Paul Gravett, somewhat jokingly, asked in his keynote in Brighton this AM: “Do we risk a Graphic Medicine comic boom like the zombie boom?”
Hadn’t considered it, but sure hope not! Nevertheless, these titles arise from Paul’s keynote this AM, and from the informed and invigorated audience, here are some recent GM titles to be explored:
Annie Sullivan & The Trials of Helen Keller by Joseph Lambert – just won an Eisner award!
The Ticking Boy by Damon Herd
Admission by Neill Cameron in Off Life magazine (starts on pg. 24 but other great stuff in here too!)
Peanut by Ayun Hall (New York Times review here)
Colonomic by Matilda Tristram
Downtown by Noel Lang & Rodrigo Garcia – Downs Syndrome
Welcome to the NHK by Tatsuhiko Takimoto & Yoshitoshi ABe, an example of Hikikomori Manga. Hikikomori is apparently an acute social withdrawl syndrome, an attachment to a virtual world becoming stronger than that to the actual world, often triggered by loss. Story on BBC today, also in Guardian – Also Me-teru’s Feelings by Hiroya Oku
Recommended by Stef Link, Shannon Girard – boobs and dinks project
My Body Needs Help by Annette Abrams, recommended by Linda Raphael, director of the George Washington Medical School Medical Humanities Program.
Recommended by conference organizer Michael Green, The Understanding Monster by Theo Ellsworth, The Song of Roland by Michael Rabagliati, and The Underwater Welder – Jeff Lemire
Cathy Leamy (Metrokitty) recommends Hyperbole & A Half, specifically Depression Part Two, dealing with depression and suicidal feelings. Also, at the Boston Comics Roundtable she found healthy multiplicity comics that discuss living with multiple personalities. I (Comic Nurse) pointed out that Cathy herself created the fantastic “Diabetes is After Your Dick” educational comic this year, available for free download on her Metrokitty website.
A neurologist in the audience (name pending) drew attention to a journal article called “The Attack of the Demyelinator” by Simon Russell and others in the most recent issue of the Journal of Practical Neurology.
Recommended by another audience member, the What’s Normal Anyway, a webcomic about being a trans male.
Conference presenter Andrew Godfrey recommends Simon Moreton’s site Better, Drawn. As the site describes itself, “Comics drawn by people with experience of living with long-term mental and physical illnesses. Submissions are open to anyone with a story to tell about coping with illness.”
Shelley Wall recommends some comics by her students that will be on sale in our marketplace tomorrow.
Did anyone recommend “Depression Comix”? (http://depressioncomix.tumblr.com/) Along the lines of “Hyperbole and a Half,” only not distinctly autobiographical.