Today is World Autism Awareness Day, if you weren't already aware. Basically, it's an international day to raise awareness of autism spectrum disorders. According to the CDC, about 1 in 54 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yvon Roy's graphic novel autobiography Little Victories covers the challenges faced by a father when raising an autistic son, and largely focuses on that relationship as well as daily struggles and successes. Titan Comics is publishing the book, which originally released in French, in English this summer, and provided some exclusive interior artwork from the upcoming release as well as an interview with the author and artist.
"It is the most important book I've ever worked on, because it recounts a part of my life in which I had to give all I had for the benefit of another, my son," Roy says of Little Victories. "I learned this: when you give, it comes back to you in the end. What else can I say, but this cliché: love is the name of the only game that counts."
As for why Roy decided to make this book, specifically, Roy attributes that to the specialists working with his son as they were working through the diagnosis, as they told him he was getting impressive results. "[They told me] that I should find a way to share all what I had discovered along the way. Also, going through the diagnosis and everything that goes with it, I felt alone, abandoned, with very few easy-to-read books to guide me. Little Victories is a gift from me to all parents, the gift I would have loved to receive then. I say all parents, because all parents will face challenges, with or without a diagnosis."
"All the books that I could find [about autism] were very technical, medical, as if they were written for specialists instead of parents, so it gave me an additional incentive to publish Little Victories," he adds. "I especially dedicate it to fathers who often feel overwhelmed in these cases, some preferring to avoid or flee from the situation. Fathers are essential, they are often more playful, they have a different approach, a complementary one. I say to them: don't run away. Find the love inside of you and dive in. This will be the ride of your life, with no regret at the end."
Keep reading to check out a preview of Little Victories, including a couple exclusive pages that have yet to appear anywhere else! Titan Comics is set to release Little Victories in English this summer as a 152-page paperback for $19.99. (Titan's website lists July 8th as its release date, while Amazon lists May 26th.) You can check out all of our previous coverage of Titan Comics right here.