This final special feature in our series focuses on critical approaches to mental health in comics. We begin with a comic from Liam Geary Baulch about being caught in the system, and then there are some personal reflections from Andrew Voyce about sequential art and mental health.

This is followed by a challenging reflection on trauma from Nicolas Verstappen, and a practice-based article by Valentino Zullo, about how therapists might consider superhero origin stories as a useful model.

Next we have Heinz Insu Fenkl’s graphic novel, Dr. Zauze’s Xylophone, followed by Steven Fraser’s article and a comic which together challenge us to consider whether comics really are an appropriate medium for exploring mental health issues. Finally, we present a couple more pieces in colour from Liz Greenfeld and Simon Warne.

Meg John Barker, Joseph de Lappe and Caroline Walters

Download Volume 22 No 4

Contents

• Comics and Mental health: Part 4
• Introduction by the editors
• The Causes of mental health problems. Liam Geary Baulch
• Sequential art, personal narrative and mental health. Andrew Voyce.
• Muted and Mutated. Nicolas Verstappen.
• The Origins of out stories. Valentino Zullo.
• Dr. Zauze’s Xylophone. Heinz Insu Fenkl.
• Mental Health and Comic books. Steven Fraser
• Hearing Voices. Simon Wharne
• Pink’s Heroes. Will Aindow
• Becoming: the mental illness computer game
• Poems: Rene Flack and Caroline Wilhelmsen
• Book Review. The Man who Closed the Asylums: Franco Basaglia and the revolution in mental health care. by John Foot. Reviewed by Helen Spandler
• Letter to the editor
• News and Findings