However, bastows art is frequently made in comic form, and more often than not deals with mental illness. Mental illness and comic books may seem like two completely different subjects. Top 10 craziest psychopaths in the comic books theres no denying that the majority of comic book villains are at the very least a little bit crazy. An avid reader of mental illness narratives like darkness visible and the bell jar, she notes that books often cast these problems in a solemn, anguished, ethereally melancholy glow. The most lasting comic book attempt at crafting a joker origin came from. Books that feature characters dealing with mental illness.
This category is for villains who have any type of psychological disorder and can be deemed as mentally unstable or villains suffering from mental disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, dissociative identity disorder dissociative villains, schizophrenia and psychosis. He appears as the lead protagonist of the comic book series. And most heroes have, if not a full blown mental illness, some amount of severe psychological problems. What are the top 10 mentally ill dc and marvel comic characters. Aura aura is the superhero alias of a young woman named alexis pope. This list is for the best characters, not the best books. The iconic character, also known as bruce banner, is a brilliant scientist who was. Its also reflected in his need to be the smartest man in the room at all times. Pope ponders a year of recovery from a suicide attempt, subsequent hospitalization and diagnosis of bipolar disorder, comorbid migraines, and medication trials that. Movies that feature characters dealing with mental illness. Comic book characters can aid in selfawareness and provide a connection to the self. Mental health representation matters psychology today. Alexis has bipolar disorder and has survived a suicide attempt.
The hill last edited by johncharlie1999 on 010920 04. Scarlett ohara gone with the wind the archetypal character with histrionic personality disorder. 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. Ya books dealing with issues relating to mental health and clinical psychology, first published in 2000 or later. Kids and teens work out depression, anxiety, and more in these compelling stories.
Whatever their backstory, superhero comics often do a good job portraying the difficulties. Mentallyill and insane characters have a long and storied history in anime and manga. Psychiatrists diagnose gothams villains with mental illnesses. The 1999 adaptation of a memoir by susanna kaysen about her 18month stint in a us mental hospital in the 1960s, the film dealt with, in particular, womens mental health. Comic books as a bridge to healing counseling today. After all, its hard not to have your mental health questioned when you commit crime sprees, attempt mass murder or plot world domination. Superheroes and villains who are mentally ill screenrant. Characters like spider man, daredevil, and moon knight have all walked this path before. How is mental illness represented in superhero comics. Discover the best popular psychology mental illness books in best sellers.
To do what they do, you have to have something in your brain wired abnormally. We see david cope with his inability to understand and control his mind, and get a window into the frightening instability and selfharm that can manifest in a time of crisis. The joker is one of the most iconic characters in comic book history. Jan 14, 2015 psychiatrists diagnose gothams villains with mental illnesses. The portrayal of comic book villains perceived to have mental illnesses and the trope of villainy being caused by mental illness reinforces negative stereotypes we have as a society. For the most part, i think mental illness in comics and the media in general is handled very poorly. How superheroes help us understand mental illnesses. The times piece called for dc comics to change its depiction of the mentally ill, now that the publisher revamps its comic characters as part of the. This really depends on how you want to parse out what counts as mental illness in comic books. Dc comics recently hired a mental health professional to psychoanalyze popular comicbook characters, such as batman.
Pages in category marvel comics characters who have mental powers the following 35 pages are in this category, out of 35 total. Scarlet, in superhero therapy, we can view our present mental health struggles as our superhero origin stories, and through our healing process, we get to grow into the superheroes we were meant to be. Heroic lunatics are heroes with mental illness or mental disorder are heroes whom suffers from a disorder that mainly affect the personality and behavior of the hero. Mar 06, 2017 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. Mental illness is a mental or behavioral pattern which causes strife or anguish to ones life. On the whole, the comic book industry still has room to grow when it comes to addressing reallife social problems without exploiting mental health struggles and marginalized populations. In superhero stories, mental illness is often associated with violence and villainy. May 25, 2017 top 10 superheroes with mental illnesses. But rosenberg declined to reveal her conclusions about the caped crusaders mental health.
Shes a very important mix of mental disorders, and shes a good example for the world that mental illness are nothing to be scared of. Being a superhero can likely strain your mental health. His character in the comics has been sober for a long ass time. The little mermaid is the heartwarming tale of a mermaid who cuts a deal with a cephalopod witch doctor to transform her into a mute nudist so she can seduce a man from another species. The history of joker movies and characters origin story time. Eating disorders have been a serious problem through history and has come to a peak in the last few. You must be out of your mind if you are able to kill somebody or if you think that you should rule the world. Common sense media editors help you choose books that feature characters dealing with mental illness.
