They’re inspired by a cartoon series close to every millennial’s heart but for stand-up comedian JD Zamora, 102 “Divergimon” cards have a purpose beyond nostalgia.
“[They] have little creatures that represent different neurodivergent conditions” he said.
“It seeks to illustrate how neurodiverse conditions are experienced by people but also help people who are not neurodiverse to relate to them.”
The cards, similar to the hit 1990s franchise Pokemon, are a “comedic device and educational tool” that Zamora uses in his standup show.
After winning the Accessible Arts Award at Sydney Fringe Festival this year, Zamora is taking his comedic celebration of neurodiversity to Australia’s pre-eminent comedy festival in 2024.
“Instead of being self-deprecating, I’ve instead turned the tables on it,” he said.
“There’s pride in being weird and different.”
Subversion and neurodiversity
Zamora began stand-up while living in London in 2016.
“I love subversion of expectations, when a comedian leads you down a path and right at the last moment, ‘bam’, they take you somewhere you were not expecting to go,” he said.
But it was around that time when he was also diagnosed with a series of neurodiverse conditions, including ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and sensory processing disorder.
“That one is the reason why any time I try to put on a woollen jumper it feels like I’m wearing a literal rash shirt made of eczema and hay,” he said.
“I’ve been working with my psychiatrist to understand other aspects of myself … things about me that just didn’t fit in, like my inability to judge certain angles or my propensity for running into furniture, which comes from a condition called dyspraxia.”
But other conditions have given Zamora considerable benefits.
“I taught myself to read when I was three years old which comes from another condition called hyperlexia.”
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Zamora’s experience is reflected in the Divergimon cards which represent neurodiverse conditions, symptoms, challenges and even “superpowers”, like supreme organisational skills.
“People generally want to take home a card that has their condition on it so it’s funny to go out to the lobby afterwards and have people walking around asking for bipolar or schizophrenia, ” he said.
“But it also facilitates a lot of open discussion about these things and destigmatises them, because suddenly people aren’t afraid to admit these things about themselves.
“They see that they’re among an understanding group of people.”
‘New perspective on an outsider’
Zamora said it was because of his experience with neurodiversity that he was drawn to stand-up.
“It is so accessible as an art form — it’s also really helpful if you’re a little bit different,” he said.
He’s been booked for a 10-day run at the next Melbourne International Comedy Festival and says he hopes to give audiences more than a laugh.
“I’d really like people to come away with a new perspective on what it means to be different and to be an outsider,” he said.
“Anyone who has ever felt ‘othered’ is going to walk away feeling absolutely magnificent.”