Mess - a Graphic Biography
This 24 page comic follows my 15-year-old nephew as he retells his life as he remembers it. Through his parents’ addiction, his own mental health, and not excluding his special interest in IT.
Inside back cover of MessThe Process
Mess was a very personal project for me, being an aunt is one of my favorite jobs. Going into it, I wanted to create a space for Aayden to be vulnerable, while also welcoming others into this raw take on boys’ mental health, drug addiction, and the foster care system.
Being able to talk to Aayden on a deep and personal level made us even closer than we were already.
Aayden, Bu, and I in real life!December 2025
The Cover
The Title Mess is a play on his “messy” life and his last name.
The Cover was watercolored on 11×14 watercolor paper
Our interview process lasted more than 3 hours!
thumbnails… or scribbles?
