‘Hayley’s Guide to Chemo’ is the latest and the fifty-fourth entry in the Colossive Press series Colossive Cartographies; zine-like, fold-out, graphic narratives. Fitting into the graphic medicine area of comics. in this minicomic Hayley Gullen makes full use of every aspect of the Cartographies’ presentational format to bring the reader into her experiences of cancer treatment.
The main fold-out canvas of this cartography uses one stark, static image of Gullen attached to the medical equipment that regulates her chemotherapy to initially draw us into the moment. Surrounding this, text boxes comment on events; some elaborating on the harsh truths of the process (the unpleasant effects and the discomfort) while still finding moments of bleak humour in it (anthropomorphising the machinery or likening herself to the bionic woman).
Gullen also populates the folds of the zine with additional shorts that explore in further detail the ongoing effects of chemotherapy after treatment and the additional medication involved beyond each appointment. Even the front cover feeds into this with a tiny multi-panelled strip depicting Gullen undergoing chemo with the same image repeated again and again, broken up only by the beeping of the equipment she is hooked up to in order to express the monotony of the proceedings.
‘Hayley’s Guide to Chemo’ is an excellent minicomic gateway into further investigation of Gullen’s artistic endeavours to convey her cancer experiences. Once again the Cartographies series is leading the way on the UK indie scene in the area of experimental graphic narrative.
Hayley Gullen (W/A) • Colossive Press, £2.00
Review by Andy Oliver
