New hair, same me

Artwork by Sarah Akinterinwa 25 March 2022

Comic

Six panel colour comic strip in a grid of 3 panels wide by 2 panels high. The first panel shows a Black woman with an Afro standing outside. She is wearing a white collared blouse with a black pinafore dress and a brown shoulder bag. A speech bubble from her reads ‘I’m wearing my Afro out for the first time today at work. It’s just hair, Tami. No big deal.’ The second panel shows Tami and a white man with dark hair wearing a blue shirt. They are stood talking to each other inside their place of work. Behind them is a bulletin board. The man is grinning and pointing at Tami’s hair. She has a mildly irritated facial expression, with one hand on her hip. A speech bubble comes from the man and reads ‘Wow! New wig?’. A speech bubble comes from Tami and reads ‘No, it’s my hair. You really shouldn’t ask that -’. The second panel shows the same characters joined by a white woman with short blond hair. She is wearing a light purple blouse and is stood next to the man, facing Tami. A speech bubble from the white woman reads ‘Excuse me, are you new here?’. Tami looks surprised. A speech bubble comes from her and reads ‘What?! Jill, it’s me!’ The third panel shows Tami and Jill. Jill is smiling and extending her arm out towards the Tami’s Afro. Tami is leaning back, frowning exasperatedly. A speech bubble from Jill reads ‘Nice hair! Can I touch it?’ A speech bubble from Tami reads ‘NO!’ The fifth speech bubble shows all three characters. Jill and the white man are looking at Tami. Both appear sheepish and taken aback. The white man has his hands pulled towards his chest, and Jill has one arm to her chest. Tami is stood facing them. The sixth speech bubble shows the same three characters. Jill and the white man are shown standing next to one another, facing Tami and muttering. Tami has faced away from them, her eyes rolled back and her head held high. She appears to be walking away from them, her hand raised to the side of her Afro. A speech bubble from the white man reads ‘You think she’s hiding something in there?’ A speech bubble from Jill reads ‘That would explain the size’

About the artist

Sarah Akinterinwa

sarahakinterinwa.com
@sarah_akinterinwa on Instagram

Sarah Akinterinwa is a Nigerian-British cartoonist and illustrator who regularly contributes to the New Yorker Magazine, and has been featured in the LA Times and the Guardian. She creates humorous cartoons and comics about life, love, and anything that inspires her.

New hair, same me

About the artist

Sarah Akinterinwa

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