Last month, the UBC Comics Studies Cluster was featured in a Faculty of Arts editorial piece on comics in educational contexts. Entitled “Education through comics: Exploring the pedagogical value of comic art,” the article was based on interviews with CSC Director Biz Nijdam and other UBC scholars working on and with comics and graphic narrative.
Artwork from Treading Water (2024) by Katherine Chupik-Hall
“Comics are an effective medium that presents complex ideas in an easily understandable way. They use a combination of art and text to engage readers, making them a valuable tool for education, entertainment, and social commentary.”
In addition to showcasing the important work of comics studies across disciplines in higher education, the article highlighted the Cluster’s current project “Exams Under Anaesthesia (EUA) Graphics: Equity and Neurodiversity in the Operating Room,” which is a collaboration with Pediatrician Dr. Anamaria Richardson.
EUA Graphics invited nine cartoonists to create nine short comics based on their engagement with interviews with the parents of neurodivergent children. These documents recount the difficult experiences of parents and caregivers of neurodivergent children who undergo treatment by sedation at BC Children’s Hospital.
The artwork and statements from the artists was exhibited on May 17th in the Chan Education Centre at BC Children’s Hospital and is currently digitally on display on the UBC Comics Studies Cluster’s website: comics.arts.ubc.ca/eua-graphics