SKETCHES FROM OUTSIDE THE MARGINS 2016 - 2018
Stories from Seattle/King County Clinic CONTENTS
ABOUT THE PROJECT I WISH WE COULD BUILD HAVING INSURANCE IS SHOULDN’T OUR EYES Maggie UP A SOCIAL SAFETY NET EXPENSIVE. NOT HAVING AND TEETH BE INCLUDED? David Lasky Everyday Gaps in the INSURANCE IS EXPENSIVE. Insurance without 4 Healthcare System Working People’s Dental & Vision Struggles with THIS CLINIC TAKES Calvin Healthcare Sci-Fi EVERYONE David Lasky Kelly Froh The Origins of Seattle/ 21 Ousman 42 King County Clinic Megan Kelso Nick 32 George Can Free Pop-up Clinics Pat Moriarity Owen Curtsinger Save American 22 Phyllis 43 Healthcare? Megan Kelso Eroyn Franklin The Lottery 33 Graham 6 Kelly Froh David Lasky 23 Taylor and Josh 44 Healthcare in America Amy Camber ET Russian Two Teeth 34 One Tooth Left 11 Tatiana Gill Tatiana Gill 24 Good to Go 45 IT’S OUR TURN NOW Tatiana Gill An Introduction Emiko 35 Pirate Treasure to the Patient Tatiana Gill Tatiana Gill Experience 25 Dave 46 Tatiana Gill Irina John 36 Toothless in Seattle Amy Camber Tatiana Gill Tatiana Gill 13 26 Pressure 47 Meredith Li-Vollmer Deisy and Siblings Sharnell 37 Margie Robyn Jordan Tatiana Gill Tatiana Gill 14 27 Blurry 48 Meredith Li-Vollmer Waiting Drake 38 Nathan Meredith Li-Vollmer Tatiana Gill Tatiana Gill 15 28 Not Optimistic 49 Rachel Scheer Line Buddies Peggy & Brian 39 Ben Meredith Li-Vollmer Tatiana Gill Tatiana Gill 16 29 Rick 50 David Lasky Thomas Ready for My Close-Up 40 I THINK I’LL GO WORK Robyn Jordan Meredith Li-Vollmer FOR STARBUCKS 17 30 Out of Work, Out of Insurance The Free Clinic Roberta Gregory Huavai 18 Pat Moriarity 52 Lorena Amy Camber Cybil & Ann @ 19 the Free Clinic Megan Kelso 53
Karl Meredith Li -Vollmer 54
Fred (or When Plan B is the ER) Amy Camber 55
Aging Out Kelly Froh 56 MANY CLOSED DOORS WHY DO PEOPLE GOTTA IT’S VERY PERSONAL THIS IS THE REAL Stories from Immigrant SUFFER LIKE THIS? Volunteer Stories AMERICA Patients Stories from Patients Outcomes from Five Living Unhoused or Volunteer Years of Seattle/King Rosa’s Family Homeless Roberta Gregory County Clinic ET Russian 78 58 Imagine Vision Kelly Froh Michael Roberta Gregory Timing 70 Amy Camber 91 Kelly Froh 79 59 Limited Time For Janet Tatiana Gill Catherine Meredith Li-Vollmer & The Unseen 71 Amy Camber David Lasky José Alaniz 80 92 60 Gabriel Tatiana Gill Lolinda Molly Ali 72 Amy Camber Tatiana Gill Roberta Gregory 81 95 62 Ashley David Lasky Empathy Allowed Catching Up Fatma and Family 73 Rachel Scheer Meredith Li-Vollmer Amy Camber 82 96 63 MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE Health Fair Rosa Angelica Social Support Services Meredith Li-Vollmer Amy Camber Amy Camber at the Clinic 83 97 64 Stereotypes Too Good Faith Hammel Dental Start Kelly Froh Meredith Li-Vollmer Ellen Forney Meredith Li-Vollmer 75 84 98 65 Mike Archer THESE POOCHES ARE Epilogue Mixed Blessing Ellen Forney PROFESSIONALS! Meredith Li-Vollmer Meredith Li-Vollmer 76 Comfort Dogs at the 99 66 Clinic THE ARTISTS Time for Myself Pickles 103 Rachel Scheer Pat Moriariy 67 86
Felipe Paging Lady Rose Tatiana Gill Rachel Scheer 68 87
Nancy & Baner Tatiana Gill 88
Puppy Love Roberta Gregory 89
Excerpts from Kelly Froh's pieces ABOUT THE PROJECT
For four days every fall during the past five years, Seattle/King County Clinic opened its doors at Seattle Center to offer free dental, medical and vision care. No insurance was needed, no documentation required, and all were welcomed. And people came by the thousands, waiting in line for hours, even overnight, for the range of services offered at this volunteer-run healthcare event.
