Iowa Department of Public Health
Healthy Habit All-Stars to the rescue!

Creating a cartoon series from scratch.

Cartoon drawing of boy, dog, robot, and girl

Iowa Department of Public Health wanted to help teach healthy habits to kids across Iowa — from the importance of washing their hands to knowing the warning signs of concussions. So how do you best reach young kids? Cartoons, of course.

 

The creative team at ZLR brainstormed 5–6 different cartoon concepts, with one rising above the rest — the Healthy Habit All-Stars.

 

Creating this series from scratch meant we not only had to develop a cast of characters, we had to give them their own personalities. Lucy is the smartest girl you’ll ever meet. She created Miss Roberta — a robot who knows all there is to know about healthy habits. Then there’s Glenn, who loves tacos and has the best sidekick ever, his talking dog, D.O.G. Together, the team goes wherever a kid has a health-related problem.

The project started with videos that can be used in a classroom setting and, from there, has blossomed into a series of books, poster collaborations with health clinics and even full-size character costumes that can be used at schools and various events throughout the state.

Color book pages

Let’s