Description

Melissa Mendes’ grandfather, John Albert Ridgeway wrote a short autobiography at the end of his life. It chronicled a long life of hard work, and inspired Melissa’s minicomic series, the Weight.

In issue four, Edie and her parents have moved into a tar-paper house, and life at home is volatile. Her father is still abusive, and her mother is falling deeper into depression, and comes close to leaving the family. Edie copes with this conflict by acting out at school, getting into fights and getting into trouble.

This issue draws a lot of inspiration from Melissa’s grandfather’s autobiography, both the difficulties of living in a house with no insulation, and the fun of childhood trouble-making! Melissa continues to perfectly capture small moments that feel so real, listless boredom in class, playground games, and mischief abound in this fourth chapter!