOMENDATIONS.
Findings
Recommendations
REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………………47
APENDICES……………………………………………………………………………………………49
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LIST OF FIGURES
1 famous pop art of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol.
Image derived from (https://michaelamilligan.wordpress.com/2014/09/28/pop-art-is-alive/)
Local Musician involving a celebral paltic child during the annual walk organised by CPSK in Nairobi: Image derived from CPSK
facebook page
The empty compound and Daughter of a lioness in the SARA comic series
Images derived from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3726557-sara-daughter-of-a-lioness
DJ Boyie: Shujaaz main character
Image derived from http://streamdaily.tv/2014/04/07/international-digital-emmy-awards-winners-announced/
Malkia: a Shujaa character and a page exerpt from the magazine
image derived from (http://wts.co.ke/comics.php)
Enthusiastic comic book fans get their copies of Shujaaz.fm from an M-Pesa kiosk in Nairobi. Photograph: Riccardo Gangale/USAid
Riccardo Gangale/USAID
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ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS
CP- Cerebral Palsy
CPSK- Cerebral Palsy Society of Kenya
HIV/AIDS- human immunodeficiency virus /acquired immune deficiency syndrome
PCA- personal care assistant
SCI- Sara Communication Initiative
VIPP- Visualization in Participatory Programs
KNSPWD- Kenya National Survey for Persons with Disabilities
WSCMC-Wu Stem Cells Medical Center
CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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OPERATIONAL DEFIFNITION OF TERMS
Cerebral palsy is a condition caused by damage to a baby's brain before or during its birth, which makes
its limbs and muscles permanently weak.
Comic book is a magazine that contains stories told in pictures.
Pop art is a style of modern art which began in the 1960s. It uses bright colors and takes a lot of its
techniques and subject matter from every day, modern life.
Sequential art is an art form that uses images deployed in sequence for graphic storytelling or to convey
information.
Well told story-Emmy Award winning social communications design, production and consulting, based in
Kenya
Cognitive means relating to the mental process involved in knowing, learning, and understanding things.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Knowledge and understanding of a particular subject or situation is important. The level of awareness in
any field in the civilized society automatically ranks a person above the less informed. Health consciousness
for instance is a major factor that affects mortality rate. Lack of a know-how for many has led them to
succumb to curable and preventable diseases. Social awareness is so close to health awareness. Someone,
for instance, that knows every child has a right to access education regardless of their physical state, is
socially aware and can be of great help to the society by intervening to a problem.
Cerebral Palsy, though affecting a very large number of families, it is less known and expected by the
unaffected latter. This might lead to a lack of direction or proper handling once a baby with the condition
is born in a family unfamiliar with such cases. Some, due to their unfortunate ignorance, may affirm their
child’s innocent condition to witchcraft, family curses, sickness (which it’s not) and may fail to start therapy
on their son or daughter with positivity and acceptance early enough.
This project is aimed at reaching out to literate young adults to enlighten them on cerebral palsy. Since it
may occur to any of their birth cases. and to educate them on how to accept these children as they are and
educate their siblings as well as their own children later in life.
Health communications conducted before have been backboned with understandable simple illustrations
that are of relevance to culture. The problem is some illustrations tended to be cliché even to educated target
audiences yet the simplicity and lack of expression and excitement in the illustrations was initially meant
for illiterate audiences. Illiteracy and lack of ability to involve the reader actively with imaginations and
fantasy is fading away in the younger generation since the introduction of free primary education; and
exposure to more comic books. Remember the SUPA STRIKAS.
Comic books are exciting. It involves a lot of creativity from the artist and transfers the fantasy to the reader.
Comic art has come a long way in the past century with a bunch of hard working and innovative illustrators,
the likes of Allan Lee. Nowadays many comic books due to their level of creativity have been animated or
attracted filmmakers. Great ideas of camera shots and motions that are used in storyboards are inspired by
comic book perceptions.
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BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM
Pushing my little brother Alfred on his wheelchair along the aisle in the church on a Sunday morning turns
out to be an emotionally tedious experience instead of it being easy and understood or known to at least
everyone in the congregation. Faces looking and converging to the victim and the caretaker in a gathering
is quite uncomfortable. Lack of awareness. Simple as that.
Cerebral palsy cases are diverse, some are happy and cheery all the time, and others get hyper or easily
angered. The case of Alfred for instance, he has unaccustomed acts, unfamiliar and random noises (rather
loud and distracting), grows restless in a crowd. Cerebral Palsy cases do not get to interact with the outside
world maximally like other children of their age who do not have the condition.
It is sad when individuals that are mature and at times elite thinks that such a condition is mental illness. It
sounds rather rude and disrespectful to the involved yet it is just sheer ignorance that can be taught. This
thus calls upon projects such as this. At least a child will not run away from another child with Cerebral
Palsy asking his or her mother whether he (the C.P child) eats people. They are not in the know because no
one is there to tell them. Can’t a series of sequential art solve this? Maybe not to the fullest but it is worth
the move to take responsibility and inform the society using good expressive, well-illustrated stories.
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PROBLEM STATEMENT
There is minimal awareness on cerebral palsy among the Kenyan youth. Therefore, the creation of an urban
themed fictional comic book targeted at young urban adults could have some positive results on their
cognizance.
MAIN OBJECTIVE
To raise cerebral palsy awareness among young adults in Nairobi using entertaining comic art.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
To add cognitive, affective and emotional illustrations in health communication.
To establish how culture relevant illustrations can be used to enhance health communication.
To integrate entertainment with effective communication as well as appreciation of comic art.
To add detail of action, expression and power of influence in a comic character.
MAIN RESEARCH QUESTION
How would comic art influence cerebral palsy awareness among young adults in Nairobi?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
How can more cognitive and emotional illustrations affect health communication?
How can culture relevant illustrations be used to enhance health communication?
Can entertaining sequential art be integrated with effective communication?
Is it applicable adding detail of action, excitement in expression to the ‘straight forward’ simple and plain
health communication illustrations and still maintain its relevance?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study will be to obtain further insight into the effective use of culture relevant
illustrations in health communication as well as visual communication. And to test whether comic art can
heavily inform and impact its readers besides entertainment. For the sake of the unfortunate children born
with cerebral palsy.
LIMITATIONS
The study will be limited to a convenience sample of about 20 students within the University of Nairobi
from various faculties.
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THE SCOPE
The target population is young adults in an urban setting and aged 17-25 years of age. Young adults are the
near-future parents, well, some already are. So as they expect to start their own families they can multiply
while being conscious that not all children can be born normally. That will keep them alert and aware in
case of any of their children’s symptoms or their friends’ children.
CONCLUSION
As from the problem statement indeed there is a loop hole in the society regarding health literacy that needs
to be filled. There is minimal awareness on cerebral palsy among the Kenyan youth. Therefore, the creation
of an urban themed fictional comic book targeted at young urban adults could have some positive results
on their cognizance this can be a good move if achieved. The purpose of this study will be to obtain further
insight into the effective use of culture relevant illustrations in health communication as well as visual
communication. And to test whether comic art can heavily inform and impact its readers besides
entertainment. For the sake of the unfortunate children born with cerebral palsy. With the aim of adding
cognitive, affective and emotional illustrations in health communication; establishing how culture relevant
illustrations can be used to enhance health communication; integrating entertainment with effective
communication as well as appreciation of comic art ;and add detail of action, expression and power of
influence in a comic character.
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CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTION
According to the researches done before on the field of health communication and illustration, the
philosophies that were employed by scholars, this projects leans on those philosophies. Exemplars show
the similar works done in the outside world and applied that relate to the project.
The comic book is inspired by pop art movement thus will have a lot to do with fantasy ,expression and a
bit of futurism .with more detail to line and very little to no use of tone. Pop trends are spread widely
through the media and mass distribution, so they become a kind of common language made of ideas, desires,
images, melodies, and standards of entertainment and beauty. Beginning in the past th century, artists began
to use images and items from pop culture as elements in their art. This practice is called appropriation—the
process of taking symbols or systems out of their original context and putting them in new ones.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a general term for a group of permanent movement problems that do not get worse
over time. They cause physical disability, mainly in the areas of body movement. There may also be
problems with sensation, depth perception, and communication ability. Difficulty with cognition and
epilepsy are found in about one-third of cases. There are subtypes including a type characterized by
spasticity, a type characterized by poor coordination, and types which feature both symptoms and neither.
Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain and can occur
during pregnancy, during childbirth, or after birth up to about age three. About 2% of all cerebral palsy
cases are believed to be due to a genetic cause. Cerebral palsy is not an infectious disease and is not
contagious. Most cases are diagnosed at a young age rather than during adolescence or adulthood.
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POP ART
Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid-1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United
States. (Livingstone, 1990) Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced
visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art. Pop removes the
material from its context and isolates the object, or combines it with other objects, for contemplation.
(Livingstone, 1990) (De la Croix, H.; Tansey, R., 1980)
2 famous pop art of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol.
