my cancer comic…

[Jpburns]

I’m a graphic designer who has done autobiographical comics for around 16 years, mostly about medical stuff (detached retina, thyroid surgery, a bad fall, gallbladder surgery…). Late last year I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Just my prostate and some pelvic lymph nodes at this point, and awaiting possible surgery (all this stuff takes so long).

Anyway, I’ve been processing this awfulness the best way I know how, by drawing a comic about it. I’m up to 24 pages and have started posting a page a week (or so) on my comic-oriented webpage. Perhaps someone might find it entertaining, or amusing, or even informative.

burnscomics.com/cc

[JohnInTheMiddle]

Fantastic! Even if I disagree with you on the body - I still think it's miraculous. I could only read two pages?

[Jpburns in reply to JohnInTheMiddle]

Yeah... I'm parcelling the pages out, adding one a week, sorta. I'm actually up to page 24, but don't want to blow through them too quickly, as it takes a least a day to draw/ink/layout/write a page.

[GoBucks]

Excellent! Sorry you are here with us but glad someone can graphically document it. Best of luck in your treatment decision making. A lot of wise people here when you are ready to ask questions. In the meantime, create away!

[Tall_Allen]

I always thought cancer is the perfect antagonist. I look forward to seeing how you portray it.

[Jpburns in reply to Tall_Allen]

See... I'm kinda a grump and hate depicting dealing with this disease as a "fight." I even mock the concept on page 18 of the comic. But of course YMMV.

comic panels

[Mascouche in reply to Jpburns]

Page 18 ? burnscomics.com/cc/# only shows me page 1 to 8

[Jpburns in reply to Mascouche]

I’m just putting up about a page a week, but am working ahead. Currently working on page 34.

[Mcrpca]

looking forward to reading more. I bookmarked your site. Graphics are phenomenal. Thanks for sharing.

[jtspitfire]

Looking forward to your posts!

[dixiedad]

I'm sure no art critic, but that looks damn good to me.

👍

[Stephen399b]

Looking forward to seeing the rest - let's hope there's is some humour, we all need it!

[Jpburns in reply to Stephen399b]

Yeah… a little graveyard humor at this point, but it’s how I’m coping.

[Adlon57 in reply to Jpburns]

I'm with you all the way, I always find myself a bit of black humour, always helps, me anyway👍 I'm Irish we've learnt to appreciate it to lighten the darkest of moods!

[LongTimeRunning]

Love it - keep it up!

[j-o-h-n]

Humor? What's that?

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[Adlon57 in reply to j-o-h-n]

Its when you are in a hospital bed a doctor, says "We have a sex change lined up for you🤫...... ooops! sorry wrong bed!" "that's bed number 17, Doctor!"😷🤗🤗 that sort of thing🤭🤭

[j-o-h-n in reply to Adlon57]

Worse laugh...Bed 16............. Doctor to patient "Everything went well, congratulations, Mr. oops Ms. Smith"....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[j-o-h-n]

Oops, forgot............ Would you be kind enough to draw your HU bio...... all info is voluntary but it helps you and helps us too. Thank you.

BTW when I was much younger and with a steadier hand I used to trace naked women....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[maley2711 in reply to j-o-h-n]

😀😀😀😀😀😀

[Jpburns]

Just a reminder that I'm posting new pages on my comic on a semi-weekly basis. Up to page 3 now at burnscomics/com/cc

In reality I just finished page 25. If you'd care to see the work-in-progress, take a look at my instagram. instagram.com/jpburns/

[Jpburns]

Updated sample pages to page 5. Dealing with the long periods of waiting between visits and during diagnosis.

[Jpburns]

Added page 6 today. I’ve written/drawn up to page 29 or so…

burnscomics.com/cc

[Jpburns]

Just finished page 31 of my #cancer #comic. It’s without a doubt, the funniest page so far.

If you’d like to see the sample pages, I just put up page 7 on burnscomics.com/cc/

[Jpburns]

Up to page 8 in the sample pages. I’ve actually finished 33 pages so far.

[MouseAddams]

just read everything you had currently posted. Very informative and obviously well done graphic novel…

[Carlosbach]

JP, A tip of th hat for a really well done comic strip about a foe that Marvel cannot currently defeat. Thank you

[Jpburns in reply to Carlosbach]

Yeah. The original Captain Marvel died of cancer (caused by exposure to a carcinogenic gas). Yes, I am a nerd.

[Mascouche]

You've got talent my good man!

[Jpburns]

Just updated the online pages - up to page 10 of the sample pages. On page 38 of the real comic. Http://burnscomics.com/cc

Btw, started my EBRT today. One down, 27 to go.

[CaptainKrunch]

Very much enjoyed the artistry in your work... thank you for sharing. We're on very similar tracks.... Best wishes for our adventures ahead 😛

[Jpburns]

It was nice of graphicmedicine to promote my comic work, especially my current one about my prostate cancer experience. graphicmedicine.org/the-dea...

[Jpburns]

up to page 13 on my sample pages. All about the high cost of medical diagnosis and treatment.

burnscomics.com/cc

Actually up to 45 in finished pages.

Cropped image of page.

[Jpburns]

I just uploaded page 16 of my comic, although I'm actually working on page 51, trying to figure out how to finish this. Probably with the end of EBRT (last week) and followup visit to my oncologist.

[Jpburns]

Ha! Just figured out how to encode the page number in a url. So now I can post my latest updates like this: burnscomics.com/cc?page=16

[Jpburns]

I’m almost finished with my comic, and in celebration of that, I just uploaded a buncha (well, seven) new sample pages up to my site, bringing the total there to 25. In real life, the comic will be 60 pages long.

Doing serious editing now, but wanted to let y’all take a look so far…

burnscomics.com/cc

Cover of my cancer comic