A comic for developing nanopowers
After "Dayanne and Murillo. The power of nanoscience", we present the nanoKOMIK 2017 project, co-organized with the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) and the collaboration of the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) - Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, with the purpose of producing a collaborative nanofiction comic.
This project aims to popularize across society the numerous possibilities offered by the advances achieved in nanoscience and nanotechnology and also to foster creativity among youngsters. That is the reason why the nanoKOMIK 2017 challenge is being launched. The challenge will involve producing a graphic cartoon story about a superhero/heroine with “nanopowers”, in other words, a comic whose protagonist is a figure who has special powers made possible by nanoscience and nanotechnology.
The challenge has been organized for two categories in the 2017 edition: youngsters between 14 and 18, and adults over 18.The stories submitted in the challenge will need to include the scientific basis that gives rise to the nanopower of the protagonist and also reflect its usefulness. To do this, the participants will be able to avail themselves of a range of information and a series of video sequences on www.nanokomik.com: firstly, the scientists themselves will be explaining the amazing properties that matter has on the nanoscale; secondly, a cartoonist will be teaching the participants the basics for producing a comic step by step. The works will need to be submitted over the internet by the 11 June.
In the second phase, the winner in the adults’ category will have the chance to do the participatory nanofiction comic book based on the most original stories and innovative ideas that the youngsters have produced as part of the challenge. This new proposal sets out to stress the participatory nature of the project as well as to publicize the work produced by budding comic artists.
Science and comic workshops, a thematic seminar
Over the coming months various science and comic workshops will be run in the Basque Country, Barcelona and Madrid. The workshops have been organized for two types of audience: for youngsters between 14 and 18 (to take place at the beginning of May at various Basque schools) and for Secondary School and Sixth Form teachers of science and art (on 4 April in Donostia-San Sebastian) to enable them to run the project in the classrooms afterwards. These workshops, led by a scientist and by a cartoonist, are designed to bring the scientific and artistic aspects together. Registration via www.nanokomik.com is required to be able to participate in the workshops for school students and in the one geared towards teachers.
In addition, a seminar entitled “Nanoscience an element to inspire comics” has been organized at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), and its aim is to extend the invitation to young artists.