Graphic Medicine Podcast

Susan Squier, a scholar and co-author of the Graphic Medicine Manifesto, joins to reflect on the significant graphic novels of 2019 that address complex themes of health and illness. The conversation highlights works like 'Drawing Power' and 'Lines,' focusing on emotional topics such as trauma and grief. They also discuss the upcoming release 'Menopause, a Comic Treatment,' aimed at breaking societal taboos. The duo emphasizes the role of graphic storytelling in promoting dialogue around health disparities and invites listeners to engage in this vital conversation.

Welcome to the first of two keynote addresses from the 2019 Graphic Medicine conference, the theme of which was, “Queerying Graphic Medicine: Paradigms, Power, and Practice.” Meg-John Barker’s keynote address fits perfectly with this framing of our conference and our work in Graphic Medicine. Meg-John is the author of a number of popular books on sex, gender, and relationships, including Queer: A Graphic History, How to Understand your Gender, Life isn’t Binary, Enjoy Sex (How, When, and IF You Want To), Rewriting the Rules, The Psychology of Sex, and The Secrets of Enduring Love. They have also written a number of books for scholars and counsellors on these topics, drawing on their own research and therapeutic practice. You can learn more about Meg-John’s work at rewriting-the-rules.com – zines and books mentioned in the talk are available for download at that site. This fantastic lecture first traces MJ’s career through art and academia, then dives deep into queer theory, broadening our thinking about what it means to resist binary thinking in all aspects of our lives, not limited to sexuality and gender. They also turn our thinking to contextualization of ideas in time, history, structures of power, and the plurality of self. Thank you to MJ for sharing the comics for that correspond to the keynote. You can find these images on the graphic medicine website post for the episode.  Enjoy! Download. 

The episode opens with Alice Jaggers and host MK Czerwiec discussing Graphic Medicine News. That segment is followed by Whit Taylor‘s keynote address from the 2018 Comics & Medicine conference in White River Junction, Vermont. See the main website post on this episode for images and links to all the comics whit mentions. Download episode.

Susan Squier, Julia Gregg Brill Professor Emerita, shares her insights at the Graphic Medicine conference. She discusses the evolution of graphic medicine, emphasizing collaboration and community in storytelling. Squier highlights the intersection of comics, health, and epigenetics, showcasing how visual narratives can simplify complex scientific concepts. The talk also touches on innovative projects addressing climate change and food systems, creatively merging activism with art to reshape public perceptions.

In this discussion, Matthew Ngo dives into the highlights of graphic medicine in 2018. He reflects on pivotal books and valuable community engagement, emphasizing the growth of online platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The conversation touches on the exploration of mental health through graphic memoirs, particularly focusing on bipolar narratives. Ngo also discusses the cathartic power of graphic anthologies, while looking forward to educational innovations and new projects ahead in 2019.

This month’s episode features a recording of the Mental Health Comics Panel from MICE 2018,Moderated by A. David Lewis, MCPHS University. Panelists include: Lucy Bellwood – 100 Demon Dialogues, Kevin Budnik (Handbook), LB Lee (MPD for You & Me), Robyn Smith (Saddest, Angriest Black Girl in Town) and Rachel Lindsay (Rx). Support for this podcast comes from Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Humanities, the nation’s oldest Humanities Department within a medical school, pioneers of innovations in medical education since 1967. Download episode.

In this month’s episode, we hear from Alice Jaggers, medical librarian and new addition to the website management team. We learn about how she got involved with Graphic Medicine, what she presented at our conference this summer, and what she hopes to see in the future. Enjoy! Download episode.

On this month’s episode, Matthew and MK recap meeting up at the American Library Association conference in New Orleans. Download episode.

The June episode of the podcast features Graphic Medicine news with Matthew Noe and an interview with Ellen Forney about her follow up to Marbles, Rock Steady: Brilliant Advice from My Bipolar Life. Enjoy! Download episode. 

In this episode, an interview with Jenell Johnson, editor of the latest book in the Penn State University Press Graphic Medicine series, Graphic Reproduction. Also Graphic Medicine news with Matthew Noe. Download episode.