Image derived from (https://michaelamilligan.wordpress.com/2014/09/28/pop-art-is-alive/)
The concept of pop art refers not as much to the art itself as to the attitudes that led to it. (De la Croix, H.;
Tansey, R., 1980) Pop art employs aspects of mass culture, such as advertising, comic books and mundane
cultural objects. It is widely interpreted as a reaction to the then-dominant ideas of abstract expressionism,
as well as an expansion upon them. And due to its utilization of found objects and images it is similar to
Dada. Pop art is aimed to employ images of popular as opposed to elitist culture in art, emphasizing the
ordinary or common elements of any given culture, most often through the use of irony. (De la Croix, H.;
Tansey, R., 1980) It is also associated with the artists' use of mechanical means of reproduction or rendering
techniques. Much of pop art is considered incongruent, as the conceptual practices that are often used make
it difficult for some to readily comprehend.
Pop art and minimalism are considered to be art movements that precede postmodern art, or are some of
the earliest examples of Postmodern Art themselves. (Harrison, Sylvia, 2001)Pop art often takes as its
imagery that which is currently in use in advertising. The origins of pop art in North America and Great
Britain developed differently (De la Croix, H.; Tansey, R., 1980) In America, it marked a return to hardedged composition and representational art as a response by artists using impersonal, mundane reality, irony
and parody to defuse the personal symbolism and "painterly looseness" of Abstract Expressionism. (Piper,
David) By contrast, the origin in post-War Britain, while employing irony and parody, was more academic
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with a focus on the dynamic and paradoxical imagery of American popular culture as powerful,
manipulative symbolic devices that were affecting whole patterns of life, while improving prosperity of a
society (Gopnik, A.; Varnedoe, K.,1990) Early pop art in Britain was a matter of ideas fueled by American
popular culture viewed from afar, while the American artists were inspired by the experiences, of living
within that culture. (Piper, David) Similarly, pop art was both an extension and a repudiation of Dadaism
(Piper, David) While pop art and Dadaism explored some of the same subjects, pop art replaced the
destructive, satirical, and anarchic impulses of the Dada movement with detached affirmation of the
artifacts of mass culture (Piper, David) Among those artists seen by some as producing work leading up to
Pop art are Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Kurt Schwitters, and Man Ray.
Pop trends are spread widely through the media and mass distribution, so they become a kind of common
language made of ideas, desires, images, melodies, and standards of entertainment and beauty. Beginning
in the 20th century, artists began to use images and items from pop culture as elements in their art. This
practice is called appropriation—the process of taking symbols or systems out of their original context and
putting them in new ones. Borrowing from popular culture reached its zenith in the 1960s with the pop art
movement and continues to this day with many postmodern artists.
Pop artists challenged traditional divisions between high and popular culture, stating that images from
billboards, comic books, and the shelves of the grocery store could provide rich, meaningful subjects for
painting and sculpture. Pop artists also used mass-produced objects in lieu of the traditional raw materials
of clay, stone, and paint. While the pop art movement lasted for just a few years in the 1960s, contemporary
artists continue to appropriate images, objects, materials, and processes from popular culture to create their
art.Although Pop art is now most associated with the work of New York artists of the early 1960s, such as
Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist and Claes Oldenburg, artists who drew on popular
imagery were part of an international phenomenon which saw major developments in various cities from
the mid-1950s onwards. Its first appearance was perhaps among members of the Independent Group, who
gathered around London, but there would also be important developments simultaneously in New York (in
the work of Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg), as well as later in France (among the Nouveau
Realistes), in Germany (the 'Capitalist Realism' of Sigmar Polke, Konrad Lueg, and Gerhard Richter), and
in Los Angeles (including Ed Ruscha, Billy Al Bengston and others).
Sequential art is an art form that uses images deployed in sequence for graphic storytelling or to convey
information. The best-known example of sequential art is comics, especially comic books and comic strips,
which are a printed arrangement of art and speech balloons. The term is rarely applied to other media, such
as film, animation or storyboards. Scott McCloud notes that the movie roll, before it is being projected, arguably
could be seen as a very slow comic. (Eisner, Will, 2001)
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CEREBRAL PALSY
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a general term for a group of permanent movement problems that do not get worse
over time. They cause physical disability, mainly in the areas of body movement. There may also be
problems with sensation, depth perception, and communication ability. Difficulty with cognition and
epilepsy are found in about one-third of cases. There are subtypes including a type characterized by
spasticity, a type characterized by poor coordination, and types which feature both symptoms and neither.
Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain and can occur
during pregnancy, during childbirth, or after birth up to about age three. About 2% of all cerebral palsy
cases are believed to be due to a genetic cause. Cerebral palsy is not an infectious disease and is not
contagious. Most cases are diagnosed at a young age rather than during adolescence or adulthood.
Improvements in the care of newborns has helped reduce the number of babies who develop cerebral palsy
and increased the survival of those with very low birth weights. There is no cure, with efforts attempting to
treat and prevent complications. It occurs in about 2.1 per 1,000 live births. Physical therapy may help.
Cerebral refers to the cerebrum, which is the affected area of the brain. The disorder may often involve
connections between the cortex and other parts of the brain such as the cerebellum. The root word "palsy"
means "paralysis". In medicine, this is often used in reference to the paralysis or weakness that often
accompanies nerve damage, loss of sensation or muscle disorders involving uncontrollable movements such
as trembling or shaking.
Cerebral palsy has affected humans since antiquity. A decorated grave marker dating from around the 15th
to 14th century BCE shows a figure with one small leg and using a crutch, possibly due to cerebral palsy.
The oldest likely physical evidence of the condition comes from the mummy of Siptah, an
Egyptian Pharaoh who ruled from about 1196 to 1190 BCE and died at about 20 years of age. The presence
of cerebral palsy has been suspected due to his deformed foot and hands. (CPSK,2014)
(http://cpsk.or.ke/cerebral-palsy/, 2014)
Causes
The largest cause of Cerebral Palsy is birth asphyxia (lack of oxygen to the baby during birth). Other causes
are; Improper care curing labor and delivery ,Improper response to fetal distress, Prolonged lack of oxygen
to the baby’s brain Other types of medical negligence, Trauma or accident to the newborn child or the
expectant mother Diseases such as Meningitis. (http://cpsk.or.ke/cerebral-palsy/, 2014)
Complications may occur and can include the digestive system (reflux and constipation), the urinary system
(bladder infections, kidney infections), the skin (pressure areas), the muscular-skeletal system (dislocations
and deformities), respiratory complications, and the sensory system.
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children with Cerebral Palsy :image derived from (http://cpsk.or.ke/cerebral-palsy/, 2014
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Pathogenesis
There are many causes for CP, such as: genetic diseases, infectious diseases, cerebral dysplasia, cerebral
ischemia and hypoxia, brain injury, cerebral hemorrhage, etc. Though prematurity and intrauterine growth
retardation are not the direct causes of CP, they are still the most important high risk factors.
Pathology
The pathogenic factors in early trimester of pregnancy cause neuronal proliferation and migration
anomalies and may cause agyria, pachygyria, polymicrogyria, schizencephaly and neuronal
heterotopia. The most common pathological changes are periventricular leukomalacia and
periventricular hemorrhagic infarction. Pathological changes are during development of the infant
and there are many which show to be complex and are related to hypoxic ischemic brain damage.
The marble state is caused by neuronal loss and gliosis with myelination increases, which is a
typical change of kernicterus, which can be seen in the hypoxic ischemic brain damage as well.
.(WSCMC,2013)
(http://www.unistemcells.com/en/treatment/treat_CerebralPalsy.htm, 2013)
Clinical Feature
Symptoms of CP patients in infancy commonly shows abnormal posture and movement retardation, such
as neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and low muscle tone in the early periods of infancy, then it
develops into hypermyotonia. The equilibrium disorder may be found after the baby can sit or even stand.
Secondary changes, such as joint contracture and deformity of the spine, are progressive developments;
epilepsy, mental retardation, behavioral disorders and sensory disturbances can be found, as well. These
symptoms can be the main physical disability of CP children.
Cerebral Palsy(CP) is divided into spastic; athetoid, ataxia, hypotonia and mixed type to describe
different types of movement disorders, following are several clinical syndromes:
Spastic Hemiplegia
The most common type, involving one side of the body, upper limbs are shown to be worse than lower
limbs, far-end worse than near-end, face is usually normal. Children often show obvious symptoms after 3
months, such as less limbs move,persistent fist, grasp reflex disappears, forearm pronation posture, circle
gait and so on. Part of the patient´s first symptoms can be low muscle tone, and then it turns to spasticity.
Mental retardation and epilepsy are common in this type. Epileptic seizures show partial or secondarily
generalized seizures. Strabismus is very common.
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Spastic Quadriplegia
Spastic quadriplegia is usually found in children who suffer from severe asphyxia. Their limbs muscle
tension is increased, often showing signs of opisthotonos, and with supranuclear bulbar paralysis, causing
swallowing and articulation disorder. About half of the patients show signs of epilepsy and mental
retardation.