Who were these patients, and what were their reasons for waiting in line for healthcare in an arena? Community stakeholders, healthcare Maggie by David Lasky, 2017 agencies and policy makers wanted to find out what brought them here and what experiences they have had with healthcare, both at the Clinic and every day. So, for three years Clinic organizers invited artists who work in a storytelling medium to roam through the giant venue, talk to patients and volunteers, and document the stories that were generously shared. The experiences they heard resonated with the artists, many who have also struggled to pay for healthcare, or delayed treatment because they could not afford it, or know people undergoing the same difficulties with healthcare access.
Through these stories, we aim to draw attention to the diversity of circumstances that brought people to Seattle/King County Clinic and the humanity of a community that came together to help those in need. We hope these stories will stimulate conversations about the struggles many people face with healthcare and the need for solutions so that everyone can have the opportunity to thrive.
Meredith Li-Vollmer, Editor
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to Seattle Center, Seattle Center Foundation, and Public Health—Seattle & King County for supporting this project, and to all the patients and volunteers who shared their stories. Cover artwork by Tatiana Gill. Back cover artwork by Amy Camber. Graphic layout by Sarah Sherman. More on Seattle/King County Clinic at seattlecenter.org/skcclinic
4 THIS CLINIC TAKES EVERYONE The Origins of Seattle/King County Clinic
5 6 7 Continued…. 8 9 Continued…. Can Free Pop-up Clinics Save American Healthcare? By Eroyn Franklin, 2016 10 11 Healthcare in America by ET Russian, 2017 IT’S OUR TURN NOW An Introduction to the Patient Experience
12 13 Irina by Amy Camber, 2018 Deisy and Siblings by Robyn Jordan, 2017 14 15 Waiting by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2017 Line Buddies by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2017 16 17 Thomas by Robyn Jordan, 2016 The Free Clinic by Roberta Gregory, 2016 18 19 Lorena by Amy Camber, 2018 I WISH WE COULD BUILD UP A SOCIAL SAFETY NET Everyday Gaps in the Healthcare System
20 21 Calvin by David Lasky, 2016 Nick by Pat Moriarity, 2016 22 23 The Lottery by Kelly Froh, 2016 Two Teeth by Tatiana Gill, 2016 24 25 Emiko by Tatiana Gill, 2017 John by Tatiana Gill, 2017 26 27 Sharnell by Tatiana Gill, 2017 Drake by Tatiana Gill, 2018 28 29 Peggy & Brian by Tatiana Gill, 2018 Ready for My Close-Up by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2017 30 HAVING INSURANCE IS EXPENSIVE. NOT HAVING INSURANCE IS EXPENSIVE. Working People’s Struggles with Healthcare
31 Ousman by Megan Kelso, 2016 32 33 Phyllis by Megan Kelso, 2016 Taylor and Josh by Amy Camber, 2017 34 35 Good to Go by Tatiana Gill, 2016 Dave by Tatiana Gill, 2018 36 37 Pressure by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2018 Blurry by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2016 38 39 Not Optimistic by Rachel Scheer, 2018 Rick by David Lasky, 2017 40 SHOULDN’T OUR EYES AND TEETH BE INCLUDED? Insurance without Dental and Vision
41 Sci-Fi by Kelly Froh, 2016 42 43 George by Owen Curtsinger, 2016 Graham by David Lasky, 2016 44 45 One Tooth Left by Tatiana Gill, 2016 Pirate Treasure by Tatiana Gill, 2016 46 47 Toothless in Seattle by Tatiana Gill, 2016 Margie by Tatiana Gill, 2017 48 49 Nathan by Tatiana Gill, 2017 Ben by Tatiana Gill, 2018 50 I THINK I’LL GO WORK FOR STARBUCKS Out of Work, Out of Insurance
