Weltevreden Photographic Comic
Weltevreden Photo Comic Issue 5
Weltevreden Photo Comic Issue 8
Weltevreden Photo Comic Issue 9
Weltevreden Photo Comic Issue 10
Weltevreden Photo Comic Issue 11
PROJECT DETAILS
If you are South African you might remember classic photo comics such as Die Swart Luiperd and Ruiter in Swart. Well Strika have reintroduced the photo comic genre to South Africa, and I had the privelege of photographing and designing the photo comic.
The photo comic stars real farm workers from a community near Wellington and has been granted funding from the Open Society Foundation (www.osf.org.za), as well as South African retail giant, Pick ‘n Pay.
Weltrevreden se Doen en Late is a communications initiative by The Goedgedacht Trust and Strika, that addresses social issues such as alcoholism, HIV and abuse in a compelling, fun and easy-to-understand format, while engaging a number of stakeholders and giving conscientious advertisers a chance to reach a huge market.
“I’ve enjoyed acting in the first installment of the photo comic,” says Hannah Jacobs, “I think it’s something our community really needs.”
Hannah and her co-workers not only star in the first 3 issues of the comic (which has a current cast of about 14) but workshop the story with project co-ordinator Sue Power.
“The Open Society grant is real acknowledgement that the project can make a difference in people’s lives, by giving them easy access to vital information in their own language,” says Power.
30 000 copies of the first 2 issues have already been distributed throughout the Western Cape and were enthusiastically received by clinics, healthcare and farm workers alike.
The photo comic presents a number of sponsorship / advertising opportunities, including adverts, product placements, story inclusions and education around new products. The photo comic is produced by the communications wing of Cape Town-based comic company, Strika Entertainment. My role was largely devoted to photography and design of the comic.
BEHIND THE SCENES
From animal anti-cruelty to skills development, the community members play out scenarios from their daily lives and the lives of their readers. Once a month, the Strika team (Bruce Legg, Heather Moore and myself) travelled to the beautiful Wellington region to shoot the next chapter in the Weltevreden story. Here below you can find some behind the scenes footage.
Bruce adjusting the composition
Myself taking a 'hero' angled photo
Heather taking a long shot of a scene
Myself taking a long shot of a scene
Heather taking care of make-up
Heather taking shots for the domestic violence issue
Great to get out into the countryside – and double great when it’s during office hours!
