• Home
  • About
    ▼
    • What is Graphic Medicine?
    • Graphic Medicine International Collective
      ▼
      • GMIC Board Resources
    • Website Team
    • Related Sites
      ▼
      • Medicina Grafica
      • Japanese Graphic Medicine Association
      • Graphic Medicine Italia
      • Pathographics
  • Latest
    ▼
    • News
    • The Graphic Medicine Award
    • The Drawing Together Archive
    • Frontline Workers Comics Project
    • Spotlight Archive
  • Reviews
    ▼
    • All
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Graphic Novels
    • Educational
    • Manga
    • Write A Review!
  • Conferences
    ▼
    • 2023 Toronto Conference
    • 2022 Chicago Conference
    • 2021 UnConvention (Virtual) Conference
    • 2020 Toronto Conference
    • 2019 Brighton Conference
    • 2018 Vermont Conference
    • 2017 Seattle Conference
      ▼
      • Home
      • Program
      • Registration (NOW CLOSED)
      • Lodging in Seattle
      • 2017 Seattle Conference Sponsors
      • Call for Art
      • Press/Media Inquiries
    • 2016 Dundee Conference
    • 2015 Riverside Conference
    • 2014 Baltimore Conference
      ▼
      • Home
      • Program 2014
        ▼
        • Program 2014
        • Keynote Speakers 2014
        • Marketplace 2014
        • Juried Exhibit 2014
        • Call for Papers 2014 (closed)
      • Accommodation & Travel 2014
        ▼
        • Accommodation & Travel 2014
        • Additional hotel suggestions
      • Sponsors 2014
      • Baltimore Restaurants & Attractions
      • FAQs 2014
      • Registration 2014 (closed)
    • 2013 Brighton Conference
    • 2012 Toronto Conference
    • 2011 Chicago Conference
    • 2010 London Conference
  • MultiMedia
    ▼
    • Podcasts
    • A Graphic Medicine Conversation with Sam Hester
    • Graphic Medicine Video Archive
    • Graphic Medicine Exhibits
  • Resources
    ▼
    • The Peter James Burns Scholarship Fund
    • Essential Graphic Medicine: An Annotated Bibliography
    • COVID-19 Comics
    • Reproductive Freedom Comics
    • Frontline Workers Comics Project
    • The Drawing Together Archive
    • National Library of Medicine Graphic Medicine Exhibit
    • Liaison Program
    • Publishers
    • RESEARCH
    • TEACHING
    • GRAPHIC MEDICINE CONFAB ARCHIVE
  • Merch/Support
    ▼
    • Bookshop Store
    • 2021 Un-Convention MERCH
    • 2022 Conference Merch
    • RedBubble Store
    • DONATE
  • Contact
    ▼
    • Contact Form/Email
    • Social Media
Graphic Medicine
  • Home
  • About
    • What is Graphic Medicine?
    • Graphic Medicine International Collective
      • GMIC Board Resources
    • Website Team
    • Related Sites
      • Medicina Grafica
      • Japanese Graphic Medicine Association
      • Graphic Medicine Italia
      • Pathographics
  • Latest
    • News
    • The Graphic Medicine Award
    • The Drawing Together Archive
    • Frontline Workers Comics Project
    • Spotlight Archive
  • Reviews
    • All
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Graphic Novels
    • Educational
    • Manga
    • Write A Review!
  • Conferences
    • 2023 Toronto Conference
    • 2022 Chicago Conference
    • 2021 UnConvention (Virtual) Conference
    • 2020 Toronto Conference
    • 2019 Brighton Conference
    • 2018 Vermont Conference
    • 2017 Seattle Conference
      • Home
      • Program
      • Registration (NOW CLOSED)
      • Lodging in Seattle
      • 2017 Seattle Conference Sponsors
      • Call for Art
      • Press/Media Inquiries
    • 2016 Dundee Conference
    • 2015 Riverside Conference
    • 2014 Baltimore Conference
      • Home
      • Program 2014
        • Program 2014
        • Keynote Speakers 2014
        • Marketplace 2014
        • Juried Exhibit 2014
        • Call for Papers 2014 (closed)
      • Accommodation & Travel 2014
        • Accommodation & Travel 2014
        • Additional hotel suggestions
      • Sponsors 2014
      • Baltimore Restaurants & Attractions
      • FAQs 2014
      • Registration 2014 (closed)
    • 2013 Brighton Conference
    • 2012 Toronto Conference
    • 2011 Chicago Conference
    • 2010 London Conference
  • MultiMedia
    • Podcasts
    • A Graphic Medicine Conversation with Sam Hester
    • Graphic Medicine Video Archive
    • Graphic Medicine Exhibits
  • Resources
    • The Peter James Burns Scholarship Fund
    • Essential Graphic Medicine: An Annotated Bibliography
    • COVID-19 Comics
    • Reproductive Freedom Comics
    • Frontline Workers Comics Project
    • The Drawing Together Archive
    • National Library of Medicine Graphic Medicine Exhibit
    • Liaison Program
    • Publishers
    • RESEARCH
    • TEACHING
    • GRAPHIC MEDICINE CONFAB ARCHIVE
  • Merch/Support
    • Bookshop Store
    • 2021 Un-Convention MERCH
    • 2022 Conference Merch
    • RedBubble Store
    • DONATE
  • Contact
    • Contact Form/Email
    • Social Media
Home / Comic Reviews / Graphic Non-Fiction / In Waves

