National Infertility Awareness week begins April 19, and this year one artist put his talents to creative use in order to spark conversation around infertility, which is an important reproductive healthcare issue.
Humanoids, the publisher of some of the world’s most groundbreaking science fiction and fantasy graphic novels, has been showcasing deeply personal and political stories inspired not by science fiction but the world around us with its new Life Drawn imprint. These acclaimed graphic novels run the gamut: from cartoonist Koren Shadmi’s dazzling biography ‘Twilight Man: Rod Serling and The Birth of Television’; to runner Sebastien Samson’s memoir of the New York Marathon; to William Roy’s stunning biography ‘Hedy Lamarr: An Incredible Life’. Now William Roy returns with the latest Life Drawn release, the intimate and surprisingly funny graphic novel IN VITRO.
Guillaume and Emma are newlyweds. Their life together is full of love and happiness, and they have everything they’ve always wanted… well, almost everything. The two newlyweds are staring down a new and menacing foe unlike anything they’ve ever faced together before: sterility. Determined to find a way to become parents, the couple embarks on the confusing journey that is in vitro fertilization.Together Guillaume and Emma navigate unsuccessful attempts, repeated failures, and the menacing hyperbole of WebMD. Guillaume experiences the daily embarrassment of sperm donations, tests with dreaded results, and endless consultations—not to mention the specter of his own estranged father who reappears suddenly in his life…
IN VITRO is a timely, honest, and empathetic portrayal of an experience millions of couples have encountered. With self-effacing charm, William Roy humbly and accurately shares a deeply human experience that is propelled by unshakable hope.
What we love about this concept is that the story comes from the perspective of a man, as this is a topic that impacts so many male partners as well. It is important to show nuanced aspects to stories regarding infertility. The more stories and experiences we see being shared, including those in a graphic novel like William’s, the more we start to see stigma broken down and eradicated.
William is a self-taught artist who began his creative career as an editor and a director of documentaries. In 2014, he published his first graphic novel, De Père en FIV (La Boîte à Bulles), an autobiographical account of his experiences with IVF. You can purchase and read the full IN VITRO story by clicking here. Take a look at some of the pages in a preview below:
