Sid Campbell BFA Illustration Thesis Fall 2021

Strange Days

Strange Days is a horror/thriller comic telling the story of Jean Oliver (they/he), a socially inept person in his late 30s, who has something eating him from the inside out. He must figure out how to get whatever is destroying his body out of his system before he hurts those closest to him.

Strange Days is the visual explanation of the crippling loneliness I felt when facing various mental and physical illnesses, and the struggle to live with these ailments every day. “The Void”, or the thing eating away at Jean Oliver is the physical manifestation of the intrusive thoughts and delusions that I’ve pulled from my own experiences. These illnesses disrupted my daily life, and made recovery feel like something I could only hope for. I was unable to contact close friends and family in fear that they’ll be overwhelmed, and doctors weren’t sure exactly what the issue was. I felt completely alone.

This project is my way of coming to terms with the life I was living at the time, and turning these isolating and disturbing thoughts into something I could invite others to engage with.

23 albums

Fall 2021