HIV cartoon character debuts to mixed reviews
NACHITOCHES, LA—The creator of "Hivvie," a loveable cartoon figure modeled on the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, has received praise from educators for his innovative grade-school "Let's Learn 'Bout HIV!!!" programs. Yet he is also under attack from parents' groups and church leaders who claim it's inappropriate to teach children under twelve about anal sex and intravenous drug use.
Hivvie, drawn by Louisiana graphic designer and AIDS activist Joe Hawkins, debuted nationwide last week as American kids resumed classes for the fall. Hivvie appears in coloring books, posters, stuffed dolls, and several videos distributed for free by Hawkins's "Learn 'Em Young Foundation." In a comic book called "Hivvie Kills Your Uncle," the cartoon virus happily courses through the host's bloodstream as if it were a giant red water slide. In an animated video titled "Shootin' Meth = Certain Death," Hivvie and his madcap gang of viral pals bring about the demise of a thrill-seeking, needle-sharing punk-rock band.
"In a colorful, engaging manner, Hivvie teaches youngsters that if they're going to have sex and shoot drugs, they should do it safely," Hawkins explains via telephone. "Using this information, they can grow up to be healthy, productive IV drug users and practitioners of alternative sexuality."
Keith Casper, a Louisiana Baptist minister, disagrees strongly. "We shouldn't be schoolin' kindergartners to become sodomists and junkies," says Casper, who will burn a Hivvie doll in effigy during a church picnic and weenie roast this Saturday. "When I was growing up, kids didn't become fags and dope fiends until at least junior high."