Here are five popular fictional characters with mental illness. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Joker, the muchdiscussed new movie featuring joaquin phoenix as dcs dark clown prince, creates a neverbeforeseen origin story for the infamous supervillain. Dc comics heroes in crisis explores the mental health. Characters dont have to be crazy like most super villains are portrayed in order to be mentally ill and characters dont have to be mentally ill to be super villains. The storyline present in iron man 3 explores a tony suffering from ptsd. The comic that explains where joker went wrong the. And you know what, were going to give the main character, ariel, a pass on all that. We all love cartoons, particularly for the goofy characters who behave in crazy, whacky ways. However, these gods are subject to many mental health problems. Click on any image to see links to licensing and related cartoons. This prejudice contributes to the mentally disturbed being acceptable targets for the most merciless cruel humor and. Here are a few of their most heartwarming responses. What are the top 10 mentally ill dc and marvel comic.
Grounded in a cruel society that forces him to lash out, the comic book villains origin is an imperfect storm of mental illness and zero compassion. Stories chronicling the struggles of young people and their friends, siblings, or parents who suffer from anxiety, depression, obsessivecompulsive disorder ocd, agoraphobia. Jul 22, 2016 it is, in fact, artist kelly bastows tumblr page. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Greg rucka, who returned to writing the character for dc rebirth, has.
Much of davids comic history, as well as the excellent legion tv show. Dc comics heroes in crisis explores the mental health of. There are three main characters, and at least two of them have confirmed mental illnesses. Serving as a villain and often a nemesis for batman across stories set in gotham city, the dc comics legend has never been. Mental illness, superheroes, and stereotypes vasilis.
Mira, one of the main characters, has depression, and the book shows her having good days and bad days. In her book, each chapter takes on a disorder or a spectrum of disorders from which batman may suffer. 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. The book describes the physiology of trauma, many case studies, and new nonpharmaceutical treatments. She also has migraine headaches not uncommon in people with bipolar disorder with visual aura although. Diagnosing characters or people therapists have not met does not. Illustrator draws humorous comics about her mental illness to.
Childrens comic cartoon characters with psychological disorders. The following post contains spoilers for the movies mentioned. Moosekleenex may have no story or clear characters, but bastow offers a safe space with alternating relatable posts, and encouragement to get through the low days. History talk 0 a mental disorder, also called a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a mental or behavioral pattern or anomaly that causes either suffering or an impaired ability to function in ordinary life disability, and which is not developmentally or socially normative. Most people have not been taught to name and understand their mental health experiences. The mental health comics and cartoons collected from thirtyfive of the best cartoonists. Introduced as arthur fleck, phoenix embodies a man struggling with both mental illness and to find some sort of meaning in an existence that feels like it was doomed from. We look at superheroes as modern gods in many ways. In just about every major run on the character, there is at least some allusion to the characters mental illness.
Since his debut in new avengers, comic book readers have watched as sentrys psyche continues to deteriorate. Many heroes in recent comic bookmovie history have battled with mental health issues. Harley quinn is a character that is very openly psychotic and she lives life how she sees fit, which is empowering in a way. There are, however, other, often personal, comics that can open your eyes to real human experiences with mental disorders.
The mental health comics and cartoons the cartoonist group. Top 10 craziest psychopaths in the comic books top10hq. However, the popular format of the webcomic, a regularly updated strip or series online usually for free, merges the two concepts more often than notand frequently does so with great success. William kuskin, a professor at the university of colorado at boulder, has a slightly different take on why comics excel in depictions of mental illness. Thirteen portrays this kind of mental illness in such a way that it not only. The word histrionic refers to theatrical or acting. Ya involving mental health issues 2000present 359 books.
Superheroes who have depression or any other mental illness. Flecks ultimate descent into violence, the origin story for dc comics most infamous archvillain, has mental health experts debating the message the film sends. Historically, comics have been incredibly bad in their treatment. The most popular mental disorders are amnesia and depression. 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. Nine graphic novels and comic books about mental health. Batman is one of the most popular superheroes of all time. Read on to learn about 21 great films that depict mental illness.
Its either something to laugh at, shoot at, and in many cases even idolize. Rosenberg draws on movies about batman and on seminal comic book stories for her analysis. Characters like spiderman, daredevil, and moon knight have all walked this path before. The character does not have to be officially diagnosed as mentally ill or go to therapy in the book to qualify. Davis may 23, 2016 may is mental health awareness month and a great time to explore the many writers who write on diverse topics related to mental health and mental illness. The goto source for comic book and superhero movie fans. Not the taboo subject it once was, mental illness offers rich territory to explore in books for kids and teens. Most mental illnesses were previously met with a good amount of unfair stigma. We recently asked the buzzfeed community to tell us which fictional characters helped them understand their mental illness. How xmen movies, tv shows tackle mental health cbr. Shes just a teenager, after all, and her quirky desire to be human drives the entire plot of the movie.
