Lockdown: Tales from Aotearoa

by Toby Morris, Alex Cara, Sarah Laing

Like scenes from a science fiction novel, COVID-19 spread like a dark storm across planet Earth. When the virus came to the faraway islands of Aotearoa New Zealand, the nation’s team of five million went into lockdown.

Nineteen of graphic and comic artists from around Aotearoa New Zealand have created stories to mark this time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Comics, Graphic Novels, Memoir, Biography, Collections, Autobiography

108 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Keen Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man I had forgotten how nauseating and cringe worthy I found the phrase, “the team of five million” until I read this introduction. One of the problems with Covid and the lockdown is that now we are going to have endure years of below par cash-ins and sub-standard works of art which will try and exploit and milk every single angle.

I wouldn’t put this in the cynical cash-in category, there’s too much quality in here, instead this provides a worthwhile insight and overview of New Zealand’s, comparatively tame version, of the lockdown. Most of these fall into the category of snippets and micro stories, but still we get the essence of most of them.

There’s some lovely drawing in here and a real pleasing variety of contrasting styles and perspectives that give this is a broad yet still personal appeal and it also does a fine job of highlighting the quality and depth of the current crop of Kiwi cartoonists/artists working across the board today.

[Ryan Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Disappointed by the lack of queer content.

[Rachel Horwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun record of a unique time in history. Glad this has been created as it will remind us in the future what we lived through. Little things like the teddy in the window, the thoughts on everyone's different experience. funny thoughts on the last concert before lockdown and the wasted feelings of frustration...when now the idea of attending a concert seems a nice but strange idea - "we are skating and the world is cracking behind us...we don't even see the ones who are drowning".
Loved the I emerge, I grow, I extend, I listen with the piwakawaka flitting and the beautiful wahine with the hairy legs. Ross Murray and his delighted introvert was classic. Jacinda and the Easter Bunny.
Ant Sang and the chalk jokes on the footpath - why did the tomato blush. It saw the salad dressing. Nature emerging. Real life zombie walks, frogger reference, nice feelings in lockdown.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this collection. It really highlights the difference in experience between different people. There's a good mix of both fun and lighthearted and serious and introspective. Interesting to read a couple of years on. I read it on the night mask restrictions ended. So I'm feeling nervous if that was is the right choice. A good time to remember how far we've come. There were aspects to Lockdown that I enjoyed but mostly it just lead me to fall back into old depression habits.
Li Chen's was my favourite, her humour is perfect. Had to follow her on instagram instantly.

[Dan Organ · Rating 5 out of 5]

19 creatives from around Aotearoa come together to create artwork based around the Covid19 pandemic and our time in lockdown in 2020.

Fantastic art/comic illustrations that cover a massive range of styles. I just loved looking at the pictures. I read it twice in one afternoon. Well worth a read.🥰👍🏼✅

[Miss Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of various thoughts concerning the COVID-19 experience showcasing the different artists' styles. I particularly enjoyed those by Toby Morris, Ross Murray, Sarah Murdoch, Ant Sang, and Zak Waipara. Anthony Stocking went pretty deep and Mat Tait went pretty gross! Ruby Jones nailed the supermarket excursion in one image.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Beautiful designed book. Interesting mix of stories.

[Thomas Edmund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lockdown, Tales from Aotearoa is a collection of Graphic short stories from various NZ writers and artists, they range from downright weird, to funny, to meaningful, to some spinetinglingly awesome.

I really enjoyed the unusual trip down memory lane. 2020 seems so long ago and yet just the other day.