Myths. Superheroes. Glowering archenemies and their hunchbacked henchmen. Like videogames, comics immerse full-tilt action in colorful worlds of fantastic escapism; like cyberpunk films, they set rugged loners loose in dystopian parallel universes to unravel conspiracies worthy of Chris Carter. But the medium is equally well suited to telling realistic tales and illustrating the dark alleys of the mind. If you need proof, look no further than Madison Clell's Cuckoo series.
The comic follows Clell's real-life, action-adventure saga through the twisting passageways of dissociative identity disorder. While in bed with her boyfriend, Clell transforms into an Italian-speaking woman named Rabella - one of her "alters," the many alternate personalities who live inside her head and sometimes burst into her exterior world. Looking into an asylum where she might commit herself, Clell has to consult with a brood of intensely emotional children - another group of her alters. Previously known as multiple personality disorder and often incorrectly called schizophrenia, DID provides an interior cast of characters who comment on Clell's predicaments like an unpredictable Greek chorus.
Harrowing stuff? Sure, especially since Clell writes and draws from the gut, spilling intimate stories and stark, raw artwork on every page. But Cuckoo isn't gloomy or melodramatic; for every descent into swirling desperation or horrifying rape flashback, it offers substantial doses of humor and wry self-awareness. Like other self-published, realistic comics and homegrown zines, Cuckoo combines personal expression with entertainment and education. Clell has created a soapbox here, and she's not afraid to use it; if you think life with multiple personalities is just like Sybil, Madison Clell will set you straight.
STREET CRED
Smooth in the Crud Speedpass Gas
Cuckoo Shock
