38 million Americans have diabetes. At one time this condition was a death sentence, but through the miracle of modern medicine is now perfectly manageable. But it was a long struggle to get the word out about "the sugar," as it was once known, and various health agencies, medical professionals, and pharmaceutical companies have tried a number of methods to make the public diabetes-conscious. And one of those methods... was comic books!


No, not baseball, comic books. Comic books in which Tony and Mark use baseball bats to smash diabetes in the face - right? That's what we're going to see?


It's the first week of Little League practice, but Tony isn't sure that this art style of thin line photoreferences, watercolors, and sketchy crosshatching is really up to the job of conveying all the excitement of baseball. Sorry Tony, it's 1974, EVERYTHING looks like this.


"I don't think I can do it, Mark! I feel like somebody's leaving their signature hidden in all these crosshatch squiggle lines! Did Hirschfeld draw this?"


The Little League coach shows both concern and authority in this basic "hands on hips" coaching stance. Kids, in the future you're going to be seeing a lot of this stance from youth and high school sports coaches, Scout leaders, and fast food franchise managers, so get comfortable with it!


Oh, look at mister healthcare coverage over here, calling doctors and everything!


"Well, Tony, I know you're scared out of your wits and desperately want reassurance, but I'm not going to explain anything until I have a large enough audience. I really hate to repeat myself."


That afternoon, the meeting of the perfectly normal regular club for people who have absolutely no differences is called to order. First on the agenda - your life-changing illnesses!


There WILL be a test later on, so pay attention. No, I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to your pancreas.


The tiny motors inside your cells need insulin to open the tiny throttle inside the tiny carburetor inside that tiny engine to let the gasoline - or sugar, in this case - into the tiny combustion chamber. Without that insulin, the liquid sugar just spills over in big wet drops that splash and cascade and puddle around everywhere, what's that Susan? The bathrooms? Down the hall, to your right.


When your cells burn fat instead of glucose, that's called "ketosis" and here in the 21st century it's the basis of the exciting "keto diet" that can lead to weight loss and more energy! Also, it produces an acid that eventually will kill you. But in the meantime we can sell you a lot of supplements!


Diabetics must balance their food intake with their insulin levels, preferably by using these charming old-fashioned scales.


Most of your friends and classmates will never know you have diabetes until you tell them. The choice of when exactly to drop this sympathy bomb is up to you, but remember, you only get to use it once, so save it for when you really need that extra attention.


You'll learn when and where to inject yourself, and also which tribal tattoo patterns will best suit your body type!


Here the illustrator really captures the delicate balance of concentration and disgust on the faces of America's youth as they learn to test their own pee.


His parents are worried something might happen if Tony plays sports, namely that they'll have to spend three nights a week and all day every Saturday driving him to multiple practices and games all at different ball fields all across town. Oh, and the diabetes, too.


Lots of famous people are diabetics, like home run hitters, and folk singers, and champion race horses, and Wilford Brimley (not shown).


"I swear to God your son is normal, lady, he's perfectly normal as long as he follows the rules for a normal life, which, hell, it's 1974, who the hell knows what those are any more? You should see the pattern on this tie I'm wearing! It's all they sell these days! Anyway your kid will be fine, stop calling me!"


Oh nothing, just standing here thinking happy thoughts about getting ready to shoot up. You?


Dads! Be there for your son when he needs guidance and support in his journey through the world of injectables!


Oops, Tony stumbles and the other team gets a double. Well, this is Little League, if there weren't errors nobody would ever get to home plate.


Oh look at Mister Special Disease here, forgetting to eat and then passing out! As if any one of us couldn't accomplish the same thing in two or three days! Sooner, if we also quit drinking water!


Come on you guys, now's the time to show those [INSERT MUNICIPALITY NAME HERE] losers that [COMMUNITY]'s team is the best!


Victory at last, three cheers for Mark and Tony, and the crowd... smiles pleasantly! Way to quietly support your kids, parents.


I'd hate to think of what Tony, who here seems to be a normally active boy, was like before they moved. Narcoleptic?


There's nothing to it, and yet there's a lot to it, make up your mind, medical science. In the meantime, follow the rules and be normal, we cannot emphasize normality enough!


Thanks for coming with Eli Lilly on this fascinating look into the really very normal world of insulin therapy. When you think of not dying of diabetes, think of Eli Lilly!

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