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All the places in between

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Book Review by Kevin Wolf   When I look at a wordless graphic work my mind travels with the images and fills out a story—sometimes in pictures only and sometimes in words of my own invention for the pictures provided. I fill in any perceived gaps or explanations of what I think is going on. I have reviewed some graphic medicine works (Something Terrible, Waves) that had few words or emphasized imagery, but none—until now—that had no words, except part/chapter titles. It’s strange that I’ll be giving my review with words, and not my own drawings. If I had the… Read More

Nine Faces of Nothing

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Book Review by Kevin Wolf   Nine Faces of Nothing (Depression Comics) is an intense mini-comic, self- published by Eli Bishop. Open to interpretation is where these nine tales begin and end. That is, all nine stories in this work are layered or not; are abstract or metaphorical; are clear or opaque; it’s up to you to find their meaning. They’re connected as pieces related to depression. Some are emotional, some are lighter, but all are thoughtful. The art/words range from minimal/wordless to detailed, not necessarily in the same story. I recommend this work which is available at the author’s… Read More

Brosh Books

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Guest Review by Jane Burns   This review is for both of Allie Brosh’s books: Hyperbole and a Half and Problems and Other Solutions. Both books are engaging, wild and super funny. Not really adjectives you would associate with books about depression.  Solutions and other Problems has a 7-year gap between publication of her first book Hyperbole and a Half and if you were in any doubt as what Allie Brosh was doing in that period well it appears she was creating more amazing content and perspective.   Hyperbole and a Half The publication of Allie Brosh’s recent book Solutions… Read More

The Return of the Honey Buzzard by Aimée de Jongh

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By Kevin Wolf   This fictional graphic novel has the impact and realism of a non-fictional work about bullying, depression and suicide. The back cover indicates this work is Aimée de Jongh’s first graphic novel, though it’s a very mature work. The drawings are beautiful, showing scenes from nature, grade school, and adulthood. The story flows naturally with events surrounding Simon. He’s having trouble closing the multi-generational used bookstore he inherited from his father. The graphic work shows recent and past painful moments that he feels extreme guilt about observing but not preventing. Some scenes Simon lives and some are… Read More

Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me

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guest review by Kat Georgakopoulos Ellen Forney thought that her unique personality propelled her creativity in just the right way. However, when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of twenty-nine, Ellen’s perception of herself was turned upside down. Manic, manic, and even more manic, Ellen was advised by her therapist to seek the aid of medication. But Ellen perceived medication to be a direct threat to her creativity. So she fought to preserve herself while simultaneously searching for stability. Through a full year, Ellen entered phases of total energy where she took on an incredible number of… Read More

Marbles by Ellen Forney

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Guest review by Leandri Hattingh, Grey House Cartoons I have always been empathetic with sufferers of ill mental health, more so than many of my medical colleagues. Diagnostic and treatment limitations aside (for the moment), I believe these conditions remain stigmatised in modern medicine and, sadly, often by practitioners of such medicine. Since my exit from clinical practice in mental health care however, I’ve become less sensitive to these matters over the years. Ellen Forney’s graphic memoir, “Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me” has sparked in me a renewed insight, understanding, and empathy for those suffering from mental health disorders. In this… Read More

Graphic Medicine Podcast – Panel 1C: Resistance – A Voice for the Voiceless

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Our third panel from Brighton, addressing issues of depression and comics, ethical issues facing medical students, and perceptions of Downs Syndrome. Use the Quicktime players below to view images along with the audio of each presentation. If you don’t have Quicktime, you can listen to an audio-only version of the entire panel. See link at the end of this post.  First up is Marie-Jeanne (MJ) Jacob, presenting her talk, Dark Days: The Ethical Implications Surrounding Depression, and Comics Creation as Retaliation She writes, Two years ago I began to brainstorm a comic discussing depression, as someone who both suffers from… Read More

Look Straight Ahead

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Elaine Will is a Canadian cartoonist who just completed a graphic novel entitled ‘Look Straight Ahead’ about a teen boy’s struggle with depression/bipolar disorder. You can read it online here, for the time being: http://blog.e2w-illustration.com It’s been getting rave reviews…Kevin Bramer of Optical Sloth said “for a first graphic novel, it’s damn near perfect” and that it was “required reading for anyone who knows someone dealing with mental illness.” It’s also in the current Diamond Previews catalogue. If it gets enough orders, it will be officially released in print form in November. Elaine is also planning another graphic novel that… Read More