A new comic book entitled "Skizzo vs the
Bully" comes down hard on bullies as characters who make schooling a
sore experience for fellow pupils. Bulawayo-based cartoonist Martin
Mahenga said he arrived upon the theme following media reports about
pupils falling prey to bullies without significant corrective measures
being taken by the school authorities.
The books centres on Skizzo, a first former at a new school, who falls into the hands of cruel and unruly older prefects right from day one. It demonstrates the unsettling emotional and psychological impact of bullying on pupils. Skizzo starts off as an academic high-flyer but his grades drop badly as a result of bullying.
He endures instead of enjoying school and remains bottled up for fear of retribution.
When he decides to take matters into his hands he does it badly and lands into deeper trouble.
Mahenga said he was moved to sketch out the story after observing lack of knowledge on how to deal with bullying among parents, teachers and students.
"It's a painful thought that some teachers look away when students are being bullied! So I have created this book as a tool to assist the victims out there," Mahenga said.
"One simply has to read newspapers regularly to see that bullying is a reality. Authorities think that if they admit to cases of bullying in their backyards, it would put their institutions in bad light.
"In some cases, it is only when cellphone videos pop up on social media that the public become aware of the horror.
"I spoke to a children's rights organisation and they informed me of certain schools, particularly boys-only boarding schools, where bullying was a culture."
Mahenga said he has been a cartoonist for the past 14 years, and has acquired vast experience in telling stories using illustrations.
He complained that local art institutions are not teaching the production of quality comic books in spite of the fact that they are the most effective way of communicating to children.
"I can count only a fistful of artistes in Zimbabwe who can execute a professionally looking comic book. With 'Skizzo vs the Bully,' I set out to meet the hunger for comics, particularly among children.
"I chose this medium to transmit this message because it appeals to young people unlike a brochure full of photographs and text, which people tend to throw away without reading.
"Words alone on a page are not visually interesting.
"If only institutions wishing to communicate with children tried comics, their message would sink in faster," he said.
Mahenga said his comic book is only the debut in the "Skizzo" series.
The books centres on Skizzo, a first former at a new school, who falls into the hands of cruel and unruly older prefects right from day one. It demonstrates the unsettling emotional and psychological impact of bullying on pupils. Skizzo starts off as an academic high-flyer but his grades drop badly as a result of bullying.
He endures instead of enjoying school and remains bottled up for fear of retribution.
When he decides to take matters into his hands he does it badly and lands into deeper trouble.
Mahenga said he was moved to sketch out the story after observing lack of knowledge on how to deal with bullying among parents, teachers and students.
"It's a painful thought that some teachers look away when students are being bullied! So I have created this book as a tool to assist the victims out there," Mahenga said.
"One simply has to read newspapers regularly to see that bullying is a reality. Authorities think that if they admit to cases of bullying in their backyards, it would put their institutions in bad light.
"In some cases, it is only when cellphone videos pop up on social media that the public become aware of the horror.
"I spoke to a children's rights organisation and they informed me of certain schools, particularly boys-only boarding schools, where bullying was a culture."
Mahenga said he has been a cartoonist for the past 14 years, and has acquired vast experience in telling stories using illustrations.
He complained that local art institutions are not teaching the production of quality comic books in spite of the fact that they are the most effective way of communicating to children.
"I can count only a fistful of artistes in Zimbabwe who can execute a professionally looking comic book. With 'Skizzo vs the Bully,' I set out to meet the hunger for comics, particularly among children.
"I chose this medium to transmit this message because it appeals to young people unlike a brochure full of photographs and text, which people tend to throw away without reading.
"Words alone on a page are not visually interesting.
"If only institutions wishing to communicate with children tried comics, their message would sink in faster," he said.
Mahenga said his comic book is only the debut in the "Skizzo" series.
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