Recommended: Constantly by GG

Constantly is a comic that punches you right in the gut. This short, mostly wordless comic about the horrific persistence of trauma is, at first glance, simple and pretty. However, as you start to read, navy blue backgrounds and frightening, shadowy black hands interrupt the soft pink pastels and clean linework. Casual moments – doing yoga, spilling food, and sorting through clothes – become haunted.

There is something eerily validating about the struggles that the protagonist faces. Recovery and progress aren’t simple uphill battles, especially when you are fighting your own mind. I like to think, too, that narratives like this let the writers exorcise their demons. Writing about some of my own trauma in a zine did this once for me, and it was totally unexpected. I didn’t write as therapy or with the goal of healing, but I felt such relief when I shared with others. Constantly isn’t hopeful, but it is familiar in a horrific way, and it is so beautifully crafted.

GG can be found on instagram, twitter, and her website.

Reviewed for Silver Sprocket by Alenka Figa

Follow Alenka on Twitter, or see more of their writings on their wordpress.