Dyskinetic CP
Dyskinetic CP is found in about 10% of CP patients, main causes are hypoxic brain injury and neonatal
nuclear jaundice. Patients commonly show hypotonia in early infancy, and then have extrapyramidal
symptoms, such as athetosis. Salivation, dysphagia and the language barrier can be found as well. Deep
tendon reflex in the lower limbs is shown to be normal or increased. Patients may have persistent primitive
reflex, intelligence is mostly in the normal or critical state. About 1/4 of the patients have epilepsy. Cases
caused by nuclear icterus show athetosis, sensory deafness, enamel hypoplasia
Ataxia CP
This type of CP is present in about 10% of CP patients; symptoms are usually hypotonia, balance disorder
and motor retardation in infancy, Dysmetria, intention tremor in childhood, pyramid sign is not common,
and many patients show signs of mental retardation, but nothing serious.
The evaluation of motor functions and daily life ability are helpful to judge the severity of cerebral palsy,
and as a basis to evaluate the effect of the rehabilitation treatment. The common motor function assessment
scale is following two types. (WSCMC,2013)
(http://www.unistemcells.com/en/treatment/treat_CerebralPalsy.htm, 2013)
Treatment
The treatment aims to improve the patient´s physical function and life quality, to minimize secondary joint
deformity and soft tissue contractures as far as possible, to try to postpone or avoid surgery. The traditional
treatment methods include:
Physical therapy: To improve motor function and enhance the ability of self-care by increasing joints range
of motion, adjusting the muscle tension, motion control, coordination ability, strength and endurance.
Occupational therapy: Including fine hand functional training, activities of daily living training, brace and
auxiliary means making and simple transformation of living environment.
Speech Therapy: After being assessed by physicians and speech therapists, the patients will get treatment
based on the type of speech disorder. such as: jaw, lips, tongue, soft palate movement control training, as
well as understanding and presentation skills training.
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Drug therapy: Commonly used drugs include cranial nerve nutrition medicine, muscle relaxant.
Surgery: When the patient suffers from severe muscle contracture and joint deformities, the patient could
consider orthopedic surgery.
WSCMC research found that traditional treatments could improve motor functions in a certain extent, but
in reality they are not aimed at treating the cause of the disease.
No matter what caused cerebral palsy, there is a decrease in the number of brain nerve cells with normal
function. The traditional treatments are not able to increase the number of nerve cells in the brain, neither
to have the nerve damage repaired.
Through years of research and therapeutic practice, WSCMC discovered that neural stem cell implantation
treatment not only can effectively increase the number of brain nerve cells, but also is able to start the redevelopment of the neurological process. The treatments are combined with the necessary drugs and
rehabilitation, so that 80% transplanted neural cells are able to show function, so as to make the patients
obtain much more improvements in neurological function.(WSCMC,2013)
(http://www.unistemcells.com/en/treatment/treat_CerebralPalsy.htm, 2013)
Local Musician involving a celebral paltic child during the annual walk organised by CPSK in Nairobi: Image derived from CPSK
facebook page
Cerebral Palsy Society of Kenya (CPSK)
It is a charitable Organization working towards the improvement of the welfare of children/persons afflicted
by Cerebral Palsy (C.P) in the Country. The Society was formed in 1994 by parents/guardians of children
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afflicted by Cerebral Palsy and has remained steadfast in its endeavor to enable as many children as possible
live more fulfilling lives. Being a charitable Organization, CPSK relies wholly on support from wellwishers and other people of goodwill for its upkeep. Today, the Society caters for over 300 children/persons
who benefit directly from therapy and rehabilitation services that are offered free-of-charge.
CPSK vision
To ensure that persons afflicted by cerebral palsy in Kenya are rehabilitated to enable them realize their full
potential.
CPSK Mission
To offer the best support services through the provision of therapy, promotion of awareness and advocacy
of appropriate measures to improve the welfare of persons afflicted by cerebral palsy in Kenya.
Objectives
CPSK is committed to championing for the rights of the afflicted through:
Creation and enhancement of awareness among parents and the general public about Cerebral Palsy,
Provision of therapy as well as medical, educational and counseling services for individuals disabled by
C.P to enable them realize their full potential, and Promotion of legislative policy and other measures to
improve the welfare of C.P sufferers in Kenya
Through its qualified and experienced staff, CPSK offers the following services; Occupational therapy,
Physical therapy, Speech and communication therapy and Counseling and support groups (CPSK,2014)
CPSK achievements
Since the establishment of CPSK in 1994, many Kenyans have acquired a lot of information about cerebral
palsy through the various campaigns mounted by the society. Such awareness campaigns include annual
charity walks and dinners, medical camps and Christmas parties. Indeed since the campaigns begun, the
Society has continued to register at least two new cases every week. The net effect is that many parents
with CP children are steadily recognizing the need to seek assistance for their children as opposed to hiding
them at home.The Society remains a source of inspiration and hope by offering free counselling to
parents/guardians towards acceptance of their children’s condition and consequently provide love and care
for the child. (CPSK,2014)
Challenges that CPSK face
Being a charitable organization, CPSK relies solely on the support and goodwill of well-wishers to run its
activities. However, this support is not always consistent and at times disrupts the smooth running of the
society’s activities due to lack of finances. These financial constraints also affect the Society’s ability to
acquire relevant, often very expensive assistive devices used in therapy and rehabilitation. The lack of a
motor vehicle to facilitate movement of therapists and the afflicted poses a great challenge, especially to
the outreach program. Quick access to CP individuals in their respective homes is slowed and/or impeded
due to the unreliable nature of Public Service transport.
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Lack of enough personnel in specialized areas like speech/language therapy poses a monumental challenge
as the country does not have many such professionals. Although CPSK endeavors to educate the public on
cerebral palsy, many afflicted children continue to be shunned, neglected and suffer in secret isolation due
to the wrong perceptions that have been advanced towards explanation of the cause of CP. It is such attitudes
and behavior that hamper efforts by the Society to offer rehabilitation to those who are afflicted.
CPSK has the following plans for the future:
Intensify awareness campaigns in all parts of the country to enhance understanding of cerebral palsy among
Kenyans. Open rehabilitation Clinics, in consultation with the government, in each of the eight (8)
provinces of the country. These will increase ease and effectiveness in service delivery to the afflicted at
the grassroots level. Set up an ultra-modern Rehabilitation Centre in Nairobi that will serve as a one-stop
facility for CP cases. The envisaged Rehabilitation Centre will house a hospital, day-care center, special
school and a home for the abandoned. (CPSK,2014)
(http://cpsk.or.ke/, 2014
EFFECTIVE HEALTH COMMUNICATION
Most of us obtain health information through many different sources, including printed media such as
newspapers, magazines, books and brochures. But for those who demonstrate low levels of literacy
(Educational Testing Service, 1993), or for individuals who have learned to rely upon oral forms of
communication, written information sources are of little or no use.
For such audiences, health educators and communicators need alternative approaches with appropriate
visuals and activities that stimulate learning, are interesting and fun, and motivate the intended audience to
experience new behaviors.
The AMC Cancer Research Center, with collaboration and support of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, developed Beyond the Brochure to assist
health educators and health communicators in conceiving and producing educational materials and
activities that do not rely solely on the printed word. The intent is to present innovative intervention ideas
and strategies that can be used to reach audiences who are not benefitting from current health
communication efforts.
COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrations are widely used to improve learning from textual information (Levie & Lentz, 1982). Many
studies have focused on the effect of adding illustrations to a text (versus text only) on website satisfaction
(Van Weert et al., 2011), comprehension (Houts et al., 2006), and recall of information (Katz et al., 2006).
Fewer studies have looked into what types of illustrations might be used to optimize these outcomes. Levie
and Lentz (1982) described a functional approach to the effects of illustrations and suggested that
illustrations could perform multiple functions, such as feeling and thinking. They distinguish between
cognitive (thinking) and affective (feeling) functions of illustrations. Cognitive illustrations are explanatory
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illustrations, supporting a text and aiming to facilitate learning of information by improving comprehension
and information recall. For instance, medication instructions can be improved by adding icons that explain
how and when to take the medication as prescribed (for examples, see Morrow, Hier, Menard, & Leirer,
1998). Affective illustrations are illustrations that are irrelevant for understanding the text (Park & Lim,
2004) and aim to enhance enjoyment and affect emotions and attitudes. Text-irrelevant illustrations, such
as pictures of flowers and empathic caregivers, can increase arousal and attention (Park & Lim, 2007).
