Did I cope was a zine I created in response to the opposing feelings I had about lockdown back in 2020. In the zine I had a girl (who represented my voice, even though she doesn’t strictly look like me) who had two different reactions to the lockdown. The first feeling was that she felt trapped and lonely, and she imagined herself as a caged tiger who longed to be free. The other side of lockdown was that some people were able to relax, take a back seat and spend more time on themselves. This I represented as a moody cat who distanced itself from people and just wanted to be left alone.

Throughout the short story, the girl relates to the cat and tiger at different moments. At first, she listens to the cat, who just wants to relax. The cat doesn’t mind being separated from friends, but the tiger is able to comfort the girl when these feelings of loneliness and isolation start to set in. Near the end where the restrictions start to relax, the girl relates to the excitement of the tiger at being set free, but listens to the advice of the cat, who is insistent on plenty of hand sanitizer.