Web Comics
Kind people have been sending me links to comics published on the web. There are probably many others I do not know about. If you know of other web comics dealing with medical narrative, please let me know about them.
The Walk by Ryan Pequin http://bit.ly/dxvaqz
A graphic short story about Russ, an ageing man with some sort of lifelong learning difficulties who is supervised by carers working shifts. The carer in the story is seemingly more worried about his job security and shift patterns than his charges.
Fear of Failure by Thom Ferrier www.thomferrier.com
Thom Ferrier's new web based series about a foul-mouthed 40-something female GP working in a small market town. He is adding a couple of pages a week so keep going back to find out what is happening. You can also subscribe to the series (for free- he;ll just send you an email every time he adds a page).
Darryl Cunningham Investigates.
Our intrepid cartoonist and ex mental health worker uncovers the facts behind the scandalous meeja frenzy surrounding Andrew Wakefield's spurious claims of autism and crohn's disease caused by the MMR jab.
Insensed by bad science reporting, and agressive libel actions, Darryl now takes on the multi-million pound industry that is homeopathy, arguing that diluting an active ingredient until it isn't there just doesn't make sense.
MK Czerwiec a.k.a Comic Nurse
Was MK Czerwiec the first healthcare professional to start drawing comics about her experiences as a carer? There may have been others but MK is the earliest I have found, starting her comics in 2000. She also writes and lectures about comics and narrative medicine and has a blog
You can see MK's cartoons here with more on the cartoon archive
How to Have a Baby by Dr Aniruddha Malpani and Dr Anjali Malpani. Art by Syanne Djaenal www.drmalpani.com
The Drs Malpani run the fifth biggest infertility clinic in india. They are firm believers in the empowering of patients through "information therapy" and one look at their website will confirm that they practice what they preach. It is a veritable mine of free, patient centred information. Dr Anirudda Malpani also runs the the world's largest free patient education library, HELP ( www.healthlibrary.com), as well as a blog which commentates on the human side of medicine. This 237 page (!) flash animated comic book delves deep into reproductive medicine. A free resource aimed at couples experiencing infertility problems which would be equally valuable as an undergraduate textbook or reference guide for the non specialist. Excellent.
Baby Chase by Dr Aniruddha Malpani and Dr Anjali Malpani art by Syanne Djaenal
Knockdownginger
Is the nom de plume of a UK female medical student who posts artwork and comics on the deviantART website. She has made several comic strips about life in medical school. They are well worth a look
Team Medical Dragon by Nogizaka Taro and Nagai Akira
http://www.onemanga.com/Team_Medical_Dragon/
Fat Monologue by Ampersand at Alas! a blog www.amptoons.com/blog
this large image (on a pdf file) is a one page comic where the panels spiral across the background image. Its about what being fat makes you feel like and think. I don't need to explain it any more, go and look at it, it's good!
Prozacville
http://www.prozacville.co.uk
Prozacville is a cartoon about existential discomfort starring a cast of walking-talking Prozac pills.
Dark acidic and unorthodox, it raises awkward questions about culture, mental health and society.
Saijou no Meii by Takashi Hashiguchi,
http://www.onemanga.com/Saijou_no_Meii/
Real by Takehiko Inoue www.onemanga.com/real/
An online manga series about three basketball enthusiasts who find a way to overcome their disabilities though their love of sport.
Medikidz
www.medikidz.com www.kidzcomics.com
Razblint Cancerisms www.razblint.com/cancerisms/
Margaret Hagan's short comic strips about her own cancer treatment. She discovered she had cancer whilst studying for a PhD in Belfast and started treatment there, then travelled bacl to the US to continue it. She started drawing her experiences in comics form and has continued drawing ever since. Her comics have been discovered by others who are undergoing treatment. They are by turns funny, acidic, hopeful and despairing. I really like them and I think they should be published as a small book.
According to Margaret's site, 'Razblint' is a Bosnian word meaning “small secrets that make you smile”.
