Personal profile
Academic Biography
Dr. Rachel Thomas is a Canadian multimedia artist and interdisciplinary humanities researcher that blurs the boundaries between traditional media, technology and bio-fabrication. Her practice is currently centred around graphic medicine; the intersection between comics and healthcare. Thomas is interested in the medicalized body with specific focus on women's health. Using heuristic research strategies, she seeks to open discourses between the objective medical gaze and the subjective patient experience.
Her doctoral thesis, a full length graphic novel entitled Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl, explores the impact of medical and social gazes on fat women and uses the comics medium to promote accessibility of new research outside of the academic sphere. It was released by Penn State Press' Graphic Mundi in October, 2024.
Research Projects & External Funding
Selected Grants/Funding
Concordia Public Scholars Program (2020)
SSHRC Doctoral Grant (2016)
Concordia Fine Arts Fellowship (2016)
Royal College of Art London scholarship and exchange (2016)
Canada Council for the Arts Research and Creation (2015)
Canada Council for the Arts Research and Creation (2014)
Book Publications
Thomas, R. (2024) Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl. Penn State University Press, Graphic Mundi.
Residencies
Refereed Contributions
Lewis, A. D. & Thomas, R., (2025) “An Interview with Rachel M. Thomas on Weight Bias and Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl”, Graphic Medicine Review 5(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.7191/gmr.1058
Thomas, R. “The Weight of Covid-19.” The Montreal Gazette. 11 May 2021, A8. montrealgazette.com
Eiserman, J. Us-Them-Us. “A Well-Protected Social Participant I,II,III” (Cont. Thomas, Rachel. Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry, Vol.9, No.1 (2017). Pages 1-45.
Thomas, R. “Absent Subjectivity: Visual Art and the Critique of Medical Discourse in The Journal of Integrated Studies Vol. 6, No. 1 (2015). http://jis.athabascau.ca/index.php/jis/article/view/201
Online Publications:
Thomas, R. (April 9 2024) Postgrad tips on graphic medicine: the intersection between comics and healthcare. The Vibe. https://blogs.tees.ac.uk/students/2024/04/09/postgrad-tips-on-graphic-medicine-the-intersection-between-comics-and-healthcare/
Thomas, R. (May 4 2021) Gained weight during the pandemic? You’re not alone. Concordia Public Scholars Blog. https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars-20/2021/05/04/gained-weight-during-the-pandemic-youre-not-alone.html
Thomas, R. (March 11 2021) Male Gaze. Concordia Public Scholars Blog. https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars- 20/2021/03/11/male-gaze.html
Thomas, R. (September 17 2020) War on Obesity. Concordia Public Scholars Blog. https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars- 20/2020/09/17/war-on-obesity.html
Thomas, R. (September 1 2020) Excerpt: “Fear”. Concordia Public Scholars Blog. https://www.concordia.ca/cunews/offices/vprgs/sgs/public-scholars- 20/2020/09/01/shrink- fear.html
Refereed Conferences:
Thomas, R. Panel: “Graphic Medicine: New and Notable”, Toronto Comic Art Festival, Toronto, Canada, June 2025
Thomas, R. Panel: “Opening Keynote Panel: Spotlight on Graphic Medicine”, Toronto Comic Art Festival, Toronto, Canada, June 2025
Thomas, R. “Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl”, Graphic Medicine Conference, Toronto, Canada, July 2023
Thomas R. “Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl: The Fat Body in Medicine and Culture”, Fat Politics: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Activism, Identities, and Health Discourses Panel, Concordia University (Graduate History Student Association), Montreal QC, April 2023
Thomas, R. “Life in Ink: How Comics make medical and sociological research accessible”, 4th Space Workshop Series, Montreal, Canada, February 2020
Thomas, R. “Shrink: Graphic Medicine and the Fat Body”, Hybrid Bodies Conference, Concordia University, Montreal QC, August 2019
Thomas, R. “Shrink: An Interdisciplinary approach to Obesity”, Simone de Beauvoir Institute Annual Conference (“Feminist Activism and Health Industries”), Concordia University, Montreal QC, May 2019
Thomas, R. “Pachus: The implications of Fatness in Medical History”, McGill University Kinesiology student presentation, Montreal, QC, April 2019
Thomas, R. “Shrink: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Obesity”, Jacquelyn Duffin Health and Humanities Conference, Queens University, Kingston, ON, February 2019.
Thomas, R. “Musings of a Fat Medusa: Liminal Bodies in Social Spaces”, Simone de Beauvoir Institute Annual Conference (‘Unsettling Feminisms”), Concordia University, Montreal QC, May 2018.
Thomas, R. “Pure Immanence: Complex Heterotopias and the Transference of Pain in Self-Harm Behaviours, Ontario Shores Mental Health Conference, Whitby, ON, February 2017.
Thomas, R. “Husks: Self-Mutilation, Identity and Protection”, 699 Conference, Calgary AB. December 2015.
Thomas, R. “Anomaly: Mental Illness in Contemporary Art”, Spark! Disability Art Festival, Calgary AB, December, 2015.
Thomas, R. “Explorations in Plate Armour”, Presentation at the University of Calgary, Calgary AB. September 2015.
