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The graphic novel daring to rewrite the rules of journalism

Journalist Marc Ellison on co-authoring an immersive and shocking new graphic novel.

Marc Ellison is an award-winning data and photojournalist based in Glasgow.

Outside his day job Marc has spent the last 4 years of evenings, weekends and unpaid leave finding new ways to tell the stories of vulnerable children in countries all over the African continent: Mali, Mozambique, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

A self-confessed Afrophile, it all started when his girlfriend, an anthropologist and forensic archaeologist specialising in genocide was going on an extended trip to Rwanda and urged him to join her.

β€œShe knew I was unhappy in my desk job as a computer programmer and basically said get up of your backside and do something about it!”

β€œWe spent seven months in Rwanda. I helped teach English, fixed IT problems, and got to know some of the vulnerable children over there. I’ve been back to African countries many times since then." Marc realised he could help bring some much-needed attention to the heart-breaking stories of some of the continent's most vulnerable people.

A year ago Marc turned his attention to the Central African Republic (CAR) which he describes as a β€œchronically under-reported country”. To try and counter what he sees as media apathy, Marc has found a new way of reporting the suffering he has encountered – interactive comic books.

Marc contacted CAR-based graphic artist, Didier Kassai - a popular, figure in his home country - to ask for his help to illustrate the harrowing stories of child murder and sexual abuse. By combining his own writing, photography & filmmaking skills with Didier's skilled artwork they came up with House Without Windows - an interactive graphic novel.

The comic is accompanied by 360 video that captures the hardships facing children in post-conflict Central African Republic. It was published in 2017 in seven countries in English and French and was awarded a gold medal for humanitarian coverage by the UN Correspondents Association in November 2017.

In this Loop film Marc tells us how he became involved in this ambitious project.

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Duration:

2 minutes

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