The idea of setting the Nativity story in Covid times, illustrated as a comic, as this year's Christmas card kept coming into my head. I dismissed it several times as it would require a lot of illustrations/hard work - and to complete it in time for the printing deadline seemed impossible. In the end, I just had to do it - this year's card needed to reflect the year we had had, dealing with Covid. I drew, and re-drew, the most bizarre Nativity story, as ideas came into my head - incorporating the way we communicated, worked, used social media, used PPE/face masks/testing, during Covid and lockdown in 2020. Cultural and political influences were included, via characters such as a Trump-style Herod and a Love Island-style Angel Gabriel. The story incorporates a tribute to our NHS workers (depicted as a host of angels) and the phenomenon of clapping/creating rainbows to thank them. Mobile phones and drones also make an appearance, as do Zoom and Microsoft Teams. I couldn't resist using a photo of my grandson Hugo as a reference to draw baby Jesus. The spiky, circular Covid virus particles appear throughout, sometimes minute, at other times the size of a planet and represent the constant threat felt at that time, but essentially this is a hopeful tale, in keeping with the original story of the Nativity. Colouring books were also very popular during this time to reduce stress/pass the time, so the comic was drawn entirely in black and white line, to be coloured by the recipient. A pack of twelve brightly coloured markers were supplied with each comic.
