Comics Stories about Sexual Assault
Last month, I came across the comic Interval of Trust by Romanian artists Maria and Oana Heller on Webtoons. This gorgeously illustrated 24-page fictional comic tells the story of Mara, a high school student whose anger, fueled by an abusive past, has put her into a precarious position. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn... Continue Reading →
In her new book Not My Shame, T.O. Walker tells a story that I can really relate to. Published in the U.K. in 2017 by Singing Dragon, Not My Shame is a graphic memoir about assault, hard-earned survival, and the redemption of human connection. The non-linear narrative reflects the experiences of an assault survivor... Continue Reading →
Una's book Becoming Unbecoming is a graphically beautiful story of a girl growing up in a community haunted by a serial rapist and murderer. When town authorities and the media place the burden of personal safety on women and girls, Una gets a clear message that her own experience with sexual violence is entirely her fault. J.... Continue Reading →
In 1986, when I was 12 years old, Oprah Winfrey came out as a survivor of sexual abuse. Her candor was stunning. Her national talk show had been on the air for only one year, but she had already busted through the ratings set by talk show superstar Phil Donahue, a remarkable feat for a... Continue Reading →
Does anyone have a copy of Hush I could borrow? This graphic novella, by Pratheek Thomas (writer) and Rajiv Eipe (artist) was published in India by Manta Ray Comics in 2010. It looks like a fascinating comic -- a story with no words, in which a young girl is molested by her father, and someone... Continue Reading →
Shortly after the presidential election, Seattle artist Amy Camber's comic "One Week Later" was a gift to those of us who were stunned and aching. Published on The Huffington Post, the comic now has more than 13,ooo views, likes, and shares. The message of grief and empathy was just what so many of us needed to... Continue Reading →
Released in 2014, this series of images by Syrian artist Saint Hoax shows Disney princesses kissing their fathers, or their fathers kissing them. Intended to bring attention to child sex abuse by relatives, the image captions state that 46% of minors who are sexually assaulted are victims of family members. I don't love looking at... Continue Reading →
In 1984, future Spider-Man Peter Parker's story of sexual abuse was told in a free PSA comic produced by Marvel Comics in cooperation with the National Committee on the Prevention of Child Abuse. Jared at blogintomysetery.com writes a heartfelt review of the comic that he read as a kid, and now revisits as an adult. Jared also has... Continue Reading →
This 10-minute animated PSA comes from CHILDLINE in India and shows how their specialists talk to kids about sexual abuse. It's worth a look if you are interested in education programs for kids. https://youtu.be/VkY0xqtw6W8
From the beginning of Daddy’s Girl, Debbie Drechsler challenges the reader with explicit, hard-to-stomach images of father-daughter incest. About half of the 11 stories focus on episodes of incest or sexual assault, and the other half show us a girl navigating her family and school life in the shadow of her ongoing abuse. The author... Continue Reading →
Grab Back Comics 