Military personnel are more likely to be exposed to significant traumatic events than the general population. Although they are trained for the rigors of battle, this cannot always prepare them for the psychological effects experienced in a combat environment.
HARD STRUCK follows the story of a combat soldier as he navigates through combat operations and the effects it has on him and his team as they transition back into society. Dealing with the effects of complex PTSD, the story highlights the issues veterans face day to day and highlights the importance of mate ship when overcoming combat stress and mental health struggles.
From the Author:
The story itself only took a couple of days to put on paper, but the extensive illustration was years in the making. As an infantryman, we pride ourselves on putting 'Duty First', and with deployments and countless months in the field, often I had to put this project on the back burner. As I've written and illustrated every part of this project myself, I really want my efforts to make a difference in people's lives. So, it needed to be as polished as can be.
Now that I'm a full time Illustrator, I wanted to use what I've learnt in the military and compliment it with my design background to produce something that can help people. We lose veterans every day who struggle with poor mental health. The average person has some understanding of PTSD, but not many fully appreciate the other aspects of life that are affected as a result. From homelessness and relationships breakdown, even to suicide. I hope this book can fill in some of the grey area and shed some light on an ongoing situation.
Industry Reviews
"A picture paints a thousand words. Hard struck is an emotional graphic novel highlighting issues faced by Veterans with PTSD. I highly recommend Hard struck for anyone wanting to gain an insight into what returned service men and woman can experience as a result of their service"
Dan Keighran VC
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"As the clinically endorsed author of the worlds first good news book about PTSD,
I read 'Hard Struck' back and forth at least 20 times...and one word kept standing out to me as a Veteran; ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
This book for those not from the military is about awareness, but for Veterans, it's an acknowledgment from one of our own of what we went through and how we got through it. The common challenges, the common struggles and the reasons why, sadly, many Veterans kill themselves. This graphic novel is an acknowledgment of the sacrifice that many have made and how de-valuing it is to come back to an un-appreciative world. However, the novel keeps the honour of our warriors alive, because no matter how broken they are, Veterans will always be there for their mates, and will use humour to keep the demons at bay. An accurate portrayal and snapshot of the central themes of the dark side of veteran life."
Dion Jensen - Founder of The Lion Academy
