The Bobcat Comics series, funded by the Center for Humanities, pairs UC Merced professors with professional comic book artists to turn their research into engaging and accessible comics. This year's series features the work of two sociology professors.
Dr. Tanya Golash-Boza collaborated with artist Sohini Kay to create the comic Disinvestment and Carceral Investment in Black Neighborhoods. This comic is based on her book, Before Gentrification: The Creation of DC’s Racial Wealth Gap (2024), which illustrates how a century of redlining, disinvestment, and the War on Drugs devastated Black communities and paved the way for gentrification in Washington, DC.
Dr. Andrea N. Polonijo worked with artist Matteo Farinella on the comic Are Older LGBT Adults Falling Behind on Vaccinations? This comic explores how sexual orientation and gender identity influence the uptake of influenza, shingles, and pneumococcal vaccines among older adults in the U.S. It draws from her article published in LGBT Health (2023).
