Comics in Transit: Post Pandemic Hopes

A public art project with The Cloudscape Comics Society and Heritage Vancouver

Comics in Transit: Post Pandemic Hopes is a public art project by graphic novel publisher The Cloudscape Comics Society and Heritage Vancouver, a non-profit organization helping communities understand and participate in sustaining Vancouver’s heritage.

The project uses comics to reflect on the impacts of COVID-19 in Vancouver, telling poignant stories of the universal and personal experiences of the pandemic. These artworks are records of our lives and hopes during the last 18 months.

The seven comics were displayed across Granville Island in October 2021, and later installed in bus shelters across the city.

We collaborated with artist Janice Liu to share stories and experiences of anti-Asian racism before, and during, COVID-19. It was important to us to link present-day racism with the long history of systemic anti-Asian racism in B.C. and Canada.

We created “Three Stories of Anti-Asian Racism in B.C.”, which shows a glimpse of that history, including stories of how community members have long helped one another and organized against racism.

Below is a preview of the comic:

The full roster of comics:

  1. “A Little Local Cheer” by Joni Taylor and Raymond Nakamura

  2. “Three Stories of Anti-Asian Racism in B.C.” by Janice Liu and project 1907

  3. “Grocer Grief” as told by Rachel Smith

  4. “Let’s Start from Here” by Jonathon Dalton and Elli Taylor

  5. “A Return to Play” by Oliver McTavish-Wisden and Lori Snyder

  6. “With or Without Words” as told by Jeffrey Ellis and Scarlet Wings Kaili

  7. “We Stand Alone” by Alina Pete and Kung Jaadee

More detailed descriptions of each comic and artist can be found here.