The Adventures Of Hydro Girl In 2017
Hellooo Brain Drainers!
I know it's been far too long since my last blog. Life always has a habit of getting away from me but I promise it has not been for the lack of things here at The Brain Drain Project! 2017 has seen some of the most amazing, exciting and life changing things happening here at PBD HQ. From travelling back to the USA to the release of Issue 2 of Hydro Girl and to getting involved with more charity projects. 2017 has been a whirlwind of excitement and emotion. I'm going to try my darnedest to keep the timeline of events correct but please forgive me if I get a little of track with my thoughts.
Let's start with the trip to the USA.
I have been very fortunate in my hydro journey this far that I seem to fall in to the most amazing experiences of my life. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank my sister Jess who without complaint always follows me everywhere for our events. I'm sure sometimes she would love to be doing anything else. (Like actually having a life) rather than following her big sister around making sure I don't work myself to death. So thank you and I love you. <3
Some time last year I received a message from the Director of the Disability and Cultural Centre of Syracuse University, Diane Wiener, talking about an event they run every year called Cripping The Comic Con. It's a conference (much like comic con) where participants can get together in a fully accessible environment to talk about the representation of disabled persons in comic books, graphic novels and manga. She had heard from our good mate Daniel White about our band Calling Utopia and how we had written the Department Of Ability theme song. She had heard that I have hydrocephalus like Dan's daughter Emily, who suffers from Spina Bifida as well as hydro and knew that Dan and I had been talking for years but had never met in person. And it seems like, just like that, we were asked to play in America at the conference. I just remember Diane kept saying ök, let's make it happen,"and me thinking to myself, nah it's just talk at the moment. It's that moment where you know something amazing can happen but you don't want to believe it just in case it's not true.
Well, it did happen. We went over to America and played a fully accessible rock show. This has to be the coolest show we've ever played. Let me describe it for you. Not only did we have sign interpreters all through the set but we had a massive screen that everything we said and all our lyrics came up on so that EVERYONE could enjoy the music. The show was streamed live with captions so that everyone around the world could join in and... My superhero Emily, the young girl that I had been talking to over the internet for years. The young lady that the Department Of Ability was created for. Got to come up on stage with my sister and I and totally rock out to her very own theme song. I'm still getting all emotional just thinking about it and it's a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you so much to Diane and the team at Syracuse University for making it happen. We were treated like total rock stars the whole time and the whole experience was just out of this world. The new friends we made, memories created. That guys is invaluable.
Photos from Syracuse University taken by Jo Johnson
Photo Crippin The Comic Con Participants
Photo Jess, Emily (Department Of Ability Superhero) and Myself Rocking Out On Stage at Syracuse University
Now not only did we get the chance to play a rock show in America. We also got to showcase this years biggest fundraiser/ awareness project. Of course I'm talking about the long awaited Issue 2 of The Adventures Of Hydro Girl. Taking the comic book over there I had no expectations of how she would be received. Issue 1 did better than both my brother and I had expected but looking back I don't feel I really pushed hard enough to get the comic book out there. Needless to say Hydro Girl was well received and that, as well as amazing support from my friends and family brings us to Hydro Girl's journey in 2017..
We officially launched Issue 2 of The Adventures Of Hydro Girl at this years Hydrocephalus Support Association Conference. This was held the same week we got back from the States! 29-30 April. This time, much to his delight and mine. My brother ( co-creator and artist for Hydro Girl) Got to come road tripping with my sister and I. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the HSA team for a very successful conference. The Hydro Girl launch was very successful selling out of the comics I had ordered for the event and it was exciting to see people getting to meet the man behind the art. The following week we started our promotional campaign. In that first week we also sold more comics that what we had previously in 4 years of having released Issue 1. The response was overwhelming. Over the next couple of months Hydro Girl started appearing all over the world and all around Australia. Radio interviews, paper interviews and magazine interviews from all over including ABC, PosAbility Magazine (UK), Link Disability Australia, Star Weekly and The South Eastern Times to name a few. Schools started contacting the Hydro Girl facebook page asking for permission to use her in schools as they loved the message the comics spread about inclusion, acceptance and never giving up despite having a disability. And photos from all over the world of the comics being donated to children in hospitals and other charity organisations. And here I am getting all emotional again because, I'll be honest. I don't think about the reach of Hydro Girl. It's funny how, wanting so hard to make a difference and be a positive light for the hydrocephalus community has meant that I never actually see that difference. I don't think about how she is being embraced by thousands of people around the world until I sit down to do things like a blog and realise that Hydro Girl is so much bigger than my brother and I could have hoped for. I think that will always be a surreal feeling. But how exciting is it?!
Photo By Nicole Cheung - John and I at the Hydrocephalus Support Association Conference Launching Hydro Girl Issue 2
With all of these things happening we also attended our first comic con here in Australia. We were fortunate enough to have been given a place at this years NerdMania. The team were lovely enough to donate our table to us so that we could promote Hydro Girl. The day was a raging success raising lots of awareness for hydrocephalus while also promoting inclusion of disability in the media through comic books. We sold out of comic books once again. Thank you so much to Jim Gow and his team at Word And Mouth for having us and congratulations on such a successful event.
PHOTO Hydro Girl Team with She-Ra who loved the Hydro Girl Comic! (Interview Coming Soon)
I want to thank everyone that is supporting our journey. The media that have taken the time to let me share the story of Hydro Girl. My family and friends for encouraging Jess, John and I to take on the world. Also want to point out that Jess always says she does nothing. If you see her, in person or on the interwebs. Make sure you thank her because without her help I wouldn't be doing what I am with The Brain Drain Project and Hydro Girl. She is very much the heart of these projects whether she realises it or not.
And of course. I want to thank YOU!! Yes YOU!
My Hydro family for all your support and love for Hydro Girl and The Brain Drain Project.
Sending love and Hydro Hugs as always. XX
FOR MORE UPDATES PLEASE VISIT THESE PAGES
PHOTO Interview with PosAbility Magazine (UK)
PHOTOS Of Children from Strongbones Children's Charitable Trust Receiving Their Comics
