The comic book world has always used mental illness as inspiration for characters. Ben martini was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1976. The best writers on the book seem to be the ones who put poor matt through the most pain. The comicbook writer gail simone cited the treatment of barbaras character in her famous list of women in refrigerators, a website that collected examples of female comicbook characters who. The temptation to examine the human condition through characters who think or behave in ways we find strange is a common theme in literature, and yet more and more of society is waking up to the fact that frivolous depictions of mental illness can have serious realworld implications. Calvin believes that hobbes comes to life when no one else is around, helping him fight enemies, complete science projects and reflect upon philosophies of life. No speculative diagnoses here, the characters were all given bipolar disorder by their creators. Some supers arent villains or heroes but they have mental illnesses as. The new wasp inherited her fathers genius as well as his bipolar disorder, which the creators of her comic book series. Most mental illnesses were previously met with a good amount of unfair stigma. Comic book characters, as with many fictional characters, are often exaggerations of human conditions. Dc comics heroes in crisis explores the mental health. Psychiatrists diagnose gothams villains with mental illnesses. We all love cartoons, particularly for the goofy characters who behave in crazy, whacky ways.
These manga feature characters who live with a mental health condition that impacts their way of life, such as depression, anxiety, ptsd, or a personality disorder. Why marvel comics revealed a superhero to be bipolar. Click on any image to see links to licensing and related cartoons. Depending on the situation, mental illness can be used to explain the suffering of a character, or make them seem more scary and frightening. Jan 14, 2015 psychiatrists diagnose gothams villains with mental illnesses. Much of davids comic history, as well as the excellent legion tv. All of the cartoon comic book characters listed in this list are related to bipolar disorder. The importance of addressing trauma and mental health in. The mental health comics and cartoons collected from thirtyfive of the best cartoonists. Mental health awareness through superheroes comicbook debate. Symptoms involve constant seeking for approval, inappropriate seductive dressing or behaviour, and being overly dramatic and emotional, traits ohara has. Debunking the biggest myths about mental health in the black. In the wake of barbara gordons controversial new status quo, its a good time to explore one of the major comic book tropes. Mental illness is a mental or behavioral pattern which causes strife or anguish to ones life.
Whether its in a comic book or a movie, most everyone has seen a. Dc comics recently hired a mental health professional to psychoanalyze popular comicbook characters, such as batman, superman, harley quinn, and others. A year after her father died, when she was twenty years old, alison bechdel was looking through some old family photographs and found one of. A great superhero, to me, faces universal problems, which makes them relatable to the audience. Depression a classic, but not necessarily plotdriven, the bell jar explores the human psyche and the mental break of protagonist, esther greenwood, who appears on the outside to have very much going for her. Superheroes and supervillains with mental disorders florida. There are, however, other, often personal, comics that can open your eyes to real human experiences with mental disorders. The word histrionic refers to theatrical or acting. Comics are a good medium for exploring mental health, and there are many. Superheroes and mental illness why our stories matter. These characters were also included in the screening films and. Calvin schizophrenia calvin is a sixyear old boy from the famous comic strip calvin and hobbes, with a stuffed tiger named hobbes. Exploring mental illness with unstoppable wasp marvel. This has resulted in some characters having entire galleries of crazy villains and heroes frequently doing things that are mentally unhealthy and feeling.
The first week of october is recognized as mental health awareness week, while in november we recognize international survivors of suicide loss day. Pages in category marvel comics characters who have mental powers the following 35 pages are in this category, out of 35 total. Here are five popular fictional characters with mental illness. Living with mental illness is a daily struggle for many people and comic book superheroes are a way of escaping our everyday lives. Most realistic portrayals of mental illness in novels. This makes superman an interesting character and proves that. Sep 19, 2017 while most of these characters have suffered from mental illness at some point in their career, the struggle for antman, aka giant man, aka yellowjacket, aka goliath, has been ongoing. Aug 16, 2016 superhero therapy refers to incorporating characters from geek culture, including superheroes and other characters from comic books, as well as characters from fantasy, science fiction, and video games into evidencebased therapy such as cognitivebehavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. Dc comics recently hired a mental health professional to psychoanalyze popular comic book characters, such as batman, superman, harley quinn, and others. Historically, comics have been incredibly bad in their treatment. Debunking the biggest myths about mental health in the. But if we try to think what it might be like for a real person to have their traits, it might not look like a good idea. The importance of addressing trauma and mental health in comics. But she makes equally clear that she will never give up, and her book will inspire you to do the same.
Stories chronicling the struggles of young people and their friends, siblings, or parents who suffer from anxiety, depression, obsessivecompulsive disorder ocd, agoraphobia. A c2e2 panel, the value of mental illness in comics. This diagnosis is usually added to the character by comic book authors. Oct 14, 2015 mental illness is an area frequently misunderstood by authors and readers alike. Dc comics heroes in crisis explores the mental health of. Superheroes and villains who are mentally ill screenrant. Although the novel was first published in 1963, the.
Perhaps the hero most wellknown for his mental illness is moon knight. Mental illness is an area frequently misunderstood by authors and readers alike. What are the top 10 mentally ill dc and marvel comic characters. Captain marvel was much on my mind last year as i wrote my latest book. Shivack makes clear that, as an adult, she is still struggling with binging and purging. This really depends on how you want to parse out what counts as mental illness in comic books. Childrens comic cartoon characters with psychological disorders.
