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Kinds of Blue: An Anthology of Comics about Depression
“The black dog must die.”
“What does it feel like to feel anything?”
“No, I do not desire death. I desire non-existence.”
What does depression look like? What does depression feel like? When you're stuck in the middle of it, is there anything that actually helps?
In this collection of short, original comics, 14 young Australians chronicle their close encounters and experiences with depression, capturing snapshots of what depression is like in order to illuminate what is often unexpressed and help fellow sufferers know they are not alone.
“What does it feel like to feel anything?”
“No, I do not desire death. I desire non-existence.”
What does depression look like? What does depression feel like? When you're stuck in the middle of it, is there anything that actually helps?
In this collection of short, original comics, 14 young Australians chronicle their close encounters and experiences with depression, capturing snapshots of what depression is like in order to illuminate what is often unexpressed and help fellow sufferers know they are not alone.
88 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 20, 2017
This is what it says on the tin-- with the uneven tone of an anthology (or experiences of depression). A great project.
November 12, 2023
It was actually really cool to have various comics on depression. it really shows what people go through and the different types of depression people can have. it was pretty cool overall but wish some of the comics were longer.
January 8, 2019
The concept idea of this graphic novel was good, but the delivery was quite poor, to be honest.
The stories were not well-developed and the drawings amateurish.
The stories were not well-developed and the drawings amateurish.
July 15, 2024
It captures depression extremely well!
Also Jemima is one of the illustrators!!!
Also Jemima is one of the illustrators!!!
June 28, 2015
When people talk about depression, when they try to help with depression, they invariably end up with something like Kinds of Blue: a well-meaning, expressive, demonstrative...lack of concrete dialogue. Part of this is the comic book format. Hey, I know from comic book format. What people generally call the graphic novel when they want to distinguish from superhero stories and the like usually comes with a certain vagueness. Anecdotal, spare...it's as if revealing too much would be a betrayal of the self. But then what's the point? The epitome of this kind of storytelling is Harvey Pekar, the late curmudgeon made famous by the film American Splendor. So what it amounts to is sounding like you're complaining about everything, and admitting that there aren't any answers, that the world sucks and you just have to deal with it, or that you'll find a kind of happiness if you'll just look...
Listen, if I sound like I'm taking the material personally, it's because I am. And overall it is good material, but it lacks anything but empathy. The problem, anyone who carries around with them existential discontent, to use another term, is not overly comforted by the notion that they're not alone. Or that one or two people may sympathize or will try and help them if and when they can. Depression is something of a modern invention. Life sucked a lot worse in times past. Depression, I think, is an acknowledgment that life isn't completely bad, but it could be a lot better if only..., and it's the if only... that can never be addressed, because, well, life is in transition. And maybe humans really are getting better. But it happens in slow motion, and in the meantime...it sucks.
So my point is, instead of one or two people saying, "Hey! I realize you're having a tough time of it," it would perhaps be better if even whole pockets of a community could chip in. Think of it like the school social pecking order. You have the cool kids, and then you have the misfits who band together. But what about the misfits who are misfits even among misfits? This is what I'm talking about. Depression is like being that loner misfit. This is not addressed in Kinds of Blue. In fact, if there's a concrete criticism of it, it's that of any real information provided in the vignettes, it's that the creators are reasonably comfortable in their lives. It's just that they happen to be depressed.
I don't know. How do you help the misfit loner? How do you find that pocket of a community? Kinds of Blue has a vignette about enjoying movies. Escapism. The problem is, society always has demands. And maybe it's the demands that are the biggest cause of depression. Can't very well acknowledge that, however. Society depends on demands, even though we have so many people in the world, most of us have no practical use whatsoever. (And maybe that's another cause of depression, realizing that.) Maybe we just have to find better ways to make people feel useful. Wanted. Included. No matter how they prefer to exist.
Because not existing at all is way more daunting. That much Kinds of Blue nails.
Listen, if I sound like I'm taking the material personally, it's because I am. And overall it is good material, but it lacks anything but empathy. The problem, anyone who carries around with them existential discontent, to use another term, is not overly comforted by the notion that they're not alone. Or that one or two people may sympathize or will try and help them if and when they can. Depression is something of a modern invention. Life sucked a lot worse in times past. Depression, I think, is an acknowledgment that life isn't completely bad, but it could be a lot better if only..., and it's the if only... that can never be addressed, because, well, life is in transition. And maybe humans really are getting better. But it happens in slow motion, and in the meantime...it sucks.
So my point is, instead of one or two people saying, "Hey! I realize you're having a tough time of it," it would perhaps be better if even whole pockets of a community could chip in. Think of it like the school social pecking order. You have the cool kids, and then you have the misfits who band together. But what about the misfits who are misfits even among misfits? This is what I'm talking about. Depression is like being that loner misfit. This is not addressed in Kinds of Blue. In fact, if there's a concrete criticism of it, it's that of any real information provided in the vignettes, it's that the creators are reasonably comfortable in their lives. It's just that they happen to be depressed.
I don't know. How do you help the misfit loner? How do you find that pocket of a community? Kinds of Blue has a vignette about enjoying movies. Escapism. The problem is, society always has demands. And maybe it's the demands that are the biggest cause of depression. Can't very well acknowledge that, however. Society depends on demands, even though we have so many people in the world, most of us have no practical use whatsoever. (And maybe that's another cause of depression, realizing that.) Maybe we just have to find better ways to make people feel useful. Wanted. Included. No matter how they prefer to exist.
Because not existing at all is way more daunting. That much Kinds of Blue nails.
January 15, 2015
This is more art than comics I normally read. There are many short vignettes relating to depression, some light and some rather dark. I can't say that there is a lot here that I could show to others to explain my particular depression, but all of it resonated as very like what I experience, and I'm sure it will help many people to understand a bit more what it can be like to be depressed. The tips are very good, and the stories evocative. There are several art styles represented, from watercolors to hypersaturated colors to simple cartoons. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who needs a little help understanding someone with depression. It won't always be exactly like this, but this is a good starting point.
September 1, 2014
What a marvellous book! The Illustrations are outstanding but it is the verse that makes this little book particularly poignant. It is a battle...but with good people surrounding ourselves with love and understanding, we can make it through and see the sunshine, or the smile, or the knitted scarf again.
October 17, 2012
I really appreciated this anthology and how it deals honestly with the struggles of depression.
Depression impacts so many people that it's worth being aware.
I even bought copies for friends and family.
Read it!
Depression impacts so many people that it's worth being aware.
I even bought copies for friends and family.
Read it!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews