This is a problem of the simple fact that mental illness is nuanced where the joker isnt. Much of davids comic history, as well as the excellent legion tv show. Many heroes in recent comic bookmovie history have battled with mental health issues. The examination of mental illness in comic form goes well beyond that seen in genre comics, says ian williams, a general practitioner and comics artist. Thom kallor is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by dc comics. Instead, viewers were treated to characters who existed on the. Pages in category mental illness in fiction the following 5 pages are in this category, out of 5 total. The mental health comics and cartoons collected from thirtyfive of the best cartoonists. And theyve often been appalled by the depiction of the mentally ill in. Arguable a lot of superheroes and villains have some mental health issues, based on their choice to dress up in elaborate costumes and spend their lives mostly engaged in superherosupervillain behavior to the point they rarely have very much time. By showing us heroes with these problems, marvel did a great. Heroes in crisis ends by failing its characters, its readers, and its.
Tom king is a comic book writer and novelist, best known for his work at dc. Opinion putting the caped crusader on the couch the new york. However, comic books often portray villains as not only evil and violent, but as having a mental illness, pozios noted. Superheroes and mental illness why our stories matter. Psychiatric tales draws on darryl cunninghams time working in a psychiatric ward to give a reasoned and sympathetic look into the world of mental illness. All will contain some sort of mental or neurological disorder that should be one of the main themes of the film. 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. They take the form of relatable mental health comics and illustrations that allow us to commiserate with correll, as well as many others who share her condition. In the nottoodistant past, these were classified as affective disorders. Sadly, after struggling with mental illness himself, the author ned vizzini committed suicide in 20 at the age of 32.
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. This only reinforces the false stigma that those with powers, in fact those suffering from mental illness, are not to be trusted, thankfully, comic book movies often show the hero as a mirror image, a good compared to the bad, and the hero using a combination of natural skills and super powered abilities to overcome the villain with allies. No speculative diagnoses here, the characters were all given bipolar disorder by their creators. As a cofounder of the depression bipolar support alliance young adults chapter in san francisco, walters has developed humor as a way to address the topic of mental illness and reframe it as positive. Common sense media editors help you choose books that feature characters dealing with mental illness. Artist illustrates mental illness and disorders in his own. You must be out of your mind if you are able to kill somebody or if you think that you should rule the world. Click on any image to see links to licensing and related cartoons. This isnt a comprehensive list of superheroes with mental illness. My descriptions will indicate which mental illness or neurological condition is exhibited by which character if known. Mental health funny cartoons from cartoonstock directory the worlds largest online collection of cartoons and comics. In dc comics latest comic book limited series, heroes in crisis, the. For more pop culture nostalgia and new head to the official website. Scarlett ohara gone with the wind the archetypal character with histrionic personality disorder.
Batman comics primarily aim to entertain, and their interest in mental disorder is second to this. But with so many heroes battling deranged super villains, the lines can very quickly become blurred as to which one. Psychiatrists call out dc on depictions of mentally ill newsarama. In superhero stories, mental illness is often associated with violence and villainy. Comic book superhero helps fight stigma surrounding mental. Heroes in crisis, written by tom king with art by clay mann, will. Superheroes and villains who are mentally ill screenrant. Most people have not been taught to name and understand their mental health experiences. Kids and teens work out depression, anxiety, and more in these compelling stories. I understand what king is getting at with the story being about mental illness and. How superhero culture helped me to overcome my depression. Clinical psychologist, podcaster and comiccon panelist dr. Tropes in this genre include therapy, depression and.
Pozios on their article calling for dc comics to include more. There are three main characters, and at least two of them have confirmed mental illnesses. Captain marvel was much on my mind last year as i wrote my latest book. Here are a few that i feel encapsulate the struggles of mental illness. When brian michael bendis created jessica jones in 2001, she quickly became one of marvels most iconic characters. She believes identifying with fictional characters can help us in mental health recovery.
Comics dont always have the best track record when it comes to portraying mental illness. Pages in category marvel comics characters who have mental powers the following 35 pages are in this category, out of 35 total. On its face, mental illness is nothing to laugh about, but illustrator gemma correll has used her biting wit as a coping mechanism for her own depression and anxiety. Its first issue doesnt discuss mental health, as much as it exploits it for tragedy. How not to handle lgbt comic book characters batwoman ep. The word histrionic refers to theatrical or acting. To mark world mental health day, we revisit a number of comics and graphic novels that touch directly or tangentially on the subject of mental health. Mira, one of the main characters, has depression, and the book shows her having good days and bad days. Since his debut in new avengers, comic book readers have watched as.
