As a librarian, I am lucky to be surrounded by comics. I grew up reading
Archie and the weekend comics in the
Winnipeg Free Press, spending many afternoons drawing the characters and making paper dolls of them.
In my late teens, reading the work of creators such as Julie Doucet, Adrian Tomine, Geneviève Castrée, Lynda Barry, and Gabrielle Bell helped me through difficult times. Until then, I had no idea that comics could be so varied and speak so frankly about topics like depression, identity, and sexuality. Comics have a unique intimacy that connects readers through their layered and often visceral communication of experiences, narratives, and ideas.