Comics Journalism portfolio

I use comics journalism to visualize first-person stories and explain complex concepts. I've woven comic book vignettes into a traditional long form story about a man caught up in an FBI sting. I've told first-person stories of elephant poachers. And I've illustrated the words of a woman who married an ISIS fighter in Syria. Here is a collection of VOA stories from around the world, told using comics.

Women in Iran

Confronting ‘Morality’

Series of comic book panels showing a teenage boy and girl being confronted by a police officer.

Five women share their stories of grief, survival
and resistance under the Islamic Republic.

Part 1

Illustrated portrait of Nilu

Part 1: Nilu

“There’s never any knowing what sparks a revolution. It’s just, enough loss. Enough torture. Enough abuse.”

Part 2

Illustrated portrait of Sahar

Part 2: Sahar

“One by one they would call us to the room and show us the video that they took from us.”

Part 3

Illustrated portrait of a woman

Part 3: M.S.

“They put me into custody and held me there for the night. There was a woman there that I’ll never forget.”

Part 4

Illustrated portrait of Elnaz

Part 4: Elnaz

“That’s how I learned a bit of English and how I learned about many things that I could not say in society.”

Part 5

Illustrated portrait of Zhina

Part 5: Zhina

“I shaved my hair the first day of the protests…. Can you imagine someone’s hair could be a reason for their death?”

Press Freedom

Comic book panels of the Tijuana arch in Mexico, a closeup of a woman's eyes looking up, and camera focusing on a body hanging from a bridge.

Risk and Reward

In covering violence in Tijuana, Mexico, the city’s journalists give voice to a community demanding change. • By Cristina Caicedo Smit
Animated loop of an x-ray view of a handgun trigger being pulled without firing the bullet.

The Mechanism

Mexico’s federal safety net isn’t always enough to help protect journalists. By Cristina Caicedo Smit and Victor Castillo

After the border

This three-part series follows the lives of refugees as they fight to survive the trauma of their harrowing pasts. • By Heather Murdock

Comic book illustration of a crowd of people marching with Turkish and Uyghur flags.

No Place Safe

One Uyghur Man’s Journey from a Chinese Prison to Turkey. Read the story
Illustrated portrait of a girl wearing a hijab with a helicopter dropping a barrel bomb behind her.

More Than Trauma

For most children, it is the stuff of nightmares. For many Syrian refugee children, it was real and it lives in their memories. Read the story
Comic book illustration of a crowded interior space with a family trapped in the middle

War, Poverty and Pandemic

Families flee their homes to save their lives but they can't outrun the coronavirus. Read the story

Elephants in Tanzania

Comic book panels of a poacher describing killing an elephant.

Poacher’s regret

Elephants in Tanzania have been devastated by poaching. Here is the true story of a smuggler and former poacher describing in their own words how their illegal — and brutal — hunts worked. • By Idd Ligongo and Omary Kaseko

Violent Extremism

Comic book panel of women wearing niqabs walking in a cemetery.

Wedded to ISIS

When an Islamic State stronghold began to fall, some devoted to the cause fled, trying to distance themselves from ISIS. Among them is Aysha, who married an ISIS fighter.By Heather Murdock
Comic book illustrated portrait of a young man with a beard.

Terror on Trial: The Imam’s Choice

How a Milwaukee cleric’s advice changed the course of an FBI sting. By Masood Farivar

Circumventing censorship

Comic book illustrations of a character typing on a computer being blocked by a figure wearing a military-style uniform.

An Internet primer for healthy web habits

Online freedoms can be stifled by state censorship, surveillance and disinformation. This illustrated report explains the tools and techniques to help circumvent online threats. • By Doug Bernard