Borderline Nerdy

The semi-autobiographical experiences of the cartoonist, Michel Abstracto.

Borderline Nerdy webcomic banner art featuring a comical cartoon witch brewing a concoction, illustrated by Michel Abstracto

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Welcome to Borderline Nerdy, a semi-autobiographical comic about mental health, nerd culture, and surviving with humor.

Comic strip of Michel Abstracto's partner dressed up like a witch and making laundry detergent. Michel Abstracto and his brother-in-law are watching in horror and hoping that it is actually laundry detergent that she is making.
Borderline Nerdy comic strip of Michel Abstracto trying to work and his mind trailing off due to demand avoidance.
Borderline Nerdy comic strip of Michel Abstracto's son asking Abstracto if he's ok because he looks distressed. Abstracto explains to his son that he's trying to make a book about anxiety and its giving him anxiety.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto observing a notification on his phone for his bird cam. The cam shows a squirrel.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto taking his daughter to work. His daughter is upset that they arrived 2 minutes early.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto and his son discussing the possibility of ghost squirrels.
Borderline Nerdy comic strip of Michel Abstracto and his partner discussing his desire to be nicer to himself. Abstracto finds himself shirtless in front of a mirror wondering how he got the way he is.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto and his cats at feeding time. The cats are complaining about there not being any food.
Borderline Nerdy comic strip of Michel Abstracto cycling through his emotional disregulation.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto's local road crew not doing their job during the exact time that they should be doing their job.
Borderline Nerdy comic strip of Michel Abstracto thinking about his mind cafe being its own kind of prison.
Borderline Nerdy comic strip of Michel Abstracto and his partner on a car ride. The Partner is complaining about a local social media group when she spots a tiny car and becomes transfixed on it.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto and his son discussing a Northern Cardinal that they can see. The Son mocks Abstracto and calls him a "bird grandpa."
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto's daughter tormenting one of their cats with love.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto's D&D character, "Levar, the Rotten," listening to a sentient axe warn him that it will likely transform into a chicken in the event of a zombie apocalypse.
Borderline Nerdy comic strip of Michel Abstracto and his partner on a walk. Abstracto is complaining about his day and considers smelling the flowers to cheer him up. In the flowers is a bee ready to stab him.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto complaining to his partner that he thinks the cats are spoiled. All three of their cats are sitting on Abstracto at the same time.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto and his brothers playing as their D&D characters.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto and his brother-in-law observing the sunny day. The Brother-In-Law struggles with happy aesthetics.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto and his partner cleaning the house in preparation for the grandbaby coming.
Borderline Nerdy comic strip of Michel Abstracto and their psychiatrist discussing medication choices and why it is important to collaborate on them.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto and their partner inspecting their new transparent tent. Abstracto's partner opens the tent in the living room despite the warning in the instructions.
Comic strip of Michel Abstracto dressed up in post-apocalyptic attire and discussing why it is important to continue using your creative outlets during hard times.
Thighs Like A Truck is a comic strip of Michel Abstracto and his partner flirting with each other in the privacy of their bedroom and their son accidentally witnesses.
Don't Make Me A Comic is a comic strip featuring Abstracto's family sitting on the couch, trying to pretend they are doing nothing so that Abstracto won't turn them into a comic strip. Abstracto is deviously hiding around the corner smiling.
Two in the Bush is a comic strip featuring Abstraco drawing on his Huion and incorrectly passing on platitudes to his son.
Comic strip of Abstracto's partner scolding him for activating his humor in the early morning.
She Loves Your Hat is a comic strip featuring Abstracto in a grocery store getting complimented on his hat by a stranger. Abstracto asks his partner is she heard that people love him. She acknowledges that it is not what the stranger said.
Big Meow Cat Drugs is a comic strip featuring Abstracto's partner at the grocery store to buy cat supplies and is complaining about the catnip in everything.

Making this comic strip was an idea that I’ve been trying to solidify since 2015. I wanted to make a comic that encapsulated the things that I have been through. Growing up with mental illness taught me how lonely mental illness can make you feel. As a Peer Support Specialist, I learned how effectively my story quelled those feelings of loneliness. That’s when the inspiration for the final version of this comic strip struck me. Creating a comic strip based on my experiences is the perfect avenue to share my story with a mass audience. You get your message across quickly, the rules on creation are generally flexible, and the medium is perfect for the use of humor. Comic strips make a lot of sense for my needs. The cherry on top is that I have wanted to be a cartoonist since I was a child.

I made this comic strip semi-autobiographical because I find it the most relatable form of media. I often lean on humor as a coping mechanism, and my attention span struggles with long-winded stories. Comic strips allow me to get my message across and usually be funny while I’m doing it. As a child of the 90’s, I can remember getting to read the funnies in the newspaper. My first publishing job was even drawing comic strips for the kids’ paper inside the local newspaper every Monday while in high school. I found myself really missing that.

For updates and behind-the-scenes action, check out the Borderline Nerdy News blog.

To learn more about Borderline Personality Disorder, visit the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder

To learn more about Dialectical Behavior Therapy, visit the Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Michel Abstracto follows a Harm Reduction philosophy.

Borderline Nerdy

The semi-autobiographical experiences of the cartoonist, Michel Abstracto.

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