• Cover: a person with brown curly hair is on the ground as if they have fallen. They are in a large spotlight, which has cast their shadow up onto the wall. They have a distressed expression as they face. their shadow and are holding up their blue walking cane defensively. The shadow is a goo-like creature filled with bones and fleshy tendrils. The title "In Sickness" is written in an arc above the curve of the spotlight
  • Page 1: El, a person with curly hair and glasses, stands casually with one arm in their jacket as the other waves a peace sign. They're surrounded by some of their favorite things that get described in the dialogue. El says, "Oh hi! I guess I should introduce myself. My name is El, and here's my cat Beanie. I'm an artist from the Midwest. Comics are my specialty, but I also do illustration. I love cats (my family has seven), video games, chocolate, and tea."
  • Page 2: Full page spread of a person, El, with curly hair and glasses sitting at their desk drawing. A tabby cat is sitting at their feet. They say "I'm also... Disabled! I'm always in pain. My health isn't a consistent variable, which makes it difficult to plan around."
  • Page 3: Full page spread. El is now standing, pulling down a projector screen. The screen shows a map of some streets and buildings. Two of the buildings are highlighted with magnifying glass bubbles extending from them. These show the interior of a school classroom, and a bedroom.
  • Page 4: El is outside the comic panel, peering over its top left corner as if looking in. They say "Before my junior year of college, I didn't even consider myself disabled. I was just someone with recurrent pain." In panel 1, a younger version of El is standing in a school hallway, looking sadly at a couple of students happily chatting. There are lightning bolts of pain radiating from El's midsection. In panel 2, they are in a classroom. The teacher is lecturing, but El is looking down at their desk with a
  • Page 5: El is leaning out around the panels on the left side, talking animatedly. "My first two years went smoothly, but suddenly I was struggling. I realized I wasn't going to make it through school without more support." In Panel 1, younger El is talking on the phone to their mom, who says "I know you're overwhelmed with doctors, but maybe you could get medical proof to help with school." El replies "Okay, mom." In panel 2, El is typing furiously on their laptop. In panel 3, they are considering a message
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El Hufbauer

In Sickness

In Sickness

$8.00 USD
$8.00 USD
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Meet El, an 20-something artist who grapples with their chronic illness while experiencing ignorance and ableism.

In Sickness is a funny but bittersweet graphic memoir about El, a disabled college student. Through personal anecdotes and adept comic artistry, it shows the struggles of being chronically sick in a world built for the healthy. Pursued by the physical incarnation of their ill body, El navigates their relationships, classes, and life in this melancholy but humorous tale of self-acceptance.

17 pages

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El Hufbauer

El Hufbauer is an artist and author with a BFA in Comics and Narrative Practice from Columbus College of Art and Design. Hufbauer’s work is a melting pot of horror, science fiction, and autobio. They are an avid enjoyer of monsters, aliens, and robots.

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