The term graphic medicine refers to the interaction between the medium of comics and the discourse of health, illness, disability, and caregiving. For nearly two decades, health humanities scholars, artists, researchers, patients, and families have collaborated to explore how comics can improve communication, care, and, potentially, clinical outcomes. In this tutorial, students will read, analyze, and create comics to engage with this nascent field. No experience with comics or drawing are required.
Readings: The readings for this course will be provided, either as an online link or in class. No books are required for purchase. Any other books that will be mentioned or excerpted in the course can be found here.
Supplies: This course will utilize basic drawing skills and focus primarily on analog techniques. Minimal supplies are required, such as pencils, a dark black pen, paper, ruler, and an eraser. Coloring supplies (crayons, colored pencils, markers) are welcome but not absolutely necessary.
Overview:
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Session one: Introductions June 24, 9:30am
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to one another
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to comics
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to graphic medicine
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Session Two: Comics and Health Education July 13, 1pm
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Session Three: Research and Comics July 27, 1pm
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Session Four: Health Advocacy with Graphic Medicine August 10, 1pm
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Session Five: Graphic Bioethics August 24, 1pm
Session 1: Introduction to Comics & Graphic Medicine
To do: Read the Introduction to Graphic Medicine Manifesto, available here and watch the following 33 minute video.
Session 2: Comics and Health Education
Class prep:
1. Read the following examples of comics for health education:
- “Vaccinated at the Ball” by Josh Neufeld
- “A Tale of Two Pandemics” by Josh Neufeld
- Let’s Talk About It: A Graphic Guide to Mental Health
- Three Nines Fine: A Journey with Brain Health
2. Read this journal article:
“Are Comic Books Appropriate Health Education Formats to Offer Older Adult Patients?” and check out the work of the article’s authors, Gary Ashwal and Alex Thomas, aka Booster Shot Media:
3. Consider a topic on which you would like to create a health education comic.
Come prepared to discuss how you would approach this topic, perhaps a few thumbnail images, or even a few comic panels.
Next up: Research comics and research for comics…
- Making Nonfiction Comics Chapter 1: Research
2. Comics-based research: The Affordances of Comics for Research Across Disciplines.
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Session 3: Research and Comics
This is the video to watch. Not for your homework but because it’s good stuff to know!
Your homework is to keep working on the comic about your research and if you are able, check out the comics below:
- Black Mothers Face Far Worse Health Outcomes How Do We Fix It? by Whit Taylor
- African-Americans are More Likely to Distrust the Medical System, Blame the Tuskegee Experiment by Whit Taylor
- Medicine’s Women Problem by Aubrey Hirsch
See you August 10 at 12pCT/1pET!
Session 4: Health Advocacy with Graphic Medicine
Keep working on your research comic and see below for other homework.
Session 5: Graphic Bioethics
For this class we will be reading and discussing Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley.
Also please review these Graphic bioethics projects by Booster Shot Media:
Family Reflections, decisional support for pediatric chronic life support