A Graphic Novel for Citizen Investigators

What if there was a resource that could guide citizens, students and young journalists through an investigative story, while also teaching them real investigative techniques? That’s exactly what we set out to do with our new graphic novel – ‘Let’s Investigate!’.

Written by experienced investigative journalist Frederik Richter and illustrated by Colombian artist Camilo Vieco, the novel was created to encourage citizens and communities to carry out their own investigations, applying transparent, rigorous research methods from the ground up.

A fictional story with real lessons

In “Let’s Investigate”, we follow the protagonist Sara. Her family’s truck breaks down after their produce-truck hits a pothole on the road to town, jeopardizing her dream of studying abroad. But that pothole becomes more than an inconvenience – it becomes the seed of a community investigation. Sara pulls together friends and neighbours to uncover why her remote community has been so neglected. What begins as a seemingly simple demand to fix the road gradually reveals deeper problems: from infrastructure neglect to misuse of public funds, and even secrets like money laundering and political corruption. 

Through Sara’s journey, readers encounter the ten principles of community-driven investigations that Seek Initiative champions: from accessing government records, to creating data where none existed, to mobilising community support for transparency and accountability.

Investigative tools embedded in the story

Throughout the novel, readers will find embedded QR codes that link to tips and techniques on our website explaining our 10 Pathways of Investigation, so readers can follow up and dig deeper into whatever strikes them.

Panel by panel, the book illustrates how to:

• Request and use government records
  
• Interpret maps and spatial data
  
• Design and deploy surveys when data is missing
  
• Interview community members and sources
  
• Cross-check information, follow trails of money or policy neglect

Who this book is for

This book is designed for:

• Community activists and citizen investigators who want to understand how to approach local issues, gather evidence, and hold power accountable
• Students and educators who want to incorporate civic education, journalism, or social studies in a format that’s engaging and relatable
• Young journalists who want to learn investigative methods from a narrative, hands-on perspective

We hope that this graphic novel demonstrates that investigations can start at street level, with ordinary people asking questions that matter for their everyday lives.

Building a community-powered future

In a media landscape where information is often controlled by powerful institutions, “Let’s Investigate” offers a different vision – one where communities investigate their own stories, collect evidence, and build accountability from the bottom up.

It shows that investigative journalism need not be remote or detached: it can begin at the pothole outside your house, the neglected street, the forgotten neighbourhood.

We hope this graphic novel inspires readers (young people in particular) to believe that they can investigate, learn, and demand accountability. Because real change often begins not in distant newsrooms, but at home, in our communities.

We’d love to meet you, discuss the project, and talk about how this graphic novel could be used in schools, journalism workshops, or community projects. We are offering a limited number of copies to media professionals and journalism educators. If you’d like a copy for your school, classroom, or community group, get in touch with us on hello@seekinitiative.org. Otherwise, you can purchase a copy online via the link here.