LIFE Pinna in comics

The collaboration between LIFE Pinna and skilled Polish illustrator Joanna Klepadło is enriched with a new drawning. After creating a wonderful panel dedicated to the ecology of Pinna nobilis, this time Joanna decided to animate the actions of the project through comic strips. We asked her the reasons for this choice.

Why did you choose to illustrate the Pinna actions with comic strips?

I chose this form because the activities of the LIFE Pinna project are great material for a series of stories, and because a story told in pictures can be an excellent way of explaining scientific activities. My initial idea was to make a comic strip that had its main character (Pinna nobilis), began with a problem (the main character is critically endangered), included a race against time (scientists trying to save Pinna from extinction), and had a happy ending (Pinna nobilis reintroduced in its natural environment) – to be continued! As we refined the initial idea in collaboration, we decided each panel of the illustration should actually focus on one of the individual main activities of the LIFE Pina project. In this way, the final result is a graphic story made of snapshots from the field and the lab that clearly show LIFE Pinna activities and give you a feeling of an ongoing adventure.

What’s the use of the main drawings in color, up and down in the table?

The upper drawing introduces the problem of massive mortality of Pinna nobilis, showing the habitat degraded by epidemic. The lower picture shows reintroduction of Pinna into its natural habitat as a response to the mortality problem. The two pictures, by using the contrast between the dark colors of the upper picture and the bright colors of the lower one, show the contrast between the gloomy epidemic past and the possibility of the bright future. They highlight how conservation actions can change the situation of Pinna nobilis and its habitat.

Did you have any previous experience with comic strips?

No, I didn’t. Converting information about LIFE Pinna activities into a coherent storyboard was a new, challenging and complex process. I really enjoyed it though because it was a great exercise for my brain – and this kind of brain training is the thing that I like the most in the process of scientific drawing in general.