When the media we consume seems to always depict people with mental illness as dangerous or scary, it can be easy. Movies that feature characters dealing with mental illness talking to kids about depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues can be tough. Sep 19, 2017 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. Calvin schizophrenia calvin is a sixyear old boy from the famous comic strip calvin and hobbes, with a stuffed tiger named hobbes. He knows he is a comic book character and as insane as he is, may be acting that way simple because he can because he knows his role. Heroes have to keep their identities secret and deal with everyday heroic problems. Oct 07, 2019 the most lasting comicbook attempt at crafting a joker origin came from. Psychiatrists call out dc on depictions of mentally ill. Nov 03, 2015 well, deadpool is batshit insane and is one of the most insane comic book characters out there, but he has an element that makes him different than any other insane comic book character. Like most superhero comic book events, the heroes in crisis story will feature. A crucial example on this list is iron man himself, tony stark. An individual with the disorder usually has a history of misconduct and.
The use of comics in counseling does not need to be limited to working with children. Pages in category mental illness in fiction the following 5 pages are in this category, out of 5 total. Calvin believes that hobbes comes to life when no one else is around, helping him fight enemies, complete science projects and reflect upon philosophies of life. Oct 28, 2011 psychiatrists call out dc on depictions of mentally ill.
This is a problem of the simple fact that mental illness is nuanced where the joker isnt. Feb 27, 2019 as far as shedding light on the myriad unhealthy coping mechanisms we employ to alleviate mental illness, heroes in crisis is largely cogenteven if, as the critic jones notes, some of those. This psychologist uses batman characters to help people learn about mental illness share this. However, comic books often portray villains as not only evil and violent, but as having a mental illness, pozios noted. A genuinely good character will, however, treat the mentally disturbed with kindness and will nicely ask whether they went off their meds and thats why theyre acting up again. Depending on the situation, mental illness can be used to explain the suffering of a character, or make them seem more scary and frightening. But some supers also have to cope with mental illness. No matter the circumstances of their origin story, chances are all superheroes have. Jan 26, 2017 comic books can also provide a safe way for clients who have difficulty talking about themselves especially younger clients to discuss their lives. His behavior indicates a tenuous grasp of reality combined with an absence of basic impulse control. It is a common weakness to characters in comic books and a somewhat poorly used trope. Comic books may be a helpful tool for treating mentally ill adolescents and adults, eindra khin khin, md, said at the annual meeting of the american academy of psychiatry and the law. Comic book superhero helps fight stigma surrounding mental.
Best mentally ill characters this list is for the best characters, not the best books. These movies feature characters living and often struggling with mental illness and can help kids understand more about this often sensitive subject. The much anticipated joker origin story, simply titled joker, highlights the character like never seen before. Mental health in comics is complex and difficult to discuss, but with the possible exception of superman, these are all textual analyses. Mental health awareness through superheroes comicbook debate. This is kind of the log line of the character both in her netflix series and her comic book. Best sellers in popular psychology mental illness books.
Symptoms involve constant seeking for approval, inappropriate seductive dressing or behaviour, and being overly dramatic and emotional, traits ohara has. Mental health awareness through superheroes comicbook. Worse, many have been shamed for struggling with depression and other forms of mental health disorders, she told the mighty, adding. This unique mirrorissue reminds us how anyone can suffer from mental health problems in the world of superheroes.
By showing us heroes with these problems, marvel did a great. Everyone knows his origin young bruce wayne witnesses his parents. Created by stan lee and bill everett in 1964, matt murdochs journey has never been an easy one. 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. A hero with mental illness does not mean that the hero is insane. Here are a few that i feel encapsulate the struggles of.
These are available to license for books, magazines, merchandise, newsletters, presentations and websites. We already know that superhero origin stories routinely cover such horrors as murders in dark alleys, abandonment, and crass government. If you can, please add the name of the character youve voted for in the why you added this book section. Here are a few that i feel encapsulate the struggles of mental illness. Waylon jones is afflicted with regressive atavism, meaning he has. Abused by the purple man and savagely beaten by the avengers, jessica is a character that is recovering herself from her trauma with her. Jul 22, 2017 if youre tired of faking it, want to get a little perspective, or just want to laugh really hard at how absurd everything is, take a glance at these graphic novels and comic books about mental health. Though legion can explain away david hallers diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia as a symptom of his mutant power, the xmenbased series handles his power, in many ways, as though it is simply a mental illness.
Wolverines popularity means that he pops up and saves the day in several different comic book titles each month in addition to his appearance in saturday morning x. In her article for, katy waldman examines the strangely prevalent link. Aug 16, 2016 superhero therapy refers to incorporating characters from geek culture, including superheroes and other characters from comic books, as well as characters from fantasy, science fiction, and video games into evidencebased therapy such as cognitivebehavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. No speculative diagnoses here, the characters were all given bipolar disorder by their creators. In addition, a villain who is perfectly meaningful, coherent, and stable can still be qualified as mentally ill if. Identifying mental illness in comic books requires notice of a characters. She believes identifying with fictional characters can help us in mental health recovery.