More with less

Despite my own admittedly self-indulgent issues with the story, it would seem that the comic has touched an inflamed nerve with fellow Crohns sufferers. This is something I had not been expecting. When I can bring myself to examine the results of that weekend, I find my eyes instantly drawn to the myriad mistakes and badly drawn panels, yet the central premise and the undiluted recounting of my experiences have managed to somehow remain intact.

It has become the comic I'm proudest of in my short time working within the medium. For the very simple reason that it has genuinely touched and affected people with the disease, or people who have friends/family with the disease, or just people who can relate to the idea of being diagnosed with something so debilitating at such a young age. The response has been overwhelming and fellow sufferers have regularly emailed me to tell me that they've been printing the comic out and giving it to friends, family, and loved ones - so that they understand what they are going through. No artist can really ask for more than that.

There's something unique, I think, about the comic book medium that has provoked this reaction from people. The combination of words and pictures speak more directly and succinctly to the way our thoughts organise themselves than either can manage alone. I think in comics. Sadly, I'm regularly reminded of this fact whenever trying to hold a decent conversation. I'm far happier communicating to people from the comfort of my drawing board. More can always be said with less.

Perhaps the most surprising and welcoming result of having undertaken this comic has been how I have redefined my relationship with the disease. It dawned on me in recent years that having this condition has made me, for better or worse, who I am today. It has always informed a large part of my life and for a long time I've tried to deny that. Drawing this comic has been empowering. Not bad for a 'funny book'.

Back to hour 20 and those scattered pages. My spine screaming for a break. My stomach screaming for the toilet. My brain screaming at itself for ever wanting to do this. And yet all I was wondering was how to fit another 200 pages of content into the final four panels.

Read Tom's Comic, "Everything You Never Wanted to Know about Crohn's Disease," here!