That's how Sharon Wachsler describes her Sick Humor postcards. I've been on her emailing list for quite awhile so I thought I would tell you about her work. She says her "cartoons and writings make fun of chronic illness from a disability rights and disability studies perspective."
She transformed upset into art after she became disabled by chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS) and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) in 1995. She says, "as I was confronted with the daily frustrations, indignities, and peculiarities of life with chronic illness, I started drawing cartoons that depicted my experiences -- transforming my anger into comedy."
Wachsler said she chose the postcard format because "I've always loved postcards as a fun, funky way to decorate, proclaim my politics, or send a laugh to a friend. Postcards are an ideal way to make Sick Humor available to everyone; they are portable, easy to share, affordable, and the black & white images transfer beautifully. Plus, humor is often the best way to reach non-disabled people about the realities of life with disability."
Wachsler also writes humor articles about life with a disability, like this one from the disablity culture and literature journal Breath & Shadow.
