Story
ZERO HORIZON
BOOK 1 — THE MOUNTAIN THAT DOESN’T MOVE
Genre
Adventure • Action • Exploration • Survival • Mystery
Main Characters
RAI — 17
Curious, impulsive, unusually good at understanding how landscapes move.
LENA — 18
Engineer. Practical, intelligent, mechanically gifted.
JUNO — 19
Former professional climber. Quiet and physically capable.
MIK — 12
Young mapmaker. Carries handmade maps everywhere.
ORREN — 27
Cook and survival expert. Seems lazy, but has extensive field experience.
VASK — 24
Leader of another expedition. Believes dangerous exploration should be controlled.
---
CHAPTER 1 — THE WORLD DOESN'T STAY
PAGE 1 — FULL PAGE
BLACK PAGE.
No characters.
No landscape.
Only darkness.
NARRATION:
"There was once a time when humans believed the ground beneath their feet was still."
Small pause.
NARRATION:
"They were wrong."
At the bottom of the page:
TITLE:
ZERO HORIZON
---
PAGE 2
PANEL 1 — WIDE
A huge grassland.
A village sits on enormous wheeled platforms.
Houses are connected together.
Roads stretch across the plain.
NARRATION:
"The land moves."
PANEL 2
A giant measurement stake stands beside a house.
A worker examines it.
WORKER:
"Four meters."
PANEL 3
Another worker looks confused.
WORKER:
"Since yesterday?"
WORKER:
"Four meters east."
PANEL 4
The workers begin moving equipment.
WORKER:
"Move the eastern supports."
WORKER:
"Again?"
WORKER:
"Again."
---
PAGE 3
PANEL 1
A classroom.
A teacher draws arrows across a huge map.
TEACHER:
"This region moves east."
PANEL 2
The teacher draws another arrow.
TEACHER:
"This one moves south."
PANEL 3
The arrows approach each other.
TEACHER:
"And when two regions move toward each other..."
PANEL 4
The arrows collide.
TEACHER:
"...you get a collision."
PANEL 5
Students stare at the map.
TEACHER:
"That is why we don't build houses permanently."
STUDENT:
"Then where do we build them?"
TEACHER:
"Wherever the ground allows us to."
---
PAGE 4
PANEL 1
Rai is asleep at his desk.
His cheek is pressed against his notebook.
TEACHER:
"Rai."
No response.
TEACHER:
"Rai."
Still nothing.
PANEL 2
The teacher throws a piece of chalk.
TAP.
It hits Rai's forehead.
RAI:
"Ow!"
PANEL 3
Everyone laughs.
TEACHER:
"Since you're awake..."
PANEL 4
The teacher points to a map.
TEACHER:
"Where is North Ridge?"
Rai looks at the map.
PANEL 5
Rai studies the arrows.
RAI:
"Where it was yesterday?"
Silence.
PANEL 6
The class laughs again.
The teacher sighs.
TEACHER:
"Wrong."
RAI:
"Technically..."
TEACHER:
"Wrong."
---
PAGE 5
PANEL 1
Rai walks home.
He passes houses being pulled by enormous machines.
PANEL 2
A road worker moves a road marker.
PANEL 3
Rai stops.
He looks toward the horizon.
PANEL 4 — LARGE
A gigantic mountain rises far away.
Unlike everything else around it...
It appears completely still.
RAI — THOUGHT:
"There you are."
PANEL 5
Rai takes a small notebook from his bag.
He draws the mountain.
PANEL 6
Close-up of his drawing.
Underneath it:
DAY 183
RAI — THOUGHT:
"Still there."
---
PAGE 6
PANEL 1
Rai enters his home.
His mother is packing.
RAI:
"Why are you packing?"
MOTHER:
"Because we're moving."
RAI:
"Again?"
MOTHER:
"The southern ground accelerated."
PANEL 2
Rai looks toward the window.
RAI:
"What about the mountain?"
His mother pauses.
MOTHER:
"You still look at it?"
RAI:
"Every day."
MOTHER:
"Why?"
Rai doesn't answer.
---
PAGE 7
PANEL 1
A warning bell suddenly rings outside.
DOOOONNNG!
PANEL 2
People rush into the streets.
VOICE:
"COLLISION WARNING!"
PANEL 3
A messenger runs through the village.
MESSENGER:
"COLLISION ZONE!"
PANEL 4
Everyone begins preparing.
