I Swapped Placards For Pages
Responding to the issues brought to light by the recent death of Sarah Everard in March 2021, I collaborated with seventeen comic artists to create my first ever protest zine ‘Listen to your Daughters, Educate your Sons.’ I met the other artists through the first UK women-led comics organization LDComics. It has to be said that although I became all ‘zoomed out’, my participation in this endeavour would not have happened without Zoom, indeed a Covid19 silver lining.
I recall the morning, when I sat on the sofa of my little studio and initiated my acceptance to forward a contribution. The sky was a wishy washy grey and light was beginning to creep in. I sensed saliva in my throat and for a moment I was overwhelmed with apprehension and was about to send another message withdrawing. The idea was sparked by a need for creative expression through the medium comic artists know best. Alexandra Lewis states ‘we wanted to create something that connects with readers and helps facilitate change whether on an individual level or by initiating wider conversations.’
However, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it, this action was bigger than me, it was for my daughters and all women in society. Despite, the feeling that I wasn’t able to produce something for the zine I decided to feel the fear but do it anyway.
There has to be a time when enough is enough. Women should not feel the need to look over their shoulders, to carry keys between fingers, or have perfume at hand to spray an assailant’s eyes. And it matters not the length of skirt, women should feel safe.
I suppose I have got used to feeling the fear and going ahead with it, I consider it to be my signature story from the outset of my time at University College Cork studying Digital Arts in the Humanities until now. There has been so many changes that I have had to experience. If I had a bottle that held my tears it would be overflowing. So once again, I was venturing into new territory, I was going to be working with comic artists.
The process unraveled its own magic in that I soon discovered I liked the concept of creating a comic/ zine. There was that sense of radicalness, and I have to admit I did puff at the thought that at sixty two I could still be on the edge.
Self-published materials and zines have been used by feminists throughout the last century. Millicent Fawcett who led the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies used pamphlets to highlight and expound why women should be able to vote.
In the 1970s Spare Rib evolved out of the Women’s Liberation Movement and in the 1990s there was Riot Grrrl Press zines.
I became hooked on comics and zines so much that it inspired me to do my own one. Unfortunately, at this current moment, I need to keep that particular project under wraps but I will reveal all shortly.
Co-editor Laura Elliot states ‘The benefit of using comics in this way is that they can provide an ideal structure for tackling complex topics and making them accessible to a wider audience.’ Thus, comic characters can breathe life into situations and reveal a deeper understanding.
It was important to each contributor that the e-zine directly facilitate funds for the charity Housing for Women.to support their work in providing safe accommodation for women so a JustGiving link was created.
I am sorry that the project is nearing closure. We have sent out the press release and on Friday 11th June, the zine shall be launched on the 174th anniversary of Millicent Fawcett’s birthday as a testament to her.
I am so grateful for the opportunity, it certainly made the cloudy days of 5km lockdown brighter. I met so many wonderful female comic artists and I learned new things like using WhatsApp and Google Doc for administration purposes.
I suppose working on this zine has changed me but that is another story for another day.
