Discussion
Comics have long been employed as an entertainment tool but also to inform and raise awareness for educational purposes. From health campaigns to safety instructions, they have communicated complex issues in accessible ways for both children and adults. Within this tradition, a number of comics specifically address disability, introducing readers to the everyday realities, challenges, and resilience of people with disabilities. Such works foster empathy, reduce stigma, and provide guidance on inclusive social interaction. For example,
El Deafo (2014) by Cece Bell portrays the experience of growing up with hearing loss, while the Japanese manga
With the Light (2000–2010) by Keiko Tobe focuses on raising a child with autism. More recently, graphic medicine projects such as
Taking Turns (2017) by MK Czerwiec highlight the intersections of illness, care, and community. Building on this wider tradition, the paper situates recent Ukrainian works within the educational and social function of graphic narratives. It focuses on three examples published during Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine:
Nevydymky (
The Invisibles, 2023) by Anastasiia Opryshchenko,
Mii tato povernuvsia z viiny (
My dad returned from the War, 2023) by Oleksandr Koreshkov, and
Tekhnolohii Nezlamnosti.
Superliudy (Technologies of resilience. Superhumans, 2024) by Maria Serdiuk and Lesia Beldii. These works target both child and adult audiences, with some supported by charitable initiatives that ensure free online access, while others appear as commercial projects. Methodologically, the paper combines content analysis (focusing on how war-related injuries and PTSD are represented), multimodal analysis (examining the interplay of text, image, and paratextual design), and narrative analysis (how educational structures intersect with storytelling). Situated within disability studies, trauma studies, and memory studies, this approach highlights how comics function as both educational instruments and cultural testimonies. They reveal the embodied and psychological consequences of war, integrate them into cultural memory, strengthen the capacity of individuals and communities to cope with war trauma, and contribute to the formation of a more inclusive society in contemporary Ukraine.