MESSENGER:
"South Ridge is moving north!"
PANEL 5
Rai looks toward the mountain.
RAI — THOUGHT:
"You're still there..."
PANEL 6
The mountain fills the horizon.
RAI — THOUGHT:
"...aren't you?"
---
CHAPTER 2 — THE KID WHO WANTS TO GO NOWHERE
PAGE 8
Night.
Rai sits outside.
The mountain is visible beneath the stars.
RAI:
"How long have you been there?"
No answer.
RAI:
"Everyone else moves."
Pause.
RAI:
"Why don't you?"
---
PAGE 9
His mother sits beside him.
MOTHER:
"Your father used to ask that."
Rai looks at her.
RAI:
"He did?"
MOTHER:
"Every night."
RAI:
"What happened?"
She looks at the mountain.
MOTHER:
"He went looking for the answer."
RAI:
"And?"
Silence.
MOTHER:
"He never came back."
---
PAGE 10
Rai's eyes widen.
RAI:
"Where did he go?"
MOTHER:
"Toward the mountain."
RAI:
"Then I'll find him."
MOTHER:
"Rai."
RAI:
"I'll find out why it doesn't move."
MOTHER:
"That's not the same thing."
RAI:
"I know."
---
CHAPTER 3 — HORIZON GUILD
PAGE 11
A huge moving city.
At its center:
HORIZON GUILD
Rai stands before the entrance.
RAI:
"This is it."
---
PAGE 12
Rai enters.
Hundreds of explorers prepare equipment.
Maps cover walls.
Machines move constantly.
GUILD OFFICER:
"Name?"
RAI:
"Rai."
GUILD OFFICER:
"Age?"
RAI:
"Seventeen."
GUILD OFFICER:
"Experience?"
Rai pauses.
RAI:
"None."
The officer looks up.
GUILD OFFICER:
"Then why are you here?"
RAI:
"I want to reach the mountain."
---
PAGE 13
The officer laughs.
GUILD OFFICER:
"Everyone wants something."
RAI:
"I don't want anything from it."
GUILD OFFICER:
"Then?"
RAI:
"I want to know why it's there."
---
PAGE 14
Training test.
Rai is given climbing equipment.
He struggles.
INSTRUCTOR:
"Again."
Rai tries.
Falls.
THUD.
INSTRUCTOR:
"Again."
Rai tries again.
Falls.
INSTRUCTOR:
"You're terrible."
RAI:
"I noticed."
---
PAGE 15
Navigation test.
A moving landscape is projected onto a huge screen.
INSTRUCTOR:
"Find the safe route."
Rai looks at the instruments.
Then ignores them.
RAI:
"That route isn't safe."
INSTRUCTOR:
"Why?"
RAI:
"The hill is accelerating."
INSTRUCTOR:
"The instruments say otherwise."
RAI:
"Then the instruments are wrong."
---
PAGE 16
The simulated hill moves.
The route collapses.
Everyone looks at Rai.
INSTRUCTOR:
"How did you know?"
RAI:
"I watched the trees."
INSTRUCTOR:
"The trees?"
RAI:
"They were moving differently from the ground."
Silence.
The instructor looks impressed.
---
CHAPTER 4 — THE MORROW
PAGE 17
Rai exits the Guild.
RAI:
"So..."
He looks disappointed.
RAI:
"I failed."
A voice behind him:
LENA:
"You failed the climbing test."
Rai turns.
LENA:
"You passed the navigation test."
RAI:
"That's somehow worse."
---
PAGE 18
Lena introduces herself.
LENA:
"Lena."
RAI:
"Rai."
LENA:
"I need someone who can read moving terrain."
RAI:
"I need someone who can get me to the mountain."
LENA:
"Deal."
---
PAGE 19
Juno appears.
JUNO:
"You two are going?"
LENA:
"Yes."
JUNO:
"Then you're going to need someone who can actually climb."
Rai looks at her.
RAI:
"How much?"
JUNO:
"More than you have."
RAI:
"I like you already."
---
PAGE 20
Mik appears carrying a massive collection of handmade maps.
MIK:
"You're going to the mountain?"
RAI:
"Yes."
MIK:
"Can I come?"
RAI:
"No."
MIK:
"Why?"
RAI:
"You're twelve."
MIK:
"So?"
RAI:
"You're twelve."
MIK:
"That's not an answer."
