(Reviewed by JD Jung)
“When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.” – Mark Twain
“All art is neurosis” – Sigmund Freud
The essence of these quotes is embodied in the single-frame cartoons in The Illustrated Guide To Insanity. Though the drawings look spontaneous, they were drawn over a six-year period.
The artists give a humorous look or interpretation of famous psychoanalysts, theories or psychological feelings in single cartoon form. Many have a one-sentence or even a one-word explanation. A few contain no verbiage or hint as to what the cartoon represents. Unfortunately, those were lost on me. However, even though I was unfamiliar with some of the theories, like Rorschach Test, I was just a click away with the explanation. That’s where Google search came in, so all was good. Even though I’m not a student of psychology, I enjoyed this artistic and humorous ride.
This forty-nine-page book starts out with varied quotes about insanity from famous people in history, some of which I have provided in this review.
For those who don’t appreciate this humorous take on psychology, you may appreciate this. The authors include a copy of a 1986 letter to them from the late BF Skinner, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He wrote, “I am afraid I do not think insanity should be made fun of.”
Then again, per Robert Frost, “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”