There are many but generally mental illness in comics is treated rather poorly and either a joke, like deadpool, or pretext to villainy. S rich and brittany holzherr, arrives at your local comic book shop and digitally sept. 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. Unfortunately, i think quite a few of the more realistic fictional accounts of mental illness are written by authors who have experienced. Movies that feature characters dealing with mental illness talking to kids about depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues can be tough. Aura aura is the superhero alias of a young woman named alexis pope.
The thomas kallor version of star boy appears in the 2019 dc universe original movie justice league vs. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Illustrator draws humorous comics about her mental illness. The book itself does not have to be about mental illness, but can have a characters with a disorder. What made her so special wasnt her powers, but rather her battle with mental illness.
Thus giving a unique visual representation of one of the most misunderstood human maladies. Psychiatrists diagnose gothams villains with mental illnesses. Dc comics heroes in crisis explores the mental health of. What are the top 10 mentally ill dc and marvel comic. Tony kinnard holds a page of a comic book on wednesday, nov.
Fact most superheroes are disturbed individuals who suffering from some type ptsd red sonja, narcissistic personality disorder thor, obsessive compulsive disorder. Mental health cartoons and comics funny pictures from. Mental health awareness through superheroes comicbook debate. These are available to license for books, magazines, merchandise, newsletters, presentations and websites. Best mentally ill characters this list is for the best characters, not the best books. Dc comics makes tom kings superhero crisis center official with. The mental health comics and cartoons the cartoonist group. Alexis has bipolar disorder and has survived a suicide attempt.
Artist illustrates mental illness and disorders in his own personal depictions and in recent time we have seen how people have contributed and played their part in spreading awareness about it. Nine graphic novels and comic books about mental health. A crucial example on this list is iron man himself, tony stark. Comic books have long relied on mental disorders to drive their most.
The mental health association of new york city applauds the forensic psychiatrists h. Here are five popular fictional characters with mental illness. Six comic book characters who suffer from a mental illness. There are, however, other, often personal, comics that can open your eyes to real human experiences with mental disorders. Opinion when comics depict mental illness the new york. Pozios, a lifelong comic book reader, told psychiatric news that comic books have never been more mainstream, serving as a primary source of content for multibillion dollar film franchises, tv series, and video game adaptations.
Symptoms involve constant seeking for approval, inappropriate seductive dressing or behaviour, and being overly dramatic and emotional, traits. His schizophrenia began soon after he acquired his abilities, and is managed. Dc comics has an opportunity to use its influence in american pop culture. So there are six comic book characters who are way more messed up than you and i, and if they cant get mental health right with all their power and money, then what hope do we have. A list of movies that i may use for a project in my abnormal psychology class. Childrens comic cartoon characters with psychological disorders. The book has included many of the foundations of an excellent tom. Andrea letamendi uses batman characters to help people learn about mental illnesses. Comedian joshua walters, who has bipolar disease, explores creativity and mental illness in his comedy. In each chapter, cunningham explores a different mental health problem, using evocative imagery to describe the experience of mental illness, both from the point of view of those beset by illness and their friends and. Identifying mental illness in comic books requires notice of a characters behavior. We all love cartoons, particularly for the goofy characters who behave in crazy, whacky ways. Psychiatrists call out dc on depictions of mentally ill.
These movies feature characters living and often struggling with mental illness and can help kids. Worse, many have been shamed for struggling with depression and other forms of mental health disorders, she told the mighty, adding. Leftist disrespects youngrippa59 on his show and heres the response monetize your. Books that feature characters dealing with mental illness. Graphic novels about mental illness graphic novels, comic books, etc. Over the years, there have been a number of characters with autism depicted in video games, movies, comics, and tv shows.
How superheroes help us understand mental illnesses. Comics and graphic novels for world mental health day. He is working with the national alliance on mental illness of racine county on a mental illness comic book to raise awareness about mental illness. While most of these characters have suffered from mental illness at some point. According to heroes in crisis writer tom king, sanctuary was set up by. 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. A subcategory of webcomics that explores mental illness from a personal and at times humorous perspective. It has problems, specifically in the way it presents mental illness, but it was. Movies that feature characters dealing with mental illness.
She also has migraine headaches not uncommon in people with bipolar disorder with visual aura although. The best writers on the book seem to be the ones who put poor matt. Mental disorder is also depicted in characters who are not superheroes. Superheroes who have depression or any other mental illness. What youve missed in something is killing the children. Are there any superheroesvillains with mental health. The storyline present in iron man 3 explores a tony suffering from ptsd. The book describes the physiology of trauma, many case studies, and new nonpharmaceutical treatments. As a kid, i found solace in the comic book characters who resembled my own outcast existence. Comic book raises awareness of mental illness ht health. Dc comics heroes in crisis explores the mental health of superheroes. She is without a doubt the most iconic character to debut in recent decades. Mood disorders are a type of mental disorder characterized by a disturbance of emotions, or mood. He is notorious for his inability to maintain longterm relationships.