---
PAGE 21
Orren is eating nearby.
ORREN:
"Take him."
Everyone turns.
LENA:
"Why?"
ORREN:
"He knows the old maps."
Mik smiles.
MIK:
"I knew you'd understand."
ORREN:
"I don't."
---
PAGE 22
The Morrow is revealed.
FULL-PAGE SPLASH
A large expedition vehicle.
Wheels.
Retractable supports.
Workshop.
Storage.
Climbing equipment.
Water recycler.
Mapping equipment.
Kitchen.
LENA:
"Meet the Morrow."
RAI:
"That thing moves?"
LENA:
"Eventually."
ORREN:
"Usually."
JUNO:
"Sometimes."
MIK:
"Hopefully."
---
CHAPTER 5 — THE FIRST JOURNEY
PAGE 23
The Morrow leaves the city.
RAI:
"We're actually doing it."
LENA:
"Don't celebrate yet."
RAI:
"Why?"
LENA:
"We haven't even reached the first river."
---
PAGE 24
A massive river.
The river itself is moving sideways across the landscape.
RAI:
"That's impossible."
LENA:
"Welcome to the world."
---
PAGE 25
The Morrow approaches.
LENA:
"Speed?"
RAI:
"Fourteen."
LENA:
"River?"
RAI:
"Eight."
LENA:
"Direction?"
RAI:
"East."
LENA:
"Us?"
Rai looks at the water.
RAI:
"North-east."
LENA:
"So?"
Rai smiles.
RAI:
"We don't cross it."
---
PAGE 26
Lena looks confused.
LENA:
"What?"
RAI:
"We let it cross us."
JUNO:
"..."
ORREN:
"I like him."
---
PAGE 27
The Morrow stops.
The river moves underneath them.
The vehicle begins moving with it.
LENA:
"It's carrying us."
RAI:
"Exactly."
---
PAGE 28
Suddenly—
CRACK!
The ground ahead rises.
JUNO:
"What's that?"
RAI:
"A hill."
LENA:
"Why is it moving?"
Rai watches.
RAI:
"Because it's not a hill."
Pause.
RAI:
"It's a moving ridge."
---
PAGE 29
The ridge accelerates.
LENA:
"How fast?"
RAI:
"Too fast."
JUNO:
"That's not a measurement."
RAI:
"It is now."
---
PAGE 30
The Morrow races downhill.
LENA:
"BRAKES!"
ORREN:
"Already using them!"
MIK:
"We're going to crash!"
JUNO:
"Rai!"
RAI:
"Wait!"
---
PAGE 31
Rai looks out the window.
He watches trees.
Dust.
Grass.
Rock.
RAI:
"Three..."
LENA:
"Three what?"
RAI:
"Two..."
LENA:
"Rai!"
RAI:
"NOW!"
---
PAGE 32
Lena turns the Morrow.
The vehicle jumps across a narrow gap.
BOOOOM!
It lands safely.
Silence.
ORREN:
"Breakfast?"
Everyone stares at him.
ORREN:
"What?"
---
CHAPTER 6 — VASK
PAGE 33
A second expedition appears.
Several large vehicles.
Black flags.
JUNO:
"Company."
LENA:
"That's not a normal expedition."
RAI:
"Who are they?"
---
PAGE 34
A man steps from the lead vehicle.
VASK.
VASK:
"You're following the mountain."
Rai steps forward.
RAI:
"Yes."
VASK:
"Why?"
RAI:
"Because it doesn't move."
Vask smiles slightly.
VASK:
"That's what they all said."
---
PAGE 35
Rai looks at him.
RAI:
"Who?"
VASK:
"Seven expeditions."
RAI:
"And?"
Vask's expression becomes serious.
VASK:
"None returned."
---
PAGE 36
Silence.
LENA:
"You're trying to scare us."
VASK:
"No."
LENA:
"Then why tell us?"
VASK:
"Because I'm going there too."
---
PAGE 37
Rai steps closer.
RAI:
"Why?"
VASK:
"Because somebody has to find out what's there."
RAI:
"Then we're going together."
VASK:
"No."
RAI:
"Why?"
VASK:
"Because when we find it..."
Vask looks toward the mountain.
VASK:
"...someone will have to decide who owns it."
---
PAGE 38
Rai looks confused.
RAI:
"Owns it?"
VASK:
"Everything humans discover eventually becomes someone's territory."
