WHO I AM: Ian Williams
WHAT I DO: With MK, I run the Graphic Medicine web site. I’m a comics artist (under the nom de plume Thom Ferrier) and a physician. I teach a comics course at Manchester Medical school and I write articles on comics and medicine.
MY CONNECTION TO GRAPHIC MEDICINE: I coined the term Graphic Medicine when I set up the website. I wrote my MA dissertation on comics and medicine and I headed the organisation of the first conference in London in 2010. I’ve been on the organising committee of the subsequent conferences and I’m joint series editor for the forthcoming book series from Penn State University Press.
HOW I USE GRAPHIC MEDICINE IN MY WORK: Graphic Medicine IS my work! I write about it and talk about it. Making comics forces me to focus intently on my medical practice: the process of turning life – real or imagined – into a comic is a great reflective tool. I get medical students to talk to patients in various settings: terminal care or homeless centres with the express instruction to listen to the narrative and forget about formulating a differential diagnosis or management plan. This gets them to think about the patients story rather than the ‘history’. Then I get them to make a comic about the story.
PROJECTS I’M WORKING ON RIGHT NOW: I’m writing a graphic novel- entitled ‘The Bad Doctor’ for Myriad Editions which is due out next year. I’m also finishing a book chapter for our forthcoming Graphic Medicine Manifesto from Penn State Uni Press.
PROJECTS BY OTHERS I’M EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW: I can’t wait for Katie Green’s Lighter than My Shadow to be launched in October and Darryl Cunningham has expanded Science Tales for a a second edition.
WHAT I’LL BE PRESENTING ON IN BRIGHTON: I’m going to talk about The Bad Doctor
A FEW THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO AT THE 2013 BRIGHTON COMICS & MEDICINE CONFERENCE: I’m really looking forward to hearing David B’s talk. I’m also looking forward to hearing Alan Blum, as I missed his talk at Toronto. I’m chairing the session he is talking in this time round. I’m really going to MISS Brian Fies! its the first conference he wont be present at.
Dear Ian,
Just to let you know that will be receiving a message from my PhD student Dimitra about her work. I’d like to establish contact so feel free to get in touch if you have any queries.
Great work by the way.
Kind regards,
Chris Bundy SL Behavioural Medicine
University of Manchester