Graphic Lives, Visual Stories: Reflections on Practice, Participation, and the Potentials of Creative Engagement

Abstract

This article explores the impact of creative storytelling through an organizational case study. PositiveNegatives researches, produces, and disseminates graphic narratives around migration, conflict, and asylum through participatory methodologies. This reflection pulls from relevant academic literature, as well as practice, to understand how PositiveNegatives’ graphic stories operate in the world. Visit www.positivenegatives.org to see the full portfolio.

Keywords:

• comics
• refugees
• participatory methodologies

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Habib Rezaie, co-producer of “Dear Habib.” See PositiveNegatives, “Dear Habib.”

2 Dix, “Graphic Violence.”

3 Dix and Pollock, Vanni.

4 PositiveNegatives, “A Perilous Journey.”

5 Rifkind, “Refugee Comics,” 649.

6 Burrell and Hörschelmann, “Perilous Journeys,” 49.

7 Chute, Disaster Drawn, 265.

8 Direct quotation provided by Dr. Elaine Chase, Senior Lecturer (UCL IOE) and Dr. Nando Sigona (University of Birmingham) 2018.

9 Direct quotation provided by Habib Rezaie, 2018.

10 Rappaport, “Empowerment Meets Narrative.”

11 Direct quotation provided by Majid Adin, 2018.

12 Ibid.

13 Woolley, Contemporary Asylum Narratives, 3.

14 Chute, Disaster Drawn; Mickwitz, Documentary Comics.

15 Hagen-Zanker and Mallett, Journeys to Europe, 3.

16 Miller, “Conflict in Fragile States.”

17 McCloud, Understanding Comics, 90–91.

18 McCloud, Understanding Comics, 66.

19 Bucher and Manning, “Bringing Graphic Novels”; Akesson and Oba, “Beyond Words,” 596.

20 See PositiveNegatives, “10 Powerful Essays.” https://positivenegatives.org/about/education/

21 These student essays were passed on to PositiveNegatives by permission from the teacher who delivered a lesson plan based on Almaz’s story in 2016 to pupils aged fifteen to sixteen.

22 Ibid.

23 Ibid.

24 Rifkind, “Refugee Comics,” 649.

25 McNicol, “Telling”; Sou and Douglas, After Maria.

26 Smith, “Human Rights and Comics,” 70.