Over My Dead Body (Dissecting My Life)

It all started with a dead bullfrog. When Kriota was 11, her professor father brought home a preserved frog for the two of them to dissect. Instead of being grossed out, she was delighted to learn about the frog’s anatomy. This strange but illuminating experience sparked what would become her lifelong obsession with anatomy, which she would explore through dance, massage, illustration—and hands-on scientific study in cadaver labs.

For cartoonist Kriota Willberg, anatomy is not only a fascinating scientific perspective, but also a lens through which she can explore health, relationships, and artistic expression. Throughout, Willberg’s highly detailed sketches of cadavers reveal the beauty in the structure of our bodies. And her practices of dance and meditation, getting in touch with her body, help her heal from past sexual trauma.

Philosophical, poignant, and playful, Over My Dead Body is a life-affirming memoir about the author’s curiosity and reverence for the human body—dead and alive.