1 747

This page returns to entirely gray and white panels. 1. Lynn writes, “So many things change when you get into the thick of things caregiving. You leave your phone on overnight. Hospital number goes in your contacts. You learn to switch text notifications off at night.” Lynn as an adult is in bed, lying on her side and propped up on her elbow looking at her phone. The light from the screen is the only in the room, blaring in Lynn’s face. She is wearing glasses. She is reading a text that says, “hey lady! we’re at the turf - care to join? we’re in the clown lounge.” 2. “It’s possible for weird ailments to appear out of nowhere from the stress of it all.” Lynn is leaning against a wall clutching her shoulder and grimacing in pain. She calls out, “Ow! God!” She labels with an arrow that she is experiencing “frozen shoulder.” 3. “You learn what mouth swabs are.” A large cotton swab, that resembles a marshmallow on a stick more than a Q-tip, takes up the panel. The background is blank.” Dialogue from the next panel bleeds into this one. 4. Lynn continues narrating, “You might find yourself getting impatient with family members that are starting to show signs of dementia, especially the ones that are used to controlling everything.” Lynn’s dad, mostly bald and looking upset, asks, “Why wasn’t I told her surgery was this morning?” (This quote bubble overlaps the last panel.) From off-panel, Lynn responds, “But. Dad, I totally…” Lynn writes, “If this happens count to ten. Explain things as many times as it takes, even in the face of anger and frustration. Find ways to include them and smooth their feathers. Because if you don’t you may say things you regret later. Trust me on this.” A full page spread of Lynn’s dad sitting next to Lorraine’s hospital bed. He is holding a cup of coffee and looking at her to his side, so we can’t see his expression. There is a partially eaten cookie on the arm of his chair. Lorraine is gasping. Her hand is obscuring most of her face, but she looks to be in discomfort. One panel of a white board that does not take up the full page; the rest is a white background. The board reads, “Care team: Jeff - RN. Date: Dec 12. Patient: Lorraine. Notes: HOH. Family space: Hang in there, Mom! (heart)”

This page returns to entirely gray and white panels. 1. Lynn writes, “So many things change when you get into the thick of things caregiving. You leave your phone on overnight. Hospital number goes in your contacts. You learn to switch text notifications off at night.” Lynn as an adult is in bed, lying on her side and propped up on her elbow looking at her phone. The light from the screen is the only in the room, blaring in Lynn’s face. She is wearing glasses. She is reading a text that says, “hey lady! we’re at the turf - care to join? we’re in the clown lounge.” 2. “It’s possible for weird ailments to appear out of nowhere from the stress of it all.” Lynn is leaning against a wall clutching her shoulder and grimacing in pain. She calls out, “Ow! God!” She labels with an arrow that she is experiencing “frozen shoulder.” 3. “You learn what mouth swabs are.” A large cotton swab, that resembles a marshmallow on a stick more than a Q-tip, takes up the panel. The background is blank.” Dialogue from the next panel bleeds into this one. 4. Lynn continues narrating, “You might find yourself getting impatient with family members that are starting to show signs of dementia, especially the ones that are used to controlling everything.” Lynn’s dad, mostly bald and looking upset, asks, “Why wasn’t I told her surgery was this morning?” (This quote bubble overlaps the last panel.) From off-panel, Lynn responds, “But. Dad, I totally…” Lynn writes, “If this happens count to ten. Explain things as many times as it takes, even in the face of anger and frustration. Find ways to include them and smooth their feathers. Because if you don’t you may say things you regret later. Trust me on this.” A full page spread of Lynn’s dad sitting next to Lorraine’s hospital bed. He is holding a cup of coffee and looking at her to his side, so we can’t see his expression. There is a partially eaten cookie on the arm of his chair. Lorraine is gasping. Her hand is obscuring most of her face, but she looks to be in discomfort. One panel of a white board that does not take up the full page; the rest is a white background. The board reads, “Care team: Jeff - RN. Date: Dec 12. Patient: Lorraine. Notes: HOH. Family space: Hang in there, Mom! (heart)”

Author: Lynn Von Sien
Lynn Von Sien is a graphic memoirist living and working in northern Minnesota. Lynn holds a B.S. in Design from the University of Minnesota ('87). She has been awarded an Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Grant (2021), and a Minnesota State Arts Board grant (2023). Her soon to be complete graphic memoir Snow Emergency Route is a tragicomic account of caregiving her terminally ill adoptive mom.
Website: https://linktr.ee/LynnVonSien
Tags: Graphic Medicine, Graphic Memoir, memoir, non-fiction
1 747
 

