Spirit

A personal project reflecting on my late grandmother and the last few years of her life struggling with alzheimers. She would always say that her favorite people had "spirit," and said that one day she would drive a red mobility scooter with flames on it. She would often be somewhere else in her mind and I wanted this comic to explore where that place would be. Using memories and characters, this comic explores some of the things that she never got to do.

A women in a purple shirt speaks, the words blurred. She says "I'll be right back, ok mom? mom?" as the mother fades into a memory. The mom, now younger, flips people off while riding a motorcycle. the next panel shows her flexing, with a tattoo that says spirit.

A police car approaches. We then see a police man and the mom looking at eachother with hearts in their eyes. The two of the, ride off on her motorcycle, both flipping off the world. She laughs as her lover gets a tattoo, a tear rolls down his eyes as he smiles and winces.

polaroid pictures float on top of a calendar, surrounded by mist. They get married wearing sunglasses, the mom holds a baby wrapped in a purple blanket. The baby wears a leather jacket. The baby grows older, waving at the camera holding a bike to the side.

The mom and the now older daughter embrace under the umbrella. They stand in front of the husbands grave, engraved with "we had the ride of our lives." Time passes and as the mother gets older, she gets more comfortable with the loss. Walking down the street she holds her walker as the daughter shouts from afar "mom! I have a surprise for you!."

The daughter stand in front of a large present. "It's all yours!" she says. The mother drives through a crowded city street on a red mobility scooter with flames, honking the horn and yelling "I still got spirit!" She smiles as the memory begins to fade away.

We return to the present, and the mom smiles as the daughter calls her back. "Mom? I'll go get the car ready. lets go for a ride." They hold hands and look at eachother fondly.