My Friend Dahmer

Summary:  This graphic novel looks at the notorious serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer from the eyes of a high school friend, Derf Backderf.  The author went to high school with Dahmer, shared rides with Dahmer, went to his house several times and Dahmer was even his friend group’s so-called mascot.  Derf shares what he remembers and the relationship he had with Dahmer.  Dahmer was always that weird kid you find in almost every high school.  Dahmer would role-play these fake episodes of someone having cerebral palsy, making fun of the family’s decorator. His “friends” would like but he never fit in.  Backderf and his friends became interested in Dahmer and his quirkiness, and included him in their group at school, as their mascot.  They would all laugh at his strange antics and then go off on their own and Dahmer would go home. They rarely hung with him outside of school, because of his creepiness.  Derf explains his discovery of Dahmer’s fascination with dead animals, his strange behavior and other demented sexual fantasies.   The book doesn’t go into his crimes and makes you feel pity for him.  Our curiosity about what makes a human being commit such heinous crimes is what makes you want to read this book.   

Backderf, D. (2012). My friend Dahmer: A graphic novel. New York: Abrams.

Commentary:  This book is an autobiographical graphic novel written from a high school friend of Dahmer's point of view. The images make this graphic novel out to be what it really is...creepy.  Backderf's information continues to fill you with curiosity about what makes a person want to do these things. The author is sort of matter of fact, not necessary "making fun" of Dahmer but not really "helping" him either.  This is the kind of stuff that fills my mind with nightmares that I can't shake, escpecially after reviewing some of the actually interview footage of Dahmer.

Connections:  I would consider this book an Nonfiction Autobiography in graphic novel format.  It is filled with the author's memories from being in high school with one of the world's most notorious serial killers.  The author said he tried his best to remember his 16 year old self in this book and tell it from that perspective.  For instance, his 16 year old sense of humor now about when they were making from of Dahmer acting like he was having a seizure was funny as a 16 year but not as an adult.  It's just so baffling on paper how this person turned out to be this grisly and inhuman given his seemingly textbook childhood.

Derf Backderf's webpage

Link to interview with author, Derf Backderf about the book and movie, My Friend Dahmer.

Book Trailer

Last interview with the real Jeffrey Dahmer

Movie Trailer for the movie that was just released in 2017