illustrator
marble arch ELLEN FORNEY draws her highs and lows
E
llen Forney is a cartoonist. She is also bipolar. These two facts about her are plain to see in Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me. In this autobiographical graphic novel, Forney recounts her coming to terms with the incredible highs and desperate lows of the condition. We asked Ellen to share her process with us – and she kindly obliged. Below, you’ll find an original rough pencil draft for one of the pages of Marbles next to its final version. She went one better and also gave us a full page from the book (see next page). This reveals some of the modern day-to-day mundanity that comes with having to keep such a condition in check. See Ellen Forney at this month’s Bookworm International Literary Festival. She will discuss Marbles in a solo event on Mar 14 and decide whether there is a happiness equation with Sophie Cooke and Seth Fishman on Mar 16.
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MARCH 2013