Raising Awareness on Autism

Jenn Slade's Phill in the Blank

By Jennifer M. Contino
November 20, 2017

It's tough to understand what a child living with autism goes through on a daily basis. Cartoonist and teacher Jenn Slade wanted to shed some light on this disorder through comics. Find out how she decided to "Phill in the Blank".

Sequential Tart: First for those of our readers who have heard the word, but don't really understand what it means, can you give us a brief overview of Autism?

Jenn Slade: Scientifically, autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. However, the scientific side of autism is not my focus. My focus is on humans. Autism is a way of being. Neuro-typical (NT) is way of being. Both of these terms have the word "being" in it. They are both ways of being human. Both ways of being should be treated as human being. One should not try to change the other but accept and unite. One is not better than the other. Being human is the only thing that matters to me. My book centers around a nonverbal boy with autism. I am interested in the way this type of human being thinks, acts, reacts, and how they want to be treated. My focus is on helping relay the main idea that nonverbal people with autism should be perceived as intelligent.

ST: What drove you to teach art to special needs and autistic children? I know how tough that can be, especially since a lot of it is two steps forward, one step back ....

JS: I was teaching at a previous job in which I would go to schools with other animators to teach kids how to create 30-second animations based on non-smoking and good health choices. When this job ended, I wanted to stay in the art education field and found an art teaching assistant position in a school for special needs. I had no idea what autism was and was very excited to just be part of the art room.

After three months as an art assistant for grades K-Adult, I learned so quickly about kids with autism and how wide a range there is as to what autism is.

ST: How do you go from "I'm teaching" to "I want to create an educational comic book for the masses"?

JS: I am an animator and cartoonist and I have always wanted to create something of my own that could be part of the world. I never really had a message that would influence people in a way that hasn't already been achieved by other artists. After teaching for about two years at a school for autism, it dawned on me that I am now experiencing day to day a world I never knew about on such a level that it is natural for me to be accepting and accommodating. I am so committed to connecting with my students and strive for better understanding about what they are dealing with and why they do what they do and think the way they think. The students teach me so much every day. I know I am becoming a better person because of them. I want others who don't understand autism to be able to learn to connect and become not only more aware but also more accepting of something that is foreign to them.

I think autism is an important subject for all to learn about, especially now that it's growing in population. I have been teaching nine years now for students on the entire spectrum. The students I'd like to support most are those who are nonverbal. I know there are some who can speak through type and point to words and pictures, but I'm talking about the people who aren't capable of that. These people are treated like little kids because they can't point to a tree when asked to. Instead they are stuck learning the ABCs until they're 20 because they can't yell out that they know what's going on. They aren't seen as intelligent.

ST: What were some of the challenges of getting Phill in the Blank from the idea to completed stages?

JS: My challenge from the start was making sure that what I am creating illustrates the lives of people with autism correctly. I want to be sure that what I am creating represents the truth. I am not autistic and don't want to create something that is harmful and misrepresents autism. Another challenge was picking the traits I want Phill to have. I want the audience to know that every single person with autism is very different from each other. Everyone, autistic or not, is a unique person. I made sure to research books that were written by nonverbal people with autism. I even contacted one of the authors and asked him to review my ideas to make sure it is correct and get his stamp of approval.

Another challenge, not nearly as difficult as the first one, was choosing my medium. I wasn't sure if I wanted the book to be hand drawn and painted or drawn and painted on a tablet. I tried both, and it took about a year before I decided on hand drawn with ink and watercolor. After I got into a routine in creating and formatting the book, everything started falling into place.

ST: How did you take children you knew and create a Phill that would be relatable to all?

JS: I started off by creating Phill based on my basic interest, which is getting inside the world of a nonverbal kid with autism. I wanted to be sure that the story was coming from the point of view of a nonverbal person with autism. I didn't want to just create something around what I see at work. Otherwise, I'd still be giving an outsider's point of view if I did this. I used some of what I learned from my day to day work, but I mainly used story topics from books written by nonverbal authors. I put my character into this real world situation and planned out how Phill would act and react in a cartoon version of this situation. I came up with a list of story ideas that I could use to start with. Such as, Phill has picture day at school. How would Phill act and react in this situation? While I sketched the idea out I was able to envision Phill's world.

ST: I know a lot use "autism" as a blanket term, but there isn't just one type of autism. Where on the spectrum is Phill?

JS: I hate to use terms like high and low functioning, because it demeans people when we create labels for them. I have to say when I first started teaching I didn't know what else to say in order to describe the many cognitive and physical levels that there are on the ever changing spectrum. I am now researching more about how this hurts people on the spectrum, as well as how some people on the spectrum don't see labels as a threat.

Phill is very smart. He understands people when they speak. He knows what's going on around him, even if he isn't showing that he's paying attention. He has fine motor deficits as well as social behaviors that affect how he is perceived. His actions don't match who he truly is on the inside. If he were to be labeled, most would envision this character as "low functioning" or maybe having "moderate autism".

ST: Who are some of Phill's "Friends" in this series?

JS: The main characters are Phill, a non-verbal 10-year-old boy with autism, a tree named Oakly who is the down to earth voice of reason, a sunflower named Cass who is the nurturing caregiver, and a weed named Bramble who is the much needed comic relief.

ST: I know a lot of autistic children have a hard time relating to other "people". What made you choose plants and trees as his pals?

JS: Phill lives in his imagination and finds friends in nature. Phill finds comfort in nature because he can relate to nature and doesn't have to worry about how to act and react like he does with humans. Nature doesn't speak, it doesn't judge, it's non-intrusive and peaceful. He can be himself with nature.

