Allegheny Health and Marvel Comics Release EMS Comic Book

PITTSBURGH, PA—Allegheny Health Network (AHN) announced May 17, 2021, it has collaborated with Marvel Comics to tell the true-life stories of first medical responders from AHN and community EMS services.

Set in the winter of 2020, the first responders’ stories are brought to life in a comic book titled “The Vitals: True EMS Stories.”

“EMS providers are truly the unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Robert Twaddle, vice president, prehospital care services, AHN. “With demand for their services at unprecedented heights, and facing exposure to a highly contagious and dangerous virus, they never faltered in delivering outstanding face-to-face care in patients’ homes and in community settings and accident scenes. I am honored to work with these brave and selfless individuals every day. We are thrilled to see our EMS providers portrayed as the heroes they truly are, and we hope seeing ‘The Vitals: True EMS Stories’ gives them a moment of pride at the remarkable work they have done over the past year.”

According to the National Association of State EMS Officials, in 2020 there were 27.5 million 9-1-1-initiated EMS activations resulting in direct patient contact, up from 17 million in 2018. Nationwide, more than 128 medical first responders have died of COVID-19, according to an investigation by Kaiser Health News and the Guardian.

“Just like in Marvel comic books, we see each of these stories as a chance to experience the heart and drive behind the heroes working tirelessly to save lives,” said Dan Buckley, president of Marvel Entertainment. “After the incredible reaction we saw from our first comic book with AHN and Doner, we knew these stories were truly special. We are honored to help AHN tell more of these stories, which now give us another glimpse into the world of healthcare heroes saving millions of lives every day.”

The comic books will be distributed to EMS personnel and an e-reader will be available for digital distribution on Marvel.com and AHN.org/TheVitalsEMS.

"The Vitals: True EMS Stories” is a follow-up to Marvel Comics’ “The Vitals: True Nurse Stories,” a comic book depiction of the heroic stories of AHN nurses during the pandemic, which debuted in December 2020. As with the nurses depicted in the initial “The Vitals,” EMS providers were nominated by their co-workers for inclusion in this followup comic book story.

The comic book was written by Marvel Comics writer Sean Ryan, drawn by artists JL Giles, Zé Carlos, and Ramon Bachs. The cover art was created by artists Zé Carlos and Rachelle Rosenberg.