爷爷 (Grandpa). An example of graphic medicine by Nan-Linda Ding, MScBMC ‘23, from a personal memoir about loss.
Co-organized by Shelley Wall, associate professor in the Master of Science in Biomedical Communications (MScBMC) program, the University of Toronto hosted the 2023 Graphic Medicine: Encounters & Invitations Conference. The conference took place online and in person in the Myhal Centre for Engineering, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, from July 13 to 15, 2023.
"The conference brings together artists, health care professionals, patients, health care advocates, scholars, and others to talk about the myriad ways comics can play a role in communication about health and illness," says Wall.
Shelley Wall, an associate professor in the MScBMC program, teaches storytelling through sequential art, and graphic narrative on medical or scientific themes to graduate students and other medical and allied health students and professionals. Photo: uncredited
Wall and her co-organizer Ebru Ustundag, an associate professor at Brock University, welcomed 140 in-person and about 200 virtual attendees. "In-person attendees came from all across Canada and the US, and some travelled from the UK, Europe, the West Indies, Asia, and South America," Wall says.
Keynote speakers included Lisa Boivin, Deninu K'ue artist and bioethicist, who spoke about her illustrated narratives of grief and mourning, and about Indigenous practices of passing knowledge through images. Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth, creators of inclusive comics, spoke about the representation of sex and gender for young people.
One conference panel included Cree elder Greg Spence, artist/researcher Jane Zhao, artist Rachel Corston, and cardiologist Mena Gewarges. The panel discussed the generational experiences of First Nations health research.
The origins of germ theory by Avila Sanchez, MScBMC ‘23, demonstrates the didactic and historical dimensions of graphic medicine.
Another panel included comics artist Michael DeForge and cartoonist/paediatric immunologist Alex Thomas who spoke about the craft of comics and the role of comics in social activism.
The University of Toronto last hosted the Graphic Medicine Conference in 2012, the third time it was held. It has been held every year since at various locations in the United Kingdom and in the United States.
Not only has the conference's reach expanded with the addition of virtual attendance, but graphic medicine is getting more recognition, Wall says. "Each year, more titles are published, more courses are offered and there is more recognition of the value of comics in the medical humanities, and in research mobilisation.”
Wall wishes to thank MScBMC graduate student volunteers Geneviève Groulx, Lilith Lawrence and Ashlyn Fieldhouse for their support.
Next year's Graphic Medicine Conference will be held in Athlone, Ireland. More information will be available on GraphicMedicine.org. The Graphic Medicine Conference is organised under the auspices of the Graphic Medicine International Collective, a nonprofit association dedicated to the promotion of comics in health and wellbeing.
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Web sites referenced.
Linda Ding’s online portfolio https://www.nanlindading.com/
Shelley Wall’s faculty profile https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/faculty-staff/#wall
Master of Science in Biomedical Communications program https://bmc.med.utoronto.ca/
Avila Sanchez’ online portfolio https://www.avilasanchez.com/
Geneviève Groulx’s online portfolio https://www.evegroulx.com/
Lilith Lawrence’s online portfolio http://www.lilithl.com/
Ashlyn Fieldhouse’s online portfolio https://www.ashlynfieldhouse.com/
Graphic Medicine International Collective https://www.graphicmedicine.org/