Blog written by Robyn Gleasner & Varina Kosovich
April 6th-12th is National Library Week, and this year’s theme is Drawn to the Library! Whether you come to study, explore resources, or just enjoy the campus community, we’re here for you.
Today, we’re spotlighting Graphic Medicine and hope this print collection will draw you to HSLIC. Explore how comics can make complex medical concepts more accessible, share personal experiences, and illustrate health topics.
Accessible Medical Information
Graphic Medicine is a genre that combines the visual and narrative power of comics with deeply personal and often complex experiences of health and illness. It is a great format for authors to depict real experiences and offer a window into their emotional, psychological, and personal journeys. Patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals can connect with and learn from these stories. Graphic medicine makes these topics and challenging conversations more accessible and engaging for everyone. For example, the genre allows physicians to share perspectives on clinical care while having an honest conversation about mental health while practicing. Titles include:
How Diagnoses and Feelings are Drawn
Graphic medicine artists often use unique visual techniques to depict medical diagnoses, pain, or mental health symptoms. In the graphic novel Mishadra, written and illustrated by Iasmin Omar Ata, the main character, Isaac, has epilepsy. Iasmin, who also has epilepsy, represents an oncoming seizure as a string of bright blue beads with multiple knives attached. Whenever Issaac’s seizures are triggered, the beads appear in the panel. This imagery not only helps readers understand how Issaac feels when he’s about to have a seizure but also serves as a visual representation of a sensation that is usually invisible to others.
Many graphic novels authors and illustrators share personal experiences in their work, as seen in the example above. In the graphic novel What’s Wrong, which explores chronic pain and navigating the health care system, one woman depicts her pain by drawing her skeleton as separate from her body, while another illustrates herself with her nervous system visible. Through these powerful images, the artists convey the intensity of chronic pain and how they perceive their bodies in the midst of it.
Want to Learn More?
Let Graphic Medicine draw you to HSLIC! You can find our collection on the 4th floor on the shelf across from Room 428. Look for the purple “graphic novel” stickers.
If you feel inspired by the Graphic Medicine Collection and want to draw your own comics, the library has you covered! We have art supplies and drawing books in the Wellness Room and Wellness Corner on the 3rd floor. Contact Varina Kosovich, Student Support Coordinator, for more information.