Our latest Spotlight on projects and people within the Graphic Medicine international community focuses on a new graphic novel by Dave Cowen and Gabriel Wexler.
About The Authors:
My name is Dave Cowen, and I’m the author of “Should We Buy A Gun?”, a 330-page graphic novel illustrated by Gabriel Wexler. I started this project as a progressive horrified by America’s gun violence public health crisis and by the fact that my romantic partner at the time believed somewhat differently than I did about guns. Years later that relationship ended but, ironically, Gabriel became my collaborative partner even though he’s more conservative and believed quite differently than I did about guns.
I’ve published 10 other books, some featured in The New York Times, contributed to The New Yorker, and I produce a Substack that enthuses about graphic literature with Q&As with makers. Gabriel has made storyboards for film/TV, taught art at schools, drawn for magazines, and illustrated a book for young adults.
About this Work:
“Should We Buy A Gun?” explores the issue through the lens of a newlywed couple trying for a baby who are shocked to find themselves debating a gun after a mugging. It portrays some suggestions for common sense gun violence public health remedies but also depicts how acknowledging not knowing the answers can be just as important for personal and societal reconciliation.
Woven into this narrative is a parallel story of a teenager in crisis. Drawing from research (including “Trigger Points” by Mark Follman) the book depicts real interventions like Behavioral Threat Assessments and Safe and Supportive School Teams as part of the resolution and redemption of this other very loosely inspired story based on my own experiences living with bipolar disorder.
While the subject is serious, the comics novel form allows for nuance and empathy as well as lightness and play. As USC scholar Henry Jenkins noted, the book is a powerful tool not just for understanding guns in America but as a path toward our political depolarization. In 2025 this might be the most urgent form of its graphic medicine.
You can check it out at: shouldwebuyagun.com or Amazon or bookshop.org
You can contact Dave Cowen through:
- Email: dave.m.cowen@gmail.com or seriocomicspublishing@gmail.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davedavidcowen
- Substack: substack.com/@davecowen
A good grip can make a handgun feel and look completely different, especially with classics like the 1911.
I’ve always liked seeing how different materials and designs can change the overall feel and style.
If you’re curious about different options, gun grips has some interesting designs to check out.