RAI:
"Then we'll discover it first."
Vask laughs.
VASK:
"You're interesting."
---
CHAPTER 7 — THE MOUNTAIN
PAGE 39
The two expeditions approach the mountain.
It towers above them.
MIK:
"It's enormous."
JUNO:
"That isn't the strange part."
MIK:
"What is?"
Juno points to a marker.
---
PAGE 40
A massive old stone marker.
It reads:
MOVEMENT RECORD
YEAR 1
YEAR 50
YEAR 100
YEAR 200
YEAR 300
YEAR 400
---
PAGE 41
Mik checks the records.
MIK:
"Wait."
RAI:
"What?"
MIK:
"The mountain hasn't moved."
LENA:
"How long?"
Mik calculates.
MIK:
"Four hundred and twelve years."
---
PAGE 42
Everyone is silent.
ORREN:
"That's not possible."
LENA:
"Everything moves."
JUNO:
"Except this."
Rai walks toward it.
---
PAGE 43
Close-up of Rai's face.
He touches the ground.
RAI:
"Maybe..."
Pause.
RAI:
"...we've been asking the wrong question."
---
PAGE 44
Vask approaches.
VASK:
"What question?"
Rai looks upward.
RAI:
"Not..."
RAI:
"'Why doesn't it move?'"
He looks at the mountain.
RAI:
"But..."
RAI:
"'Why does everything else move around it?'"
---
PAGE 45
Everyone looks toward the mountain.
A massive shadow covers the expedition.
VASK:
"Tomorrow."
RAI:
"Tomorrow?"
VASK:
"We climb."
Rai smiles.
RAI:
"Tomorrow."
---
FINAL PAGE
FULL-PAGE SPLASH
Night.
The mountain dominates the sky.
The Morrow sits below it.
The characters are tiny silhouettes.
Rai stands at the front.
NARRATION:
"Every journey begins with a place you cannot reach."
Pause.
NARRATION:
"But sometimes..."
The mountain fills the entire upper half of the page.
NARRATION:
"...the hardest part isn't reaching it."
Final panel:
Rai's eye.
RAI:
"It's finding out why it was waiting."
END OF BOOK 1
NEXT BOOK:
ZERO HORIZON
BOOK 2 — THE BACKWARD SEA
Like It? Make Yours.
Write a story, pick an art style, and Manga Maker draws the rest. Free to try.
Make a Manga
![# THE HIDDEN COST OF GIVING
### A visual research comic about blood donation, iron depletion and donor safety
## OVERALL CREATIVE BRIEF
Create a two-sided scientific educational comic / manga-style research abstract based on an MSc research project investigating whole-blood donation intensity, iron depletion and risk heterogeneity across ethnic groups.
The comic should feel like a **short human story that gradually becomes an epidemiological investigation**.
The reader should begin by following one fictional regular blood donor and believing that everything is straightforward:
“I donate blood. I feel fine. My haemoglobin is okay.”
The story should then reveal that haemoglobin does not tell the entire story about iron stores, introduce ferritin and cumulative donation exposure, and finally zoom out from the individual donor to a population-level epidemiological investigation.
The comic must communicate scientific information accurately but accessibly.
Do NOT portray blood donation as dangerous or discourage donation.
The central message is:
**Blood donation saves lives, but repeated donation can place different demands on donors' iron stores. Understanding donation intensity and differences in risk may help inform better donor protection.**
The visual style should be sophisticated scientific manga / graphic medicine rather than childish cartooning.
Use clean linework, expressive but realistic human characters, modern NHS-style blood donation environments, subtle medical diagrams and visual metaphors.
Use a consistent protagonist throughout the story.
---
# MAIN CHARACTER
## SAM — THE REGULAR DONOR
Create one fictional adult whole-blood donor named Sam.
Sam should look healthy, ordinary and approachable.
Sam is not visibly ill.
Sam should not be assigned a specific ethnic identity because the research later examines population-level ethnic heterogeneity.
Clothing should remain consistent throughout the comic.
Sam should initially appear confident and relaxed.
The purpose of Sam is to represent a donor experience, NOT to represent a particular ethnic group or an individual research participant.
---
# VISUAL METAPHOR
Use a recurring visual metaphor throughout the comic:
### IRON = a reserve or bank account.
Inside Sam's body, represent iron stores as a small symbolic “IRON BANK”.
