UK artist's book celebrates the NHS with graphic-novel style heroes

A UK-based artist has released a book celebrating NHS staff and other key workers as they fight against COVID-19.

The graphic-novel style drawings depict the frontline workers as heroic superheroes.

Self-taught artist, MJ Hiblen based in Norwich, UK but his work has gained international interest thanks to his focus on the strength and compassion of the NHS and key workers. Even celebrities like Star Wars actor Mark Hamill and Thor himself- Chris Hemsworth have admired Hiblen’s work.

Eyewear Publishing have said: “The depth of feeling from health workers in response to the images has been phenomenal. One of the first illustrations he posted on Instagram of a nurse squaring up to a huge ‘virus’ received this response: ‘Can I buy a print of this? It’s the greatest expression I’ve seen of how this feels as a nurse. Thank you for making it’.”

The artist said was heartened by the responses from health workers, saying the illustrations “reminded them of their strength and what this time of Covid-19 has meant. A lot of the images were ideas I took from messages of what they were dealing with, so in a way the frontline community created a lot of the ideas.”

MJ Hiblen felt that these workers were fighting a new and potentially fatal enemy- the COVID-19 virus. The illustrations, inspired the strength and resilience of friends who worked in the health service as they were “battered” by the sudden and constant fight against the virus.

The book, Front Line Heroes, has over 40 illustrations, plus an introduction by graphic novelist Geof Isherwood (Dr Strange, Thor).