Comics compiled by instructor Taylor Brown-Evans, Creative Writing
Please enjoy this collection of excellent comics from students in our 2025 comics classes.
This year we’re excited to have examples of comics from across our school — the minor program, BFA and MFA. You’ll find everything from memoir to fantasy, by beginner and experienced cartoonists.
We’re proud to offer comics as part of our multi-genre program; we find that not only do our students make great comics, but they also take comics skills (juxtaposition, compression, visualization) into their work in other genres.
More comics on view in the Creative Writing hallway, fourth floor of Buchanan E.
Happy reading!
Land Marks
Land Marks by Yumeng Chen (CRWR 358)
I graduated with an MFS in Land and Food Systems, and I’m currently an unclassified student and a part-time artist. My creative work centers around themes of botany, nature and 20th-century history.
Land Marks is a nonfiction short comic based on my experience landscaping and farming at UBC Farm. Through this piece, I wanted to show how organic farming not only left physical marks, but also changed the way I think about food and nature. I came to realize that food isn’t just something we pick up at a grocery store—it is the result of effort, care and a deep relationship with the natural world.
Fast Track to Hell and Back
Fast Track to Hell and Back by L. Davies (CRWR 208)
This comic was inspired by my son’s experimentation with substance use, and his life-changing train ride. Working through story details offered an opportunity for perspective-taking, and helped me better understand and empathize with his struggle. He was keen for me to capture his story in a comic, responding, “Share away!” when asked if he would be ok with posting it here. I aspire to the courage of my offspring.
I’ve raised my family on the unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ lands, growing and thriving as a grandchild of settlers—uninvited, yet hopeful, fleeing poverty and religious persecution. Now a grandmother, living with knowledge of the oppression of the peoples whose land we now inhabit—I’m humbly grateful to live on Canada’s West Coast, with the opportunity to pursue creative writing in all its forms, learning and looking for ways to give back.
Don’t cry over SPILT MILK
Don’t cry over SPILT MILK by Ellie Martin (CRWR 358)
Don’t cry over SPILT MILK is a mini-comic that looks into the lives of anthropomorphic milk roommates. Even though they are high in cream, they can’t always rise to the top. This dark comedy throws you on an emotional whirlwind as much as it is adorable.
Content warning: Depiction of suicide
My Midterm Break Trip
My Midterm Break Trip by Sophia Ng (CRWR 208)
My Midterm Break Trip is a reflection on my return to the Philippines after moving away 11 years ago. Following my journey of revisiting childhood spaces and observing cultural shifts, I express my thoughts on identity, disconnection and belonging. I reflect the thoughts I had during my short visit—feeling out of place in the country I was born in and contemplating the stark contrast between privilege and poverty. I aimed to visually document the memories made on my trip through this diary comic, as well as capture my attempt to make sense of what home means to me and how it continues to influence my identity.
The One Thousand
The One Thousand by Devon Takagawa (CRWR 208)
This comic is an amalgamation of the things I love, like spaceships, sci-fi and music. It also deals with the darker stuff, like loneliness and human mistakes and apocalyptic futures. Hopefully without sounding too pretentious, this was my way of expressing the journey to find some semblance of peace while dealing with the scary things about being human that, for the past few years especially, seem to be growing in magnitude and scope. Finally, thank you everyone at CRWR 208 for being such beautiful teachers and inspirations and fostering such a sense of creative togetherness and growth. To anyone reading, hopefully you enjoy!
SOLUM
SOLUM by Sandy Wen (CRWR 358 002)
Sandy Wen (she/her) is a second-year BFA student at UBC whose artwork rarely suits living room or bedroom walls. Her pieces often explore themes of gore and body horror—so much so that students have reportedly been jump-scared upon entering the shared studio space on the second floor of the Dorothy Somerset Studio. Sandy won’t stop drawing grotesque human creatures—and despite the sleep deprivation and stress her projects bring, she will try not to become one herself. SOLUM is an apocalyptic response to the danger of the absence of true human connection and understanding. Call a loved one. Reply to the texts you’ve been procrastinating over.
The Moment I Vanished
The Moment I Vanished by Angelina Yuan (CRWR 208)
The Moment I Vanished is a graphic memoir piece on my experience of amaurosis fugax, a temporary loss of vision due to a lack of blood flow to the retina. It happened during my class, and I completely lost my vision for about 20 minutes. During that period, I was unable to do anything but to suffer through it in panic. After this experience, I realized that it is extremely important to stay healthy and take care of myself. I also want to use this comic to improve people’s knowledge on amaurosis fugax and related medical information, and remind everyone to live a healthy life.
Lustre
Lustre by Liya Yin (CRWR 308)
Lustre is a bittersweet comic about a moth with dusky wings, searching for a light of her own. It’s a story of loneliness, insecurity, and the ache of always feeling outshone.
Liya Yin is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia whose love for comics was sparked through its creative writing courses. She hopes this story will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt lost in the dark, and looks forward to creating and sharing more stories through comics.
FREEDOM
FREEDOM by Xinrun Bai (Betty) (CRWR 208)
FREEDOM is a psychological horror comic exploring the inner battles of a girl struggling with disordered eating. Set within a surreal void, her fragmented body confronts anthropomorphized organs Spleen, Stomach and Brain, each voicing pain, fear and suppressed truth. As reality blurs with hallucination, her journey reveals how an obsession with control isolates her from her own body. The comic visualizes the cost of internalized pressure and the slow, painful step toward recovery through stark black-and-white visuals, shifting panel structures, and a gradual return to colour.
Content warning: Discussion of disordered eating
