Two new comics have been launched as part of a collaborative research project between the Centre for Brain Research, the University of Auckland and Brain Tumour Support NZ. The comics are the latest in a series which explores the use of graphic medicine to explain often complex issues relevant to the brain tumour community.

“Graphic medicine is where where comics and health, medical and scientific issues intersect,” according to Professor Neal Curtis, project lead and co-author of the two new comics: What Are Brain Tumours? and Mum’s Acting a Bit Strange.

What Are Brain Tumours is targeted at people who are newly diagnosed with a brain tumour and their friends and whānau. It provides an explanation of the different types of brain tumours, signs and symptoms, and how they are diagnosed.

Mum’s Acting a Bit Strange is targeted at children who have a parent or carer diagnosed with a brain tumour. Supporting children through a family member’s brain tumour diagnosis was identified previously by Brain Tumour Support NZ as an area of unmet need.

This launch follows the publication of the first comic in the series Processing Your Tissue Sample in the Lab which provides a simple explanation of the complex scientific process of neuropathology. The comics are a collaboration between Dr Thomas Park (Centre for Brain Research), Professor Curtis (University of Auckland) and graphic illustrator Janina Gaudin, “aka Miss Diabetes” (Portmanteau Digital).

Brain Tumour Support NZ chair, Chris Tse, welcomed the launch of the new comics. “Education is an integral part of the support we offer to people who are newly diagnosed with brain tumours. These comics are invaluable tools which help us to communicate complex medical topics more simply and effectively,” he said.

The comics can be downloaded by clicking on the cover pages below.