The bank should gradually become less full as repeated donations occur.
Represent ferritin as the marker associated with the body's stored iron.
Represent haemoglobin separately as a red-cell / haemoglobin gauge.
IMPORTANT:
Do not imply that the comic's visual decrease represents a measured numerical percentage.
It is a conceptual visual metaphor only.
---
# SIDE ONE — THE DONOR'S STORY
## PANEL 1 — “I GIVE BLOOD.”
### Scene
Modern whole-blood donation centre.
Sam is sitting comfortably in a blood donation chair.
A whole-blood collection bag is visibly filling beside Sam.
The environment should look safe, professional and calm.
Sam looks relaxed and healthy.
### Speech bubble
SAM:
“I donate regularly. I feel fine.”
### Narrator box
“Regular blood donation saves lives.”
Then a smaller line:
“But what happens to the donor's iron stores?”
### Visual detail
Very subtly show a small glowing “IRON BANK” symbol inside Sam's body.
Do not explain it yet.
---
# PANEL 2 — “THE GREEN LIGHT”
### Scene
A member of the donation staff checks Sam's haemoglobin.
Show a simple medical screening interface.
The haemoglobin indicator reads:
“HAEMOGLOBIN ✓”
Sam receives the green light to donate.
### Speech bubble
STAFF:
“Your haemoglobin is above the donation threshold.”
SAM:
“Great.”
### Narrator
“But haemoglobin is only part of the story.”
### Visual composition
Show the haemoglobin gauge in the foreground.
Behind it, partially hidden, show the smaller “IRON STORES” gauge.
This creates the visual idea that two related but distinct things are being considered.
---
# PANEL 3 — ENTER THE BLOODSTREAM
### Transition
Zoom dramatically from Sam's body into the bloodstream.
The visual style changes into a beautiful scientific microscopic environment.
Show:
* red blood cells;
* iron;
* haemoglobin;
* an “IRON STORAGE” area represented by the symbolic iron bank.
### Narrator
“Iron is essential for making haemoglobin and red blood cells.”
Then:
“Ferritin is used as a marker of stored iron.”
### Iron Bank character
The iron-storage bank says:
“I’m the reserve.”
Do not make this childish; keep the metaphor visually sophisticated.
---
# PANEL 4 — THE FIRST DONATION
### Scene
Return to Sam donating blood.
Show the blood bag being collected.
Then transition visually from the blood leaving Sam's body to the iron bank.
### Narrator
“A whole-blood donation removes red blood cells — and with them, iron.”
### Visual
Before donation:
IRON BANK
🪙🪙🪙🪙🪙🪙🪙🪙
After donation:
IRON BANK
🪙🪙🪙🪙🪙🪙
Do NOT attach numerical values to the visual.
### Iron Bank
“We can rebuild…”
Small pause.
“…but replenishing iron stores takes time.”
---
# PANEL 5 — “AND THEN SHE COMES BACK.”
Do not change Sam's gender; use:
“AND THEN SAM COMES BACK.”
### Scene
A visual montage across time.
Show a calendar with multiple donation dates.
Donation 1.
Donation 2.
Donation 3.
Donation 4.
Donation 5.
The exact number of donations should be presented as an illustrative example, not as a claim about a threshold.
### Sam
“I’m still eligible.”
### Iron Bank
“But how much is left?”
### Narrator
“This is where donation intensity becomes important.”
Put the scientific term prominently:
DONATION INTENSITY
Underneath:
“Cumulative whole-blood donation exposure over time.”
---
# PANEL 6 — THE HIDDEN DIFFERENCE
This should be one of the most visually important panels.
Split the panel into two large gauges.
LEFT:
HAEMOGLOBIN
✓
“Within donation threshold”
RIGHT:
IRON STORES
↓
“Can become depleted”
Sam remains apparently well.
### Narrator
“A donor may feel well and meet haemoglobin requirements while iron stores are becoming depleted.”
Do not say that every donor will experience this.
The language must remain scientifically cautious.
### Large question at bottom
“So how does repeated donation affect iron depletion?”
---
# PANEL 7 — ONE DONOR BECOMES MANY
### Scene
Begin with Sam.
Then zoom out.
Sam becomes one donor among hundreds and thousands.
Create a large diverse population of fictional whole-blood donors.
Include variation in:
* age;
* sex;
* appearance;
* ethnicity;
* donation history.
