Animal Suffering by Cowboy Rocky – SEE SAW Comics, Webcomics from the Sequential Artists Workshop

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Animal Suffering by Cowboy Rocky

â€œIn 2022, I became vegan for health reasons. I have long covid.â€ A cluster of viruses

â€œI have chosen this diet in hopes of reducing inflammation and other debilitating symptoms.â€ Cowboy Rocky is lying down with their head resting on their arms.

â€œThough political ideology did not motivate this dietary shift, Iâ€™ve since found myself more sensitive to the plight of animals.â€ Six dead pigs hanging by their feet (in preparation for butchering).

â€œCompanies slaughter millions of animals every single day in order to feed our population. Prey animals are hunted by predators. Sometimes they are eaten alive. Survival rates for wild baby animals tend to be low. Many wild animals suffer and die from preventable injury and disease without the aid of modern medicine.â€ A tiny snake bares its fangs, hanging out of the beak of a bird.

â€œNone of this is new. This is the natural order of things.â€ Cowboy Rocky solemnly looks down at a little bird and asks, â€œHow do you all survive the Texas heat?!â€ The bird says, â€œSome of us donâ€™t!â€ â€œOnly recently have I internalized the brutality of this arrangement on an emotional level. Now, the cruelty of survival really, really bothers me.â€

â€œI am reminded of a popular memefied quote from Kristen Bellâ€™s character in The Good Place: THIS is the Bad Place.â€ Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop points at something behind her, smiling as she says the line.

â€œSome lines of philosophical inquiry cite the suffering of animals as reason to cast doubt on the existence of God. This is tied to a larger question known as the Problem of Evil, which attempts to reconcile the existence of evil & suffering with a benevolent god.â€ Two raccoons, one on the otherâ€™s shoulders, try to hide within the robes of a God figure with a full white beard and long hair.

â€œIn his book Freedom, God, and Worlds, philosophy scholar Michael J. Almeida explores the problem of evil through the lens of animal suffering.â€ Almeida holds up his hands in lecture and says, â€œIf God is omnipotent, omniscient, and wholly good, and can actualize an evolutionary perfect world, then why does the evil of extensive animal suffering exist?â€

â€œCenturies before Almeida, Leonardo da Vinci was also interested in this question. According to historical documentation, he was a vegetarian and animal lover and was troubled by the cruelty of natureâ€™s food chains.â€ da Vinci looks at the reader and asks, â€œWhy did nature not ordain that one animal should not live by the death of another?â€ Narration continues, â€œI struggle to accept and make peace with animal suffering, however Iâ€™ve begun to cope and take action in small ways.â€

â€œI let a spider live in the corner of my kitchen and greet her in the morning.â€ A spider stands by her web in the corner of a room.

â€œI keep an eye out for turtles in the road and move them to safety. (Happens more often than you would think.) A turtle is held in the hands of a human.

â€œI fill the bird bath in my front yard with cold water during the punishingly hot Texas summer days.â€ Cowboy Rocky fills a bird bath with water; little birds splash around in it.

â€œI tell myself that despite the suffering, all animals experience moments of peace, joy and levity too.â€ Cowboy Rocky looks down at a little squirrel gnawing on a nut. â€œ@cowboy.rockyâ€

â€œIn 2022, I became vegan for health reasons. I have long covid.â€ A cluster of viruses â€œI have chosen this diet in hopes of reducing inflammation and other debilitating symptoms.â€ Cowboy Rocky is lying down with their head resting on their arms.

â€œThough political ideology did not motivate this dietary shift, Iâ€™ve since found myself more sensitive to the plight of animals.â€ Six dead pigs hanging by their feet (in preparation for butchering). â€¨â€œCompanies slaughter millions of animals every single day in order to feed our population. Prey animals are hunted by predators. Sometimes they are eaten alive. Survival rates for wild baby animals tend to be low. Many wild animals suffer and die from preventable injury and disease without the aid of modern medicine.â€ A tiny snake bares its fangs, hanging out of the beak of a bird.

