I decided to start this project in February when I went through my last bout; [you can read a post I published about it here]. If you don’t already know, I draw cartoons. Drawing comic strips was always my childhood dream. Whilst I did have a drawing published in the Dandy back in 1981 (see the clipping below!), I never truly realised that dream until the internet allowed me to self-publish. Since 2019, I’ve shared over 300 strips. Readership isn't massive, but the fact that people enjoy them is fantastic for me.
But I digress. Sharing this particular work feels different. It is very personal and revealing, and quite frankly, it’s a piece of my private landscape. My visualisation of the entity of depression is unique to my experience, but I hope I’ve captured the essence of that darkness in a way that resonates.
The whole process of creating this saga has been therapeutic. Translating these feelings into lines and panels allowed me to step back and finally understand parts of myself that usually feel tangled and obscured. It has been a way of mapping the shadows so they no longer have the run of the place.
I am incredibly proud of this saga. This week, I am publishing the prologue to a five-part series. The remaining four parts will be released weekly, every Tuesday.
Above is the first frame; you can read the full prologue and follow the journey [here] or check out the whole back catalogue [here].
This will take your art and storytelling to a new level, I'm sure. Moving out of the traditional yuk-it-up cartooning sphere and into the more serious graphic novel sphere. Looking forward to this series, Kirt!
ReplyDeleteI'll not be moving out of the silly stuff, I just felt the need to dip my toe into the darker realms.
DeleteDepression seems such a curse - often quietly endured without others knowing the truth of it. I am impressed that you won a Desperate Dan jigsaw Kirt. Have you still got it? It never seemed to me that cartoon people like Desperate Dan, Dennis the Menace or Beryl the Peril ever got depressed. They just powered through life, never bothering to contemplate their own navels.
ReplyDeleteI don't have the jigsaw, we moved around when I was a teenager (not far just many places) so loads of my childhood junk was lost. I love those old cartoon heroes, my childhood right there.
DeleteFinding creative outlets can be very helpful, whatever form they take.
ReplyDeleteThat's so true.
DeleteStepping back and having a look at your soul's innards is a good thing. Once I get a handle on "Why am I feeling this way" it's less scary. The feeling might not dissipate, but it loses power once you know it's name. The ability to be OK with one's self is precious.
ReplyDeleteThat's something I've tried to get across in the series.
DeleteGrrrr, silly machines! The above comment was from me.
ReplyDelete😂😂😂
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