### Narrator
“But one donor cannot answer a population-level question.”
### Researcher character enters
RESEARCHER:
“So I looked at the bigger picture.”
The crowd flows into a large epidemiological dataset.
---
# PANEL 8 — THE CENTRAL RESEARCH QUESTION
Make this panel visually clean and dramatic.
The researcher stands in front of a giant question mark.
### Main text
“DOES DONATION INTENSITY AFFECT THE RISK OF IRON DEPLETION?”
Then underneath:
“AND DOES THAT RELATIONSHIP DIFFER BETWEEN ETHNIC GROUPS?”
### Visual
Show:
DONATION INTENSITY
↓
IRON DEPLETION
And beside it:
ETHNICITY
↓
possible variation in risk
Do not depict a confirmed ethnic difference.
This is a research question, not a result.
---
# SIDE TWO — THE RESEARCH INVESTIGATION
The second side should visually shift from narrative storytelling to a scientific research investigation.
Maintain the manga aesthetic but use clean information design.
The reader should feel that they are now entering the researcher's study.
---
# PANEL 9 — “WHO DID WE STUDY?”
### Visual
Create a large funnel labelled:
“DONOR POPULATION”
At the top, show many donors.
The funnel filters the population.
Include:
WHOLE-BLOOD DONORS ✓
DONATION HISTORY ✓
FERRITIN / IRON DATA ✓
ADULT DONORS ✓
Then visually exclude:
PLATELET DONORS ✕
PLASMA DONORS ✕
### Narrator
“We focused on adult whole-blood donors with relevant donation and iron data.”
Do not add eligibility criteria that are not present in the final dissertation.
---
# PANEL 10 — “WHAT DID WE MEASURE?”
Create a scientific detective-board layout.
At the centre:
IRON DEPLETION
Connect it visually to:
DONATION INTENSITY
FERRITIN
HAEMOGLOBIN
Then show additional variables around the main relationship:
AGE
SEX
BASELINE HAEMOGLOBIN
DONATION TYPE
### Narrator
“We examined whether donation intensity was associated with markers of iron depletion while accounting for other relevant donor characteristics.”
Keep the wording cautious.
---
# PANEL 11 — THE STATISTICAL DETECTIVE
### Scene
The researcher stands in front of a large analytical board.
At the centre:
DONATION INTENSITY → IRON DEPLETION
But several other arrows enter the analysis:
AGE → IRON STATUS
SEX → IRON STATUS
BASELINE Hb → IRON STATUS
DONATION TYPE → IRON STATUS
### Researcher
“Before we attribute differences to donation intensity…”
“…we need to account for other factors.”
### Technical label
MULTIVARIABLE REGRESSION
Underneath in small text:
“Adjusted analysis”
### Visual metaphor
Represent multivariable regression as a transparent filter separating the different influences.
Do NOT turn this into a mathematical equation unless space permits.
The purpose is to communicate the analytical concept.
---
# PANEL 12 — THE ETHNICITY QUESTION
### Scene
Show a diverse group of whole-blood donors.
Above them:
“DOES RISK LOOK THE SAME FOR EVERYONE?”
Then create a visual interaction:
DONATION INTENSITY
×
ETHNICITY
↓
IRON DEPLETION
### Researcher
“We also explored whether the relationship between donation intensity and iron depletion differed between ethnic groups.”
### Technical label
“Donation intensity × ethnicity”
“Interaction”
Make this visually understandable even to a reader who has never studied statistics.
---
# PANEL 13 — THE DATA LIMITATION
This must be a serious scientific panel rather than a dramatic twist.
### Scene
The researcher looks at the donor dataset.
Show a large crowd of donor icons.
The population is visibly dominated by White donors, with substantially fewer donors from other ethnic groups.
### Researcher
“But there is an important limitation.”
### Narrator
“The dataset is overwhelmingly White.”
Then:
“This limits the strength and precision with which differences between ethnic groups can be interpreted.”
### Visual
Put a subtle warning symbol beside the dataset.
Do NOT portray the under-represented groups as “rare” or visually insignificant.
The message is about sample representation and statistical interpretability.
---
# PANEL 14 — “WHAT DO WE KNOW?”
Create a split-page visual.
