Cut through AI slop with human stories, told by humans: Say it with a comic.
The public has tech fatigue. On commencement stages, just mentioning of AI draws stadium-wide jeers and boos from angry grads. And it isn’t just the kids! The public doesn’t dislike AI content, they violently loathe it. There is clear data that generative AI is actively destroying brands.
The antidote: Human-made comics developed out of real connections, real conversations, and original research. Created by writer David Stoesz and artist Marie Bouassi, Pen & Eye translates complex issues into the sequential narrative art, AKA comics. Among many other advantages, comics immediately engage the eye, transmit information more efficiently than words alone, and allow us to respect the dignity and anonymity of people society marginalizes in a way intrusive photography cannot.
Don’t lock away your research and advocacy in a PDF wall of words, present it as a comic!
How we partner with you
As the creative team for you or your progressive, philanthropic, or social-impact client, we offer two broad models, though some projects could be a combination of the two:
1. We do the research
What this model is: An artistic and journalistic exploration of an issue, informed by those most impacted. A great tool for narrative change, public awareness, and humanizing populations who are marginalized.
How it works: The client gives us the issue and general guardrails, pointing us toward a specific community, group of interviewees, or policy challenge. We do the reporting—conducting interviews and research, following strict journalistic standards of accuracy.
The product: A narrative-driven print and/or digital comic book or campaign. Marginalized populations maintain final approval over how they are portrayed.
2. We translate your research
What this model is: Transformation of a dense, academic peer-reviewed research paper, annual report, or technical policy brief into an engaging narrative format that policymakers, donors, and the public will actually look at—and maybe even remember!
How it works: Your client provides their data—whether it's municipal housing affordability matrices, public safety reform data, or a sub-Saharan Africa vaccination report - and David will digest the policy, strip away jargon, and script it cleanly without sacrificing scientific rigor. Marie then transforms that script into striking visual layouts.
The product: A highly scannable, beautifully illustrated "Visual White Paper" or "Illustrated Annual Report" that connects the policy agenda with the people it impacts.
Marie Bouassi, a native of Montana, is an award-winning illustrator and fixture of the PNW indie comics scene whose art blends a sharp wit, an unhinged imagination, and boundless warmth. In addition to her extensive list of original full-length comics, her work has appeared on countless posters, brochures, and Real Change newspaper covers.
David Stoesz has written global health reports for the Gates Foundation, video scripts for Microsoft, B2B white papers, arts journalism, and a number of books, including a local bestseller based on his "Ask an Uptight Seattleite” column in the Seattle Weekly.
As Pen & Eye, this team created a comic on homelessness for Seattle Magazine, which continues to appear in Real Change. A compilation of their work, Sweeps Kill, has sold out multiple print runs. They are currently collaborating with Dr. Megan Welsh Carroll from the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University on a full-length comic and public awareness campaign to present her research on toilet access and sanitation justice.