Eyes Wide Open – Comic Book

Eyes Wide Open is a comic book produced by the Johannesburg-based Gay and Lesbian Archives (GALA). It tells the story about four friends and how they fall in love, make mistakes, and above all stick together as they talk about relationships, safe sex and living with HIV. The comic is based on the real-life experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) youth in South Africa.

The comic book was developed to help encourage discussion about HIV/ AIDS, sexually transmitted infections and different sexualities. It is hoped that the comic book will be used as a discussion starter and training tool by organisations such as schools, hospitals, and resource libraries.

Eyes Wide Open was developed as part of the Coming Out Again project, which also included a touring community theater production and radio adaptation. The comic forms part of GALA’s ongoing work to collect the oral histories of the LGBTI community, and share these stories through creative projects. “There is a need for the diverse stories and experiences of our community to be more widely shared,” comments Ruth Morgan, Director of GALA, “by sharing stories about how HIV has affected our community, we help to create a supportive environment and show that we too are coping with all of these issues.”

The comic was researched and written by Andre Croucamp, and focus group sessions with organisations and young people from the community helped to refine the storyline and language used in the comic. It was made possible through the support of The Conference Workshop and Cultural Initiative (CWCI) Fund, HIVOS, and Atlantic Philanthropies. The project was managed by Storyworks and CMFD Productions, who work in developing participatory communication projects. The comic book is being distributed primarily through the Joint Working Group.