Also in line with the functional approach of Levie and Lentz (1982) is the role of cognitive illustrations in
selectivity theory(Carstensen,Isaacowitz,&Charles,1999), which asserts that older adults have more
emotion-related goals and use these goals to encode and memorize information. The socio-emotional
selectivity theory is a life-span theory predicting that the perception of time influences motivational goals
in life (Carstensen, Fung, & Charles, 2003). When one perceives much time left in life, goals related to
knowledge acquisition are activated, whereas when time is perceived as limited, a shift toward goals related
to emotion regulation is observed (Carstensen et al., 1999). For instance, social interactions, such as contact
with family members, that optimize emotional experiences become of greater importance and are more
valued by older adults (Carstensen et al., 2003). According to the socio-emotional selectivity theory
(Carstensen et al., 1999) there are two ways in which emotional goals influence older adults’ information
recall. First, information that is relevant to emotional goals is made more salient in older adults’ attention
and memory. As older adults use their emotional goals to memorize information (Mather & Knight, 2005),
affective illustrations might make their emotional goals more salient, resulting in more effective
information processing and, consequently, in better recall. Cognitive illustration might not make these goals
salient, and might therefore not be processed well. Second, because older adults hold more emotionally
meaningful goals, they allocate more cognitive resources toward emotion regulation (Carstensen et al.,
1999). This focus on emotion regulation positively influences memory for information that gratifies
emotional well-being (Mather & Carstensen, 2005).
Why communicating health information is important in patient care
Effective communication of health information is essential, for several reasons: Helping patients to make
informed patient decisions about what treatments they want or need.
To insure correct and timely actions on the part of patients and family caregivers to manage illness at home
and for them to obtain professional help when needed.
Patient and family caregivers ‘quality of life built on a foundation of self-efficacy and autonomy. Without
access to information about managing their illness, patients and family members are dependent on staff to
tell them what to do. This increases feelings of dependence, passivity, and helplessness and requires that
they navigate the health care bureaucracy to obtain answers to their questions.
To address these problems, they need access to a base of knowledge of what they can do and, very
importantly, of when they have done enough. Family caregivers are especially likely to be concerned
because they feel they have not done enough when, in fact, they have done everything that could reasonably
be expected of them. (Delp and Jones,1996)
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Four elements of effective communication health information
There are four aspects of communication that are necessary for effective communication of health
information. They are Attention, comprehension, recall, and acting on the information (adherence)
pictures affect attention given to health communications
The first step in the health communication process is for the patient and or family caregiver to pay attention
to the message. Many times excellent written instructions are ignored or not read by people who need the
information. Often verbal instructions are not heard or understood by patients and family members who
are distracted and preoccupied. So the first question is whether pictures help to draw attention to health
communications.
Advertisers clearly believe that pictures draw attention because they are used extensively in advertising. If
you reflect on what draws your attention when reading a magazine or newspaper, I’m sure you agree that
pictures are among the first things you notice.
The power of pictures to draw attention to health communications was demonstrated clearly in a study by
Deland Jones in the emergency room of an inner city hospital. Patients receiving treatment for lacerations
were, at the point of discharge, given written instructions for what they should do to care for their wounds
after returning home. Half were randomly given just text and the other half received the same text plus
pictures that illustrated the information in the text.Subjects were interviewed by phone three days later and
asked if they had read the instructions. Patients receiving handouts with pictures were significantly more
likely to read the handouts -98% compared to 79% (Delp and Jones,1996)
pictures affect comprehension.
When explaining something that is inherently spatial, a picture can be worth a thousand words. For
example, explaining how to give an injection can be done more simply and more effectively with text plus
pictures than with text alone.
Under some circumstances, pictures alone can be very effective –but only if the viewer has requisite
background to interpret the pictures correctly. Without that background, the pictures may be confusing or
meaningless. For example, if people from a third world country, who never saw a syringe, were to see just
pictures of an injection, they would be confused.
There are times when pictures can confuse the viewer and interfere with comprehension. This is when to
concepts or vocabulary are beyond the viewer’s understanding. When this happens the viewer may guess
what the pictures mean –often incorrectly.
Pictures are not a substitute for complex or abstract explanations. They must build on a foundation of clear,
simple language. (Delp and Jones,1996)
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pictures affect recall
The strongest and most widely documented effect of pictures is on recall. Pictures paired with spoken or
written text will increase recall of the text.
The effect of pictures on recall has been extensively studied by educators and literally hundreds of studies
have shown that recall is enhanced when pictures are linked to text. Education researchers even have a
name for it: they call it the pictorial superiority effect.
The effect has been shown with both written and spoken text –but the effects are greater for spoken text.
This has important implications for communicating with people who cannot read. If they can understand
what you say orally, their recall of that information will be greatly improved if your explanation is
accompanied by pictures. (Delp and Jones,1996
Recall of spoken directions with pictures as cues
Cued recall is when people see the picture when they first hear the text and then, later, see the same picture
to help them remember what they heard. Clinically this means that people who cannot read and have to rely
on memory of what health professionals tell them could substantially improve their memory of what they
were told by showing them pictures along with the oral explanations and then giving them the same pictures
to take home and serve as reminders of what they heard.
pictures affect behavior
Do pictures affect health behavior –that is adherence to medical instructions? 77% adherence compared to
54% without pictures. (Delp and Jones,1996)
What is exciting about their findings is that there was a trend for a greater difference between experimental
and control groups among patients with less than a high school education. While this did not reach
statistical significance, the trend is encouraging and should be studied further because it suggests that
pictures are of greater help to people with less education. (Delp and Jones,1996)
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EXEMPLARS
SARA COMMUNICATION INITIATIVE
The empty compound and Daughter of a lioness in the SARA comic series
Images derived from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3726557-sara-daughter-of-a-lioness
The Sara Communication Initiative was developed in 10 countries of Eastern and Southern Africa, with
UNICEF assistance. Educating adolescent girls and their parents about the importance of staying in school
is one of the main messages of this lively radio series. Other issues such as sexual harassment, HIV/AIDS,
early marriage, genital mutilation and girls' domestic workload, are skillfully woven into the entertaining
plots about Sara and her friends. In addition to the radio series, the initiative has developed animated films,
comic books, storybooks, audiocassettes, posters and guides.
(http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index_8020.html, 2012)
Sara Communication Initiative: Applying VIPP in the African Region
One application of VIPP which brings together overall communication strategy planning, storyline
planning, and putting research into action, is the Sara Communication Initiative (SCI) for the African
adolescent girl. The SCI was first designed in 1994, primarily for delaying the age of sexual debut of African
girls and empowering them to handle sexual advances from boys and men, including “sugar daddies,” and
other forms of sexual exploitation as the continent faced a growing HIV/AIDS crisis. The project was
conceptualized by the Regional Office for UNICEF in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESARO) and was
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researched, developed and implemented in 12 African countries between 1995 and 1999, initially. Sara is
still used by many partners as a behavior development tool to combat HIV and AIDS.
VIPP was extensively used as a participatory tool in the development of the SCI, to build consensus
regarding issues which are common across sub-Sharan African countries. As a first step, UNICEF-ESARO
began by bringing together over 50 experts in gender, child rights, including protection, health and
development – researchers, programmers, trainers, communication specialists and artists. A five-day VIPP
workshop was held to map out the priority problem areas and probable themes of the SCI, as well as to
chart the research process, capacity building needed for personnel to be involved, and the production
schedule. A plethora of VIPP techniques and methods were used to introduce relevant issues and agree on
possible approaches. The methods employed were icebreakers and energizers, card collection and
clustering, brainstorming, pro-contra debates, single and multi-dot question, fish bowl, mini-dramas and
role plays, expert interviews, field visits, communication, drawing and perception games, team-building
exercises, and exercises in gender analysis and sensitization. (Southbound, 2007)
This was the first time the participants experienced the structured application of so many participatory
methods applied to arriving at a consensus on a development program. Through democratic processes, VIPP
engaged participants to analyze and understand that the problems of the adolescent girl were very similar
in all the countries involved. Through VIPP methods, they came to agree on the most likely themes for the
SCI, as well as the complexity of factors that would have to be addressed to bring about behavior
development of young people, and behavior and social change in communities. VIPP methods enabled
everyone to voice their fears and concerns and collectively identify the possible ways of addressing those
issues, some of which were later validated through field research undertaken with various communities. In
their previous experience, regional workshops tended to accentuate differences between countries and it
was usually difficult to move people away from “expert position taking” and “one-upmanship” on issues.
Following the initial planning workshop, training workshops were held for character and storyline research
in Eastern Africa and Southern Africa. VIPP methods were used to train researchers on the qualitative
research methods to be employed. It was found that the VIPP card and chart methods were important for
presenting and revising research steps and objectives and in synthesizing results from practice research
sessions. Then the research teams returned to their home countries to carry out focus group discussions and
in-depth interviews on the Sara characters and initial storylines. For the pilot phase during 1994-1995, 572
focus group discussions were conducted with over 5,000 respondents in 10 Eastern and Southern African
countries. Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana were added later.