LEFT SIDE:
WHAT WE CAN INVESTIGATE
✓ Donation intensity
✓ Ferritin / iron depletion
✓ Haemoglobin
✓ Donor characteristics
✓ Population differences
✓ Adjusted associations
RIGHT SIDE:
WHAT REMAINS UNCERTAIN
? Ethnic differences where groups are under-represented
? Generalisability
? The extent to which associations reflect causal effects
Use a calm scientific visual style.
This panel communicates scientific uncertainty rather than presenting the research as having a simple answer.
---
# PANEL 15 — RETURN TO SAM
### Scene
Return to the original donation centre.
Sam is sitting in the donation chair again.
The scene visually echoes Panel 1.
But now the reader can see a transparent overlay inside Sam's body:
RED BLOOD CELLS
HAEMOGLOBIN
IRON STORES
FERRITIN
DONATION HISTORY
### Sam
“So there’s more to donor health than whether I can donate today?”
### Researcher
“Yes.”
---
# FINAL PANEL — THE MESSAGE
Create a large, emotionally satisfying final image.
Sam leaves the blood donation centre.
Behind Sam is a large population of donors.
The blood donation centre remains positive and welcoming.
Do not portray donation as dangerous.
### Large headline
“SAFER DONATION ISN’T JUST ABOUT TODAY.”
### Subheading
“It is also about understanding how repeated donation affects donors over time.”
### Final research message
“Understanding donation intensity, iron depletion and risk heterogeneity may help inform more targeted approaches to donor protection.”
### Final small text
“Research question → Evidence → Limitations → Better donor protection”
---
# FOOTER
At the very bottom of the final panel, create a clean academic footer.
Include:
[STUDENT NAME]
MSc Applied Transfusion and Transplantation Science
University of the West of England
Research project:
“A population-based epidemiological investigation of donation intensity, iron depletion, and risk heterogeneity across ethnic groups.”
Add a small QR-code placeholder labelled:
“Read the full research”
Do not generate a fake QR code.
---
# ARTISTIC DIRECTION
STYLE:
Sophisticated medical manga / scientific graphic narrative.
Realistic anatomy where appropriate.
Expressive human characters.
Modern clinical environment.
Clean black or dark linework.
Professional academic presentation.
Subtle use of colour.
The comic should look suitable for presentation alongside a postgraduate biomedical research project.
Avoid childish cartoon aesthetics.
Avoid excessive fantasy.
Avoid gore.
Avoid dramatic hospital imagery.
Avoid portraying the donor as sick.
Avoid portraying blood donation negatively.
---
# VISUAL STORYTELLING PRINCIPLES
Use visual transitions between panels.
The most important transition is:
ONE DONOR
↓
BLOODSTREAM
↓
IRON STORES
↓
REPEATED DONATION
↓
MANY DONORS
↓
DATASET
↓
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
↓
POPULATION RISK
↓
DONOR PROTECTION
The visual story should therefore move from:
INDIVIDUAL → BIOLOGY → EXPOSURE → POPULATION → ANALYSIS → IMPLICATION.
The comic should not feel like fifteen disconnected illustrations.
Each panel should lead naturally into the next.
---
# IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY RULES
1. Do not claim that repeated donation inevitably causes iron deficiency.
2. Do not claim that haemoglobin screening is useless.
3. Do not claim that ferritin is routinely measured in every blood donor unless this is explicitly stated in the final research.
4. Do not invent numerical results.
5. Do not invent odds ratios, p-values, confidence intervals or effect sizes.
6. Do not state that one ethnic group has a higher risk unless this is supported by the actual study results.
7. Do not portray the fictional donor as an actual participant.
8. Clearly distinguish conceptual illustrations from actual study findings.
9. Do not imply causation if the study establishes only association.
10. The purpose of the comic is to communicate the research question, study approach, scientific rationale, uncertainty and donor-safety implications accurately.
---
# OVERALL MESSAGE
The reader should finish the comic understanding:
“Blood donation is valuable and generally safe, but repeated whole-blood donation creates an ongoing demand for iron.”
“Haemoglobin and iron stores are related but are not the same thing.”
“Donation intensity may help identify differences in iron depletion risk.”
“Those risks may not be identical across all donor groups.”
“Population-level research can investigate these relationships.”
“However, representation within the dataset affects how confidently differences between ethnic groups can be interpreted.”
“And the ultimate purpose is better-informed donor protection — not discouraging people from giving blood.”
END.](https://media.mangamaker.com/9443af6c-4a68-487b-8104-6d490e95906c.png)
