Q: Is this story real?

A: It's as real as it can be while condensing more than a year's worth of events into comic strip form. The story is obviously told from my perspective; Mom, Nurse Sis, Kid Sis and others remember some things differently. But we are "real people" and Mom's Cancer is as honest as I could make it.

 

Q: Why tell this story?

A: I realize I'm not the first person in the world to face a parent's serious illness. However, as our family lived through these events, I was often surprised by observations I never anticipated or considered. Those insights seemed worth sharing.

 

Q: Why a comic strip?

A: It was the right medium for the story I wanted to tell. Comic strips meld words and pictures to convey an idea with more economy and grace than either could alone. I was inspired to pursue the idea when I accompanied Mom to chemotherapy one day and did a quick sketch of her napping during the long session. That sketch encouraged me to give Mom's Cancer a try.

 

Q: Have I seen your cartooning work before?

A: Almost surely not.

 

Q: Why did you misspell "Just Desserts?"

A: The word really is "deserts" with one "s," like the word "deserve." You can look it up.

 

Q: What's next? Will you do a sequel?

A: I am not planning any sequels to Mom's Cancer, but I do have other ideas for new creative projects in the works--some of which would involve cartooning and some not--and we'll see what emerges. Nothing soon.