VIPP workshops were held in-country to synthesize the results of national research which were then brought
to regional research synthesis workshops with writers and artists. Stories were written or revised in these
events using card and chart methods, mini-drama and many other VIPP techniques. Over the next five years
(1996 to 2001), seven more Sara stories were completed, involving the same artists, writers, and
communication researchers from the region, bringing the results of their national work together through
regional VIPP workshops. In addition, approximately 120 VIPP facilitators were trained and VIPP methods
were employed as the backbone of the following SCI activities: National life skills training workshops for
the implementation of Sara materials, Development of local Sara materials, Formation of core Sara groups
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for dissemination and utilization, Advocacy meetings and workshops for integration of Sara in crosssectorial programs, Planning on a wide use of Sara materials by government partners and NGOs, Training
of facilitators for effective utilization, Establishment of Sara clubs and/or peer educator programs, Training
of local artists and writers and training of trainers on life skills (Southbound, 2007)
The independent evaluation of the SCI found that Sara was most successful in countries where there was
an enabling environment within UNICEF country offices, with strong leadership providing support for the
SCI and where the people responsible for Sara did effective internal marketing to gain support across
different UNICEF program sections. However, perhaps one of the most important findings of this
evaluation was that Sara's success greatly depended on a sense of ownership. The factor most responsible
for this sense of ownership was, in-fact, the wide-scale application of VIPP methods in the research, design,
planning and implementation of the SCI, allowing the introduction of many different talents and
perspectives.
It should be noted that it is often very difficult to engender ownership in initiatives which extend across
national boundaries and across cultures. However, the wide-scale participation in the development of Sara
through VIPP methods appears to have been responsible for fostering partnership among countries in the
development and integration of the SCI in their own programs. Furthermore, this ownership led to
UNICEF's priority in developing Sara as a commercial program which can be sustained as long as the
educational materials are needed. (Southbound, 2007)
Sara is a charismatic heroine living in peri-urban Africa. Like many girls of her age, Sara faces nearly
insurmountable socio-cultural as well as economic obstacles in her desire to reach her goals in life. But her
aspirations to improve herself and her community by pursuing alternative solutions to problems is meant to
be an inspiration. Sara's ability to negotiate and persuade and her determination never to give up - even in
desperate situations - makes her a dynamic role model for girls; however, the series was also designed to be
inclusive of boys' needs and interests, and includes male role models. HIV/AIDS is a central theme. Many of
the stories, like "Sara Saves Her Friend", were intended to educate girls and to keep them in safe school
environments as long as possible. In these and other stories, rather than being presented as a victim who
evokes pity and sympathy, Sara emphasizes girls' potential. Sara's adventures were designed to be informative,
to motivate people to change, and to address life skills necessary in certain situations. The stories were also
designed to illustrate the various environmental factors that facilitate or impede positive change.
Sara's experiences were portrayed in a multi-media project that included seven episodes. These episodes
appeared in comic books and animated films. In addition, supporting promotional, advocacy, and
informational printed materials were produced by UNICEF-ESARO. For instance, print packages to
accompany each episode were created, along with posters and flip charts on various themes, such as children
in armed conflict situations (Uganda). A Sara life skills manual was developed as a resource for in-school and
out-of-school programmes in the region (to be published in 2003). A trainers' resource manual for prevention
of female genital cutting was also completed (for publication in 2003).
Sara promotional and advocacy materials were been developed by UNICEF-ESARO, Tanzania,
Mozambique, Uganda, Malawi, Rwanda and Ethiopia. Finally, a guidebook for artists was created.
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In addition, there were other national-level offshoots of SCI. In various countries in East, Southern, and West
Africa, training workshops and Sara discussion groups were held to help various stakeholders use Sara
materials. Peer educators helped establish Sara clubs; materials were distrubted to schools. Sara videos were
also screened to audiences in rural areas, as well as broadcast on national television and BBC radio. Local
Sara materials were developed (and translations completed), as well as songs and dramas based on Sara
stories. To cite only one example, in Uganda, the Straight Talk Foundation's newspaper magazine, Young
Talk, began incorporating Sara since the mid-1990s. It has a monthly print run of 280,000 copies of which 16
copies are distributed in English to each of 12,000 primary schools in Uganda.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, many of the rights of children are not recognised or protected by their families and
communities. Lack of respect for rights in the areas of labour, education, and health care has been documented.
Many children lack protection from harmful traditional practices, neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse
and exploitation. In the past decade, HIV/AIDS has become the greatest new threat to children's well being
and survival. Among young people between the ages of 15 and 24 in Eastern and Southern Africa, females
are up to six times more likely to be infected than males (UNAIDS, June 2000). One of the fundamental
causes of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa is gender inequity (SIDA, Nov. 1998; Long and Ankrah, 1996).
The rights of African girls are less recognised and valued than those of boys. Because girls' primary role is
child bearing and nurturing, girls learn to take on a subservient role at an early age. This leads to a lack of
basic psychosocial skills, such as the ability to communicate wishes assertively, to think critically and
creatively, to make decisions and negotiate, to solve problems in social relationships, to resist pressure, and
to and cope with emotions and conflict.
(http://www.comminit.com/global/content/sara-communication-initiative-africa )
SHUJAAZ
The Kenyan magazine stars Boyie, a high school graduate who, in kanju style, has built an FM radio station
in his mother’s basement. Broadcasting in secret, “DJ B” befriends a diverse crew of youth, with whom he
trades advice on how to make money and improve their lives. Malkia is a punkish teen living in an unnamed
city on the coast, drawn in a slashing anime style. Charlie Pele is a football-obsessed boy living in an
unidentified slum area in central Kenya. Maria Kim is a sensible, studious teen taking care of her younger
brother. Their surnames and cities are purposely vague; fans are free to project their reality (and tribe) onto
the characters. (Dayo,2014)
Shujaaz means “heroes.” Instead of battling traditional baddies with superpowers, the kids deploy common
sense and homegrown innovations to win moral victories and sometimes cash. The first issue
of Shujaaz urged readers to dye their chickens pink. The practice, piloted in west Africa, prevents baby
chicks from being taken by birds of prey. As it turns out, between 50 and 80 percent of chickens are snatched
by hawks while they are running around the farm. The bright dye confuses the predators and helps farmers
to keep their investment. In the comic, Charlie Pele’s mischievous brother dyes the family poultry—but
when the hawks show up, his angry father has to acknowledge the benefit.These and similar stories are
simple and splashy, told in a pitch-perfect fusion of Swahili and English known only to the young as Sheng.
The subject matter might appear to be banal—seed soaking, alcoholism, “national cohesion”—and the
mandate a bit sentimental. But the aesthetic is effortlessly hip, and in the hands of the very capable young
illustrators, writers, actors, and producers, the ideas come alive. (Dayo,2014)
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DJ Boyie: Shujaaz main character
Image derived from http://streamdaily.tv/2014/04/07/international-digital-emmy-awards-winners-announced/
Malkia: a Shujaa character and a page exerpt from the magazine
image derived from (http://wts.co.ke/comics.php)
a comic with serious messages
The One World Media Awards recognizes excellence in the UK media’s coverage of the developing world.
The Special award is presented to an outstanding project working on the ground in the developing world,
where media activity has made a real impact on people’s lives.
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Shujaaz is an innovative multimedia youth communication initiative which combines 600,000 monthly free
comics, daily broadcasts on 22 syndicated radio stations and social media to engage with young people in
Kenya.
It features a huge range of issues which are designed to help young people improve their lives. Some of
these have been ideas for making money out of agricultural innovation. Other stories have looked at tackling
tribalism and the aftermath of the post-election violence, governance, micro enterprise and broader human
rights. Support for the project draws together both private sector and international development funding.
“Shujaaz is an incredibly effective way of communicating information to young Kenyans and their families,
including poor farmers often in remote areas. It has provided vital guidance on farming techniques that can
directly improve people’s lives, with stories ranging from ways of preventing livestock disease through to
how to improve crop yield. I’m delighted that it has won.” International Development Minister Alan
Duncan
“Shujaaz features four young Kenyans whose stories evolve each month as they engage with a range of
social issues and ideas to help them get on in the world. We deliberately merge facts and fiction so that we
can cover hard hitting material using advocates that our young audience have grown to trust and respect.
Our regular readership is now around 6 million and judging by the text and Facebook messages we get each
day we are making a real difference.” Rob Burnet, the social entrepreneur behind Shujaaz.
(https://www.gov.uk/government/news/award-for-shujaaz-a-comic-with-serious-messages, 2011)
Enthusiastic comic book fans get their copies of Shujaaz.fm from an M-Pesa kiosk in Nairobi. Photograph: Riccardo Gangale/USAid
Riccardo Gangale/USAID
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DESIGN PROCESS: COMIC BOOK
Creating a comic book is actually a very complicated process. There are many steps the mainstream comic
book goes through and can take an army of workers to produce.
1) Idea/Concept
Every comic book starts with this. It might be a question – in this case the research question comes in to
play. It might be a concept – problem statement. It might be based on a character –a person that inspired
the research where his/her character can be ‘marveled’ to suit an action comic .All of these will be the basis
of the comic book.
