From popular books to public lectures, television shows to radio programs, and magazine articles to blogs, skeptics have worked hard to promote critical thinking about the paranormal. However—perhaps surprisingly—they have tended not to use one of the most visual, immersive, popular, and entertaining forms of storytelling.
Research shows that both watching and performing magic tricks can boost curiosity and engagement.
Several years ago, I teamed up with illustrator Jordan Coll-ver and writer Rik Worth to create some novel and eye-catching optical illusions for my Quirkology YouTube channel. Collver and Worth specialize in using graphic art and comics to help communicate science, and I suggested that the three of us produce a comic that promotes skepticism and critical thinking. They were open to the idea, and we started to discuss how it might work.