Draft:Maria Sweeney

Maria Sweeney is a Moldovan-born digital illustrator, author, and comic artist known for graphic narratives and zines about disability and healthcare in the United States.

Booklist writes that "Sweeney presents a fuller picture of the disability experience" and "makes visible the invisible, those daily nothings that those not experiencing chronic illness take for granted."

Biography
Maria Sweeney was born in Moldova. She was adopted by American parents, and grew up in New Jersey. She graduated from Moore College of Art and Design with a BFA in Illustration.

Career
Maria works as an illustrator. She won a Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo Mini-Grant in 2018. Her 2019 zine, The Straw Ban, was named an outstanding submission by the 2019 Locher Memorial Awards.

Sweeney illustrated The Scooter Twins (2024), a picture book written by Dorothy Ellen Palmer for young readers; Kirkus Reviews noted "Sweeney's warm-hued illustrations" and "comfortingly cozy details" as features of the book, which concerns young siblings getting mobility scooters.

Her debut graphic memoir, Brittle Joints was published by Street Noise Books on June 25 2024.

The book describes her experiences living with Bruck syndrome. A starred review in Publishers Weekly called Brittle Joints "a candid portrait of life with a disability, drawn in delicate brushstrokes" that "shines a critical light on the ableism she’s forced to contend with." A review in Slings and Arrows notes that Sweeney's "illustrations are delicate and emotionally strong, with subtle commentary in the detail counterpointing the narrative captions." Foreword Reviews called Brittle Joints "a powerful book."

Works
Books
 * Brittle Joints, 2024 ISBN 9781951491260
 * The Scooter Twins, 2024 ISBN 9781773066295 (Written by Dorothy Ellen Palmer; illustrated by Sweeney)

Zines
 * Disability & Self-Care, 2021
 * The Straw Ban, 2019