Chapter one in a limited series explores the horrors of depression and the mind's last stand against unrelenting darkness.
Taking place entirely in protagonist Ben Ramos’ mind as he faces the worst depressive episode of his life, the story follows creations known as Vapors, mental constructs of people from Ben’s past. Some serve as reminders of moments he’s not ready to let go of, some as a way to process painful events. And together they live in Hallowed North, a patchwork quilt of memory and fantasy that makes him who he is today. As Ben sinks further and further into depression, a monster rises in Hallowed North that seeks to destroy it and everything he loves, piece by piece.
Issue One introduces readers to the concepts driving Hallowed North, four of the central characters, and sets the stage for the coming war to claim Ben’s mind.
The Inspiration
”Hi, I’m Jeremiah and I deal with mental illness.”
For most of my life, that’s been a true statement. Though for most of my life, I’d never have been caught dead admitting it. Growing up, it was common knowledge that mental illness didn’t mean there was anything actually wrong with you. You know that a lot of people have it worse than you? Can’t you just try being happy?
In therapy off and on since age nine, mental illness was something that I’d grown accustomed to. It simply was a fact of existence, but when I became an adult, my depression took a turn for the worse. I began experiencing intrusive thoughts that rotted me to my core. I struggled with simply finding the energy to get out of bed every day, let alone be a functioning member of society. And I could see the effects that struggle was having on my loved ones.
That’s the problem with not talking about mental illness. It doesn’t go away because you’d like to pretend it isn’t there. And since, historically, we’re so tight-lipped about it, there’s little understanding as to what’s going on under the surface during these moments. Family and friends see a personality change without grasping the reason for it.
I wanted to change that lack of understanding but wrestled with the idea of how to make it happen. How do I take these people I care about, put them in my head, and let them see what I’m up against? How do I show them the war within?
And so, Hallowed North was born.
Talking about and striving to understand mental health saves lives. Hallowed North began as a tool to come to terms with my own issues, but in sharing the story, in turning it into a comic, the hope is to help others on their journeys as well.
The Creative Team
Jeremiah Espinoza— Writer (The Pub Crawl Anthology)
J. Schiek — Artist (The Death of Horror, Yule, Saint Raguel, Off into the Sunset)
Matt Krotzer -- Letterer (House of Fear, Retcon, Strayed)
Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ
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