When I get asked (in imaginary interviews) "Who's your audience?" I usually say that I create most of my work with my friends in mind. They're the ones who inspire me, who teach me more than the internet or the books, and who I share my sense of humor with. If what I'm doing is annoying or bothering my friends there might be something wrong.
Unfortunately, my long time friend and cohort Levi Bailey (hi Levi) found my latest comic (the orange one) insensitive. This was the response I got from him, "Maybe you could make some money doing propaganda for the meat industry. This would be a great way to teach kids that it's okay to totally fuck over another species and eat their children to make our lives easier. Next you should try to make a "cute" comic about the de-beaking process, or the panic cannibalism that takes place in overcrowded cages."
I respect Levi and his beliefs and ideals. And I'm confident that my comic is purely satirical and I don't think that it honestly encourages the mistreatment of animals in the food industry. Maybe I'm taking his response too lightly by turning his "suggestions" into comics. But, I just feel that there's nothing sacred when it comes to humor and satire.
Enjoy!
If you're my friends you will.
2 comments:
Marc,
Been reading Swellzombie for a while now and really enjoy your comics. The four panel strips of the last two weeks have been particularly good.
As a vegan and proponent of animal rights myself, as well as a lover of surreal satire, I didn't take your last strip literally but as a brutal absurdity. The de-beaking and cage strips even more so. Keep it up.
Thanks Paul.
I think "brutal absurdity" is the best description I've ever heard for my work.
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