My Friend Dahmer

Although the central character of the graphic novel is a future serial killer, Backderf makes it explicit that he views Jeffrey Dahmer as a tragic figure. This doesn’t mean that the author in any way espouses Dahmer’s fantasies or justifies his behavior; he simply believes things could have ended differently had there been educational and social support for Dahmer. Such a system could have registered Dahmer’s state of mind and reacted in time to prevent him from becoming a killer—and potentially help him lead a healthier life. The author frequently emphasizes his belief, his hope, that his high school friend might have walked a different path with some help, thereby saving 18 lives (those of Dahmer and his 17 victims).

Backderf doesn’t seek easy answers to this failure to act and support—nor does he find them. At a familial level, the Dahmers are dysfunctional and lacking in warmth; Dahmer’s parents are framed as neglectful. Dahmer’s father is distant and elusive, while his mother is unstable (i.e., prone to depressive episodes and violent outbursts). In such an environment, Dahmer’s deteriorating mental health goes unseen and unchecked; Backderf often depicts him alone in his room, listening to his parents argue, or staring at a wall in silent agony.