Tales of Ordinary Madness
Written By: Malcolm Bourne
Illustrated By: Mike Allred
ONI Press Publication
Tales of Ordinary Madness is an interesting collection of stories taking a look into the world of psychology and mental health. One of the most intriguing aspects of this collection is the fact the author is a well-respected psychiatrist, creating a very realistic character study on those suffering from various disorders.
I have always been a fan of graphic novels that break the boundaries of superheroes and fantasy worlds to bring realistic and in depth looks at real life issues. In order to escape the stereotype of being a medium meant only for the eyes of adolescences we need more original and deep stories such as those found with in the pages of Tales of Ordinary Madness.
The first segment profiles a paranoid schizophrenic by the name of Robert painting a very uneasy and tense picture of what the day-to-day life of a schizophrenic must be like. Constant irrational bouts of fear that are backed up by ultra vivid and realistic hallucinations, schizophrenia has to be one of the worse disorders one could ever suffer from.
Next we are introduced to Jane Brown, a depressed housewife who has attempted suicide by swallowing a large amount of her prescription anti-depressants. The constant feeling of being worthless and unneeded is a true curse, depression is a largely common disorder that many of us will face at some point but some will deal with it every day of their lives to degrees that most will never be able to comprehend.
This leads into further stories of various patients including Dr. Clarke himself who suffers from a bit of neurosis. The writing while minimalistic and to the point is top notch from start to finish. The author does a brilliant job at truly making the reader feel for each patient and forces you to analyze your own ticks and oddities. Tales of Ordinary Madness is a fascinating book to say the very least and those looking for something different and outside the normal realm covered by most graphic novels should be sure to check it out.
The art style is very basic but perfectly accentuates the dark and gloomy atmosphere created by the stories told in Tales of Ordinary Madness. My favorite panels being those showcasing the story of the schizophrenic, the art very cleverly convoys emotion so vividly that if the words were removed you would still understand what was going on.
I really enjoyed Tales of Ordinary Madness, and always find it refreshing to come across such a original and honest tale of every day woes. The writing, artwork, and overall content are of the highest quality and I would recommend this book to any fans of more dramatic adult themed graphic novels.
