The Art of Voting features political posters by 80 illustrators including Jamie Wolfe and Sophie Koko Gate

A new book by major players in the US animation industry brings together artworks by 80 illustrators, animators, directors, character designers, graphic designers, artists and more, with a mission to get people to the polls this November. The Art of Voting features original political posters and essays from a broad range of perspectives and aesthetic approaches, with contributing creatives including Sophie Koko Gate, Jamie Wolfe, Leo Matsuda, Megan Ruiz, Shofela Coker, Fernando Reza, Abelle Hayford and Gabby Zapata.

The book is put together by Cawzii, a side project by Alison Mann – VP of creative and strategy at Sony Picture Animation, who in her 17 year career has worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Paramount Pictures Animation and Illumination Entertainment – and Stephanie Perea, currently a producer for Niantic, who has worked with Framestore Immersive and Walt Disney Imagineering. The duo previously published Not My President, a Children’s Board Book for Adults, as a way to channel their anger and frustration at the last election results into “something good”. That project raised $15,000 for ACLU, Planned Parenthood and the LA Justice Fund.

“Joan Baez said ‘Action is the antidote to despair’ and during these uncertain and stressful times, many of us are trying to find ways to help, as well as to express our emotions,” Mann tells It’s Nice That of the new book. “[We] had been experiencing this as well but wondered how we could funnel that energy into something creative, productive, and positive. Neither of us attend marches (due to anxiety in crowds and during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic) or other political rallies, but we wanted to harness our energy somehow to make a difference. That’s when we came together in an effort that played to our strengths to collaboratively create art and to do it for activism.” 

The Art of Voting is being crowdfunded and plans to publish as a run of 500 hardcover books, priced $46 (signifying the vote for the 46th president) or $15 for a digital download. It is entirely put together by volunteers and all proceeds go to Fair Fight, an organisation founded by Stacey Abrams dedicated to ensuring free and fair elections. The team is also talking to wider organisations about the book reaching more people via educational material, particularly in political art history.

“Our goal is to provide inspiring, motivating, and educational messaging from diverse voices through visual and narrative storytelling. We hope to increase awareness around the democratic process, and to inspire others to become more active in changing the political landscape – and at the very least, to vote.”

To learn more and pre-order a copy, visit the book’s GoFundMe page.