In Waves

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Author: A J Dungo

Format: Paperback

Pages: 368

Publish Date: June 2019

Publisher: Nobrow

Catalog ID: ISBN: 978-1910620632

Where to buy: https://bookshop.org/lists/recently-reviewed-on-graphicmedicine-org

Author website: https://www.ajdungo.com/

Review

Guest Review by Kiki Havos

 

AJ Dungo’s 2019 debut graphic novel, In Waves, is a poetic tale of loss and love. The graphic novel has been awarded the 2020 American Library Association’s Alex Award and the 2020 Prix Des Libraries Du Quebec Comic category award. In Waves honours the mirroring of life and relationships—both past and present. With what had originally begun as an art school research project on surf history, Dungo expands to include a personal narrative of how the sport offered solace while grieving the death of his long-term girlfriend, Kristen. Dungo illustrates the evolution of losing someone to cancer over a period of time, and how the search for meaning beyond death is a constant process of reflection and connection. In Waves explores how, by their nature, surfing and grief are transitional processes, and how surfing has always offered “comfort to the broken”. This understanding is continuously reflected back to both Dungo and readers through the interlacing history of two surfing legends: Duke Kahanamoku and Tom Blake. In effect, Dungo’s graphic novel immortalises two heroes of surfing and Kristen in the process.

 The title In Waves is an ode to grief’s indistinguishable pattern. It’s as unpredictable and impulsive as the ocean. The metaphor of the title complements the inconsistent and haphazard storytelling of the text. We jump through time and place with Dungo as he recounts Kahanamoku and Blake’s history with autobiographical memories of Kristen injected throughout. This non-chronological theme runs parallel with the incoherent narrative echoed of a young person dying too soon to cancer. It does not and should not make sense. Kristen’s cancer treatment throughout the graphic novel is not the primary focus of the text, although it is clear that her treatment journey is long. I believe this may have been a deliberate choice by Dungo as, despite facing many challenges—like having to amputate her leg and go in and out of remission—Kristen is described as someone who “never gave up”. This is highlighted by the panels depicting her surfing, bike riding and road-tripping across country between chemotherapy treatments. Even when her body stops her from participating in activities like surfing as her condition worsens, this is not represented or illustrated as something that holds her spirit back. The limitations of her illness are thus seen as a secondary storyline in the text.

Dungo depicts surf history flashbacks in warm sepia tones and Kristen’s present-day story in deep shades of blue. This clarifies the essence of time for readers while also emphasising the depth and fluidity of the grief narrative. There is a distinct minimalist yet essential design to the backgrounds and characters in the piece. There is additionally an air of calmness to the story imbued by many double splash page spreads showing characters in the water and distant American landscapes. This is further emphasised by panels that keep Dungo’s narration and illustration separate—with white background text hovering beside panels full of colour, emotion and movement. It is almost as if Dungo is providing a space to breathe while reading In Waves, and to perhaps not overload audiences with what is already such a deeply complex story. For me, the gentle pace of the graphic novel was what left the deepest impact and helped to digest the heartbreak and the honesty of it all.

Reading In Waves feels like paddling out into the ocean with a friend. Dungo gently holds our hand and takes us to where it all began for him. The graphic novel is for all ages and for anyone interested in discovering how the parallels in another’s life story can help support another to navigate the painful periods of their life. In Waves is for anyone who is ready to plunge into the water and immerse themselves into life’s chaos—even if that means facing some tsunamis along the way.

 

_______________________

Kiki Havos is a Greek Australian comic artist inspired by the human condition and condition of the world. She advocates for sequential arts as a critical therapeutic practice in her current art therapy training.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Graphic Medicine

Graphic Medicine is a site that explores the interaction between the medium of comics and the discourse of healthcare. We are a community of academics, health carers, authors, artists, and fans of comics and medicine. The site is maintained by an editorial team under the direction of the Graphic Medicine International Collective.

Subscribe to Graphic Medicine

Join our email list to keep up with the latest Graphic Medicine news!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Visit Our Sister Site for Spanish Readers

Visit Our Sister Site for Japanese Readers

Visit Our Sister Site for Italian Readers

Visit the Pathographics Project

© 2007 - 2023 Graphic Medicine International Collective

WordPress Developer