THOUGHT BUBBLE MONTH 2024! One of the international creators whose work you should be looking out for at Thought Bubble this year is Emilia Strilchuk who will be at Harrogate with her graphic memoir Be Yourself! Oh Not Like That. A powerful depiction of “navigating the world through the lens of autism” it’s a much recommended TB purchase from us here at Broken Frontier. As part of our Thought Bubble Month of coverage BF’s Ellie Egleton caught up with Emilia to talk about neurodivergence representation, the responsibilities of autobio work, and her future projects…
(Content warning: discussion of suicidal ideation)
BROKEN FRONTIER: Emilia, you are a comic creator who was born and raised in Ukraine and later moved to Canada. Can you please tell us how your childhood inspired your creativity and your love for graphic novels as a medium for storytelling?
EMILIA STRILCHUK: Growing up in Ukraine, creativity and all forms of art were generally encouraged and valued. Ukrainians have such a rich cultural history and tradition when it comes to the arts—it’s almost second nature. I think that really shaped my own creative path. I remember seeing Ukrainian plays in theatres and wearing traditional clothing, which is an art form in itself. That environment inspired me to explore different forms of creativity, from drawing to dancing, and making things with my hands like paper art and crochet. But drawing was always my favourite.
Interestingly, I didn’t start off as a comic or graphic novel reader like many creators did. My background was more traditional, and I learned to draw early on. My less realistic, cartoony art style comes from watching a lot of Disney movies as a kid. Later, as a teen, I discovered manga and anime, which opened me up to the more dynamic side of visual storytelling.
On the writing side, I was always creating something—whether it was poetry or short stories—but it took me a really long time to realize I could blend my love of writing with my art. Now, combining both feels completely natural, as if it’s what I was meant to be doing all along, and it allows me to tell stories that are personal and meaningful to me.
BF: Your new graphic memoir, Be Yourself! Oh, Not Like That, is described as an exploration of your journey from childhood to the present day which sees you navigate the world through the lens of autism. It’s personal and in today’s world where autism isn’t always appropriately represented in the media, it’s important. Can you please explain what the creative journey was like for you from the moment you first planned to tell this story to seeing your story in print?
STRILCHUK: It has truly been a journey! So many events have led me to this moment of writing, drawing, and having my book in print. I didn’t receive my autism diagnosis until adulthood (28 years old), so a significant part of my life felt like a mysterious struggle. From a young age, I wrote poetry about feeling strange and not fitting in, my poems often reflected darker themes. I often felt sad and anxious, believing everyone else was hiding their struggles too. Growing up in Ukraine in the early 2000s, conversations about mental health were almost non-existent, which added to my sense of isolation, especially when I was bullied.
Art became my escape; I wanted to create and tell stories, hoping that “one day” I would write a book, though I initially imagined only fun, fictional fantasy tales. This book began as a letter to my younger self, processing my experiences and forgiving myself as well. It also became a way to express my frustration to those who didn’t get it. I think ultimately this book wrote itself, this story was itching to come out and be told, and drawing it felt truly like it was my favourite thing to do. It’s like a personal diary for the whole world to read. So it became a complete opposite of “fun fictional fantasy tales” that I only envisioned myself creating.
But the most beautiful and important aspect of it is that it hopefully allows others to see themselves in it. I’m just one voice in autism representation, but if even one person reads this book and finds something relatable, it brings me joy. While I see more conversations about autism and better representation today, there’s still a long way to go. My book is just one contribution to this larger discussion. Ultimately, I think that is why I put my life on the pages and created this book: to become a voice, to be more vocal and open about this topic. I am not ashamed of being autistic, and nobody else should be either. I am happy to be open and visible about it; the world just needs to adjust, to catch up, and to fix the barriers that we face.
In spring 2024, I spoke to comic creators at conventions in Canada, and I am so grateful they answered my questions about making comics. These conversations truly inspired me and led me to launch a successful Kickstarter in May 2024. A special thanks to Stephanie Cooke, Heather Antos, Michele Abounader, Lucy Sullivan, and Allison O’Toole. These creators, along with many people who backed my project, are the reason the physical book exists in my hands today. It was later printed in Canada and debuted on September 14 at the “Comics Jam” at The Dragon comic store in Guelph, Ontario (Huge thanks to Jennifer Haines for having me there!).
