Caring
through
Comics
Julie Averbach is a super hero to
siblings of kids with special needs
WRITTEN BY CINDY SCHWEICH HANDLER
J
ulie Averbach doesn’t have super powers, but she had a
super-powerful idea while volunteering at Livingston’s
Friendship Circle, a nonprofit committed to improving
the lives of young people with special needs.
The Short Hills resident, then 16, noticed that parents
had to devote so much time and energy to their special
needs children that their other kids’ concerns were often
going unnoticed. “The siblings felt like they needed to
suppress their emotions, and they didn’t want to add
stress, so they were silent, and kept their struggles in the
darkness,” she says. “There weren’t a lot of resources for
them.” It was a tough subject, and she knew just how she
wanted to reach her audience.
“I read [the graphic autobiography] Persepolis in ninth
grade English class, and it inspired me to believe in the
power of graphic novels and comics to raise awareness and
inspire change,” she says. She created the comic
Adventures from my World in pursuit of a Girl Scout Gold
Award; this summer, she was one of 15 teens nationwide
to receive $36,000 from the Helen Diller Family
Foundation in recognition of her commitment to tikkun
olam (a Hebrew phrase translated as “repairing the world”).
So how do you create a successful comic book when
you’re still in high school? Averbach worked with a
mentor and found talented illustrators at Dover’s Kubert
School, which offers a three-year program in cartooning
and graphic art. “A professor there sent an email to 30 stu-
dents, and in a day, eight responded with their portfolios,”
she says. “They may not have known I was 16.”
Averbach chose three of the respondents to illustrate
her comic’s six stories. Once she had the initial sketches,
Averbach worked with a local psychologist to review
the story. “I tried to capture a balance between the
feelings of neglect and disappointment and the maturity,
compassion and tolerance siblings get from the experi-
ence,” she says. After minor revisions, she worked with
Print Ninja, a printer in China that one of the artists
recommended, and had 8,000 copies printed.
These were then distributed throughout 19 states and
four other countries. The Rutgers Social Skills Program
has made the comic part of its sibling curriculum, and
it has been used at a hospital in Montreal as well as a
wellness center in Lexington, Ky. Copies are available for
purchase from her website, adventuresfrommyworld.com,
as well as several local shops listed there.
Averbach believes more than ever in the healing
possibilities of comic books. “I feel that they’re the future
of therapy,” she says. “In 10-15 years, they’ll be used for
all social issues, including divorce and terminal illness.”
Now a freshman at Yale University, she would like to
study emotional intelligence, and develop curricula for
kids about self-awareness and empathy. ■
“IN 10-15 YEARS, [COMIC BOOKS] WILL BE
USED FOR ALL SOCIAL ISSUES, INCLUDING
DIVORCE AND TERMINAL ILLNESS.”
JULIE
AVERBACH
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