ST: Who or what influenced your artistic style the most on this project?

JS: I knew I wanted the main look and feel of the cartoon to be tangible as well as have the old comic book style I grew up with. Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, and all the other comics that were in the papers are a huge influence on the style I am using. I love traditional hand drawn comics and want to keep it alive as the industry has moved on to digital platforms to produce artwork at a faster pace.

Because Phill's friends live in the woods, and Phill lives in his mind, I wanted the look of the comic strip to have a natural look. Because senses are such a big part of how people on the spectrum see the world, react to the world, and are part of the world, I wanted to illustrate Phill's world with color and textures that show this.

ST: You work with a lot of children with autism, how have they responded to the comic book adventures of Phill?

JS: When I started writing and drawing my first drafts the students were so excited and wanted to be part of the book in some way. Some gave me ideas for characters and creatures and what the characters could be interested in and what the characters could do in the story. I also combined these ideas with what I have experienced through observation as well as reading books from authors who are nonverbal with autism.

ST: Why do you think it is so important to normalize something like autism?

JS: I think it's important to provide information that illustrates a wide range of lifestyles that promote neurodiversity. Normalizing wouldn't be the right term. It sounds more like people without autism are trying to fix people with autism. I wouldn't say that normalizing is the right word for what I want to achieve.

I'd like to help create depictions of people with and without autism in a way that unites them. Neuro-typical people shouldn't be looking at autism as something that needs to be treated in order to make people more like them. NT's need to learn that autism is a way of life in and of itself. It needs to be embraced and understood in order to be accepted. Acceptance can only be reached if people with any condition, any race, any difference are seen as just as human as anyone else who skates by in life as so called "normal". No one is normal. No one is perfect. We are all human.

ST: What do you think needs to be done to help raise awareness even more?

JS: The world of film and television is starting to create shows that are about autism. They are trying to include current lifestyles that show how the minds of these characters with autism maneuver through a life that requires them to live in a nuero-typical world. This is a great start. Having shows written by people on the spectrum and allowing people with autism to create, direct, act and be involved in the shows would better explain what autism is to those who don't have it in their lives in any way. People can try to be as "aware" as they can with books, lectures, meetings and so on. However, NT's can't connect fully through second hand education. Learning from people on the spectrum directly, hearing the stories from their points of view can improve awareness which will hopefully help create acceptance. I would love my books of Phill in the Blank to become an animated TV Show. I believe it's the right time to get this information out and my cartoon will help connect people in the next generation who are going to be living in a world that has more need for inclusion and acceptance. Kids now need to learn how to embrace and unite with each other no matter what the differences are.

ST: Speaking of the world of television, have you had a chance to see The Good Doctor, the new series about a surgeon with Autism? What do you think?

JS: I have been watching it. I like the way they are trying to show how important it is to open up opportunities to people on the spectrum. The backstory of Sean, the doctor on the spectrum, is more intriguing to me. They flashback to Sean's childhood when he's confronted with something in his present life. For example, he sees flashing lights of a police car and needs to get into the police car for his job but he won't get in. The flashing lights take him back to a time that explains why he's having a hard time in the present.

These more human moments show viewers that their point of view of situations like this aren't what they seem. This is another way to teach people to always assume intelligence.

The one thing I am hoping for in future shows is to see more characters who aren't seen as savants. So far shows are only showing one side or one kind of autism. These are more glamorous displays of life with autism. Autism isn't always pretty. People need to see this side and learn what it's like, what it looks like and how to get involved. This will also lead to acceptance.

ST: Are you a comic book fan? If so, what comics do you enjoy the most? If not, did you read / research any before undertaking this project? Which ones?

JS: As far as cartooning, Calvin and Hobbes is my favorite. It got me to start drawing cartoon characters. I love the sarcasm and wit as well as the craftsmanship of Bill Watterson's artwork. I also always read Peanuts, Garfield, and The Far Side. When I was 12, I started drawing for a volunteer newspaper and created one-panel cartoons using humor similar to Far Side.

ST: How do you juggle the time between your full time job and comics?

JS: I try my best to dedicate my time after work and on the weekends to drawing and creating my book. It's very hard to be motivated after a long day of working with kids. This first book took me three years to finish mainly because I was working 40 hours a week teaching as well as getting my Special Ed Teaching degree online at night. I'd do parts of the book at a time. Sometimes I'd storyboard rough sketches for about a half hour, other times when I'm feeling more motivated and have more time I'd paint and ink. It had to be pieced together over the three years it took. Now that I'm finished with my degree (YEAH!) I can hopefully get my next book finished in a year to year and a half.

ST: What kind of feedback have you gotten from readers so far?

JS: I was able to exhibit my book for the first time this past April at an animation convention in Burbank, CA. Many people didn't know much about autism and were surprised to find a comic book about it. Some were very grateful and felt it was a good message. Others who do have people with autism in their lives were very excited to see this topic represented and were eager to read it. A couple people told me that the book is exactly what their family member is like. I didn't know how touching and real the book would be for so many people. This motivates me to keep creating this book and research further to educate myself as well as others.

ST: What have you found the most rewarding about creating this comic series?

JS: As a person who doesn't have autism I learned and am still learning about how to make sure my story is accurate and is coming from the point of view of a nonverbal person with autism. I am very aware of how this book will affect the lives of those with autism and those living with people with autism. I don't want to be hurtful or offensive in any way and have to make sure this book is not coming from my point of view.

ST: How could interested readers get a copy of the book?

JS: My book is available through my website: www.phillintheblank.com.

There is a link on that site that will direct you to Amazon where it can be purchased.

Phill In The Blank Official Website