2,000 hours of video calls and 22,000 emails – that’s what it took for writer/producer Paul Goodenough to create Rewriting Extinction, a collaborative charity project supported by some of the world’s best-known comic book artists and stars. . The project encompasses 15 charities and more than 300 people from around the world, united in pursuit of a single goal: to come together to try and reverse species extinction through the power of storytelling.
The 12-month campaign focuses on publishing engaging comics that spread awareness of the life-threatening issues facing animals around the world. Beloved celebrities like Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, Taika Waititi, Ricky Gervais and Cara Delevingne have come together to lend their creativity and support. Joining them are some of the biggest names in contemporary comic storytelling, including the legendary Jenny Jinya, Elizabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz of War and Peas, Chow Hon Lam of Buddy Gator, Nicholas Gurewitch of The Perry Bible Fellowship, and others.
Bored Panda brings you an exclusive look at Jenny’s shocking new comic ‘Mama Bear’, created in conjunction with Rewrite Extinction and World Animal Protection, about the horrors of the bear bile trade. Be warned though, just like your other stories, this one is really tear-jerking. I had a friendly chat with both Jenny and project founder Paul, so be sure to read Bored Panda’s detailed interviews with both.
Check out these wonderful and powerful comics by Jenny and other artists, and let us know what you think of them and the issues they tackle, dear pandas. If they made you think about the future of all of us who share this blue jewel of a planet, consider making a donation right here. 100% of any donation goes to the projects Rewrite Extinction sponsors.
More info: RewritingExtinction.com | Donate | Book | Instagram | WorldAnimalProtection.org | Jenny-Jinya.com | Instagram | Facebook
Mama Bear
Image credits: rewritingextinction, jenny_jinya, paulgoodenough, world_animal_protection
World Animal Protection explains that the bear bile industry causes “intense and unwarranted suffering” to bears across Asia.
“Bear bile is extracted in intolerably cruel and inhumane ways, often by people with no veterinary qualifications and little concern for animal protection. Some bears face this cruelty throughout their lives. That could mean 20 years of torture, unless the bears succumb to infections, tumors or self-inflicted wounds. Bears in the bear bile industry often groan and rock due to extreme anxiety. Many have broken teeth from biting the bars of their cages.”
Bear bile is used as a traditional medicine, however there are many alternatives, synthetic and herbal.
It is to this emotional theme that comic book artist Jenny Hefczyc, also known as Jenny Jinya, whose Loving Reaper Bored Panda comics have appeared widely over the years, has drawn an emotional comic. Jenny told me that she gets the impression that many people have never heard of bear bile farming before.
“You can’t blame them, it’s rarely reported. Like all the other subjects she drew on, this one was also very difficult to tackle. But reading about the suffering and psychological damage of these poor bears is really something else, especially when you know that cruelty-free alternatives exist today. I hope that our efforts will raise awareness of this issue,” Jenny told Bored Panda in an exclusive interview about how emotional it was to work on the piece.
“This comic took longer than most of the previous ones, but that was more because some changes had to be made. However, I am taking my time, treating my comics with the same respect that I treat the subject itself.”
Jenny revealed to Bored Panda that Rewrite Extinction contacted her last year and introduced her to the extremely ambitious project. “I was really surprised by the number of celebrities and artists involved in the project, so many people with the goal of making something better for our environment and (endangered) animals. World Animal Protection is one of the organizations that partnered with Rewrite Extinction and brought up the bear bile issue,” she shared.
“I hope my comic does justice to the problem and I am honored to be a part of the Rewrite Extinction project. We will also be using the comic to raise funds for World Animal Protection, which is actively addressing this issue. I just hope that we can educate as many people as possible, another small step for a better future, for a better world,” Jenny told me. He suggested that anyone who wants to help fight the trade in bear bile should consider supporting World Animal Protection or Animals Asia, avoid using products containing bear bile, and do whatever they can to raise awareness of the issue.
There is no doubt about Jenny’s drawing skills and talents. However, she was curious as to how Jenny approaches drawing animals that she is not as familiar with as others. She said that she has drawn animals such as cats, dogs and birds so many times in her life that the process is simple and quick.
“For some animals that I have never or rarely drawn, I have to look for different references. For example, I had to take a closer look at the shape of a shark’s snout, not only is it pointed, but it comes up at a bit of an angle in some species. Or that in sucker fish, the sucking surface is on the head and they don’t just use their mouths, I didn’t know that before because I had never dealt with the fish before. But those details are important and I want to keep them in mind, ”said the comic artist who believes that the details are vital.
