Cbr15bingo Bodies, Bodies Writer/illustrator Thorogood depicts herself in a variety of different bodies in this book, and her depression takes the form of a monster that follows her around
Zoe Thorogood was nominated for 5 Eisner Awards this year for her work on both Joe Hill’s Rain and her own book It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth. Thorogood is a gifted comic book artist, but It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth shows that she is also a talented writer. It’s Lonely is Thorogood’s examination of her lifelong battle with depression and suicidal thoughts, with a special focus on the six months or so she spent preparing this book. It’s amusing, disturbing, sad, hopeful and brutally honest in its depiction of the consuming loneliness of her illness and of the role of art in helping her deal with it.
Thorogood starts with her various selves discussing Zoe’s decision to write about her life and depression. There is doubt but there is also a feeling that this book will be helpful to Zoe and possibly to others out there who struggle, but the monster lurking in the background keeps pronouncing her a liar. The book dips into Zoe’s childhood, when she was bullied for being weird and when she turned to drawing for solace. Zoe often got into trouble at school and attempted suicide in her early teens. It is clear that she did not get the kind of help that she needed, and we learn that her mother battles the same demons as her daughter. Relationships with others (peers, acquaintances, friends, etc.) are tricky for Thorogood. She sees herself as essentially selfish, in her own world, uncomfortable with small talk, but she does has a very good friend who never gives up on her. Drawing is the one thing that makes Thorogood happy, but it is a lonely process, something done alone, and even when she is praised (which starts to happen more frequently in professional circles), there is a voice, a monster, that tells her she doesn’t deserve it.
Thorogood’s self doubt is evident even in the writing of the book. After starting her story, as she is discussing the project with her other selves, she decides she needs to start the whole thing over, and so she does. It’s an interesting way of showing Thorogood’s internal struggles and her perseverance in both writing this story and in moving forward in her art and in her life. In her present life, she is meeting deadlines, preparing to travel to the US, trying to move on from a brief fling with an American artist, and hating herself but also loving drawing comics. I found the end of this book to be very moving, as current Zoe has a conversation with child Zoe.
It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth is a moving portrayal of one person’s mental health struggles, and the reader is left knowing that the struggles continue for Zoe Thorogood. She is painfully aware of this herself and I do think that putting all of this out there is an incredibly brave thing to do. I sincerely hope Zoe Thorogood continues to have a successful career as an artist and finds both happiness and satisfaction her pursuits. Oh, and PS — her art is fantastic. It’s realistic and surreal, a mix of black/white and color drawings. I heard about this book through this article, but I will be looking for her other work, especially The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott and Rain. And it looks like she has authored another book to be released some time next year (Life is Strange: Forget-Me-Not).