Chad Burdette
International Covid-19-inspired webcomic, PLANET DIVOC-91, is an ambitious multimedia project which originally debuted July 15, 2020, on WEBTOON CANVAS as a nine-part comic, which was funded by some of the most prestigious scientific organizations in the UK, is an allegorical sci-fi satire, which reflects on the experience of young people during the pandemic.
PLANET DIVOC-91 follows the adventures of two earthlings: Sanda Oung, a 23-year-old girl from the UK, and Champo Oung, Sanda’s 19-year-old non-binary sibling part of the 15% of the world’s population of 7.5 billion people are now stuck on another planet, miles from the safety of home. Sanda learns that Earth’s young adults have been brought to Planet Divoc-91 because Earth is at risk of an extinction level event.
Under the safety of the Board of Adversity Scientists for Intergalactic Leadership (BASIL), led by a charismatic and fearsome alien named Adro, Sanda and Champo soon discover a shocking secret growing under their noses.
The project’s young editorial team interviewed experts from scientists to historians, journalists to anthropologists, and created articles, art and videos in response. Their first interviewee was Academy of Medical Sciences Fellow, Professor Sir Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of the United Kingdom. The team went on to interview over 25 experts, including Professor K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, and renowned psychiatrist Dr John Parker, Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital, South Africa.
The project also features an impressive roster of comic book creators such asWALKING DEAD artist Charlie Adlard, Previous UK Comics Laureate Hannah Berry (Livestock), Karrie Fransman (Gender Swapped Fairytales & Greek Myths), Anand RK (Graffiti’s Wall) and Bobby Joseph (Scotland Yardie), Alitha Martinez (Omni), alongside series cover art from all-star artists Elsa Charretier (November), Marco Finnegan (Lizard in a Zoot Suit), Leslie Hung (Snotgirl), Warwick Johnson-Cadwell (Mr Higgins Comes Home), VV Glass (Doctor Who), Matt Kindt (Bang!) and David Rubín (Ether).
The print edition of PLANET DIVOC-91 is a not-for-profit publication. 100% of profits go towards helping young creatives in South Africa, India and UK.
PLANET DIVOC-91 is available in UK bookstores from Friday 7 October 2022. Readers from across the globe can order a copy from Velocity Press here: https://velocitypress.uk/product/planet-divoc-91/.
