How I got into diary comics

I share my first discovery of a “diary comic”, and tell you about the first comics I ever made myself. Then I share how and why I got into drawing autobiographical cartoons… and finally, what inspired me to start drawing daily diary comics.

My first discovery of a “diary comic”

My introduction to the world of autobiography-told-through-drawings was the discovery of a wonderful llustrated blog, written in the voice of a dog, and later published as a book. I'm talking about Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark, of course!

Being a dog owner and having an Instagram account that featured my own dog's voice, I was delighted to stumble across Emma's work. I found her stories so relatable. Emma has two books in this series, the second is Another Year With Plumdog, and I recommend both if you love dogs or have kids (the stories are child-friendly).

Written blog post by blog post like a diary, Emma gives each of her stories (or doggy anecdotes) a page or two, and illustrates them in a similar way to a comic - which I find so nostalgic, as I loved reading and collecting comics as a kid. I found myself hooked!

My first homemade comic

I've always loved drawing. I spent hours drawing my own cartoon characters as a kid, giving them names, outfits, personalities and backstories. I also made paper dolls, and took over the living room playing with my sister (we needed a lot of wall-space to stand them up!)

In my late teens I created a handmade comic for my kid brother, in which he starred as the super hero. His name is Sascha, and so obviously, the comic was named “Super Sash”. His scrawny character wore the obligatory cape and mask. I drew it all by hand onto A4 printer paper folded in half, coloured it with pencil colours, and stapled the pages together. I included lots of familiar people and places for giggles – like family members, and I set the story in Camden Town, which was where we lived in London.

The following year I drew the sequel, and this time Super Sash needed help to save the day from invaders from outer space (that looked suspiciously like the aliens from The Simpsons). So I made our pets into super heroes too. Batman had Robin, Super Sash had our dog and budgie. It was very silly and very well-received. In fact, I think he still has them, so I might ask him to send pictures.

How I started drawing autobiographical cartoons

My autobiographical art began much later, in my mid-thirties, after being diagnosed with a mental health disorder. I started an illustrated blog to help me come to terms with the new diagnosis, and drew myself in cartoons that helped me explain and understand my symptoms, as well as express how I felt about them.

I was surprised to find that people began to leave comments on the blog, saying they resonated with what I was writing, that they felt like I could have been writing about their own experiences, and that they loved the drawings. I used my cartoons to help me share my blog posts via social media, and became more and more interested in advocating for mental health awareness.

A few years down the line I was made redundant from a job and was unemployed for quite a while. I struggled to find work, and also with my mental health. I needed a voice. So, I shared my frustrations and job-search journey by posting cartoons on LinkedIn. It felt like such a relief to get out how I was feeling in a way that felt fun instead of ranting.

Fast-forward to 2025, I reached another crisis-point in my life, and needed an outlet… see how this is becoming a theme? I started drawing daily diary comics.

What inspired me to start drawing daily diary comics?

I was signed off work by my doctor due to burnout, who prescribed me an antidepressant. I was very nervous about returning to work and becoming too unwell to work again, and I felt like I needed a fun project to focus on. I already knew that drawing is an effective tool for me to release negative energy in a way that feels productive because it’s creative, so I decided to start a daily diary comic.

I needed a daily practice, and I was inspired by the diary comics of the other cartoonists I had discovered during my time off work. I decided to do a 4-panel comic strip layout that I could post online, as this seemed to be what others were doing, and chose to publish it daily to my Instagram account for accountability.

It was a little overwhelming at first, but I got into a rhythm, and began to look forward to my time in the evening after each working shift, when I could get lost in telling small stories and creating silly art that contained more of myself and my struggles each day.

Little did I know I was soon to be made redundant again, and would simultaneously have to go through the unpleasant experience of tapering off the drugs I had been put on!

What’s next for my diary comics?

Well, the beauty about creating a story as you go, when it’s based on real life, is that you have no idea what will happen next, or how the story will conclude. I will continue to draw them until it feels like loose ends are tied up.

I started the project back in June 2025, so I think another 6 months is a good timeframe. I’d love to publish my diary comics in book form, and it would be nice to have a collection of them that span over the space of a year. And who knows, if I can’t bring myself to end the project, a sequel could be the answer!

I don’t know if I will go the self-publishing route or see if I can interest a publisher in the project. There are some relevant themes running through the storyline that I’m keep to develop - mental health, medication, the health system, redundancy and employment. So let’s see where this all takes me, eh? Please feel free to get in touch if you think you can be of any help!

In the meantime, you can support my work by sharing this post, or head over to my free newsletter on Substack and subscribe to get a weekly batch of my daily diary comics delivered to your inbox every Monday morning to stay updated - what better way could there be to start your week?