51 Huavai by Pat Moriarity, 2016 52 Cybil & Ann @ the Free Clinic by Megan Kelso, 2017 53 Karl by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2017 54 Fred (or When Plan B is the ER) by Amy Camber, 2018
55 Aging Out by Kelly Froh, 2018 56 MANY CLOSED DOORS Stories from Immigrant Patients
57 Rosa’s Family by ET Russian, 2016 58 59 Timing by Kelly Froh, 2016 60 61 The Unseen by José Alaniz, 2017 Ali by Roberta Gregory, 2017 62 63 Fatma and Family by Amy Camber, 2017 Angelica by Amy Camber, 2018 64 65 Dental Start by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2016 Mixed Blessing by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2017 66 67 Time for Myself by Rachel Scheer, 2018 Felipe by Tatiana Gill, 2018 68 WHY DO PEOPLE GOTTA SUFFER LIKE THIS? Stories from Patients Living Unhoused or Homeless
69 Imagine by Kelly Froh, 2017 70 71 Limited Time by Tatiana Gill, 2016 Gabriel by Tatiana Gill, 2017 72 73 Ashley by David Lasky, 2017 MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE Social Support Services at the Clinic
74 75 Stereotypes by Kelly Froh, 2017 Mike Archer by Ellen Forney, 2018 76 IT’S VERY PERSONAL Volunteer Stories
77 Volunteer by Roberta Gregory, 2018 78 79 Michael by Amy Camber, 2017 Catherine by Amy Camber, 2018 80 81 Lolinda by Amy Camber, 2018 Empathy Allowed by Rachel Scheer, 2018 82 83 Health Fair by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2018 Too Good by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2018 84 THESE POOCHES ARE PROFESSIONALS! Comfort Dogs at the Clinic
85 Pickles by Pat Moriariy, 2016 86 87 Paging Lady Rose by Rachel Scheer, 2018 Nancy & Baner by Tatiana Gill, 2018 88 89 Puppy Love by Roberta Gregory, 2018 THIS IS THE REAL AMERICA Outcomes from Five Years Seattle/King County Clinic
90 91 Vision by Roberta Gregory, 2016 92 93 Continued.... For Janet by Meredith Li-Vollmer & David Lasky, 2018 94 95 Molly by Tatiana Gill, 2018 Catching Up by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2018 96 97 Rosa by Amy Camber, 2017 Faith Hammel by Ellen Forney, 2018 98 99 Continued.... 100 101 Continued.... Epilogue by Meredith Li-Vollmer, 2019 102 THE ARTISTS José Alaniz is an associate professor in the Robyn Jordan is a cartoonist, illustrator and Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures teacher. Her non-fiction memoir and journalism and the Department of Comparative Literature comics have been featured in various publications, (adjunct) at the University of Washington - Seattle, including The Stranger, Seattle Weekly, Narratively, chairs the Executive Committee of the International Vox, and The Huffington Post. She is a member Comic Arts Forum (ICAF), the leading comics of THE HAND, an art collective that creates studies conference in the United States. His comics collaborative comics. robynjordan.com have appeared in the Moscow Tribune, Seattle Weekly and Dune. Megan Kelso, a Seattle native, has published comics since the 1990s, starting with the Girlhero Amy Camber is an artist and teacher. She writes mini comic, later compiled into a book titled Queen about everything from feminism and parenting of the Black Black. Kelso received two Ignatz awards to periodontal disease and professional sports. for her graphic novel Artichoke Tales. In 2007, Her comics have appeared in The Huffington Post, she was invited by The New York Times Magazine Mutha Magazine, The Establishment, The Seattle to serialize her Watergate Sue comic as part of a Weekly, Bust, and Grab Back Comics among others. weekly Funny Pages feature. Kelso is currently at amycambercomics.com work on her third collection of short stories.
