My Brain Hurts, Vol 1
by Liz Baillie
A group of teenage queer punks get in perpetual trouble with the police when they aren't flirting over loud music or postering their high school with flyers to allow same sex couples at prom. It's like they were your actual high school peers - pissing off the administration and taking care of each other when they get beat up by skinheads. Liz Baillie has a real talent for dialogue, characters, storytelling, and capturing New York - especially those moments that we all live, awkwardly making out, pulling pranks, and drinking beer. This graphic novel collects the first five (out of 10) issues of the comic My Brain Hurts. Listen to a 90 min podcast interview with Liz about all things comical! ISBN 978-1-934620-03-8
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What saves this graphic novel from being another angsty piece of self-indulgent fluff and elevates it above most in its genre is that Baillie's comic style allows the reader not only to voyage with the characters as they journey towards self-enlightenment, but also maintains a humorous edge which is badly needed considering some of the content. She deals with some heavy issues surrounding adolescents and growing up, and she does it with wit and chuckles and a few good one-liners. Cannot wait for volume two.
"I think I’m in love with Liz, her graphic novel and brilliant designs, her acutely aware portraits of NYC teenagers in search of identity, meaning and acceptance. Such rich complexities that she so beautifully mines with empathetic wit and wonder. Call me an ardent fan, a near stalker admirer—I can’t wait for the next installments, to see how the stories continue."
"It's no secret that when it comes to depicting teens in comics, they are most likely to be both troubled and confused, both by society's desire to pigeonhole them into a suitable lifestyle or pattern and their own desire to figure it out on their own. Perhaps that isn't a totally new topic to deal with, but Liz Baillie's graphic novel "My Brain Hurts" illustrates this pendulous time perfectly, with echoes of personal struggles ricocheting throughout the story. The main character and her best friend try their best to figure out where they belong not only struggling with sexuality and school bullies but also alcoholism and drug experimentation. What saves this graphic novel from being another angsty piece of self-indulgent fluff and elevates it above most in its genre is that Baillie's comic style allows the reader not only to voyage with the characters as they journey towards self-enlightenment, but also maintains a humorous edge which is badly needed considering some of the content. She deals with some heavy issues surrounding adolescents and growing up, and she does it with wit and chuckles and a few good one-liners. Cannot wait for volume two."
With her comic art, Baillie captures the awkwardness and difficulties of Kate’s young life with poignancy and potency. There’s a sequence of panels in Chapter 4 (page 9 of that chapter) in which Baillie draws Kate’s eyes in a way that depicts the fundamental sense of Kate feeling that she is being besieged by a world that hates her and how she presents herself to the world. It’s powerful stuff, and for a moment presents without fireworks the war many LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer/questioning) youth find themselves fighting. My Brain Hurts, Vol. 1 is comics as the really good, good stuff.
At its best, My Brain Hurts serves as a graphic counterpart to some of the best punk fiction, exploring the emotional depth of ‘zines like Cometbus and Burn Collector.
Baille's tales weave through the glitter and muck of figuring out the world when it seems it's harshest, and celebrating friendship and camraderie in the scene in the end. Recommended.
Aside from the rich drawings and Kate’s engaging personality, Baillie’s cast of characters is also amazing... Through chugging 40’s and adventurous games of spin-the-bottle, Kate finds her sexuality in a tangle of identity confusion. Underlying this youthful narrative is a political beat that keeps a steady rhythm on each enjoyable page. My Brain Hurts is a great series for queer youth and older queer activists to relish together.
Microcosm, save my skull from being deadened by lots of bad music and giving me smarts to read instead! Yes, comics will suffice. Compiled from the first five issues of the comics-zine of the same name author/artist Liz Baille takes us through the lives of a few queer punks growing up in New York City.
My Brain Hurts is a terrific portrait of gay youth on a journey of self-discovery, and makes for a really terrific read. Kate is an instantly compelling and sympathetic character, even when she’s using poor judgment; you know this girl, you invest in her. That’s no mean feat for any creator, and Baillie pulls it off perfectly.