Under Pressure — The Graphic Medicine Conference, July 2026

Honestly, it felt like my head might explode with all the exciting ideas that were cascading into my brain! 

Every day at Drawing Perspectives: Health Graphic Narratives Under Pressure, the Graphic Medicine 2026 conference offered new information, fresh perspectives on areas I knew well, and opportunities to think creatively. The variety of topics and speakers was refreshing! From the fabulous keynote speakers—Nathan Gray and Meredith Li-Vollmer—to diverse and fascinating lightning talks that flew by, to experiential workshops that got me drawing comics and pushed me to think more clearly about the zines I am creating through a sharper lens. The conference helped us focus on ways to meet what can feel like the overwhelming pressures of the times we’re living in.

Happily, the zines Mary Jo Neil and I brought from many of the VEOLI members and offered for free were a big hit with conference attendees:

• Advance Care Planning, Alison Kent

• After I’m Gone—What are the environmental impacts of what happens to my body & what does it all cost?, Alison Kent

• Creating a Celebration of Life Booklet, Deborah LeFrank

• Grief - Humor can co-exist, Mary Jo Neil

• Living My Values—Reflecting on Body Disposition Choices, Jill Greenbaum

• VSED—Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking, Mary Jo Neil

• What Is Medical Aid in Dying, Alison Kent

We met people from around this country and around the world, connecting with authors, comic artists, people working in hospitals, universities, libraries, students in medical school, and private-practice therapists. It is an event not to be missed—if at all possible! I left with so many ideas, enthusiasm, and so much energy for the work we do.

Next year, the Graphic Medicine Conference, The Body and the Story It Tells, will be in Bologna, Italy! Learn more on their site, www.graphicmedicine.org.