depression comix #91
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comics and illustrations by clay jonathan
comics and illustrations by clay jonathan
[…] the archive: depression comix #91 – main site – […]
Because I MUST!, through enduring I grow strong. One breath at a time
oh man. this is me every friggin morning.
Something I just have to know…what was the artistic reasoning for having the reflection be dressed differently from the character?
I’m not the artist, but your question made me curious, so I studied the comic. I suspect the image in the mirror isn’t the person’s actual reflection of her talking to herself, but rather that the image represents the Voice of Depression itself. The biggest clue is that its shirt is monogrammed with a D. But beyond that, it’s more “large and in charge,” so to speak… there’s an energy/vitality to it that the woman doesn’t have. Notice that Depression doesn’t have bags under its eyes like the woman does, its shirt is buttoned up/professional rather than open/casual like hers, its expression is a mix of glee and anger, unlike hers, and it has a more dominant posture.
Personally, I find this to be a very powerful depiction of depression, in that the woman accepts the Voice of Depression as her own voice, rather than distinguishing what it is saying as unhealthy/untrue thoughts. It reminds me of a line from the movie The Usual Suspects: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” I think that’s one of the most dangerous things about depression… that it can create such chaos in people’s lives/minds, yet be unrecognized as being the actual root of the problems.
That’s what I was aiming for with the image in the mirror. I don’t think I’ve used this since because it is confusing in a four panel comic.
Holy crap this is me! I feel chills with various levels of shock. I’ve been having such a battle with myself since High School! Only without a mirror and on a pitch black battle field…The more I read this comic the more I wonder how deep my depression really is. I thought it was all anxiety based from trauma, homophobia, and the recent passing of my Father…Thank you for making this comic.
+1 reason why i do not look at myself in the mirror anymore