These are available to license for books, magazines, merchandise, newsletters, presentations and websites. The times piece called for dc comics to change its depiction of the mentally ill, now that the publisher revamps its comic characters as part of the new 52 initiative. As far as eating disorder fiction goes, paperweight has several things going for it. We recently asked the buzzfeed community to tell us which fictional characters helped them understand their mental illness. These universal problems ground the characters who are known for their powerful abilities and otherworldly strengths. A graphic memoir of mental illness by clem martini and olivier martini. The mental health comics and cartoons the cartoonist group. Not the taboo subject it once was, mental illness offers rich territory to explore in books for kids and teens. Alexis has bipolar disorder and has survived a suicide attempt. These movies feature characters living and often struggling with mental illness and can help kids understand more about this often sensitive subject.
These include behavioral or chemical dysfunction, abnormal disorders, intense fears, chemical dependency and, natural to comics, exposure to substances which affect a persons thought process and actions. The comic that explains where joker went wrong the. Apr 26, 2017 a c2e2 panel, the value of mental illness in comics. Mental health representation matters psychology today. Books that feature characters dealing with mental illness. Many issues of moon knight comics involved the hero not only battling psychopathic villains, but also his own psyche. Marvel, the comic company responsible for the avengers, is especially talented at. Nine graphic novels and comic books about mental health. There are three main characters, and at least two of them have confirmed mental illnesses. In superhero stories, mental illness is often associated with violence and villainy.
His behavior indicates a tenuous grasp of reality combined with an absence of basic impulse control. Comic book superhero helps fight stigma surrounding mental. Comic books can help to enlighten and educate readers about mental illness. Aura aura is the superhero alias of a young woman named alexis pope. Movies that feature characters dealing with mental illness talking to kids about depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues can be tough. Comic books such as batman, superman and the avengers have become a common language in our culture. On the other hand, comic books can also show mental health issues in a negative light when their characters minimize their symptoms, decline psychiatric assessment, or dont adhere to. Dc comics heroes in crisis explores the mental health of superheroes. Psychiatrists call out dc on depictions of mentally ill.
Nov 02, 2017 the first week of october is recognized as mental health awareness week, while in november we recognize international survivors of suicide loss day. Marvel, the comic company responsible for the avengers, is especially talented at incorporating mental illness into shaping their characters. Being a superhero can likely strain your mental health. Identifying mental illness in comic books requires notice of a characters. The book describes the physiology of trauma, many case studies, and new nonpharmaceutical treatments. Here are a few of their most heartwarming responses. By showing us heroes with these problems, marvel did a great. Comic books as a bridge to healing counseling today. These manga feature characters who struggle with a debilitating health condition, whether theyre diagnosed with a terminal illness or a lifelong condition that impacts their way of life. Movies that feature characters dealing with mental illness.
We felt it was an opportunity to present a representation of mental illness that we dont frequently see in comics. You must be out of your mind if you are able to kill somebody or if you think that you should rule the world. Characters like spiderman, daredevil, and moon knight have all walked this. The best comic book writers and artists unravel the turmoil that follows those. Since his debut in new avengers, comic book readers have watched as. Superheroes are hardly accurate representations of actual human beings.
Feb 27, 2019 on the whole, the comic book industry still has room to grow when it comes to addressing reallife social problems without exploiting mental health struggles and marginalized populations. Often described as batman with multiple personality disorder, moon knights illness has made his fight against crime quite difficult. Pope ponders a year of recovery from a suicide attempt, subsequent hospitalization and diagnosis of bipolar disorder, comorbid migraines, and medication trials that. Mentallyill and insane characters have a long and storied history in anime and manga. Batman, the lead character of the eponymous comic book series by dc comics, has an alter ego, bruce wayne, and shows tendencies of schizoid personality disorder, or even schizotypal personality disorder. What are the top 10 mentally ill dc and marvel comic. Jan 26, 2017 comic books such as batman, superman and the avengers have become a common language in our culture. He is notorious for his inability to maintain longterm relationships.
Stories chronicling the struggles of young people and their friends, siblings, or parents who suffer from anxiety, depression, obsessivecompulsive disorder ocd, agoraphobia, an eating disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, hypochondria, and other illnesses make for engrossing. It is easier for an audience to justify the actions of a villain by tying them to a diagnosable mental illness. Whatever the case, weve seen this occur in comic books for several years. Historically, comics have blamed villainous tendencies on mental illness. The killing joke, was an inspiration for todd phillipss grim new filmbut not in the one way that.
On the whole, the comic book industry still has room to grow when it comes to addressing reallife social problems without exploiting mental health struggles and marginalized populations. May 08, 2020 debunking the biggest myths about mental health in the black community. Scarlett ohara gone with the wind the archetypal character with histrionic personality disorder. Many superheroes owe their entire careers to traumatic events, but what would happen if you took that trauma away.
She also has migraine headaches not uncommon in people with bipolar disorder with visual aura although. While most of these characters have suffered from mental illness at. Mira, one of the main characters, has depression, and the book shows her having good days and bad days. Some illnesses may stem from a physical disability. So i have compiled a list of five recent uk books which accurately portray characters coping with various mental illness and mental health issues and suicide loss. Finding resilience in pain asked this, as well as questions about how mental health is portrayed in comics and how comics can be used in the treatment of mental illness. It is a common weakness to characters in comic books and a somewhat poorly used trope. Oct 07, 2019 the comic that explains where joker went wrong alan moores classic 1988 story, batman. Debunking the biggest myths about mental health in the black community. Superheroes and mental illness why our stories matter the.
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