Gnarly Hearts
Abstract
On February the 8th I suffered severe chest pains while out walking. I checked myself into emergency at Sunnybrook Hospital and after various tests it was determined that I needed a triple by-pass heart operation. I then spent ten days on the cardiac ward awaiting word on when the operation was to be scheduled. To deal with this surprising and frightening disruption in my life, I began drawing in my sketchbook. I instinctively started creating a ‘comic book’; a form of visual storytelling that I have loved ever since I was a child growing up in England. I was on some level overwhelmed by this turn of events, but drawing has always been a way for me to deal with difficult situations. By making a story I create a frame around what would otherwise be a roiling sea of emotions. I can then handle the situation better and also be involved in the making of something, the ending not being clear, just as in any story I might write in my children’s books or the graphic novels I have been creating lately.
