Photo: Ross Murray
Mount Maunganui based illustrator Ross Murray has produced a graphic novel broaching the subject of social anxiety, a story he tells from his own tough experience. Rufus Marigold is Ross' first book, featuring a self-loathing nervous wreck of a man-monkey chimpanzee, who works in an office brimming with apparently socially competent people. In comic form we see the eponymous hero of the book, Rufus Marigold continuously facing awkward social situations, enduring sleepless nights, battling with his negative interior voice and struggling with small talk.
As Ross tells Kathryn Ryan, Rufus Marigold is both funny and dark.
If you or someone you know is suffering from anxiety, the Depression Helpline has more information and is also available on 0800 111 75; Whatsup: is on 0800 942 8787: 1pm to 10pm weekdays, 3pm to 10pm weekends.
