In this second episode of the Comics Librarianship series Iurgi sits down with Matthew Noe, who is the Lead Collection and Knowledge Management Librarian at Harvard Medical School, an instructor for the University of Kentucky and Library Juice Academy, and a Trustee for the Worcester Public Library. He is a former President for the American Library Association’s Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table and the Treasurer for the Graphic Medicine International Collective.

Matt published an excellent article on graphic medicine in the recent Booklist’s Guide to Graphic Novels 2025. In this conversation Matt discuses the growth of graphic medicine, why it’s such an important field of study, genre and community and his thoughts on graphic medicine now.

00:20 Introduction

02:11 What Matt's been up to since we last talked to him in 2021

06:03 The origins of graphic medicine

08:17 Graphic medicine before the term was coined

11:33 Key developments in graphic medicine since 2007

19:32 Will Eisner and graphic medicine: A cautionary tale

22:36 Graphic medicine as a field and a genre

25:08 Graphic medicine as a field of study

29:22 Graphic medicine as practice

31:51 Graphic medicine as a community/collective

38:52 Graphic medicine as a genre

46:26 Art heals: Comics that made a huge personal impact

53:30 What Matt would like to see in the future for graphic medicine in libraries

56:15 Graphic medicine in different markers: America, Europe, Asia

01:01:48 Iurgi and Matt give recommendations to each other:

• Brittle Joints by Maria Sweeney
• Sleepless Planet: A Graphic Guide to Healing From Insomnia by Maureen Burdock
• Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou by Hitoshi Ashinano
• The Art of Flying by Antonio Altarriba, Kim
• Mafalda by Quino

Check out the Graphic Medicine International Collective website and subscribe to their newsletter: https://www.graphicmedicine.org/

Drawing Blood: A comics and medicine exhibit at the Ohio State University's Billy Ireland Library: https://www.graphicmedicine.org/drawing-blood-comics-medicine-exhibit/

To stay up to date and for the full roundup of news, resources and new titles visit our website: https://graphic.alia.org.au/

The ALIA Graphic Groove Theme 2025 courtesy of Clint Owen Ellis https://www.clintowenellis.com/

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