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Turning a teen refugee's story into a comic Turning a teen refugee's story into a comic
(2 months later)
Ebrahim was only 15 when his stepfather Ebrahim was only 15 when his stepfather paid agents to smuggle him out of Iran. What followed was a terrifying trip across Europe – people were beaten up, women were raped, their IDs were stolen. Ebrahim had no idea where he was going, until he stepped out of a truck and found himself in the UK.
paid agents to smuggle him out of Iran. What followed was a When I was asked to turn Ebrahim's story into a comic, I was incredibly excited but also scared. Most of my comics are fiction, and this was a very different challenge. I met up with Ebrahim for an initial interview, and started with the facts and figures: what happened? When? How long has he been in the UK?
terrifying trip across Europe – people were beaten up, women were Ebrahim told me that when he was six years old, his father was murdered. He has a scar on his leg from the same shooting. Four years ago (he is now 19), his stepfather was warned that Ebrahim - who is a Kurdish Iranian - was in danger for handing out political flyers. Once Ebrahim finally arrived in the UK he was swallowed up into a four year bureaucratic nightmare, trying to prove who he was in the hope he would be granted 'leave to remain'.
raped, their IDs were stolen. Ebrahim had no idea where he was going, I listened to everything that Ebrahim was telling me and thought, how on earth am I going to draw this? The great comics journalist Joe Sacco always puts himself in his reportage. I wondered if maybe I should be in this comic, listening to Ebrahim's story. But in the end I thought it needed to be just about him.
until he stepped out of a truck and found himself in the UK. The first step was doing a bunch of rough sketches. One of the sketches was the page showing Ebrahim and his father being shot. They are just drawings on paper, but I was very aware that this was somebody who died, and that it was Ebrahim's father. Ebrahim has no pictures of his parents. He hasn't seen his mother since he left, and doesn't know where she is. Making them real on the page felt like a big pressure. I waited nervously for Ebrahim's response, and was relieved to hear that he liked them.
When I was asked to turn Ebrahim's Telling Ebrahim's story as a comic makes sense because comics are a universal language. You don't need to speak English to understand what is happening, and it means that someone in Iran, or South Korea, or Japan could read Ebrahim's story, and see what he, and the other 1000 children a year who arrive alone in the UK, have gone through.
story into a comic, I was incredibly excited but also scared. Most of Ebrahim has had to tell his story a lot over the last four years. During endless interviews, he tried to make UK officials believe he was just 15. In the end they forced him to have a medical examination to prove it. It's quite a shocking page in the comic.
my comics are fiction, and this was a very different challenge. I met When we started our interview, I could tell that Ebrahim was exhausted by the prospect of talking about everything again. But this was quite a different experience, and it ended up being a chance for him to reclaim his story.
up with Ebrahim for an initial interview, and started with the facts He was also surprised by seeing it as a comic. I don't think he realised that they can be an adult medium. We've shown it to people from around the world, and one man - another refugee - said to us, 'This is my story.' With comics, people can project their own experiences on to these simple drawings and make them their own.
and figures: what happened? When? How long has he been in the UK?
Ebrahim told me that when he was six years old, his father was
murdered. He has a scar on his leg from the same shooting. Four years
ago (he is now 19), his stepfather was warned that Ebrahim - who is
a Kurdish Iranian - was in danger for handing out political flyers.
Once Ebrahim finally arrived in the UK he was swallowed up into a
four year bureaucratic nightmare, trying to prove who he was in the
hope he would be granted 'leave to remain'.
I listened to everything that Ebrahim
was telling me and thought, how on earth am I going to draw this? The
great comics journalist Joe Sacco always puts himself in his
reportage. I wondered if maybe I should be in this comic, listening
to Ebrahim's story. But in the end I thought it needed to be just
about him.
The first step was doing a bunch of
rough sketches. One of the sketches was the page showing Ebrahim and
his father being shot. They are just drawings on paper, but I was
very aware that this was somebody who died, and that it was Ebrahim's
father. Ebrahim has no pictures of his parents. He hasn't seen his
mother since he left, and doesn't know where she is. Making them real
on the page felt like a big pressure. I waited nervously for
Ebrahim's response, and was relieved to hear that he liked them.
Telling Ebrahim's story as a comic
makes sense because comics are a universal language. You don't need
to speak English to understand what is happening, and it means that
someone in Iran, or South Korea, or Japan could read Ebrahim's story,
and see what he, and the other 1000 children a year who arrive alone
in the UK, have gone through.
Ebrahim has had to tell his story a lot
over the last four years. During endless interviews, he tried to make
UK officials believe he was just 15. In the end they forced him to
have a medical examination to prove it. It's quite a shocking page in
the comic.
When we started our interview, I could
tell that Ebrahim was exhausted by the prospect of talking about
everything again. But this was quite a different experience, and it
ended up being a chance for him to reclaim his story.
He was also surprised by seeing it as a
comic. I don't think he realised that they can be an adult medium.
We've shown it to people from around the world, and one man - another refugee - said to
us, 'This is my story.' With comics, people can project their own
experiences on to these simple drawings and make them their own.
• As told to Becky Barnicoat• As told to Becky Barnicoat
Over Under Sideways Down by Karrie Fransman was commissioned by the Red Cross. Read the full story online hereOver Under Sideways Down by Karrie Fransman was commissioned by the Red Cross. Read the full story online here
Comics competitionComics competition
The Red Cross are inviting budding comics artists under the age of 19, to draw their own comic. The winner will get signed artwork by Karrie Fransman, and £100 to spend at Amazon. The closing date is 16 July 2014. For full details visit redcross.org.ukThe Red Cross are inviting budding comics artists under the age of 19, to draw their own comic. The winner will get signed artwork by Karrie Fransman, and £100 to spend at Amazon. The closing date is 16 July 2014. For full details visit redcross.org.uk