Comic Series

Ze and Zo

The Poem: Ze and Zo Adventure #1

Year-Long Program Student Work, 2023-24

Comics created by students of the SAW Year Long Certificate Program 2023-24 cohort
Vanessa Davis in Paris

Vanessa Davis in Paris

Recent work every week from Vanessa Davis
trembley-undaunted-sq

Undaunted

mini-comics by Elizabeth A. Trembley
Cartoon face of a smiling bald man with glasses and a full beard. "Doc Hoff Comics"

Trapped By Corporate Zombies

A Satirical Look At Toxic Corporate Work Culture
The pursuit of unhappiness

The Pursuit of Unhappiness

Tales of Existential Horror
Snow Emergency Route

Snow Emergency Route

A tragicomic account of caregiving her terminally ill adoptive mom.
A circle stippled with a relaxed figure resting their head in their chin, rounded by the words "Push Pull" over a yellow background.

Push Pull

Featured fiction, nonfiction, and memoir comics from the SAW 2023 Graphic Novel Intensive anthology

Palmetto’s No. 1 Seller of Girl Scout Cookies

Comics from kid-life by Jen Sandwich

Mummies on my Mind

From the Obsessed Mind of Donna Druchunas

Loneliless
"Let's Try Something Else: Mini-comics by Shannon Azzato" Shannon riding an electric scooter, accompanied by imaginary creatures.

Let’s Try Something Else

Mini-comics by Shannon Azzato
"Keeping Secrets by Judy Powell" A close-up of a woman with light skin and short blond hair burying her face in her hands.

Keeping Secrets

by Judy Powell

Content warning: Sexual abuse

It’s Not About You

Excerpts from my graphic memoir about supporting my daughter through chronic illness
Across a white background and in an old western style font, the words "IN THE NEWS, AGAIN" are written in black and centered. Below the title is a cropped image of the eyes and snout of an alligator peaking out of the water, rendered in brown tones.

In The News, Again

Featured nonfiction comics from the SAW 2023 FLOW Anthology

How Did I Get Like This?

Mini-memoirs by Donna Druchunas
Hold Still by Kim Laurenti

Hold Still

Daily images from South Florida
Stylistically rendered with bright, flat colors, simplified shapes, and no line work: a man faces the reader across a cyan background with pink buildings and peach clouds. He stands on a pink road between cyan sidewalks. He is wearing aviator sunglasses and has a thick mustache with a stubbly chin. He wears a blue and black coat over a white Armani t-shirt; his hands are in his jacket pockets, to his side. We see down to his knees before the image cuts off. He is rendered with blue hair, peach skin, and a pink nose. He has an air of intimidating confidence.

Guy

Excerpt from Val-d’Or Neon
A cartoon of a woman with bright green skin and long pink hair that flows behind her. She is wearing a tiara, a pink dress, and red lipstick. She is surfing while reading a book. The right foot of another green person is standing on this surfer's left shoulder. Text in white, all-caps sans serif lettering reads: "Friday Night Comics"

Friday Night Comics

Comics made during our Free Friday Night Workshops. Hosted on ZOOM by The Sequential Artists Workshop, continuing the tradition created by The Believer.
"FOOMIN"

Foomin Organic

From Tom Hart’s ongoing notebooks
Flip Turns

Flip Turns

True stories by Mariah Burton Nelson

Falling

by Jim Hamilton

Donna’s Tarot

Croneville Carnival

Chicken Scratch

The Chicken In My Head
Cartoon Show Cover

Cartoonshow

Cartoonist and animator Derek M. Ballard makes modern American family comics. It’s not his fault that being a single parent in America is kind of a nightmare.
Beneath The Weeds I See

Beneath the Weeds I See

A memoir in a series of fragments. By Darlene Campbell
B is Dying 1

B. Is Dying

B. is Dying but he never seems to get on with it!
Adrean Clark Thumbnail

adreanaline

SAW Comics from Adrean Clark
About See Saw Comics

About See SAW Comics

A Bad Day at Gluckman Industries

A woman’s story at work. By award-winning cartoonist Tor Freeman