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36days

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by Katya Robin Paul Flippen’s 36days records the final phase of his father’s life, a disabled veteran undergoing medical care. The title 36days omits the usual space between words, compressing the period into a single unit. Thirty-six image panels are interspersed throughout the spare sequential text. All the image panels are grey, daubed and abraded with a variety of textures. They remind me of miasma, the obsolete medical theory that disease was caused by bad air. Firm ink line drawings hold their space over these foggy backgrounds. Engineering diagrams, partial maps, medical equipment and ornamental swirls ooze from a telephone… Read More

Down to the Bone – a leukemia story

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By PF Anderson   After I finished reading Down to the Bone, I poured out my feelings in the following short reaction comic on Instagram. The background images and artwork are all from the book and are Catherine’s artwork, to which I added words and layout to express myself. You might think of this as a Tiktok or Instagram reaction reel, but formatted as a comic reacting to another comic. Catherine’s images represented here: Image 1 (Panel 2: cover; panel 3: 131) Image 2 (Panel 1: 131; panel 2: pg. 50 – 51; panel 3: 60; panel 4: 63) Image 3… Read More

A Story about Cancer (With a Happy Ending)

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By Saily Marrero Inspired by the author’s encounter with a 10-year-old girl with leukemia, India Desjardins created A Story About Cancer (With a Happy Ending), a short graphic novel delivering exactly what it promises in the title, a cancer story, and a happy ending. Along with the help of illustrator, Marianne Ferrer, and translator, Solange Ouellet, the story is brought to English speaking audience. Ferrer’s watercolor illustrations use different color schemes to differentiate between healthy and the sick. Healthier people are given more vibrant colors like reds, maroons, and purples. Meanwhile, the protagonist and other sick people are primarily illustrated… Read More