guest post by Cassy Lee
Christopher Boyd is a French cartoonist whose graphic memoir, Moi, Dyslexique (translated as Me, Dyslexic), originally published in French, aims to help children, parents, and professionals understand this learning disability through an engaging and playful approach. The book presents an inside look at what it means to live with dyslexia and other learning difficulties, using metaphorical imagery to depict the emotional and cognitive struggles of those diagnosed with these conditions. By sharing his own journey, Boyd uses his passion for drawing to break down complex experiences and foster understanding.
Boyd has been traveling in Taiwan, participating in exhibitions and artistic residencies through grants in connection with the French embassy. During one of his visits, he conducted an author talk at my school, where he taught students about comics and animation, impressing them with his ability to do ambidextrous portraits with both hands at once. Following his workshops, I had the opportunity to sit down with him and discuss his work, influences, and upcoming projects.
I asked Boyd if he sees his work as a form of graphic medicine—a means of conveying personal and medical experiences through visual storytelling. Though unfamiliar with the term, he did say it resonates. Diagnosed as a child with dyslexia, dyspraxia and dysphasia, he struggled with language acquisition and communication. Since drawing someone’s internal experiences is challenging, he has found comics as a great way to exaggerate external expressions, crafting scenes that visually depict the frustration and emotions of tasks such as putting on a shirt or learning to read and write. His ability to externalize his struggles helps readers, both dyslexic and non-dyslexic, grasp the invisible challenges these disorders present.
Growing up in a bilingual household, Boyd spoke both English and French—his father an English speaker and his mother French-speaking – and was diagnosed early with his learning disabilities. Fortunately, his parents were understanding and supportive, and sought out a few key therapists and educators who played a transformative role in his life. These mentors encouraged him to stay open to learning, which has allowed him to really understand the way he learns best and craft a career that works for him. In fact, Boyd is a remarkably independent learner. His self-discipline drives him to master new skills, whether it’s learning Mandarin, animation, or teaching anatomy, which he did for three years.
In terms of artistic influences, Craig Thompson’s Blankets was a transformative piece for him—one that made him realize personal stories could be told through comics, and influenced his decision to tell his own. He also admires Captain Underpants creator Dav Pilkey, who openly discusses his own struggles with ADHD and dyslexia. In addition, Boyd found inspiration in El Deafo by Cece Bell, which closely resonated with his experiences.
His own book is structured in three parts sharing his educational journey and how early intervention and art helped him overcome hardships and put him on a successful trajectory. Boyd describes his early time in a conventional school setting where he struggled with reading and writing. The second part of the book goes into his time at St. Pierre Children’s Hospital in Switzerland, a learning environment specifically tailored for students who struggled with dyslexia. There, innovative and understanding teachers used storytelling to help him remember language rules, making a lasting impact on his learning process, which he credits with saving his life. The middle school section of the book is marked by bullying, though he chose to tone down the intensity in his book for storytelling purposes. His vocational school experience was life-changing, providing him with practical options and skills that worked for him. He regularly returns to thank the teachers who made a difference. The book concludes with a dreamlike sequence that revisits childhood fears but frames them through the lens of an adult who has learned to navigate and overcome them.
After self-publishing Moi, Dyslexique, Boyd spent three years touring across France, witnessing firsthand the impact his story had on readers. Many students shared his book with their teachers and parents, using it as a tool to communicate their own struggles. He never expected the comic to be such a powerful bridge, opening doors and changing conversations about dyslexia in France. “In France, dreams aren’t always encouraged, and being different is often seen as a disadvantage,” Boyd explains. “At first, I wanted to hide my dyslexia, but now I’ve become a face of it in France.”
Despite this, he has taken a step back from solely focusing on dyslexia in his work. While he remains passionate about advocacy, he wants to tell different stories and avoid being seen as just a spokesperson for dyslexia. His recent travels in Taiwan have provided fresh perspectives, particularly on how dyslexia manifests differently across languages. Some pages of his book required adaptation in translation because they only made sense in French.
Boyd enjoys working with special needs students because he deeply understands their challenges. He has worked with deaf students using translators and now wants to learn sign language to teach in special education. Having been diagnosed with dysphasia as a child, he knows how difficult it can be for those who struggle with both speaking and writing to express their feelings. To help these students, he recommends incorporating visual communication tools, such as illustrated cards and dice, to facilitate expression and build relationships.
One of the most important lessons he emphasizes to parents and educators is the need for patience and early intervention. “It’s heartbreaking to see children misunderstood or discouraged,” Boyd says. “Parents and educators need to inform themselves, believe in their child’s potential, and provide the right support.”
Boyd is currently in an artist residency in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He is expanding his Taiwan Diary, a mini-comic documenting his experiences, into a full-length book. This new project marks a shift from his previous work, allowing him to explore storytelling beyond dyslexia.
Through his art, Christopher Boyd continues to make a difference, illustrating both the struggles and triumphs of those with learning differences. Whether through graphic medicine or his evolving storytelling, he remains committed to using comics as a powerful tool for communication and connection.
Moi, Dyslexique can be purchased here, and Taiwan Diary can be read on Boyd’s website here. You can follow his journey in Taiwan on his Instagram @boydcomics.
Author bio:
Cassy Lee is both a librarian and a comics artist, currently working on her MFA in Comics at the California College of the Arts to bring these passions together in the next stage of her career, in comics librarianship, visual narrative workshops, and creating her own graphic novel memoir about healing from intergenerational trauma. She has lived in Taiwan for the last three and a half years and, like Christopher, finds it an inspiring place to be making comics. You can see her work on Instagram @readfreedrawfree
Leave a Comment