The holidays are a time of joy for many people. But they also can be a time when we feel our losses most intensely.
Renowned local graphic novel author Carol Tyler knows this well. Her most recent book, The Ephemerata: Shaping the Exquisite Nature of Grief, got a glowing review from The New York Times for its exploration of grief in the wake of the deaths of family members and Tyler's husband, fellow graphic novel legend Justin Green.
Now, Tyler is offering an art workshop inspired by the book for those facing their own grief during the holidays.
Tyler says the event is meant to provide people a place to process the difficult emotions the holidays can stir up. That could be mourning the death of a loved one, a bad breakup or some other kind of loss.
"We will have a good time for a few hours, talking about what happened, who we lost, why we love them, why we miss them still," she says. "And we'll create a little something that will anchor those feelings and pay homage to that. And with the others in the room, we'll feel like, 'Oh yeah, we all feel this way.' "
A big part of Tyler's book is a place called Griefville, a landscape where the author explores bereavement and connects with her family's history.
Tyler says her workshop will include a large map of Griefville, and participants will be encouraged to create a small house to place on the map — a tribute to those they've lost and a way to ground tough feelings that can seem swirling and all-encompassing.
Participants can take their creations with them, or leave them to be displayed in the window of hosting venue Design Collective throughout the season.
Tyler is a pioneer of autobiographical graphic novels, sometimes called alternative comics. She's taught visual storytelling at the University of Cincinnati and published a number of critically acclaimed works, most recently The Ephemerata.
In its review of the book, The New York Times paid tribute to her importance in the graphic novel world.
"Tyler is a load-bearing figure in comics history, both a social contemporary of the original wave of underground cartoonists like Robert and Aline Crumb and Tyler’s own husband, Justin Green," the review reads.
Her long relationship with Green is a part of The Ephemerata and the focus of a documentary called Married to Comics, released in 2023.
Last year the Ohio Arts Council selected Tyler to do work around creative aging. She says she hopes to turn the workshop into a recurring offering.
"Going forward I want to work with people who have this undercurrent of missing," she says. "Christmas, the holiday time, Hanukkah — these are about gifts and giving. The best gift I have is to motivate people to acknowledge they have feelings that don't fit into what culture provides. So it's like, 'Let's do this other thing.' "
Event details
Tyler's workshop takes place Saturday, Dec. 13, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Design Collective, 4150 Hamilton Ave. 45223. A $20 donation is suggested, but no one will be turned away.
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