Local cartoonist designs Montana themed COVID-19 poster
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POLSON — Polson cartoonist Sarah Walt Weaver recently designed a witty and colorful Montana-themed poster to help people gauge the appropriate social distance during the pandemic.
“I wanted to create something educational and fun for our communities,” said Weaver.
People viewing the posters may find her clever comparisons easy to commit to memory. She offers the six-foot wingspan of a bald eagle stealing a fish from an angry angler as an example of what six feet looks like. Other ways to visualize six feet include imagining one antelope and another half of one, the height of an average bull bison or the length of a wolf dining on a deer leg.
“They are simple and silly, but a lot of work and thought goes into each piece to get the expression, framing and joke just right,” Weaver said. “I went through a number of different designs, ideas and iterations for each comic.”
Many of her pieces are inspired by personal and family experiences. “The comics reflect my experiences growing up in Montana,” said Weaver. “I wanted to include an antelope because my family had a mount in my parent’s house when I was growing up. Antelope screams Montana to me, but they are not six-feet long, so I had to get creative. One antelope and a half is what I came up with.”
“The fisherman holding the six-foot fish is inspired by the way my dad taught me to hold a fish,” said Weaver. “The cartoon about six feet of snow on the Going-to-the-Sun-Road displays Montana’s long winters and ever-changing weather. The bear saying, ‘I’m going back to sleep’ is how I feel when I see snow in June.”
Though her illustrations are comical, they’re also meant to show the artist’s support for people impacted by the pandemic by encouraging simple steps that can help protect against the spread of coronavirus.
“When I see someone going through a difficult time, I find myself wanting to make them laugh,” Weaver said. “Laughing helps draw me out when I’m in a dark place.”
Weaver describes her art as a form of therapy. “I started cartooning after my older sister died in a plane crash,” explained Weaver. “I wanted to communicate my experiences with death in an effort to help other people going through challenging life experiences. I wanted to do so in a light-hearted manner, so I started sketching simple images to go along with the words. There’s something about the sad/funny combination that I love.”
According to Weaver, reactions to her social distancing comics have been fantastic. “Teachers are putting posters up in classrooms, businesses are placing them in windows, and people are buying them as Christmas presents,” said Weaver.
Weaver’s “What six feet looks like in Montana” posters are being distributed in printed versions and also digitally. “I made it available so people can order copies or download for free,” said Weaver. “I wanted to make sure the posters were available to anyone who wanted or needed one.”
To find the artwork, go to http://www.adventureswithvrah.com. Weaver’s humor can also be followed on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, practicing the precautionary measure of keeping six feet apart while socializing is one of the best ways to prevent the transmission and spread of the COVID-19 virus. The recommendation is based on numerous past infectious respiratory-disease case studies among healthcare workers and their patients. For more information, go to www. cdc.gov.
