I came across this blog entry about making a comics instead of lengthy explanations about your research:
Almost every grad student struggles with the difficulty of explaining your dissertation topic to strangers (not to mention friends and family) without launching into an hour long lecture on the topic.
One enterprising geographer has come up with a unique solution to the problem: write a comic book. Ju Hui Judy Han at UC Berkely participated in the 24 hour comic day in 2006. The challenge was to write 24 pages in 24 hours. She chose to write about her dissertation.
That’s a great idea. I think I will try that, too.
What a great idea! I (still) find myself hesitating when people ask me about my research, gauging how to tell them (and what level of background I should give to enable understanding, without losing their interest). Sometimes I think my hesitation is interpreted as “He doesn’t know what he is writing about. This is less when somebody just wants to know the subject, than when they want more than that.
Again, great idea. Unless the hate comics.
Sorry, unless “they” hate comics.
Ju Hui Judy Han’s comic not only became something to show others, it got her dissertation published… at least the comic book version of it. It was selected for the book 24 Hour Comics Day Highlights 2006.