It’s not a meditation, question, or navel-gaze into the void either, but rather a visualization of the Stages of Grief and their complexity in how they ebb and flow in the nebula of human experience. This is no spoiler for the book for this work is not plot based. The work was made in response to his witnessing the death of his close friends’ young child. One of the most moving examples I have read is the graphic novel Three Shadows, by French artist Cyril Pedrosa. It helps me feel less alone in the elusive quest to find and retain a sense of peace and integration with my experiences. It is self-power and temporal stability we seek to reclaim and define in rebuilding a fractured reality.Īs a comic Author myself, I am always looking for work that wrestles with interior conflict or situational strife. Being able to show and tell through metaphors or literal representation gives the creator a sense of control over the events which plague them. Comics’ ability to synthesize emotions through visuals and text can create a system of healing through verbalization and visual catharsis.

These two essential elements work with and for one another, giving one another foundations to build themselves upon, amounting to something greater than the sum of their parts.Īlthough the range of content and backgrounds of authors I read are unique and diverse, the singular thread I always tend to resonate with in graphic novels is a narrative about the author unpacking their own brand of complicated grief. The plot, in itself, isn’t designed to express. Words propel the narrative, but a story’s character is largely dependent on the visual treatment and the expressive depth of the illustrations. When I say “author,” I use it inclusively for both writers and artists, acknowledging the dual role sole creators take upon themselves when creating personal work. Comics offer a channel of expression through which we can author and share some of the most grueling of personal and traumatic of human experiences. It is in this space where Art can do the talking for us. I Hear You, I See You Cyril Pedrosa’s Three Shadows: Comics as TestamentĪs humans we seek to understand injustice, transcend what we are told are limitations, and create for ourselves the world in which we want to live: encouraged to share and speak about what is affecting us.

Cyril pedrosa autobio