Thomas, R. “Absent Subjectivity: Visual Art and the Critique of Medical Discourse”, Highway 2 Conference: Making Inroads, Lethbridge AB. May 2015
Thomas, R. “Anomaly: Artist in Residence”, Umbrella Visual Arts Conference, Calgary AB. May 2015
Thomas, R. “Contemporary Sculpture and Self-Mutilation: Bodies in Flux”, Lunch on Us at the University of Calgary, Calgary AB. October 2014.
Interviews:
Dillon, B (2025, April 24) Fanbase Press Interviews Rachel M. Thomas on the Release of the Graphic
Memoir, ‘Shrink’, Through Graphic Mundi, [Online Publication] Fanbase Press, https://fanbasepress.com/press/interviews/comics/item/56647-fanbase-press-interviews-rachel-m-thomas-on-the-release-of-the-graphic-memoir-shrink-through-graphic-mundi/
Bruineman, M. (2025, February 8) Collingwood woman’s graphic novel aims to Shrink obesity stigma [Print publication] Collingwood Today, https://www.collingwoodtoday.ca/arts- culture/collingwood-womans-graphic-novel-aims-to-shrink-obesity-stigma- 10199967?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feb%2008,%202025%200 2:30%20pm&utm_content=mc_col_local
Philipson, G. (2025, January 13) A Chat about Shrink [Radio Broadcast] BBC (1hr 15, 1hr39) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0kccsv9
Berlo, T. (2025, January 10) Research meets art in new graphic novel [Print publication] The Creemore Echo.
Butler, L. (2024) Author of ‘Shrink’ tells us how her graphic novel challenges everything you know about fat bodies[Online Publication]. New Feminist Magazine. https://thenewfeminist.co.uk/2024/11/author-of-shrink-tells-us-how-her-graphic-novel-challenges-everything-you-know-about-fat-bodies/
Marandola, S. (2021, April 8) Montreal Researcher pens graphic novel about body shaming, diet culture and medical stigma. [Radio Broadcast]. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-researcher-pens-graphic-novel- 1.5974988
Hall, N., Rand, A (2021, May 19) Interview, Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl. [Radio Broadcast]. CJAD 800
Other Media:
The Hindustan Times. “Pounds and Prejudice.” News Article, Sukanya Datta. April 2025
Publishers Weekly. "Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl." Review of Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl, by Rachel M. Thomas. October 2024. https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781637790793.
Graphic Policy. “Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl is an interesting graphic memoir that’s about how we perceive weight”. Youtube Video, 6m38. Published October 24, 2024 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXyaGSEx8E0
Kurtz, R. “Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl.” Review of Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl, by Rachel M. Thomas, October 2024. https://www.graphicmedicine.org/comic-reviews/shrink-story-of-a-fat-girl/
Selected Exhibitions
Thomas, R. The Monster. VAV Gallery, Montreal, Canada. June 2023
Thomas, R. The Skin Machine. Latitude 53 Gallery, Edmonton AB. June 2018.
Thomas, R. I am Subject to Change. 199x Collective, Toronto ON. Group Exhibition, February 2018.
Thomas, R. Korper/Leib. University of Calgary +15 Gallery, Arts Commons. Calgary AB, Solo Exhibition, February 2017.
Thomas, R. Genetically Altered, Counter Culture Labs, Many Labs and Omni Commons, Oakland, California. Group Exhibition, February 2017
Thomas, R. Remember/Imagine. The Centre for Social Innovation, Toronto ON. Group Exhibition, November 2016.
Thomas, R. Spark! Disability Festival. Arts Commons, Calgary AB. Group Exhibition, November 2016.
Thomas, R. Us-Them-Us. University of Calgary Art Department, Calgary AB. Group Exhibition, May 2016
Thomas, R. Korper/Leib. The Little Gallery, Calgary AB. Solo Exhibition, December 2015.
Thomas, R. Spark! Disability Festival. Studio C, Calgary AB. Group Exhibition, November 2015.
Thomas, R. Anomaly. 621 Gallery, Calgary AB. Solo Exhibition. March 2015.
Thomas, R. Veil. L.E. Shore Memorial Gallery, Thornbury, ON. Group Exhibition. April 2014.
Thomas, R. Written in Red. J.E.H Macdonald House, Vaughan ON. Solo Exhibition. March 2014
Thomas, R. Ephemera. The Gales Gallery, Toronto ON. Group Exhibition. February 2014
Thomas, R. New Erotica. Urban Gallery, Toronto ON. Group Exhibition. August 2013
Thomas, R. Progress/Regress. Gallery 1444, Toronto ON. Group Exhibition. March 2013
Thomas, R. Flatline. Special Projects Gallery, Toronto ON. Solo Exhibition. January 2013
Thomas, R. Remember/Forget: An Exhibition of Conflicting Emotions. Collingwood Public Library Gallery, Collingwood ON. Solo Exhibition. October 2012
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Fatness, Concordia University
Award Date: 7 Jun 2023
Master, Pure Immanence, The University of Calgary
Award Date: 1 Sept 2016
Bachelor, York University Toronto
Award Date: 1 Jun 2014
External positions
Health Humanities Committee Member, CISSC, Concordia University
Reviewer, Graphic Medicine Review, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Faculty Associate, Energy Stories Lab, The University of Calgary