Nightmare Scenarios
Author: Matt Barrell
Format: Paperback
Pages: 24pp
Publish Date: 2018
Publisher: Menard Press
Where to buy: https://inpressbooks.co.uk/products/nightmare-scenarios
Author website: http://mattbarrell.co.uk/
Additional info: Available in the US from SPD Books - see link at bottom of post.
Review
Guest review by Eric Hoffman
Matt Barrell is a London-based comic book artist with schizophrenia. In his short but powerful comic, Nightmare Scenarios, he provides twenty-four one panel-per-page depictions of the inner life of Londoners suffering from mental illness. There are no word balloons; the primitive yet effective illustrations, accompanied by first-person captions, provide a claustrophobic firsthand depiction of the disconnectedness of mental illness, of being trapped inside one’s own head, and the confusion and difficulty of interacting with a society which one is a part of, yet also apart from. Each page of Barrell’s comic presents a single frozen moment in time, ranging from the commonplace to the bizarre, and depicts a character’s inability to move out from or break free of their various mental prisons. This is a work of dread, yet ultimately of hope. There is despair, but also hints of salvation, and transcendence. Precise, enlightening, and compelling.
Matt Barrell
Nightmare Scenarios is available in the US from SPD Books
liz james says
Aug. 21, 2018 at 2:09 amHear hear
John says
Aug. 21, 2018 at 1:16 pmA very good review of an excellent publication.
Caty says
Aug. 21, 2018 at 2:54 pmAgreed. Such a compelling experience to read.
Sara Rivers says
Aug. 21, 2018 at 3:31 pmA very honest and human review to a very honest and humane graphic book.
Joe says
Aug. 24, 2018 at 5:46 pmIt’s a great book. I’ve seen bits of the next one, which is amazing too.
Delia says
Aug. 30, 2018 at 8:53 amThis is a great book. The illustrations are sensitive and empathetic, and the colours are beautiful and well balanced. Each page gives a moment of insight into an individuals situation and their thoughts. It is very thoughtful, at times funny, and frequently moving. I recommend it!
Delia says
Aug. 30, 2018 at 9:18 amThis is a great book. The illustrations are sensitive and empathetic, and the colours are beautiful and well balanced. Each page gives a moment of insight into an individual’s situation and their thoughts. It is very thoughtful, at times funny, and frequently moving. I recommend it!