2) Story Development
The writer of a comic book tells the story through words, which the artist then turns into pictures. It is the
writer’s job to set things up like characters, plot, setting, dialog, and other elements like pacing, action,
emotion, and closure. This is the visionary stage.
Skills useful at this stage are:
Good communication skills – The writer needs to be able to tell things in a way that is too the point and clear.
A visionary mind – one needs to be able to see where he/she is taking the story/message. This could be as
simple as a basic idea, “What would happen if a child born with cerebral palsy found out they had
superpowers.” Or it could be as complex as having the entire world, characters, and story built.
Strong grasp of grammar – By knowing the audience, the writer then measures the weight of words and
relevance to keep a bond with the reader.
Flexible attitude – Things don’t always go like planned. An editor/supervisor might want the writer to do
something different to the script and change a scene here or a bit of dialog there. Being flexible will allow
one to keep the vision as well as being able to get the comic finished.
3) Penciller/Illustrator :Character Creation
sketches in the development of Shujaaz image courtesy of Brendan Bannon: Well Told Story
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It is the penciller’s job to take a script and give it form. Sometimes the script lays out exactly how things
should look. At other times, there is only a basic suggestion as to what should actually be there. In any
respect, it is the penciller’s job to take those words and give them life in a way that makes sense, moves the
story along, and with a consistent quality.
Skills required at this stage:
Artistic Know How – A comic book artist needs to know how to draw! Study great artists like Kirby, Lee,
and Cassaday. Practice every day, studying human anatomy and architecture. Take classes or buy a book.
Get out there and draw!
Create What Your Mind Sees – An artist needs to be able to envision something, then put it down on paper.
Sometimes it isn’t as easy as that, but you need to be able to create pictures from a description or picture in
your mind.
Flexibility – Things change all the time. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches and change things
midstream. This may be different if you are the sole creator in a project like this, but in the world of a
freelance artist, you need to be able to change things for your clients.
Professional Behavior – Being able to turn out work when you say it will be done.
Collaborative Mindset – Creating a comic book is a collaborative effort between writer, artist, editor, and
the rest of the team. In this case, collaborating with the school requirements, supervisor’s advice and
quality of freehand drawing both trained and self-adopted style of expression.
Consistency – The quality, zeal and importance should be seen from the first panel to the last panel.
Equipment at this stage:
Drawing Utensils – The basics of these is the common pencil. Starting out, you won’t need much more
than that. Once you have the basics down, there are a plethora of things you can invest in. Paintbrushes,
different kinds of pencils, mechanical pencils, and most artists use a light blue colored pencil, as it
disappears during copying. You can literally use just about anything that leaves a mark, but the most
common drawing utensil is still the pencil. (Alan Albert, 2014)
Paper – Again, when starting out, any paper will do to get the basics down. When you go to create
comic books however, most use what is called Bristol board or Bristol Paper, an 11 X 17 size piece of
multi ply paper with a 10 X 15 size working space. This is pretty much the industry standard.
Sketch Book – Having a portable studio to sketch down ideas when one is inspired is priceless. You
never know when something will just click, and being able to get it down right away will go a long way
in helping you stay creative.
Workspace – Most professional artists use some kind of art table. The table is able to be adjusted to
different angles to make drawing more comfortable. Some also have a opaque or glass top with a light
under it and are known as “light boards.” These allow the artist to do rough sketches on cheaper paper,
then trace over their work on nicer paper for the finished product. Whatever you do, you need a place
to work. Having a consistent space will help you produce consistent work.
Reference Material – This could take many forms, one of the most common would be the internet.
Need to draw the Empire State Building? Google it and find a nice picture. Many artists have anatomy
books to see how the body looks in different positions. Others take pictures of proposed panels to see
how lighting will affect the figures and characters.
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Additional/Optional Equipment
Computer – Many artists use digital methods in creating comics. This may not be in the penciling stage
per se, but is often used in inking, coloring, and lettering. Since many artists do various parts of the
process, it would be wise to learn some of these skills, if only to see how these other creators think.
Wacom Tablet – These new devices are becoming an integral part of creating comics on computers. It
is essentially a drawing tablet that allows you to draw directly into the computer program. It is used in
many different aspects of comic creation, from inking, and coloring, to even drawing comics. Serious
technophiles will want to invest in this device.
Scanner – Since comics these days are often finished digitally, this could be a must have, but will
remain in the optional equipment for now. Scanning your work in will enable many things. First it will
allow you to send it digitally to other creators waiting to finish the process of the comic. It will enable
instant feedback from writers and editors, enabling the project to move forward. It will also preserve
the original artwork for safe keeping or sale.
Website – Since your work is so visual, it will behoove you to eventually have a website. This can
accomplish many things. It will give you a way to connect with fans, provide a showcase of your work
for potential employers, and enable you to advertise your work, sale items, and services.
4) Inking
The Inker takes an artists pencils and goes over them in ink, taking the image and turning it into a
finished piece of work. The dark ink lines makes the art jump off the page as well as helping to add
depth and dimension. At one time, inking was mostly used to prepare the comic page for printing, as
the printer would pick up the light pencils, but today, the inker is a vital part of the comic creation
process.
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an inked background and concept : image derived from www.dutalathiwordpress.com
Skills Needed:
Artistic Skills: – One of the misconceptions about inkers is that they are glorified tracers. This simply
isn’t true. An inker needs to be an accomplished artist in their own right. They need to know about
anatomy and architecture, scale and perspective, just as much as a penciller does. The reason for this is
that the inker takes the artists pencils and makes a new piece of art out of it. Some pencillers will even
do very rough sketches so the inker can then go over and embellish them later.
Strong Sense Of Light: – The inker works with two colors, black and white. It is very important that the
inker understands how light is represented so as to add that to the pencils. This will help give it the
three dimensional appearance it needs.
Speed: – An inker typically doesn’t have as much time to work as the penciller does. A good inker will
need be able to work fast, but keep up the consistent work.
Flexibility: – A comic book inker needs to be flexible in many ways. They never know when a job
might come up, so they need a flexible schedule. Since they are working with a pencillers work, they
may need to take feedback from the penciller or writer about what things should look like. If they are
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just beginning, they won’t have as much clout for suggestions and will need to follow the directions
laid out by the editor, writer and artist.
Basic Equipment
India Ink: – This ink, also called Indian ink, Chinese ink, or just Black ink, is a black carbon based
ink that is used because it retains its color when put to the page. This is used primarily in the inking of
comic books.
Inking Utensils: – This can take the form of many different things. The most common are the crowquill pen and brushes. The trick here is that almost anything that can put ink on paper can be used from
mechanical pens, to sharpies, to q-tips, sponges, and just about anything you can think of.
White Out: – You will make mistakes, so how do you go about fixing it? White out is the trick. Just
about any kind of white out will do, but many use what is called a gauche water based paint.
Ruler: – To make those perfect straight lines, such as panel borders, you need some kind of straight
edge. You might also consider a triangle and other straight edge devices as well.
Workspace: – An inker will need a dedicated space to work at, so that they can focus on the task at
hand. Most artists will have an adjustable drawing table that will allow them to work comfortably.
Workspace: – This may sound like an obvious choice, but having good lighting is very important to an
inker. If the light in the area is distorted, it may reflect in your work. Most artists will have a good
adjustable lamp to shine the light where they need it. (Alan Albert, 2014)
OptionalEquipment
Computer: – The computer is an extremely useful tool for the comic book inker. Comics are truly entering
a digital age and so some inkers will get an image file to work with instead of the original art.
Photoshop: – This program is quickly becoming one of the most used tools in the industry. Although most
comics are still done the “old fashioned way,” some comics are being started to be inked digitally. This is
the premiere program for doing that.
Website: – Since an inkers work is so visual in it’s own right, it is important to have a way to showcase
your work. Websites are a great way nowadays to do just that. Some cost some money and know how, but
there are many free alternatives nowadays. (Alan Albert, 2014)
5) Coloring
Simply put, the colorists job is to apply color to a comic book. This is easier than it seems though.
Typically, the job is broken up into two parts, flatting and coloring. In the flatting process, the basic
areas of color are blocked out so the colorist knows what spaces to color what. In the coloring stage,
the colorist applies not only the color, but adds lighting and shading to help give the three
dimensional feel that comic books are known for. The colorist helps the comic book to become a
finished piece of art, and is an artist in their own right, needing very different kinds of skills than the
penciller and inker need.
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3Colored comic character and page image retrieved from
Skills Needed:
Knowledge Of Color – The colorist needs to know how to use color. School training is helpful, but
not necessary as many colorists learn as they go. You need to know what color looks like and how it
changes under light and shadow.
Artistic Mindset – A colorist is an artist, no question about it. It requires patience, practice, and some
level of artistic skill. Knowing the theory as well as how to use color to get what you want will only
make you a better colorist.
