"Ear Infections" - from #fridaynightcomics with Glynnis Fawkes as part of @comicsworkshop Graphic Medicine Summit 2025.
I cleaned up my scribbles and rewrote the text. Scroll for the drawing prompts we used! (full workshop on youtube)
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#earinfections #graphicmedicine #memoircomic
Hey I made this!!
If you’re interested in exploring concepts of character bleed in roleplay and how it can relate to gender identity, give it a look!
#ttrpg #dnd #larp #larping #roleplay #comic #indiecomic #nonfiction #memoircomic
Page 3 But right away there were things I loved about Taekwondo at this gym. Bowing before stepping onto the mat. Everyone wearing the same gender neutral uniform. A moment of mediation at the start of class. “I am here.” Kids playing at the side of the gym while their parents exercise. Kick drills! And forms! I love learning forms. Page 4 Poomsae, or forms, are choreographed patterns of attacks & defenses. There are 8 forms for color belts to learn before reaching black belt with increasing levels of difficulty. First few steps of taeguk il-jang, form one. Prepare low block, pull fist back, step & block. Snap wrist with block. Prepare for middle punch, palm facing up. Middle punch, sternum height. Palm facing down. Form one is made of very basic movements & yet it is infinitely perfectible with greater degrees of precision & skill. Maia: My fist should brush past my belt before my hand twists… shoulder stay square. Maia: High block starts with palm facing up and ends with palm facing out… block should be two fists above my forehead.
Page 5 During the first four years I studied taekwondo my hometown experienced three devastating wildfires. I sold, wrote, published, & toured my first book. But no matter how much I have in my mind, taekwondo forces me to be in my body. And in the moment. Present. I remember the first time I left the gym & realized: Wow, I didn’t think about work for an hour. Page 6 When the pandemic hit, my taekwondo classes continued on zoom. Practicing kicks over & over in my living room was one of the main things that kept me sane.
Page 7 I’m heading into my 8th year of studying taekwondo. Wow! This is the longest I have ever stuck with one sport in my life. This year I hope to take my black belt test, a goal that felt completely unattainable when I started. I love the physicality of this sport & I’m definitely in better shape than when I started. But what kept me coming back is how good it is for my brain. When I leave class, my mind feels so much calmer & more peaceful. As we head into an increasingly uncertain future, I’m more & more grateful for this practice. Page 8 I love the comforting rituals of taekwondo. Lining up in color belt order. Doing the same basic warmup everyday. But taekwondo also pushes me outside my comfort zone, especially in tournament season. Maia: $200 to register for 2 events? Yikes! They are expensive; Maia: Check-in starts at 8am start very early; Maia: Here we go… & the closest one is over 100 miles away. Maia: I spent hundreds of dollars & I am driving hundreds of miles to go fight a stranger in a high school gym. Whyyyyyy am I doing this?
Page 9 At my first tournament, as a green belt, they couldn’t find anyone in my level for me to spar. They paired me with a red advanced belt (one level below black). She kicked my butt. I fell down multiple times & got a mild black eye from a kick in the face. I lost by 26 to 6. As I limped out of the ring, I remember thinking: Maia: That really scared and intimidated me… but I did it anyway. And I lived! Page 10 You should try Taekwondo if: You’re interested in a dynamic sport that includes cardio, stretching, endurance training, speed, flexibility, jumping, kicking, & yelling You like the formality of martial arts (wearing a uniform, bowing, opening & closing rituals) You want a sport that is gentle on the hands- everyday is leg day in Taekwondo (good for artists!) You are interested in learning forms & techniques that require memory & patience. You want to run around & have a good time in an exercise class! It’s fun! Thank you so much to my instructors & the classmates who trained alongside me for all these years. And thank you for reading. 감사합니다
Taekwondo: A Fanzine by Maia Kobabe! Initially posted on my patreon back in April. Transcript in the alt-text. 2/2 #taekwondo #martialarts #transathlete #sports #exercise #memoircomic #maiakobabe
The cover and back cover of a black and white comic titled TAEKWONDO: A fanzine by Maia Kobabe. The cover and back cover both have drawing of Maia performing kicks while wearing a white uniform in front of a black background
Page 1 In 2017, I started working from home full time. I loved having more time to focus on my writing & art but soon realized I rarely left a 100 foot radius of my home office. Shrimp posture of someone who enjoys typing in their lap Maia: I need to move my body or I’ll calcify! I’d noticed a martial arts gym not far from my house. I couldn’t tell what type of martial art, but I was interested. I did a year of Judo in college, but wanted to try a new sport. Page 2 Finally, I worked up the motivation to give them a call. Maia: Hello, I was wondering if you had classes for beginning adults. Teacher: We do! Three days a week. Teacher: Come to a class for free to see if you like it. Maia: Thanks, I will. Um- what sport is it? Teacher: Taekwondo! That first day I felt like I’d completely forgotten how to exercise. Jogging around the small gym 20 times almost ended me. Maia: I shouldn’t have eaten before class! (Only one not wearing a uniform.) That plus a basic warmup of pushups, jumping jacks, squats, and kick drills left me so sore I could barely get out of bed the next day. Maia: My whole body hurts!
Taekwondo: A Fanzine by Maia Kobabe! Initially posted on my patreon back in April. Transcript in the alt-text. 1/2 #taekwondo #martialarts #transathlete #sports #exercise #memoircomic #maiakobabe
Things are sometimes learned even when no one is there teaching them
#comics, #webcomics, #memoircomic, #graphicnovel, #illustration, #storytelling, #comingofage, #1970sitaly, #italianhistory, #myliferemains
Episode 42: Welcome to High School
#comics #webcomics #memoircomic #autobiography #comicart #comingofage #illustration #artjourney #liferemains #dacoart #socialcommentary #satire
I always had trouble with laces growing up.
#WIP #workinprogress #graphicnovel #graphicmemoir #thebigsoup #autobio #autobiography #autobiocomic #comic #comicwip #graphicnovelwip #memoircomic #asd #asdmemoir #asdautobio #autism #autismautobio
