Year-Long Program Student Work, 2023-24 – SEE SAW Comics, Webcomics from the Sequential Artists Workshop

“1970s London, late one night at a block of flats… CAMDEN TOWN SQUAT by Ellen Beier / “‘We were called every name in the book, but it was that era.’* *Quotes from ‘My Life as a London Squatter and the Windsor Free Festival blog.” Three silhouettes stand outside of a house at night; someone stands in the window.

“Squatting was a big issue in the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. Here, we weren’t peasants,…just artists, musicians, wanderers. Many London houses were empty and designated ‘condemned’ by the council. Common lore said that heat and light had to be available to an empty council house claimed as a squat.” A person scales the wall of a house at night; someone crawls through a window.

A hand pulls the pull switch of a light bulb, turning it on.

Three silhouettes walk through a doorway.

“’Like most young people we were discovering by trial and error who we were.’”

“Houses built in the 19th century were no longer up to code—there was inadequate plumbing and many lacked appliances such as refrigerators. We kept food cold on the windowsill.”

“There was a heating unit we fed with 5-penny pieces over a sink in the kitchen, and a cold-water sink in the stairwell. Most fireplaces had a gas heater installed, also fed with coins.”

A heating unit.

A sink.

A fireplace.

“There was an outhouse out back—not awful—except in heavy rain.”

A woman runs through a doorway headed for an outhouse in heavy rain.

“‘If you were not establishment then you were trots or a marx or a man or something or other…labels!’”

“My room was on the 3rd floor in the back, overlooking the outhouse, a stone wall, and the park behind. In the room next to mine, the band that I lived with practiced—a gaggle of Scottish boys, musicians down from the north like the Beatles. I’d draw while they played music.” A woman sketches stars in her bed. A band of 3 men, Gunn Lilly, play music, singing, “I don’t own the clothes I’m wearing and the road goes on forever…”

“‘On the news today was a report that working class kids are no better off than they were in the 50s, in terms of their prospects for social mobility.’”

“Hendrix, Doors, Allman Bros…the music we listened to in the evenings. There was hashish, LSD.” Four young people sit playing music (a harmonica, two guitars, bongo drums) together. Stars and moon decorate the background.

“By days we worked—me a part-time draftsperson and cook, one musician a welder, others in construction.” Three silhouettes wait at a bus stop next to a corrugated wall covered with graffiti that reads “Spread Anarchy” crossed out, followed by “Don’t tell me what to do!!”

A window is covered with graffiti of a star and the text “Power to the people”

“After a couple of years, we were told the block was coming down and we were evicted. Some band members joined the Hare Krishna temple; the rest of us moved to a regular townhouse.”

“‘Most people come here because they’ve got nowhere else to go. They can’t fit into whatever society’s got to offer.’”

“Fourteen years later I returned to the street—the remodel had just begun! Workers let me go inside and look around—flats were renovated from the inside, given kitchens and bathrooms and sunrooms. New windows, electricity, plumbing.”

A townhome under construction.

A singing bird next to a nest full of eggs.

Birds in flight above the apartment/townhome building. Someone stands in a balcony, looking down.

“A few years later the street was bustling with signs of life, families, children playing. Today Camden flats are prized real estate—sought after, posh even—you’d be lucky to get one even on a waiting list!”

A bird stands on a for sale sign in front of the flats.

A little girl rides a tricycle.

“‘Is it a fundamental right that humans should have shelter?’”

“1970s London, late one night at a block of flats… CAMDEN TOWN SQUAT by Ellen Beier / “‘We were called every name in the book, but it was that era.’* *Quotes from ‘My Life as a London Squatter and the Windsor Free Festival blog.” Three silhouettes stand outside of a house at night; someone stands in the window.

“Squatting was a big issue in the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. Here, we weren’t peasants,…just artists, musicians, wanderers. Many London houses were empty and designated ‘condemned’ by the council. Common lore said that heat and light had to be available to an empty council house claimed as a squat.” A person scales the wall of a house at night; someone crawls through a window. A hand pulls the pull switch of a light bulb, turning it on. Three silhouettes walk through a doorway. “’Like most young people we were discovering by trial and error who we were.’”

“Houses built in the 19th century were no longer up to code—there was inadequate plumbing and many lacked appliances such as refrigerators. We kept food cold on the windowsill. There was a heating unit we fed with 5-penny pieces over a sink in the kitchen, and a cold-water sink in the stairwell. Most fireplaces had a gas heater installed, also fed with coins.” A heating unit. A sink. A fireplace. “There was an outhouse out back—not awful—except in heavy rain.” A woman runs through a doorway headed for an outhouse in heavy rain. “‘If you were not establishment then you were trots or a marx or a man or something or other…labels!’”

“My room was on the 3rd floor in the back, overlooking the outhouse, a stone wall, and the park behind. In the room next to mine, the band that I lived with practiced—a gaggle of Scottish boys, musicians down from the north like the Beatles. I’d draw while they played music.” A woman sketches stars in her bed. A band of 3 men, Gunn Lilly, play music, singing, “I don’t own the clothes I’m wearing and the road goes on forever…” “‘On the news today was a report that working class kids are no better off than they were in the 50s, in terms of their prospects for social mobility.’”

“Hendrix, Doors, Allman Bros…the music we listened to in the evenings. There was hashish, LSD.” Four young people sit playing music (a harmonica, two guitars, bongo drums) together. Stars and moon decorate the background. “By days we worked—me a part-time draftsperson and cook, one musician a welder, others in construction.” Three silhouettes wait at a bus stop next to a corrugated wall covered with graffiti that reads “Spread Anarchy” crossed out, followed by “Don’t tell me what to do!!” A window is covered with graffiti of a star and the text “Power to the people” “After a couple of years, we were told the block was coming down and we were evicted. Some band members joined the Hare Krishna temple; the rest of us moved to a regular townhouse. ‘Most people come here because they’ve got nowhere else to go. They can’t fit into whatever society’s got to offer.’”

“Fourteen years later I returned to the street—the remodel had just begun! Workers let me go inside and look around—flats were renovated from the inside, given kitchens and bathrooms and sunrooms. New windows, electricity, plumbing.” A townhome under construction. A singing bird next to a nest full of eggs. Birds in flight above the apartment/townhome building. Someone stands in a balcony, looking down. “A few years later the street was bustling with signs of life, families, children playing. Today Camden flats are prized real estate—sought after, posh even—you’d be lucky to get one even on a waiting list!” A bird stands on a for sale sign in front of the flats. A little girl rides a tricycle. “‘Is it a fundamental right that humans should have shelter?’”

Latest Comics

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

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

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