Allie Brosh's charming visuals

I’ve seen excerpts from Allie Brosh’s work before, both in other classes and around the internet, and I’ve always found her art style very charming in its own unique way. Her characters are always so expressive and she manages to create very evocative images in a super simple style (very reminiscent of Microsoft Paint). Her inclusion of these expressive, often humorous visuals allows her to add an additional layer to her writing and does a lot to elevate the work. For example, in “Adventures in Depression,” many of her illustrations include two copies of her character: one is her depressed, physical form while the other is a manifestation of her intrusive thoughts and self-hatred. The illustrated characters interact with each other panel-by-panel, creating an emotional personification of Brosh’s mental state in a way that would be difficult to portray in writing alone. She could have employed this personification through writing alone, but it could easily become confusing; the visual element keeps the story coherent and expresses a clear dichotomy between the two characters. Additionally, I think the exaggerated facial expressions of the characters do a lot to evoke emotion in the reader, earning a stronger response than if the story had been text only. The characters are childlike, so we immediately feel more sympathy for them. Brosh’s quick snippets of writing and simple illustrations work together to tackle a complex issue, turning an intense depressive episode into a charming (but still emotional) adventure.