Comics – Me and Brain, Me and Bones

Illustration (2016 onwards)

In a time of personal emotional turmoil, I found I needed the simplicity and immediacy of the comics format to most authentically reflect the narrative I wanted to portray.

Through comics I was able to objectively narrate a discourse on my mental health. By vocalising parts of my psyche using the characters Brain  – my inner dialogue, and later Bones – my future dead self, I was able to allow these characters to own their flaws and vulnerability, conversing with them in a way that is only possible through drawn characterisation.

I saw this connection to vulnerability echoed in clowning, which helps inform my artistic direction on the page. Thus resulting in established relatable, disarming characters. I can now use them to manipulate the comics panel format to better describe complex concepts whilst providing narrative companionship.