What do the Vermont Secretary of State, the Ohio Department of Health and MacDowell Fellow James Sturm have in common?

They see the value comics have as an engaging, educational tool. Sturm is a graphic novelist and Radcliffe Fellow who has been in residence at MacDowell twice, and he’ll unpack the simple power of the comic book to deliver complex concepts to a wide readership. The audience will be led on a journey behind the curtain of visual storytelling at Sunday’s Monadnock Lyceum at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Peterborough at 11 a.m.

Sturm’s most-recent publications have been aimed at reaching younger readers with topics that wouldn’t normally be mentioned in the same sentence as “comic books.” Sturm’s graphic novels are unafraid of digging into the importance of democracy, civic engagement, or mental health.

Although grandad’s “funnies” first appeared in newspapers in the late 19th century, that initial artistry, humor and adventure morphed into serial adventure stories and yet again into graphic novels appealing to both adults and children.

“If we can help provide that starting place for dialog and help explain what that space is like, maybe they can advocate for themselves or loved ones,” said Sturm, co-founder and creative director of the Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) in Vermont, in explaining the impetus behind working on “We Can Talk About It: A Graphic Guide To Mental Health.” The 24-page comic was distributed to every middle school student in Stark County, Ohio, in 2020. Illustrated by a former public school teacher and edited by Sturm, the comic book aims to destigmatize mental health as a topic, addressing a wide range of issues from stress and anxiety to addiction.

These sorts of collaborations have led Sturm and his colleagues at CCS to open an applied cartooning lab that will use “comics to foster civic engagement and social change.” Sturm, who spent his 2020-2021 Radcliffe Fellowship to work on a 32-page comic book guide to the U.S. health care system, said he is always asking himself, “What can we do to reach people where they’re living? We are all overwhelmed by the news, information sources, and trying to sift through it. Cartooning is a way to take complex information and – not perfectly explain it – but to maybe open up a space (for the reader) to explore it and make it digestible and understandable.”

As part of his lyceum presentation, Sturm will explain how he alters his storytelling technique to make the most of the medium, be it a tangible comic book or an online, click-driven graphic. Don’t miss Sturm, whose graphic novels include “The Golem’s Mighty Swing,” “Market Day” and “Off Season,” as he addresses how this popular artform can successfully address difficult issues for both children and adults.

The doors at The Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 25 Main St. in Peterborough, open at 10:30 a.m. with live music.

Jonathan Gourlay is senior manager for external communications at MacDowell