Underwater #4

Sep 1995 · Drawn & Quarterly · 2.95 USD; 3.50 CAD

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In "Koofai-um!," Chester Brown delivers a thoughtful, deeply personal cartoon essay that unpacks the shifting definitions of schizophrenia through historical and medical lenses, challenging the assumptions we often take for granted. With his signature stark, expressive style and meticulous storytelling, Brown invites readers into a reflective exploration of mental health, all drawn, written, and lettered by him—making this a striking, introspective entry in his body of work.

Contains 3 stories

"Koofai-um!"

12 pp · Drama

My Mom Was a Schizophrenic

6 pp · Biography

Emil KraepelinEugen BleulerThomas SzaszAldous HuxleyJoseph CampbellTerence McKennaSeth FarberStanislaw GrofR. D. Laing

In this poignant six-page essay from *Underwater* #4, a young woman reflects on her mother’s life and the label of schizophrenia that shaped her family’s story, using the historical figures of Emil Kraepelin, Eugen Bleuler, Thomas Szasz, Aldous Huxley, Joseph Campbell, Terence McKenna, Seth Farber, Stanislaw Grof, and R. D. Laing to question how mental illness has been defined and understood over time. The narrative doesn’t offer easy answers but invites readers to reconsider the boundaries between madness and meaning.

Matthew 14:24 - 14:31

7 pp · Religious

Peter (unnamed)