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PSU Collaborative Comics

Street Roots

The Portland State University Collaborative Comics Project aims to change the narrative around homelessness through ethnographic cartooning based on the experiences of PSU students. The project will culminate into the 10 comics published as a booklet and sold by Street Roots vendors. Street Roots spoke with 8 of the artists to learn more about their process.

  • Street Roots
    A colorful image from Arantza Pena Popo's comic showing a family dancing with palm trees in the background and they're at a party.

    Arantza Peña Popo wants to tell your story right

    How Peña Popo served as the ‘middleman’ to bring someone else's story to life in comic form
    By
    Kanani Cortez
    February 2, 2022
  • Street Roots
    A bright blue block print profile image of a person.

    Cartoonist McKensi Payne embraces comics’ unique ability to tell a complicated story

    ‘Alana’s Guide to Getting By’ illustrates how one person navigated homelessness in Portland
    By
    Kanani Cortez
    January 26, 2022
  • Street Roots
    An excerpt from a larger comic shows three panels. The first panel reads "I could tell something was off." The second panel shows someone turning off their alarm clock and the third panel shows people sitting on a bus.

    Accessibility and intimacy through comics

    Christina Tran explores tender topics and the human experience of larger societal issues
    By
    Sarah Hansell
    January 19, 2022
  • Street Roots
    A two panel black and white comic shows a flood neighborhood and people sitting in a canoe, rowing.

    Embracing collectiveness in the face of homelessness

    Quinn Amacher illustrates Lee's story in the comic "Street Lights"
    By
    Sarah Hansell
    January 19, 2022
  • Street Roots
    A watercolor painting by Marin Jurgens shows a woman's side profile with many reds and colors in the background.

    Restorative justice as a framework for art

    Marin Jurgens shares what motivates her work, creating an ethnographic comic and more
    By
    Sarah Hansell
    January 12, 2022
  • Street Roots

    Community connection through cartooning

    Liz Yerby illustrates India’s story and encourages readers to see the ‘full narrative’ of peoples lives
    By
    Sarah Hansell
    January 12, 2022
  • Street Roots
    An art piece by Erika Rier depicting women in bright, vibrant colors.

    Meet the artists changing the narrative around student homelessness

    A collaboration between comic artists, a research team and college students aims to tell the complex stories of homelessness and housing insecurity via ethnographic cartooning
    By
    Kanani Cortez
    January 5, 2022

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