Wired Up Wrong

by Rachael Smith

Overview

A new graphic memoir, from the award-winning author of Quarantine Comix.

Hoping to better understand her own brain, award-winning comic-creator Rachael Smith set about documenting her experiences and struggles with anxiety and depression through comic strips.

The resulting book, Wired Up Wrong, is both educating and entertaining, holding a mirror up to all the flattering and unflattering aspects of mental health.

Featuring Rufus the cat, Barky, a giant black dog who lives inside her head, and two tiny, imaginary game-show hosts, Comedy Women in Print-shortlisted Rachael Smith's work is at times light-hearted, others heart-breaking, but always brave and honest.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781785788376
Publisher:	Amberley Publishing
Publication date:	01/20/2022
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	5.91(w) x 5.91(h) x 0.39(d)

About the Author

Rachael Smith is a UK-based comics creator, whose books include Quarantine Comix, Wired Up Wrong, Stand in Your Power, Glass Half Empty and The Rabbit, which was nominated for Best Book in the 2015 British Comic Awards, following her nomination for Emerging Talent.

Editorial Reviews

04/04/2022

In accessible, chummy one-page strips, Smith (Quarantine Comix) shares her experience of living with anxiety, depression, and mood swings. With help from her supportive boyfriend, Adam, and her cat, Rufus, Smith talks back to the negative voices in her head, works up the courage to attend an out-of-town comics show, seeks a therapist, and faces the daily challenge of getting out of bed in the morning. Though Smith tucks in mental health advice, the focus is on her personal story, which is told with gentle humor: her mental struggles are visualized as an angry, size-changing dog named Barky and as a “Wheel of Feels” inside her head. Even readers who haven’t dealt with depression are likely to relate to her battles with intrusive thoughts both cruel (“Hey I know! Let’s use this time to think about an embarrassing moment from your past!”) and illogical (“Ok... If I catch the spatula by its handle, it means my whole life will be amazing”). Smith’s simple, cheerful artwork and ability to find the joke in any situation bring unexpected light to a book about dark feelings. In trying times, these comics offer a grounding message: sometimes just getting through the day can be a triumph. (May)

Publishers Weekly