In an effort to reach a broader audience with the Mediatoil project, we have teamed up with Ad Astra Comix to create a Mediatoil-inspired comic. The 70 page comic tells the story of two roommates, both of whom are recent art school graduates, but see the oil sands debate quite differently. Mary has landed a full time job working with an advertising firm working on an energy company account; Callum sees himself as an environmentalist, and refuses to work for conventional advertisers. The story follows what happens when Callum -- in debt and unable to pay rent -- agrees to work with Mary on an oil sands advertising shoot.

The Mediatoil comic is intended as a tool to prompt discussion about the environment and, more specifically, oil sands advertising and campaigning. It will explore the framing conventions of corporate and NGO stakeholders, point to advertising tropes used by stakeholders and highlight the polarizing debate about these important issues. The comic will be made freely available online as a downloadable PDF. A fundraising campaign will also be undertaken to create and distribute paper copies. For more information about the comic or to be informed when it is released, please email pmccurdy@uottawa.ca.

Founded in 2013, Ad Astra Comix is an Ontario-based company specializing in comics with social justice themes. The publishing collective works to print, promote, and retail political comic books like "Drawing the Line: Indian Women Fight Back!" (2015) and "EXTRACTION! Comix Reportage" (2016). The comics creation team, Nicole Marie Burton (illustrator) and Hugh Goldring (writer) work with academics to produce comic renditions of research in a variety of areas including history, communications, and environmental sciences. More information can be found at www.adastracomix.com or by e-mailing adastracomix@gmail.com

You may download the teaser of the Mediatoil comic as a PDF by clicking here.