“The Secret Life of Gitmo’s Women” Featured on Narratively

NarrativelyCover

In-depth, human-interest news platform Narratively featured a comic of mine this week. “The Secret Life of Gitmo’s Women” collects the two interviews I illustrated for Symbolia Magazine in collaboration with writer Sarah Mirk early last year. These two stories haven’t been free to read online before now, so head over and take a look. (Note: these comics deal with issues of harassment and sexual assault. Please read with awareness.)

melaniePreview

The comic has also been accepted to this year’s Open Engagement conference in New York, where Laura Sandow (one of the veterans we worked with) will be presenting it in May. Unfortunately it sounds like I won’t be able to make the conference due to conflicting convention arrangements, but I do hope those of you in the New York area can go check it out. More on the Open Engagement homepage.

Symbolia is LIVE!

CoverAnimated

The latest issue of Symbolia, the tablet magazine of comics journalism, is OUT!

It’s been almost a year since Sarah Mirk first approached me about illustrating this project, so it’s very exciting to have the full issue out in the open at last. Declassified brings to life the firsthand experiences of two women who served at the Guantánamo Bay naval base circa 2001. From witnessing the shift in detention practices post-9/11, to grappling with sexual assault in the military, their stories are raw and powerful. Here’s a page to whet your appetites.

Melanie4-copy

The rest of the issue features stories from women around the world dealing with human trafficking, tattoos, military service, immigration, and more. It’s a powerful and diverse showing, and I’m proud to be a part of it.

To read this issue, subscribe to Symbolia: on iPad // via PDF // Kindle Editions.