I am experimenting with using comic strips in order to generate interest in disaster preparedness. I have purposely decided on having a young girl in a wheel chair as my main protagonist, who is at first a little frightened about what to do in an earthquake, when the message is 'Drop, Cover and Hold On!' She comments in the first comic strip: 'If I do that in a wheelchair, I will end up on the floor!' There is an important message here about disaster preparedness with all sections of the community included (see the work of June Isaacson Kailes for more information in this area). As the comic strip develops we meet May's friends and family as they learn to be prepared together. We also meet Dad (who is a bit clueless), Mom ( a worrier) and Grandma (a bit grumpy and a little hypocritical). As time goes on I hope to develop more stories. Today I wrote and put together three. I found the software through a flash based comic creator called: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com. I will be making at least one a day and I hope that:

1. You like them!
2. You find them funny or at least amusing (I personally like the third one)
3. You give me ideas to make more!!

I am inserting the three from today here, as well as putting on the Twitter feed so that it will embed with the Edu4DRR daily newspaper which will be fairly unique at having its own regular disaster based comic!

UPDATE FOR 2017: Following the initial positive response, I created a series of 52 disaster preparedness comic strips that can be viewed here: http://www.edu4drr.org/profiles/blogs/here-is-silly-timmy-comic-str... 

AND...

It is now available in French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish as well as the first few in Fijian and Indonesian. Have a look in the Blogs section for more, but I am attaching several versions of one strip below these original pilot comic strips. The comic has also been turned into a book by UNESCO Pakistan and distributed in Pakistan, While a pilot eduction project carried out by myself and another researcher, was carried out in a kindergarten in Tehran, Iran, where children showed excellent understanding of appropriate preparation and response to disaster threats!

If you would like to translate for YOUR COMMUNITY, click here: 

http://www.edu4drr.org/notes/Updated_Silly_Timmy_comic_strip_templa...

There are PowerPoint files with the original comic strips in English as well as blank version. Instructions on the page also show how you can insert text boxes to place translated texts!

THANK YOU!

Constructive feedback is ALWAYS welcome!

Pilot Comic Strips:

Episode One: 

Episode Two

Episode Three:

Silly Timmy Disaster Comic Strips in MULTIPLE languages! 

In English when a lightning storm is near:

In French when a lightning storm is near:

You can see the rest here: http://www.edu4drr.org/profiles/blogs/silly-timmy-in-french-silly-t...

In Spanish when an earthquake occurs outside :

You can see others here: http://www.edu4drr.org/profiles/blogs/silly-timmy-in-spanish-en-esp...

In Portuguese when an earthquake occurs when in bed:

You can see the rest here: http://www.edu4drr.org/profiles/blogs/silly-timmy-em-portugues

In German when an earthquake occurs when in bed:

You can see the rest here: http://www.edu4drr.org/profiles/blogs/silly-timmy-disaster-comic-in...

In Italian - Meeting the characters:

You can see the  rest of these here: http://www.edu4drr.org/profiles/blogs/silly-timmy-disaster-comic-in...

In Turkish after an earthquake and the importance of washing hands:

P.S. We only have FIVE of these in Turkish, so any help translating (see the link to the PowerPoint files will be much appreciated! 

In Fijian when an earthquake occurs:

P.S. We only have FOUR of these in Turkish, so any help translating (see the link to the PowerPoint files will be much appreciated!