BF: Be Yourself! Oh, Not Like That touches upon sensitive themes such as the struggles of mental health, depression and suicidal ideation and thoughts. How did you approach depicting such complex emotions and experiences in your story?
STRILCHUK: I actually thought for a long time about how to approach this, and it was quite difficult. I wanted to be honest, but I didn’t know how graphic I wanted to make it. I understood that the way I spoke about these topics in the book and how I visually represented them could partly determine who it would resonate with and what age it would be appropriate for. I knew I had these thoughts at 6, 10, 14 and now in adulthood. As a child going through these struggles, if I had read something that mentioned suicidal thoughts or depression, I wouldn’t have been shocked, instead I would have related to it. I would have felt less alone, found some comfort in it, and it would probably have helped me bring it up to the adults around me. Ultimately, I decided to visually show what was happening internally—my feelings. I wanted to handle it gently and sensitively, enough to be relatable while still creating a safe space for the reader.
BF: Knowing what you know now, what advice do you wish that you could give to your younger self and/or those who are on a similar journey to you?
STRILCHUK: If you get your diagnosis in adulthood, chances are you probably have known you were different for a long time, and probably fought long and hard to get diagnosed. Slow down and take it in; it will take time to accept and look at your whole life from a different perspective. Accept and seek accommodations, and use aids without shame. Surround yourself with people who have similar special interests, meet other neurodivergent people, and don’t pretend to love that movie everyone is raving about if you truly hate it.
Things that are easier for others might be more difficult for you, and things that are easy for you might be difficult for others. This doesn’t make any sense, so just be gentler with yourself.
BF: Your graphic memoir is a ‘heartfelt validating hug’ to anybody who reads it. With the themes of validation and acceptance in your story, what do you hope that readers will take away from Be Yourself! Oh, Not Like That?
STRILCHUK: I hope readers will find a sense of comfort in knowing they are not alone in their struggles. It often feels like everyone around us is completely fine when nobody talks about their challenges, so I want people to know that they are truly not alone. While this doesn’t necessarily fix these struggles, it’s important to feel a sense of connection and to understand that there are others who share similar feelings—it’s more common than it seems. I want my book to serve as a reminder that our feelings are valid and that it’s perfectly okay to be ourselves—even when the world tries to tell us otherwise. It’s not just about saying, “Oh, I don’t care what others say or think of me,” but truly believing that it is important to live our lives for ourselves and to love ourselves the way we are.
BF: Will readers be able to buy Be Yourself! Oh, Not Like That at Thought Bubble this year?
STRILCHUK: Absolutely! And if you buy it from me at Thought Bubble this year, you will get it with a convention exclusive book plate. I will sign it and doodle something in the book for you!
BF: Looking ahead, can you please tell us more about your next project, Oriana: The Forgotten Deities? And any other future work that you have planned?
STRILCHUK: Of course! Oriana: The Forgotten Deities is a project still in the works, it is going to be a multiple issue comic book, and official release date to be announced. It is a modern Slavic mythology retelling of a world abandoned by the gods. Think Slavic mythology, She-Ra, and Lore Olympus had a baby.
I am also scripting and outlining my next graphic novel, Second Half, which follows Theo, a promising soccer prodigy whose world shatters after a career-ending injury. As she undergoes surgeries and rehabilitation, she struggles with pain, addiction, isolation, and a crumbling identity, trying to find joy beyond the spotlight. This graphic novel explores themes of resilience, mental health, and the transformative power of letting go, resonating with anyone who has faced loss, trauma and had to rebuild themselves.
I am also working as a freelance comic and cover artist! Creating comics has made me truly happy for the first while in my life, I never want to stop and I also can’t wait to see what else I create.
BF: How can readers connect with you or follow your work?
STRILCHUK: My website is here and you can find me on probably all social medias under the handle @theartofemilia. If you search for “Emilia Strilchuk,” my profiles should pop up! To connect with me, feel free to email me at emiliastrilchuk@gmail.com.
Interview by Ellie Egleton
Emilia Strilchuk will be at Table D18 in the Travelling Man Hall at Thought Bubble.
Thought Bubble 2024 runs from November 11th-17th with the convention weekend taking place on the 16th-17th. More details on the Thought Bubble site here.
Read all our Thought Bubble 2024 coverage so far in one place here.
Art by Rocío Arreola Mendoza
