Re-Live, a Welsh arts-in-health charity organization, has announced Here And Now: True Stories Of Dementia, a life story flip book comic following the lives of four people living with dementia. Re-Live has previously published another comic centered around mental health, Coming Home had two issues which followed the stories of military veterans. Here And Now: True Stories Of Dementia will be published Wednesday, November 11 in the UK and Europe, with a North American release to follow in January.
Here And Now follows Welsh and Japanese families affected by dementia across four different stories. The comic is a 44-page flip book featuring two covers and will be translated into three languages (English, Welsh, and Japanese). One half of the book reads left to right in the Western style while the other half of the book reverses direction to read right to left like manga. The manga side of the book features the final painting by Ebisu Yoshikazu, a mangaka who helped found the “heta-uma” (bad but good) art movement and contributed to the manga anthology, Garo since the 1970s, according to the press release. Ebisu, who also lives with dementia, allowed Re-Live to use his final painting, “Relieved,” as the cover for the manga side of the flip book.
The press release also lists the creative talent who worked on the book and features Welsh, Japanese, and American artists,
The book brings together some of the most exciting names in alternative manga and Western comics. Tokyo mangaka Kawakatsu Tokushige (Tokyo Blues; The Cursed Body, Glacier BayBooks), fresh from his first US tour, drew Dream Again and hand-lettered both Welsh stories into Japanese. Yuki Monou (My Pink is Overflowing) drew I’m a Human Being Too! The English translation is by Ryan Holmberg, a leading scholar and translator of Japanese alternative manga, and the logo in all three languages was designed by New York letterer Jared K Fletcher, whose logo work includes Wonder Woman and X-Men. The two Welsh stories are drawn by Matt Beese and Archie McKenzie, with covers by Welsh illustrator Jonathan Edwards and Swansea artist Sok. The comic had its UK festival premiere at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival inKendal in October.
Here and Now is Re-Live’s first international manga collaboration with Tenjin-Kai, a dementia care organization in northern Japan. Re-Live’s Artistic Director, Karin Diamond, partnered with Dr. Yukimi Uchide, the Chair of the Tenjin-kai Social Welfare Foundation. Uchide shares her own story in the comic, I’m a Human Being Too!. Uchide wrote, “We realised that the humour, humanity, and surprising moments we encounter every day in our lives alongside people with dementia might be expressed and shared through comics.” Diamond added, “More than 57 million people around the world are living with dementia. Behind every one of them are family members and carers, and their experiences are rarely shared. There’s still a stigma. We want these stories to reach people, in comic shops, libraries and dementia services.”
The press release ends with Dr. Uchide adding, “I hope that, by reading this comic, more people will deepen their understanding of those living with dementia and grow kinder not only towards them, but towards all people. If that happens, perhaps our communities can become gentler, brighter, and more welcoming places for everyone.”
Here and Now releases in comic shops on November 11th in the UK and Europe and in North America on January 27th. The flip book is 44 pages and features full color art, retailing for $6.99 in the US or £5.00 in the UK. You can find more about Re-Live’s mission or order the book directly on their website.
