THE VOICE WITHIN - A CARTOON STORY

epression has been described and personified in many ways. Those of us who live with it see it in various ways; for some, it is a ‘black dog’ that stalks and threatens. But I see it differently: it is a familiar, friendly voice that we learn to trust. It is coercive control from within. It is incredibly hard to describe, but I wanted to try in the only way I know how.

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].

I’ll be sharing more of my journey and the daily reality of staying grounded in the modern world over on social media. Join in:

Instagram ● Threads

BlueSky ● TikTok