Owen Curtsinger is a comic artist and illustrator. David Lasky coauthored the graphic novel The His work focuses mostly on science and research- Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song, which won based topics, such as narwhal evolution, solar the comics industry’s Eisner Award, and is currently magnetism, and other natural wonders. He holds drawing a graphic novel which will focus on a certificate in Natural Science Illustration and a Seattle’s historic Georgetown Steam Plant. Among BA in Creative Writing, both from the University of his best known work is the comic book, No Washington. Ordinary Flu, made in collaboration with Public Health – Seattle & King County. Ellen Forney is the author of bestselling graphic memoir Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, Meredith Li-Vollmer communicates about health and Me, and its self-care companion book Rock issues for Public Health – Seattle & King County. Her Steady: Brilliant Advice From My Bipolar Life. Ellen experience staffing the Seattle/King County Clinic curated the traveling exhibition, Graphic Medicine: inspired her to organize this project. Her comics Ill-Conceived & Well-Drawn! for the National Library projects have been published in MUTHA, The of Medicine, and teaches comics at Cornish College Stranger, PEN America and The American Journal of of the Arts in Seattle. ellenforney.com Public Health. She is currently working on a book about comics for health communication. Eroyn Franklin is a comics artist, illustrator, arts educator, and Creative Director of Short Run Comix Pat Moriarity, a former art director at and Arts Festival. She has written 2 graphic novels, Fantagraphics Books, is an award winning designer, the Xeric-winning Another Glorious Day at the illustrator, animator and cartoonist. His work has Nothing Factory, and Detained, which is part of a appeared in many publications including Zero Zero, permanent Wing Luke Museum exhibit at Inscape Big Mouth, Real Stuff, Nickelodeon and Mineshaft in Seattle. eroynfranklin.com Magazine. He teaches storyboarding at Seattle Art Institute and also at Seattle Film Institute. Kelly Froh is a comic artist, art instructor, and co- founder and Executive Director of Short Run Comix E.T. Russian is a multi-sensory artist, author, & Arts Festival in Seattle. Her work can be found at filmmaker and healthcare provider from Seattle. cargocollective.com/kefroh and previously in The Russian is the author of The Ring of Fire Anthology Seattle Weekly, The Seattle Review of Books, Moss, and has published work in The Stranger, The Seattle The Women’s Review of Books and Popula. Weekly, Gay Genius and The Collective Tarot. Russian is a member of cartooning collective THE Tatiana Gill is a Seattle-based cartoonist who HAND, an Advisory Board Member for Seattle’s uses her art to show strength and vulnerability, Short Run Comix & Arts Festival, a featured artist often on themes of mental health and diversity. Gill with Sins Invalid and dance company Light Motion, has created dozens of self-published comic books and Co-Director of the movie Third Antenna. and contributes to publications across the world. etrussian.com tatianagill.com Rachel Scheer is a comic artist living in Seattle, Roberta Gregory has been creating (and Washington. Rachel’s mostly autobiographical publishing) her unique comics since the 1970s. comics have been published by The Stranger, She is best known for her character “Bitchy Bitch”. The Seattle Weekly, Narratively, Lilith Magazine, robertagregory.com and Fantagraphics. When she isn’t making comics, Rachel works as a second grade teacher. rachelcomics.com
103