Part9

Walk it off

Artwork by Mads Horwath 13 September 2024

Comic
Serial

Panel 1 of a 10 panel comic. Two people are in conversation, one with long hair, the other short. The character with long hair picks at their chin with their finger and says "I must be stressed. My skin picking is really bad now!". The other replies with an idea "Try walking off all that stress!", they suggest.

In panel 2 the long haired character turns and starts to walk away saying "I'll do it now! Shouldn't be too long!", leaving the other person looking slightly surprised.

In panel 3 the long haired character walks past railings next to a woodland.

In panel 4 they turn off the path and head into the dense trees.

In panel 5 we see them from a distance walking towards us down a long path, hands in pockets. They are now in an open landscape, with large striking mountains on the horizon behind them.

In panel 6 they cross a small forest bridge over a fast flowing stream, home to a fish and a turtle.

In panel 7 they continue to walk into the night through a starlit mountain landscape.

In panel 8 under the narration banner of "three weeks later", they arrive back to their friend with short hair, who's sitting writing at a table. "Welcome back" Feel better?" they ask.

In panel 9 our traveller replies "While I think it helped, the fact is dermatillomania is not well understood so it is hard to know for sure."

In Panel 10 the friend responds "So what you're saying is it didn't help". "Yep. Back to the drawing, or picking board" our traveller says with an air of resignation.

Walk it off. © Mads Horwath for Wellcome Collection.

About the artist

Mads Horwath

Mads on Instagram

Mads Horwath is an American cartoonist living in London. You can find their work in The New Yorker and Financial Times. Mads has lived with dermatillomania since they were a kid and got scars from a poison-ivy rash.