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bad footing by whitney Wasson

I draw a comic called Sober Rabbit that is about recovery and since getting hit by a car a few months before the pandemic began, dealing with a new disability, too. This comic is about the failures of the American medical system and my disillusionment after my injury. The concept of medical access was an abstract concept to me - as a working-class person who only went to urgent care in emergencies, til I got injured. So this is my personal experience with medical care. It's just a sliver of the circus it was / is!

Whitney Wasson is a cartoonist and former standup comedian who lives in Chicago. They host a free monthly drawing meetup for adults at Howling Pages in Portage Park.

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test subject by meredith thomas

Back in 2017 I discovered the joy and lucrativity of being a test subject for medical studies. There are facilities all over the US and in short, you get paid large lump sums of money to hang out and help the advancement of medical science by eating new study drugs and having your vitals observed. These studies vary anywhere from a few days to several weeks inpatient, so l've always used that time to my advantage and made lots of art while "locked up." On top of being a self proclaimed lab rat, I'm also an adult who unabashedly loves their plush animals. I have several who travel everywhere with me, including Marty the Opossum and Stanley the Octopus. In 2019 I started a series of comics while in a study, where I depicted Stanley as a realistic octopus and my nurse. It made any negative experiences I had (for example, a bad blood draw) a lot easier on me. Here is the start of that series.

Currently based in New Orleans LA, Meredith Thomas is a traditionally trained taxidermist, with the majority of their work based around bringing new life to the dead. They also enjoy working with other forms of mixed media. Particularly pen and ink, watercolors, and oil.

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the implant by michael a abcede

This story touches on the commonplace idea of alien abduction and the possibility of the abducted being studied medically and/ or implanted with a foreign object. This theme feeds on a kind of paranoia our collective human psyche has of being "invaded" bodily. Such ideas also reveal how humans live in a delicate balance where small changes in our biology have significant impact our daily functions. This comic continues my thread of UFO/alien themed tales, this time with a medical twist.

Michael A Abcede is a visual artist and musician living in Charlotte NC. He has lived all over the world and been a long time comics and visual arts fan; he works in pen & ink and paints with acrylics. He also shares time lapse videos and occasional product/ process reviews on his channel at youtube.com/@abcedeart. He has spent the last several years exploring single panel graphi‹ storytelling; he considers himself a work in progress storyteller seeking to work in longer forms. Eventually he is interested in telling stories of his life experiences of living in many cultures and the alienation one feels from living the life of a displaced human.

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sacrifice to moloch by Andrea Kaspryk

My comics contribution Tales from the Firebrand nonprofit artist collective: Sacrifice to Moloch is a satire that highlights the problems, the tensions, conflicts, and frustration that arise from being a volunteer member of such an organization. Though I have made a few comics pages in my notebooks, this is my first formal public comics effort. I quickly sketched out panels in advance in pencil and some sketches, found reference photos, as well as relied on my own figure drawings. I then drew in a blue pencil and then with ink pens. It was a demanding, taxing, and time-consuming process that made me appreciate how much work comics can entail. Despite all that l've planned ahead for another episode to follow which should be easier. In my contribution to Agitator Comics Volume 5, I address the issue of the lack of adequate funding for health care in the United States with a focus on the mental and social aspects of overall health. In the broadest sense ensuring our health includes housing, education, as well as access to more cultural and arts resources for the community. Nonprofits, like Agitator, who depend primarily on volunteers, are rare because they are such a challenge to operate on this basis, even with small grants. If cultural and arts community organizations were given just a slightly larger section of the pie, as they are in comparable wealthy democracies in Europe, the overall health of nonprofits and the community would benefit.

Andrea Kaspryk (they/them) is a BFA graduate from SAIC in Painting & Drawing (2013), a cofounding member of Agitator Artist Collective since 2017, and Andrea's art practice includes oil painting, figure drawing, relief printmaking, and perhaps comics.

