The second volume of Coming Home, a thought-provoking anthology comic sharing true stories of UK military veterans’ mental health from the charity, Re-Live, is available now, with a cover by Ed Firth. The first volume of Coming Home was released in 2022 to much acclaim, and the second has already gained media attention.
Having established themselves firmly in the theatrical arts space, Welsh Arts in Health charity Re-Live turned their attention to the world of comics as a fresh way to share stories of military veterans in a anthology comic, entitled Coming Home, the first volume featuring a cover by the late Ian Kennedy – his last commissioned painting before he passed away.
Established in 2006, Re-Live have built a reputation in their native Cardiff for translating under-represented people’s stories into award-winning theatre projects. During the pandemic, Re-Live launched a new online Life Story group for veterans, with the aim of exploring their experiences of mental health. The participants expressed their love of the comics medium, and so Re-Live began developing a Life Story comic with the group.
Veterans work online with Re-Live to explore and adapt their often traumatic stories into comics in a co-created and therapeutic process. The work invites each veteran to develop their own narrative, and work with a professional cartoonist to realise it as a finished story. The result is a powerful comic that helps enlighten readers about some of the hidden stories and issues faced by members of our Armed Forces.
Coming Home Volume 2
Issue 2 of Coming Home, which premiered at Thought Bubble last year, shares stories from LGBTQ+ veterans, who experienced life in the Armed Forces before the lifting of the ‘gay ban’ in 2000.
Under the ban, thousands of LGBTQ+ service personnel were subjected to surveillance and interrogation, and suffered Court Martials, dismissals for conduct unbecoming, and even imprisonment. Many were left with a mental health legacy from the shame and punishments inflicted.
Issue 2 has been made in partnership with Fighting With Pride, the LGBTQ+ military veterans charity.
The release of the comic this week, on 8th January 2025 coincides with the 25th anniversary of the lifting of the ‘gay ban’ in the Armed Forces on 12th January.
Coming Home issue 2 features our veterans working alongside some of the leading LGBTQ+ and allied comic artists in the UK.
The beautiful spread cover for this issue is by Ed Firth, artist in residence at the Tom of Finland house.
Ed also brings to life the story of Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Craig Jones MBE in “Unsinkable”. Craig came out on the day that the Gay Ban was lifted in January 2000 and spent his career fighting for cultural change for his LGBTQ+ colleagues in the Royal Navy.
Cartoonist and illustrator Ria Grix is the artist for “The Navigator” – the story of Flight Lieutenant Caroline Paige MBE who after a career navigating fast jets and supervising helicopter tactics became the first openly serving transgender officer in the British Armed Forces in 1999.
Corporal Ruth Birch and Private Julia Currey met while serving with the British Army in 1980s. After instantly falling in love at first sight they began a secret relationship with its own coded messages until they were eventually discovered by the Army, forcing them to split up following interrogation by the Special Investigation Branch. Their love story, told in “At The End of the Rainbow“, is humorous, harrowing and ultimately a triumph of romance. Their artist, Anna Readman (winner of the Observer/Faber graphic short story prize 2023) illustrates Ruth & Ju’s dual story.
Irish LGBTQ+ freelance illustrator, graphic artist and choreographer, AJ O’Neill brings to life the story of Flight Lieutenant Steve Purves in “Hear Me Out”. Steve joined the RAF in 1972 as an electrical engineer, and in 1985 was sentenced to six months in prison for a consensual relationship with another man, even though homosexuality had been legalised for civilians in 1967.
• Coming Home comic – Volumes One and Two – are available from Re-Live – re-live.org.uk/cominghomecomic
• It’s also available through the following comic shops from mid-January 2025…
ENGLAND: Gosh Comics – Soho, London; OK Comics – Leeds; Forbidden Planet – Birmingham, Brighton, Hanley (Stoke on Trent), Hull, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesborough, Nottingham, Sheffield, Wolverhampton; Page 45 – Nottingham; Destination Venus – Harrogate; Close Encounters – Northampton; Crunch Comics – Reading; Chaos City Comics – St. Albans; A Place In Space – Croydon; To The Batcave – Blackburn; Zine Freak – Lancaster; Ground Zero – Mansfield; Krypton Comics – London; Wakefield Comics 616 – Wakefield; The Darl Knight – Darlington
WALES: Cardiff Comic Shop – Jacob’s Market, Cardiff; Forbidden Planet – Cardiff; SF-Collectables – Bridgend
SCOTLAND: Orion’s Belt Retail – Falkirk; Forbidden Planet – Edinburgh; Forbidden Planet – Glasgow
NORTHERN IRELAND: Forbidden Planet – Belfast
IRELAND: Forbidden Planet – Dublin
USA: Silver Sprocket – San Francisco
AUSTRALIA: Dee’s Comics – Canberra
If your local comic shop doesn’t have any in stock, you can ask them to order it from Diamond Distribution with the code DEC241815 (for issue 2) and DEC241816 (for issue 1). Or you can order direct from the Re-Live shop
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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