Speed – The colorist is one of the last in the assembly process. Because of this, if there is problems in
earlier stages, the colorist may have less time to complete their work. They are often required to keep
the comic on the deadline and will need to develop the speed and endurance to finish work quickly,
but maintain quality.
Technological Skills – Nowadays, comic books are having more and more of the process done on
computers. Almost all coloring is done on computers using complicated software programs. This is
going to require the colorist to be comfortable with computers and software programs. Not to mention
that the colorist doesn’t actually physically touch the art, but does it all with a scanned piece of
artwork. These kinds of skills with technology are becoming more and more necessary.
Basic Equipment
Computer – Most coloring these days are done on a computer, and a Macintosh computer at that. That
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isn’t to say that a Windows machine can’t serve you for your coloring needs, but the industry
standard is the Macintosh. Knowing how to use a Mac will only help you get further in your career.
Software – Since most comic books are done digitally and you will need a computer, you will also need
the software to do the actual work. The most common one used today is Adobe Photoshop and Adobe
Illustrator. These programs are very powerful in what they can do with color and texture to the page.
They are a must have, but are very expensive. Some free versions have come out recently, such as
GIMP and Paint.net, but aren’t exactly the same thing. (Alan Albert, 2014)
Optional Equipment
Wacom Tablet – Although this is probably a “must have” for most colorists nowadays, to get started
you don’t have to have one. A Wacom tablet is a tool that allows you draw with a penlike stylus where
the strokes are captured on the screen. This makes it very much like doing actual painting and drawing.
Website – Having a way to sell yourself is key in the business of freelance work. A website will allow
you to easily show potential clients your work. It will also enable you to network and keep in touch
with others.
6) Lettering
The letterer provides the text and sound effects in a comic book. The key here is to add the text in such
a manner that makes it easy for the reader to follow the story. There is certainly a lot of artistic creativity
that goes into the process, having word balloons and sound effects look like what they sound like, but
the letterer also needs to think about how the text will detract from the story and art if it is to bold,
overpowering, or hard to read.
Skills Needed:
Love Of Text – Okay, maybe not a love of text, but certainly a liking of how words are used and can
convey meaning. Many letterers will try to make the words themselves look like what the person,
creature, or effect sounds like. A BOOM will be large and bold while a whisper will be soft and airy.
Strong Knowledge Of Grammar – The letterer is one of the last lines of defense for errors. And since a
letterer needs to type in the work or do it by hand, not having a strong grasp of spelling, punctuation,
and word use will inhibit your chances at success.
Think Graphically – Letterers often take the role of a graphic designer, creating logos, titles, word
balloons, sound effects, and more. Just creating the title in Comic Sans because it has the word comic
in it is a way to get in serious hot water. You need to think about how those things will impact the page
and story. Does it add to the experience? Take away from the art? Lead the reader to the next scene?
These are the kinds of questions you need to think about when lettering.
Technological Skills – If you plan on doing your lettering in the mainstream style, you will need to do
it on a computer. Most comics nowadays are lettered on a computer. There are many programs that
letterers use, such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Indesign, to name the most
popular. There are also font making software, such as Fontographer, FontLab Studio, or FontForge.
You may also want to buy fonts from companies like Comic Book Fonts and Blambot
Superior Penmanship – If you plan on doing your lettering by hand, and some still do, you will need to
develop a strong and consistent penmanship style. It needs to be easy to read and flow nicely. You
might even consider turning your penmanship into a font in and of itself, which many do today.
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Equipment Needed:
Digital Lettering Equipment
Computer – The industry standard is the Macintosh computer. You can use a PC, but most people
work on Macs. The keys here is lots of RAM and processor speed. Don’t skimp on these.
Software – Again, the industry standard is Adobe Illustrator, a vector based program which uses lines
and curves based in mathematical equations to create images. This is the program used to put the letters
onto the page. Other programs such as font creation programs are very useful to the digital letterer.
Storage System – You need a way to save and transport files. If you are working for a larger company,
you will deliver items via a FTP server. If you are printing it yourself, you will need some type of
storage device to take it to the printer.
Hand Lettering Equipment
Pencil – What you use is up to you, but many professionals use mechanical pencils.
Eraser – If you make a mistake, you will need to erase it.
Ames Guide and T-Square – A what guide? The Ames Guide will allow you, in conjunction with the
T-Square, to create lines that will enable you to make your letters the same consistent height.
Crow-Quill Pen and Ink – After the letters are created in pencil, you go over them in ink. The industry
standard is the Crow-Quill pen.
Stencils – You will need many different stencils to create word balloons, tails, and other different design
items.
7) Editing
Throughout this process, the editor oversees production quality. If something is wrong, they get the
creator or another person to fix the mistake, sometimes even doing it themselves. The editor is the last
line of defense for finding errors and ensuring that it is a quality comic book.
8) Printing/Publishing
The publisher of a comic book is the one to release the comic to consumers. This may have many roles
in it. One may be that of editor, making sure content is good and up to the standards of the company or
individuals. It may also take the role of a marketer, getting the word out on the comic to various news
sources. It may also be a financial position, coming up with money to pay the various artists and printing
costs. Another facet of publishing is retailing, or selling the comic online, to stores, or at
conventions. (Alan Albert, 2014)
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CHAPTER III
OVERVIEW
The researcher will investigate ways in which sequential art/comic design can be adopted in the visual
health communication on Cerebral Palsy, especially among the youth in Nairobi. He will analyze how this
principle can be brought out through visual design and how culture has been currently applied in the visual
communication and to propose other ways in which modern design in illustration can be incorporated in
relation to culture.
The study was in the form of applied research, for the purpose of better understanding of a phenomenon
(Kumar, 2005), in this case the application of African aesthetic, expressive and educational comic art
creation. The investigation will be qualitative in nature, emphasizing words rather than quantification in the
collection and analysis of data (Bryman, 2004). Students in the University of Nairobi from will participate
in one-on-one in-depth interviews (IDIs) and random conversations both one on one and online social
network.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Based on the number of contacts, the study will be a cross-sectional study, best suited to studies aimed at
finding out the prevalence of a phenomenon, situation, problem, attitude or issue, by taking a cross section
of the population (Kumar, 2005). Cross-sectional studies are useful in obtaining an overall picture as it
stands at the time of the study, cross-sectional with regard to both the study population and time of
investigation. As cross-sectional studies involve only one contact with the study population, they are
comparatively cheap to undertake and easy to analyze (Kumar, 2005)
POPULATION AND SAMPLE
In qualitative research the issue of sampling has little significance, as the main aim of most qualitative
inquiries is either to explore or describe the diversity in a situation, phenomenon or issue (Kumar, 2005).
The author is of the opinion that ―a study based on information obtained from one individual, or
undertaken to describe one event or situation is perfectly valid‖. Qualitative researchers usually neither work
with populations large enough to make random sampling meaningful, nor is their purpose that of producing
generalizations (Glesne, 2006). Purposive sampling is thus employed. For this paper, this will be in form
of convenience sampling, where cases are selected on the basis of convenience (Glesne, 2006).
A sample of 16 undergraduate students from various major faculties in the University of Nairobi, 2 post
graduate students and 2 non students working in Nairobi (a young couple with two children) It was also
necessary to obtain information from key illustration designers and fine artist in Nairobi (Randomly
approached at an art fair in Sarit Centre, Michael Joseph Centre and PAWA 254); timely and convenient
approaching by the researcher. This is a non-probability sampling method, which may not be representative
of the whole population (Trochim, 2006), but provides an inexpensive approximation of the truth. A
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disadvantage of purposive sampling as well is that samples are not easily defensible as being representative
of populations due to potential subjectivity of researcher (Black, 1999).
DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES
Data collection procedures will include interviewing, written documents; both hardcopy and softcopy and
audiovisual material (You Tube blogs and documentaries). Unstructured interviews will be conducted to
obtain information from the respondents. In an unstructured interview the researcher uses a brief set of
prompts to deal with a certain topic. The interviewee is allowed to respond freely, while the interviewer
responds to points that seem worthy of being followed up (Bryman, 2004). Secondary sources in the form
of documents will also be used to obtain information. These will include documents in visual form (such
as photographs), official documents deriving from private sources (such as documents provided by
organizations), mass media reports and virtual outputs such as Internet resources (Bryman, 2004), as well
as earlier research (Kumar, 2005). Audiovisual material such as interview shows with prominent artists like
Stan Lee and writers in the comic and animation/film industry will also be used to obtain in-depth
information about the topic at hand.
Unstructured personal interviewing
By using an Interview guide in form of prompts.
The interview process is flexible, and allows exploration of topics likely to be important to the study
(Bryman, 2004) Useful for collecting in-depth information (Kumar, 2005)
Limitation: Provides indirect information filtered through the views of interviewees (Creswell, 1994)
Comparing it to other studies it is Time consuming.
Written Documents
Can be accessed at a time convenient to the researcher (Creswell, 1994)
Provides information on the topic of research that has already been recorded.
