Running between April 25th and May 2nd on Instagram ‘Scribble through the Struggle’ (#Scribblethroughthestruggle) was the recent initiative to for comics artists to “share a moment when they could have given up on their creative dream, but didn’t — and [talk about] what helped them keep going.” At the project’s helm was Young Comics Laureate Mollie Ray (aka Ray), the creator behind the critically acclaimed graphic novel Giant and a 2021 Broken Frontier ‘Six to Watch’ artist.
Those submitting were invited to provide a quote, video or even a short comic to represent their own personal struggles. ‘Scribble through the Struggle’ ran in partnership with Comics Youth CIC and saw no less than 35 creators talking about moments in their careers where they had to face up to adversity and how they carried on.
Contributing artists included… (wait for it…) Alex Paknadel, Rebecca K Jones, Sophie Burrows, Marc Jackson, John Allison, Jonathan Edwards, Matthew Dooley Dagsson, Charlie Adlard, Sayra Begum, Zara Slattery, Hannah Berry, Tim Bird, Tor Freeman, Lyndon White, Karrie FRansman, Kate Charlesworth, Emma Vieceli, Bobby Joseph, Dimitris Anastasiou, Mike Perkins, Katriona Chapmen, Joe Latham, Stephen Collins, Eliza Fricker, Bruna Martini, Hayley Gullen, Tommy Parsons, Alex Kirkpatrick, Jaleel Hudson, Mariana Madriz, Alondra Aroujo, Mollie Ray and David Shenton.
Cartoon by Dagsson
That’s quite a line-up! And more rewardingly it’s an incredibly diverse group, in terms of the kind of comics created by them, which in turn ensures a wide-ranging variety of lived experiences represented from across both industry and art form. People spoke about creative block, self-doubt, personal circumstances, career setbacks, the threat of AI, the cycle of rejection, mental health and so much more. But usually with a positive afternote that acts as a reminder that you are not alone in moments of adversity in the creative world.
Comics community is an important thing and, in the current landscape, initiatives like this are more vital than ever. You can search for the hashtag #Scribblethroughthestruggle on Instagram but we’ve also linked to it here. Check it out for some inspiring shared experiences. And thank you to Ray, Comics Youth and all the artists involved for making this happen.
Blog by Andy Oliver
