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Artist, comedian combines passions to create COVID-19 heroes

Comic book covers feature pandemic-relevant heroes such as Captain Work From Home; 'If I can help someone have a laugh during all this, why not?'

While he can often be found making people laugh on the comedy circuit, Daniel Shaw has turned his keen sense of humour to designing comic book covers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shaw has been drawing since he was a kid growing up in Wasaga Beach. His job at a creative company that helps businesses promote through animated short videos has him working from home now due to the health crisis.

“I’m fortunate to have a job where I can do my work from home and I enjoy it,” said Shaw. “Being stuck inside so much, I really needed a way to let out some creative steam, so to speak.”

So, Shaw took his artistic skills and applied them to the current health crisis affecting the world. Designing a series of six comic book covers, the 34-year-old began to make light of some of the topical situations and phrases that have become known as of late.

Using his drawing tablet, the first comic hero he created was The Social Distancer, a man with a cape who looks small but only because "he’s just very far away.”

There is Stock Girl versus The Hoardnado, Sanitizo, Captain Work From Home and a couple others with more on the way. The last few covers have taken up to five hours to design, but Shaw is happy when doing it.

“I’ve always been a fan of comics and this was a bit for me to get some humour out but it was for others, too,” said Shaw. “The feedback has been really good and people are loving them.”

Shaw and a friend have been in talks of possibly putting the artwork on shirts with some money going to charity. Those discussions are still in the early stages.

Though his shirts are getting a lot of online attention, some may recognize Shaw from his stand-up comedy. He is a mainstay on the local comedy scene, performing in many venues in Barrie and Simcoe County.

Unlike his job as a creative designer, Shaw can’t perform his duties as a comic from home.

“I love comedy and I really miss that live crowd feeling,” said Shaw. “I think that is a big part of the comic book drawings. If I can help someone have a laugh during all this, why not? It will soon be over and we’ll all be back at it.”

Shaw likens the global COVID-19 pandemic to a tidal wave.

“It's like we’re watching a tidal wave and waiting for it to hit us. I know this will all end and we’ll move on, but we’re still early on in it,” said Shaw. “I will say though, I really feel we’re (Canada) handling it better than lots of other places.”

For now, Shaw will work from his Collingwood home for his full-time job, while using free time to continue his COVID comic book covers.

“I won’t be doing full comics, just the covers,” said Shaw. “Right now it is keeping me and my mind busy.”

To keep up to date with Shaw’s drawings, check out his Facebook page here and his Instagram page @isolatedcomic.