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healthcare! holes! horror! by mike triplitt

This comic is a showcase of some of the most bizarre foreign objects found stuck in patients who come to the ER.

Mike Triplitt is a Chicago-based nocturnal registered nurse with 7 years of experience. I draw portraits, caricatures, and comics. I like to doodle things I find bizarre or beautiful. Working in hospitals has given me a lot of material to work with. Ink and markers are my main medium, but l'm looking to switch to digital art.

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women’s health by Atticus Ybarra

This comic draws from my personal experiences navigating the healthcare system and traditionally women's spaces as a transgender man. Often, I encounter healthcare professionals who respond with rudeness or uncertainty, struggling to understand my body. Internally, I wrestle with a clash between anger and empathy for their ignorance. I felt compelled to share this story, shedding light on the struggles faced by trans men, an often overlooked narrative that deserves recognition.

Atticus Ybarra is an artist who delves into painting, drawing, and writing as creative avenues to manage and soothe the pressures of daily life.

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The Red/Blue State Dilema by Allison Carol Schmocker

This comic is based on a true and personal story. In 2022, at the age of 25, I received a total hysterectomy in Illinois. Around the same time, my dear friend was refused a hysterectomy in Wisconsin. Our lives turned upside down as reproductive access in America shifted and states implemented restrictions, a battle for basic reproductive care emerged on the horizon. We were both diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis after struggling for years with excruciating pain, months-long periods, and countless doctor visits. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in places where it shouldn't. Adenomyosis is a condition where the endometrial lining grows into the uterine muscle. Both are incurable and not preventable. As a red state, Wisconsin began limiting bodily autonomy, whereas Illinois, a blue state, enshrined reproductive rights. While we found ourselves in a parallel situation, our futures diverged in ways we didn't anticipate. Her doctor refused a hysterectomy and did not discuss the very real, scary, and painful complications she could face: prevention of testing her uterine lining for cancer, or risk of the lining growing back, putting her back in the face of her conditions until menopause. She was denied choice, lied to about what her reproductive future holds, and told this was her only option. My life improved with no pain, no bleeding, and most importantly, no risk of cervical or uterine cancers. My team of doctors explained every risk and ultimately let the decision be placed in my hands. It's my body after all. These stories are among countless tales of reproductive failings as a direct result of politics. This piece is intended to encourage viewers to vote carefully and choose doctors wisely. Every uterus owner should have control over what happens to their own body.

Allison Carol Schmocker, a Chicago-based artist and writer, uses acrylis, papier-mâché, and digital platforms in her work. She is a recipient of the 3Arts Make A Wave award. Previous works have been displayed at the Light Space & Time Art Gallery, Milwaukee Art Museum, and the Neville Publi‹ Museum.

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LEEP by Connie Gao

This is a reflection on my weird and sometimes bad experience with HPV and cervical precancer, featuring fun facts about the HPV vaccine, my experience getting a LEEP, and jokes that people tend not to laugh at. Thank you to Summer, Lisa, Sedona, and David! Sexual health is an important part of healthcare that's incredibly difficult to navigate in a clear, non-judgmental way. Most of what I ended up learning about HPV and precancer came from Reddit threads, conversations with friends, and timidly asking questions to my fave gynecologist. I hope that my work can help others in their learning processes.

Connie Gao (she/her) is a Midwest gal and proud Gemini trying to make art that honors her inner child.

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radiant youth by gretchen hasse

At the age of fifteen, I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The next thirty five years of my life were defined by increasing pain and decreasing ability. My efforts at everything had to be increasingly herculean. I got used to overdoing it. My pain, and most of my disability, abruptly ceased when, at the age of fifty, I had double knee replacements. That first year, I felt like I was high all the time. Several years later, pent up energy is still flooding through me like a drug. I think I finally know what it's like to feel young.

Gretchen Hasse is a multidisciplinary artist working in comics, writing, and performance. She co-founded Agitator in 2017, and since then she also considers curation to be part of her practice.