Thursday 29 April 2010

Psychiatric Tales: Out At Last

At long last my graphic novel Psychiatric Tales has been published.

Psychiatric Tales by Darryl Cunningham

Psychiatric Tales is a book that attempts to demythologise mental illness. Forget what you've seen in movies or on TV. This book shows what the experience of mental illness actually is for both patients and the staff who treat them.

Media representations of people who suffer mental illness tend to be appalling. We live in an age where racism and sexism is considered unacceptable. Yet the mentally ill are still considered fair game for ridicule and are subject to the worst kind of prejudice. I had an e-mail recently from a young man who intended to buy two copies of the book when it came out. One for his mother, and one for his step-father. He wanted to show his family that the bipolar disorder he'd been diagnosed with, was a real illness, and that he needed their understanding not hostility.

We still live in a world, sadly, where depression is seen as weakness of character, and psychosis (such as hearing voices) is considered proof of dangerousness. Even the psychiatric nursing profession itself suffers prejudice. I've worked with many general nurses who considered psychiatric nurses not to be real nurses at all.

I'm hoping that Psychiatric Tales will be a real stigma-busting book. An empowering book for those who suffer the illnesses described, and a insight into a much-misunderstood world, for those who know little of the subject.

Buy it here from Forbidden Planet

Tuesday 27 April 2010

San Diablo (Again)

New pages of my webcomic The Streets Of San Diablo are now up at Activate.com.

Sam With Rock

Saturday 17 April 2010

More Tea Vicar?

Off to London this morning for my birthday weekend. I'll be attending the Fleece Station Studio bash along with many of my comic chums.

Dalek vicar. Exterminating for Jesus.

More Tea Vicar

Thursday 15 April 2010

All Star Superhero

I'm miffed because my wacom drawing tablet has broken. It's a real pain. I can't draw on the computer without it.

In other news, Psychiatric Tales is going through the process of binding, and hopefully, I'll get my first copies the weekend after next. It's been such a long wait. I was hoping to have them in time for my birthday on Sunday, but alas, it's not to be. The bulk will ship from Poland on Monday 26th and should arrive two days after. So I've been told anyway.

Superman. A companion piece to my Batman one page strip.

All Star Superhero

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Man Of The Bat

Man Of The Bat

If in doubt, draw batman. More a piece of design rather than an actual story strip.

Monday 12 April 2010

Not Dreaming

Not Sleeping

I did actually have a dream like this.

Friday 9 April 2010

Tiny Dalek

I'm told by Blank Slate that Psychiatric Tales has now been printed, and that copies should be arriving within the next ten days. Watch this space for details of how to buy a copy.

Here's a tiny Dalek drawing for no reason other than I felt like it.

cute dalek

Saturday 3 April 2010

Gorilla And Children

Children And Gorilla

Old pic from me in a style that I don't do anymore. Not quite sure how I would attempt this now.

Winston Churchill Quote About Pigs

Churchill Pig Quote

I believe that Winston owned pigs, so he knew what he was talking about.

Friday 2 April 2010

Groucho's Big Insult

Groucho Marx's Big Insult

An incident I read about in a biography of the great man.