Chartwell Manor Review: Excellent

Some people have horror stories about boarding schools. Some people also have horror stories about being sexually assaulted when they were a child. Comic writer Glenn Head had both happen to him and he (mostly) tells about it and the aftermath in his memoir comic “Chartwell Manor.”

This comic seems to be told in three parts. The first part is Head’s time in the private academy Chartwell Manor and what the headmaster Terence Michael Lynch did to him and the other students, the second is when he’s living in Brooklyn and his life is spiraling out of control and the third is when he finally gets things together. The first part you’re wondering what exactly is so wrong about Chartwell. Then it happens. It does seem obvious, especially if you’re familiar with the entire story. What you don’t know is what went on in Head’s head and what he did there.

The second part is probably the best part. The best part as in Head does a great job of making the reader feel exactly how he felt: completely wasted and on a never ending binge of sex, drugs and booze. You feel high as a kite just by reading. Just like an actual bad high, there’s no escaping it. You just let it happen and it’ll be over.

Finally, everything calms down. Thing come full circle for head and it does seem like he finally has some control over his life, especially with what happened to Lynch. Everything seems fully under control and a bit too normal. It’s not terrible, you just feel tired and lacking stimulation after the roller-coaster that was the previous part.

All this is told thru art that screams “underground comics.” It’s in black and white with plenty of experimental drawings of people, booze, nudity, drugs, New York City at its worst and scenes of having a bad trip. In all, it fits perfectly in a memoir where the only term to describe it is “messed up in the head.”

Glenn Head’s memoir “Chartwell Manor” is a real trip for anyone wanting one. His life story is crazy beyond belief and he uses his skills as an underground comic artist to bring that out. You will feel things you didn’t think possible, you will feel like you’re high and you will question your and Head’s sanity after the comic is done. Well worth it.