"I Understand, Mate": A Co-designed Comic-based Digital Story from 'Down Under'

DOI

Australian rural communities face challenges including climatic changes, social isolation, low levels of digital literacy, and higher levels of mental health issues. New services are tailored to meet those most at risk, and to reach and support local people. We showcase a contextually situated, comics-based illustrated digital story. This was co-designed and developed to reach rural men experiencing mental health issues ‘Down Under’ in rural Australia. Spring-boarding on traditional digital storytelling techniques, we discuss the process of identifying, capturing, co-designing and sharing the illustrated digital story. We highlight how comics may authentically capture and communicate rural mental health issues, while recognising the complexities inherent in this process. Ultimately, we argue co-designed comic-based digital storytelling has potential for sharing rural mental health promotion messages, and service support, with rural community members.