The Man Called Uncle Tim #1

My first zine in many years is finished.  Well, really this is half comic book, half zine. I posted the introduction back in November, which other than a few minor changes and the addition of color, is still the same. This first issue is based on oral history I did with my Grandma about 5 years ago. She died last year so it really was time to put the words she shared with me to use.

Without divulging too much of the content, this is a celebration of my Grandma's spirit and attitude. Unusual for parents of her generation, and frankly even now, she was remarkably at ease with the life my uncle lived. It's not that there was no conflict at all but I'll get more into that in subsequent issues.

It was so easy to use her words straight from the tape (yep, I did it on a cassette tape) because she has never shied away from saying it like it is. The real challenge was figuring out a way to represent her story visually. Above and below, you can see some of the imagery I've used throughout the zine. 

As someone who has been completely non-religious from birth, I've done my best to contextualize my family and my Uncle's community with a brief history of American Quakerism. It is without a doubt from the perspective of an outsider but I did have some expert proofreaders to guide me. 

The process of researching my uncle's life has led me in so many directions and forged new relationships with people I didn't know before I started.  I'm excited to continue working on this project and doing my best to represent the complexity and nuance of his life. I'm also looking forward to honing my two colour design skills and getting to grips with the limitations, and the beauty, of the risograph.

You can purchase Volume 1 in my new shop.