May 2023

During a module in my studies on power dynamics, I got interested in the medical industry and the insecurities people have around their sex lives and desires.

In this zine, I looked at what Viagra is meant to do versus how it’s actually used, and how the pharmaceutical industry is trying to apply the same idea to sell a “Viagra for women.” This connects to ideas of heteronormativity and the expectations placed on different genders, as well as how companies profit from people’s insecurities. I also explored how medications get approved and how narratives are created to market them.

If you are interested in reading the full zine, you can find it here:

“Help! Is there a Viagra for Women.pdf”

The Visuals of the Zine

I chose to illustrate this zine with playful and explicit drawings. I wanted them to grab attention and make the content— which can get a bit theoretical at times— easier to follow.

The color palette I used for this zine (except for the garden illustration) consists of different shades of blue and a pinkish-red. I made this choice because the topic compares genders side by side and draws on long-standing expectations of how men and women should behave. Plus, Viagra is known as “the blue pill,” while the medication marketed for women is called “the pink pill.” It felt fitting to create a cohesive look using these two colors.

Illustrating this zine was a lot of fun! Here are some more of the drawings that made it in: