“Jim’s always been a bit of a character, just like his Dad, and spends most of his life between the bookies, the pub and the football. He’s always had this lingering feeling though that he doesn’t quite fit into this world, that there’s something different about him, something wrong...”

From Stage to Page...

We are raising funds for a graphic novel adaptation of my play The Life and Soul which toured with Red Ladder Theatre Company in 2016, and its sister piece The Parting Glass which toured in 2019. 

The play deals with mental health and depression in young men and was supported by Arts Council England, Leeds Community Foundation and the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust touring England and Northern Ireland and was a success with audiences and critics.

Exploring mental health, masculinity and human connection in a social media-obsessed world, The Life and Soul was produced by Red Ladder Theatre Company and directed by Rod Dixon.

'... a real tearjerker and brings home just how much pain Jim has gone through and the knock-on effect this has on family and friends...' - Reviews Hub review for The Parting Glass. 

‘…a serious examination of important and life-changing issues… but with a fair few laughs along the way.’ -Reviews Hub review for The Life and Soul.

‘… a dynamic and emotive production that throws into question socialised masculinity, and the dangers of playing up to the entrenched stereotypes that leave men particularly voiceless and isolated.’ - The State of the Arts review for The Life and Soul.

Please note in order to fully create and self-publish this product and distribute to community organisations in the UK we are looking to raise between £20k-£25k so if we reach our initial £10k goal, please do continue to donate if you want to support this project.

Feedback From Individuals For The Stage Version

Why Fund?

The funding will support myself and illustrator, Tony Pickering, to collaborate to produce a 100+ page graphic novel of the story explored on stage in the plays ‘The Life and Soul’ and ‘The Parting Glass’. Over the course of a year, working both independently and collaboratively we will have created a graphic novel that addresses key issues such as mental health and suicide. We will have 250 copies of these free for key venues and organisations in the region, as well as some given directly to individuals who would benefit.

We know this story resonates on the issues it covers - this next evolution allows it to touch more people affected by those issues. The theatrical version toured with a dedicated healthcare professional and was paired with Q&A’s which was of a real benefit. For this version we will have a mental health toolkit in the appendix to the story, tapping into the success of the burgeoning field of graphic medicine. We will also plan a series of workshops around graphic novels, writing and promoting better mental health habits.

By use of a different medium we move beyond the ephemeral nature of the story as a theatre piece to create a lasting artefact that can be used to target demographics not reached by previous iterations. The creation of a permanent, physical manifestation of the story will create a resource people can return to. It can be there for them at all times - giving a voice to their feelings and providing tools to help improve their own mental health.

Feedback From Organisations For The Stage Version

Our previous audience responses evidence how vital it is to provide accessible arenas in which to openly discuss this difficult topic - which are not often available in the communities in the play toured to.

We will use this funding to gift this graphic novel for free to people and organisations who need it most - including schools, as it is important that the next generation of young men become aware that it’s okay not to be okay. We believe this will have an impact as Graphic novels have seen record sales exceeding the £50m mark for the first time (£53.2m) in 2022, and 28.7 percent of young people read graphic novels in 2023.

We know this show works and resonates. It helped raise awareness of the issue of suicide among communities, gave a voice to those suffering and provide a space to talk about solutions. We want the graphic novel to continue this work, and give people a resource they can return to.

This project aims at raising awareness of issues such as mental health and suicide, with a story particularly focused around (but not limited to) a young man - the demographic where suicide is the largest killer.

- Mental health is a serious issue with young people in this country. In 2022 more than a fifth (22%) of young people aged 17 to 24 years had a probable mental disorder - Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2022, National Centre for Social Research

-Suicide is the biggest cause of death in men under the age of 50 in the UK - Department of Health and Social Care, UK Gov

- “Most participants [social care professionals] believe that comics have a potential role to play in mental health care training” Priego & Farthing (2020) in Open Library of Humanities Journal

Sample Pages

The Team

Chris O'Connor is a professional playwright from Leeds who has written for organisations such as the Leeds Playhouse, BBC Radio and Red Ladder. His work has covered a range of topics such as radicalisation, masculinity and the migrant crisis. He also co-hosts the Mantality podcast, promoting positive mental health practices in men, and is a proud member of the Effective Altruism movement deducting 10% of his pre-tax income to charity and becoming the first Artist of Impact from the UK. 

Website: https://www.chris-oconnor.co.uk/

Tony Pickering is an Illustrator/Artist and creator of the graphic pathography Diabetes: Year One. His fascination is the arena of graphic medicine – where the comics medium intersects with patient and practitioner experiences to illuminate our understanding of illness, and the implications it can have for a patient focused approach to health communication, visualisation and interaction. He has developed a freelance practice focused on patienthood, community histories and narratives. Further expanding into exploring concept design, mapping, data visualisation and sketch noting to facilitate discussion and debate.

Website: https://www.pick-art.co.uk