â€œNone of this is new. This is the natural order of things.â€ Cowboy Rocky solemnly looks down at a little bird and asks, â€œHow do you all survive the Texas heat?!â€ The bird says, â€œSome of us donâ€™t!â€ â€œOnly recently have I internalized the brutality of this arrangement on an emotional level. Now, the cruelty of survival really, really bothers me.â€ â€œI am reminded of a popular memefied quote from Kristen Bellâ€™s character in The Good Place: THIS is the Bad Place.â€ Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop points at something behind her, smiling as she says the line.

â€œSome lines of philosophical inquiry cite the suffering of animals as reason to cast doubt on the existence of God. This is tied to a larger question known as the Problem of Evil, which attempts to reconcile the existence of evil & suffering with a benevolent god.â€ Two raccoons, one on the otherâ€™s shoulders, try to hide within the robes of a God figure with a full white beard and long hair.

â€œIn his book Freedom, God, and Worlds, philosophy scholar Michael J. Almeida explores the problem of evil through the lens of animal suffering.â€ Almeida holds up his hands in lecture and says, â€œIf God is omnipotent, omniscient, and wholly good, and can actualize an evolutionary perfect world, then why does the evil of extensive animal suffering exist?â€

â€œCenturies before Almeida, Leonardo da Vinci was also interested in this question. According to historical documentation, he was a vegetarian and animal lover and was troubled by the cruelty of natureâ€™s food chains.â€ da Vinci looks at the reader and asks, â€œWhy did nature not ordain that one animal should not live by the death of another?â€ Narration continues, â€œI struggle to accept and make peace with animal suffering, however Iâ€™ve begun to cope and take action in small ways.â€ â€œI let a spider live in the corner of my kitchen and greet her in the morning.â€ A spider stands by her web in the corner of a room. â€œI keep an eye out for turtles in the road and move them to safety. (Happens more often than you would think.) A turtle is held in the hands of a human.

â€œI fill the bird bath in my front yard with cold water during the punishingly hot Texas summer days.â€
Cowboy Rocky fills a bird bath with water; little birds splash around in it.

â€œI tell myself that despite the suffering, all animals experience moments of peace, joy and levity too.â€
Cowboy Rocky looks down at a little squirrel gnawing on a nut.
â€œ@cowboy.rockyâ€

Author: Frankie D
Frankie is a cartoonist from New Jersey who adores anything paranormal or spooky. He also likes Frankenstein a completely normal amount. His website has links to other socials, find them at electricfrank3n.weebly.com.
Website: http://electricfrank3n.weebly.com
Author: J. Autumn Needles
J. Autumn Needles teaches Pilates in Seattle and likes to move her body in different ways. She also likes how other bodies move and learn, so she’s having fun with the adventures of her new spider friend. Stay tuned for the full kids’ comic starring Spider and connect @grub2comics on Instagram!
Website: https://www.instagram.com/grub2comics/
Author: Jennifer Shiman
Jennifer Shiman is a cartoonist and creator of 30-Second Bunnies Theatre, with over 95 animated shorts. She just finished the first draft of graphic novel World’s End Detective Agency, in which Avery Bear must save a town from the villainous dragon who happens to be her client. Find Jennifer at Patreon.com/30SecondBunniesTheatre, AngryAlien.com, and JenniferShiman.com.
Website: http://JenniferShiman.com
Author: Rob Stephens
Rob drawer, painter, printmaker, now com- ics maker. He went to Southern Methodist University, and Ohio State University. Later he taught studio art at universities. Musician adjacent. Queer. His legs don’t work good anymore. Things might work out. Find him @goodkidrob
Website: https://www.goodkidrob.com
Tags: Graphic Memoir, informational, non-fiction

Published On: July 13, 2024

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