Limitation: Requires the researcher to spend time searching for relevant documents (Creswell, 1994)
Validity of information may vary from source to source (Kumar, 2005)
Audio Visual Material
Acquired by streaming, downloading and transcribing.
May be an unobtrusive method of collecting data and Provides opportunity for the informant to share
directly his/her reality (Creswell, 1994)
Limitation: may not be available publicly or privately (Creswell, 1994), though Creswell’s philosophy is
challenged by the modern unlimited access to uploaded material as the researcher easily acquired desired
video recordings through the search engine google.
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Focus Groups
The University of Nairobi students spend much of their ample time off class by engaging in informal
discussions and heated debates and arguments. Having this privilege of reach, the researcher indulged in
some of the chats and brought in his topic. Though full of irrelevant comments and jokes, there was still a
lot to fish from the involved parties as they fall right in his scope of age and geographical location. Having
informal discussions in groups with the correspondents was an ideal way to gather relevant data about their
views on comic books, superhero animations and health literacy. What they experience, as well as what
makes sense to them and their ideas of improvement in visual communication.
DATA ANALYSIS
In the case of a descriptive study, data collected using methods mentioned above will undergo content
analysis on the basis of field notes (Kumar, 2005). The grounded theory framework will also be employed
to analyze data: this is where data collection and analysis proceed in tandem, repeatedly referring back to
each other. The tools of grounded theory will include theoretical sampling, whereby the analyst collects,
codes and analyzes data while deciding what data to collect next; in order to develop his theory as it emerges
(Bryman, 2004).
DATA PRESENTATION
Qualitative procedures end with some comments about the narrative that emerge from the data analysis
(Creswell, 1994). Qualitative research narratives employed by the researcher will present information in
text and images forms such as representative charts. The narratives will take the form of a realist tale, which
is a direct matter-of-fact portrait without information about how the field worker produced the portrait. The
presentation of the qualitative data will also include vivid descriptions of the information collected from
the key informants.
CONLUSION
The grounded theory framework will be employed to analyze data: this is where data collection and analysis
proceed in tandem, repeatedly referring back to each other. The presentation of the qualitative data will also
include vivid descriptions of the information collected from the key informants. Data collection procedures
will include interviewing, written documents; both hardcopy and softcopy and audiovisual material (You
Tube blogs and documentaries. The researcher will investigate ways in which sequential art/comic design
can be adopted in the visual health communication on Cerebral Palsy, especially among the youth in
Nairobi. He will analyze how this principle can be brought out through visual design and how culture has
been currently applied in the visual communication and to propose other ways in which modern design in
illustration can be incorporated in relation to culture.
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CHAPTER 1V
FINDINGS AND RECCOMMENDATIONS
OVERVIEW
The following findings were carried out in a bid to find out whether a fictional comic book targeted at
young adults in Nairobi could have some positive results on their cognizance towards Cerebral Palsy.
Based on research done by other researchers, the researcher found out that the effect of pictures on recall
has been extensively studied by educators and literally hundreds of studies have shown that recall is
enhanced when pictures are linked to text. Education researchers even have a name for it: they call it the
pictorial superiority effect. Which comic books greatly fall on. And that’s why many health communication
illustrations are sequential art with images and text. Using a comic book that is expressive and creative will
keep readers entertained yet adding to their health information cognizance. The fantasy and connection of
images and reality creates some sort of activity in the mind of the reader. It is because, in those activities,
learners are willing to spend more time and effort on learning. They also feel better about what they learn,
and will try to apply the acquired knowledge and skills in the future.
The consequent nature of the findings would allow us to measure the extent in which the applicability of
such a tool would be in relevance to the interest of the study as to whether there would be improvement in
the levels of understanding.
As stated in the methodology and procedures of data collection, various methods would be used to collect
the necessary information for analysis in the research experiment. Data collection procedures included
interviewing, written documents; both hardcopy and softcopy and audiovisual material. Unstructured
interviews were also conducted to obtain information from the respondents.
The researcher interviewed a few professional illustration in Nairobi. These key informants and expert
advisors provided a better understanding of the present situation as well as offer suggestions on future
trends as well as possible new perspectives towards the research question. This will look at the broad picture
encompassing the use visual communication especially with comics. That are aesthetic and have cultural
relevance.
Nadia Oluoch Olunya who once worked with Well Told Story in the making of Malkia a prominent
character of the Shujaaz. She emphasized on cultural relevance and yes, comic books are indeed attractive
and easy to read though it involves quite a lot of work. Nadia encouraged positive illustrations that show a
hope even where there is little or non.
Ms. Francesca Odundo one of the illustrators commissioned in the Sara Communication Initiative and a
lecturer at the University of Nairobi. She emphasized on clarity and relevance of illustrations giving the
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example of a health campaign poster she did on HIV/AIDS awareness. That a mere assumption by the artist
may pollute the entire meaning to the targeted audience. That led to all posters being corrected.
Feedback from the questionnaire by students in The University of Nairobi
Out of the 16 questionnaires handed out, 13 were brought back (misplacement).
All were between the ages of 17 and 25 with majority being closer to 25 than 17.Only two were below 23
but had almost similar responses with the rest.
6 of them had heard of Cerebral Palsy the rest had never heard of it nor known it. The 7 that had heard of
it just 1 knew to detail a little bit because she had a close relative. The rest had heard it on mass media or
by word of mouth. Those that never knew of it did not have family or friend affected.
12 of them said they enjoy reading comic books as they have been exposed since childhood.( the mentioned
comics by the students wer: Bible Stories, Supa Strikas, Shujaaz, Superman, Flash Gordon, Batman, Green
Lantern, Hulk , Abunuwasi ,Alibaba, Manywele and the Phantom. 1 said comic books is a waste of time
though he appreciates the drawings.
Interestingly, all of them were intrigued by the pictures more than the text.
Most of them got exposed to comics at home while at this age of 17-25, earlier in their life they were
exposed in school with other students.
None of them had tried to read an online comic book. Reason being you have to pay to access an issue and
they are not used to automated money transfers.
All of them affirmed their preference of fantasy comic books or animations to reality biographies.
All of them had learnt of a health issue most being HIV/AIDS. Some did state the illustrations/drawings
were cliché’. Not much effort put into drawing and action and emotion such as humor and suspense, as they
had experienced in comics the likes of Supa Strikas and Manywele.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Visual communication for health literacy campaigns tend to be very effective. Illustrations directed to
younger generations should be brighter, full of action and expression so as to intrigue the targeted audience.
Young people are known to be active and that is an aspect that expresses their world. Awareness of
conditions relating to health is not hard if approached appropriately and with the right methods. Other fields
that have so much used comical representation of stories to educate are, HIV/AIDS and Malaria.
Many young Kenyans are not frequent readers but they appreciate artistic representation of their lives rather
than text. This was evident in the brevity of words the students who filled the questionnaires showed.
Matatus (Mini buses) around Nairobi are artistic objects with loud music and labelled in a single
name.Comparing to the trucks owned by older citizens, they are labelled in longer sentences for example,
usikojoe hapa hii ni ya mchanga (Don’t urinate here, this truck ferries commercial sand). Whereas young
adults and teenagers storm into loud music buses full of art and just called one name, ICE.
But as much as the target audience needs brevity, too much simplicity would draw all attention to children
thus not reaching the intended audience. It happened so to Allan Lee, with the comic of Superman and
Batman after the great depression
Understanding the attitudes, values and characteristics of the multicultural reader is important to make that
connection and change their behavior.
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emotional memory. Psychology and Aging, 20, 554–570. doi:10.1037/0882-7974.20.4.554
Piper, David. The Illustrated History of Art, ISBN 0-7537-0179-0, p486-487
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for cancer patients on the internet: Effects of visual cues and language complexity on information recall
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WSCMC-Wu Stem Cells Medical Center (2013) Cerebral Palsy:
(http://www.unistemcells.com/en/treatment/treat_CerebralPalsy.htm, 2013)
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University of Nairobi
-BDS 413-
APPENDICES
QUESTIONNAIRE TO A SAMPLE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI STUDENTS
Thank you for taking time to fill in this questionnaire. This Questionnaire is basically for a research purpose
which is being carried out by a Fourth year Design student at the University of Nairobi, College of
Architecture and Engineering (C.A.E), School of the Arts and Design taking Design in Illustration, for the
award of a Bachelor of Arts and Design. The information given will be used by the researcher carrying out
the study for academic purposes only.
Are you between the ages of 17-25?
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Have you ever heard of cerebral Palsy? If yes do you understand what it is it’s causes and management?
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Are comic books exciting for you to read? If yes, state a few examples of comic books that caught your
attention.
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Are you more interested with the story or the pictures?
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University of Nairobi
-BDS 413-
How often do you read comic books and where?
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Have you read a comic book online ?
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Have you ever learned about a health issue with a comic book/ comic strip? Which one?
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Are you attracted to reality themed comics or fantasy(superhero type of comics) ?
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