Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?

by Saily Marrero

CONTENT ADVISORY

Because of the nature of the crimes discussed in this book, this graphic novel should be for mature readers only. Contents include, but are not limited to grave robbing, murder, abuse of all kinds, necrophilia, nudity, and more.

The opening page of Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? begins with the premiere of Alfred Hitchcock’s groundbreaking 1960 film, Psycho, a film inspired by Gein’s horrific crimes. From the start, readers can see the impact of Ed Gein, whose crimes continued on to inspire other films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Not to mention the innumerable documentaries and biographical crime dramas he has inspired, including Netflix’s recent release Monster: The Ed Gein Story (a show I admittedly have not watched, nor do I plan to).

ILLUSTRATIONS

The illustrations are in black and white using a mix of mediums – watercolor and pencil. Although it is in black and white, Powell’s illustrations do not stop being disturbing. More than once I had to close the book or covered its pages to hide the horrifying depictions of the disturbing evidence found in Gein’s house e.g. chords, belts, lampshades, masks, and more, all made with human flesh.

REFERENCES & NOTES

The authors do include notes and two appendices at the end of the book. The notes are about the facts and changes they made in creating this book. Meanwhile, each appendix are transcripts of interviews conducted by Harold Schechter for his true crime book on Gein, Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein.

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS & UPBRINGING

In its early chapters, Schechter and Powell provide insight into Ed Gein’s early life prior to the murders. Augusta Gein, his mother, was characterized as an overzealous religious woman, whose presence would greatly influence her son’s life. She is often depicted reading scripture (p.31), praying (p. 19, p. 28), denouncing the nearby town’s immoral behavior (p. 29), and condemning her husband’s behavior (p.19, p.27). Her influence over her son’s life loomed large, something that is depicted both figuratively and literally. On page 40, his mother quadruples in size as she berates Gein as a small child. This idea is later amplified on page 203 when Powell depicts Gein worshipping a ginormous Aztec inspired statue of his mother. The irony of having an overbearing and controlling pious woman give birth to one of American’s most notorious killers is not lost. Meanwhile, his father—with his poor work ethic, drinking, and abusive behavior toward the entire family (p. 32-33)—could only have made things worse. Growing up in such a toxic environment could not have been good for Gein’s mental health.

INFLUENCES & MENTAL HEALTH

Dispersed throughout the book, the readers will see what might have influenced Gein’s atrocious crimes. Could it have been seeing his parents draining a pig of its blood by hanging it upside down (p. 25), something he would do with one of his own victims (p. 98)? Or was it reading about the lampshades made from human flesh during the Holocaust, something he would also create (p. 74). Or maybe it was reading about Christine Jorgensen, a trans woman, which might have inspired him to create his own human skinsuit (p. 130, 134-135).

In the aftermath of the discovery of his crimes and his house of horrors, there was a lot of discussion surrounding his mental health. In “Chapter 8: Isolation”, the authors discuss how his isolation after his mother’s death negatively impacted his life. Although the negative effects of isolation are not discussed, it is widely understood that isolation can impact people negatively. The CDC states social isolation can increase one’s risk for mood disorders, dementia, self-harm, heart disease, and more (Centers for Disease Control Prevention [CDC], 2024). For Gein, it exacerbated his already fragile mental health.

In “Chapter 10: A Little Mad Sometimes” at his 1958 sanity hearing, an expert explains his low IQ and claims he is an example of “a schizophrenic personality with several neurotic manifestations” where his mother is “the dominant factor in his psychosis” (p.188). Although the book does not specify which schizophrenic personality disorder Gein had, people with schizophrenia might experience delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and thinking (e.g. word salad), unusual disorganized motor behavior (e.g. childlike silliness or unwarranted agitation), and negative symptoms (e.g. poor hygiene, not showing emotion, or feeling pleasure) (Mayo Clinic, 2024). Most of which was experienced or seen in Gein’s behavior; neighbors remarked his childlike behavior, his house was incredibly filthy, and showed weird interests.

NOTE ON TRUE CRIME

In trying to understand the factors that drove Gein to killing and grave robbing we run the risk of humanizing his story. Let us not forget, Ed Gein murdered women and robbed their graves, causing incredible harm to the local community, especially to the victims and their families. The rise in popularity of true crime in the last couple of years begs to question our relationship to the genre. Are we glamorizing these killers? Are we being disrespectful of the victims? Why are we consuming this genre? Is this informative or entertainment?

When dramatizing true crime stories such as this, it is important to include factual events instead of imagined events to fit a narrative. Doing so runs the risk of glamorizing killers and creating entertainment out of crimes and its victims. Schechter and Powell are transparent about the changes they made, but that can’t be said for all dramatized adaptations.

REFERENCES

Centers for Disease Control Prevention [CDC]. (2024, May 15, 2024). Health effects of social isolation and loneliness. Retrieved October 28, 2025 from https://www.cdc.gov/social-connectedness/risk-factors/index.html

Mayo Clinic. (2024). Schizophrenia. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizoid-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20354414

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Saily Marrero, M.S.I., is the subject librarian for Nursing & Health Studies, Psychology, and Biology at the University of Miami. She is drawn to graphic medicine for its unique ability to foster empathy and understanding through personal medical stories.