Description

This book examines the emergence of a new normal that has structured the lived experiences of individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic through a close reading of graphic medical texts from both digital and print sources. Interdisciplinary in scope and integrating theoretical insights from graphic medicine, health humanities, literary theory, and comics studies, this book scrutinises and interprets the experiences and perspectives of healthcare professionals, frontline workers, patients, and individuals from diverse backgrounds impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through dedicated chapters on masking, sanitization, touch, and altered spatio-temporality, this book investigates the emotional, psychological, and sociocultural implications of these themes, highlighting both universally shared and contextually specific experiences. In particular, the book critically analyses comics that frame the pandemic beyond its immediate biological implications, thus providing readers with a framework to engage with and critically reflect on the COVID-19 crisis.