Check out the newest collection in the Duke Medical Center Library & Archives, our Graphic Medicine Collection. This collection contains a variety of healthcare related topics discussed through the medium of comics, all which are available for check out. Below is a selection of titles from the collection. To browse the collection, please visit the Medical Center Library Reading Room on Level 1, or peruse the collection via our online catalog. Reviews are excerpted from the publishers.
Medicine: A Graphic History
Jean-Noël Fabiani
Cardiac surgeon and professor of medical history Jean-Noël Fabiani stitches together the most significant and intriguing episodes from the history of medicine, from chance breakthroughs to hard-fought scientific discoveries. Spanning centuries and crossing continents, this funny, fast-paced yet rigorously detailed graphic novel guides us through one of the most wondrous strands of human history, covering everything from bloodletting to organ donation, X-rays, and prosthetics.
Kimiko Does Cancer: A Graphic Memoir
Kimiko Tobimatsu
With tender illustrations by Keet Geniza, this graphic memoir upends the traditional cancer narrative. Presented from a young woman's perspective, it confronts issues such as dating while in menopause, navigating work and treatment, and talking to well-meaning friends, health care professionals, and other cancer survivors with viewpoints different from her own. Not one for pink ribbons or runs for the cure, Kimiko seeks connection within the cancer community while critiquing the mainstream cancer experience.
Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women
Sarah Bargiela
Autism in women and girls is still not widely understood, and is often misrepresented or even overlooked. This graphic novel offers an engaging and accessible insight into the lives and minds of autistic women, using real-life case studies. The charming illustrations lead readers on a visual journey of how women on the spectrum experience everyday life, from metaphors and masking in social situations, to friendships and relationships and the role of special interests.
First Year Out: A Transition Story
Sabrina Symington
From laser hair removal and coming out to her parents, to dating, voice training and gender reassignment surgery, this intimate and witty graphic novel follows the character of Lily as she transitions to living as her true, female self. Providing support and guidance on a range of issues such as hormones, medical procedures and relationships, this story traces the everyday thoughts, emotions and struggles many trans and non-binary people face. It seeks to empower those who are starting to question their gender as well as promote wider discussion about the complexities of gender and identity.
Graphic Reproduction: A Comics Anthology
Jenell Johnson
This comics anthology delves deeply into the messy and often taboo subject of human reproduction. Featuring work by luminaries such as Carol Tyler, Alison Bechdel, and Joyce Farmer, Graphic Reproduction is an illustrated challenge to dominant cultural narratives about conception, pregnancy, and childbirth. The comics here expose the contradictions, complexities, and confluences around diverse individual experiences of the entire reproductive process, from trying to conceive to child loss and childbirth.