BAD AIR, a work in progress

I’m hard at work on a graphic novel that tells the story of neighbors banding together to shut down the Tonawanda Coke Corporation. People in the area were comparing stories of their strange illnesses.  The amount of cancer didn’t make sense. Then, led by Jackie James, they used citizen science to prove they were being poisoned with benzene released by TCC.  It was a very hard fought struggle!

Long before I met Jackie, I saw disturbing grafitti on walls in the area.  I now realize kids were sending out messages that something was very wrong.  It so disturbed me that I was driven to create this painting.   This project is so compelling for me.