From digital to print: collecting Planet Divoc-91 and its paratexts

What happens when a digital comic has a new context as a print comic? Using the digital comic Planet Divoc-91 as a case study, this paper will examine the role that paratextual elements have in generating community engagement, whilst also contributing to reading experience. This paper will explore the implications of this for Planet Divoc-91, a digital comic produced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Planet DIVOC-91 looked to highlights issues related to the pandemic from the perspective of young adults by representing and giving them a voice through the comic and related paratextual elements. To achieve this, the digital version of the comic was interspersed with extra features, links to videos, music mixes and allowed reader-generated comments. The comic had an accompanying website that included interviews, articles and illustrations by a team of young adults from India, South Africa, and the UK. The comic had a very clear mission to represent, give voice and generate community to a group often ignored in discussions around healthcare and scientific communication. As the print version of the comic cannot feature these paratextual and reader-generated elements, this paper will examine what changes or goes missing when a digital comic such as this has a new context as a print comic. By doing so, the paper will demonstrate the effect that paratextual elements can have on reading experience and community engagement in the context of digital comics