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Boots Promoting Eye Health & Diversity with Interactive Storybook

4/7/2016

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We all love when a company does something good for the community and Boots did just that!

As a parent, and advocate for eye health, I was SO please to get their interactive "eye check storybook." I think it's a brilliant idea and even more wonderful - the star of the story, Zoe, is from the BME demographic.

With an estimated one million children in the UK* with vision problems, which can impact their development, the book was conceived to encourage routine eye checks and ensure ALL children flourish.

Zookeeper Zoe, paperback, is available FREE in most Boots stores and contains a range of eye check activities to help parents gauge if their child might need support with their vision. Parents can also download the free eye check storybook tablet app or read online at zookeeperzoe.co.uk
But there's more!
​
Boots is also offering FREE NHS eye checks for under 16s (excluding the Channel Islands) and a £10 voucher for adults eye checks.(Some restriction  apply)

REMEMBER: Regular eye checks are particularly important in childhood because they:
  • Check how well your child can see
  • Look at how healthy their eyes are
  • Help identify problems early to prevent them developing

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Improve Communications - Use Graphic Storytelling Devices

9/4/2015

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The studies are in, so let’s get the word out – research conducted by Dr. McNicol from Manchester Met's Education and Social Research Institute has proven that educational comics can support understanding of factual health information by providing simple explanations (free from complex terminology) in combination with the effective use of images.

But we heard this before – almost 40 years ago, in fact! 

Back in 1977, a study by J.M. Moll in 1977 at the Sheffield Centre for Rheumatic Diseases in England found that cartoons communicate better than other forms of illustration, including stick figures, representational illustrations, symbols or photographs.

At ContessaBlack, we get this! We create custom branded, educational comics for children and adults. Combining master storytelling techniques with effective images, we create unique comics for a variety of uses - from corporate communications to health promotions.

Comics, cartoons, storyboards and other graphic storytelling devices also:
• increase readership
• improve retention 
• move readers to act

So, tap the power of cartoons, comics and other graphic storytelling devices NOW to: 
• tell a story
• create awareness for your cause
• communicate complex subjects clearly or dull subjects more vibrantly
• promote safety and health education

Want to communicate something more clearly? 
Use comics, cartoons, storyboards and other graphic storytelling approaches instead of, or in addition to, text. 

Get in touch!

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Why I Create Multicultural Characters & Media

2/23/2015

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There was no TV when I was growing up in the Cayman Islands in the 70's. So, we were encouraged to play outside and we read. A LOT! 

My grandfather always brought us bags of comics and mystery books. I liked reading Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. And I read constantly. Under the almond tree. Laying on a blanket in the garage. At the dinner table...lol…that made my Mom mad.

At school we read Dick & Jane books. If you are my age, you'll remember these. Or maybe not. Maybe your brain purposefully blacked out while reading them because there were so BORING! 

They went like this: “See Jane run. See Dick run.” 

I just wanted Dick and Jane to run away. Or just do something really fun like I did, like play with rock babies or tease Granny until she chased us with her machete. But that's another story.

I decided then that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up and write REALLY exciting books. Funny books. Scary books. All kinds of books. But most of all books with people like me in them. Books with hilarious, ethnic characters that had universal appeal.

So I did just that!


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CREATING MEMORABLE CARTOON CHARACTERS: KAA KAA & TOKYO ON THE BRAIN

12/14/2011

4 Comments

 
Drawing a cartoon character is one thing. But creating a cartoon character that will be applied across multiple media platforms is quite another. This type of cartoon character must be especially BELIEVABLE, UNIQUE & MEMORABLE. Therefore, the creator has to act as a cartoonist and writer, who believes in their characters and is talented enough to portray that through dialog, design & personality. .

Kaa Kaa & Tokyo, the main characters of the first entertainment property from the Cayman Islands, was always quite "real" to me - they were my imaginary, childhood friends that remained with me into adulthood, so I knew their personailities well. They are strong characters, so I was sure people would find them interesting. Their voices were distinct - they often made me burst into laughter, garnering odd looks from strangers, so cataloging their dialog was also easy. However, there were certain things I had to consider when designing Kaa Kaa & Tokyo for multiple platforms such as TV animation, books, apps, games, merchandise, food & drink products, and large scale live events. What colors would best appeal to our target group? They had to be distinct and have a visual impact. What odd details made the characters stand out? What different types of accessories could be spun off into merchandise?

I believe the most spectacular thing that makes the Kaa Kaa & Tokyo believable,memorable and unique is their dialog - the authentic Caymanain accent is scripted to capture the personailties and attitudes of our ancestors, who had little concern for "political correctness" like we do today. So, at times Kaa Kaa & Tokyo may appear quite agressive and harsh, but this is unquely combined with rhyming humor. It's wonderfully wicked combination!

That is the unforgettable glitter of Kaa Kaa & Tokyo. Even if you couldn't see an illustration, their personailities and attitudes are automaticly communicated through their dialog, making them massively entertaining - even on the radio.  


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From: Kaa Kaa & Tokyo: One Bad Day
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    Author

    Lady Rabia is an IP developer, children's book author & illustrator. She has created over five children's entertainment brands, including the first children's entertainment property for the Cayman Islands: Kaa Kaa & Tokyo. She provides character design, illustration and various consulting services to an array of clients, globally.

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    Lady Rabia Abdul Hakim

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