2,000 hours of video calls and 22,000 emails — that’s how long it took writer and producer Paul Goodenough to bring Rewriting Extinction, a philanthropic collaborative project backed by some of the most famous comic stars and artists on Earth, into existence. The project includes 15 charities and more than 300 people from around the world, united in their pursuit of one goal: to work together to try to reverse the extinction of species through the power of storytelling.
The 12-month campaign focuses on publishing engaging cartoons that raise awareness of the life-threatening issues faced by animals around the world. Beloved celebrities such as Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, Taika Waititi, Ricky Gervais and Cara Delevingne came together to lend their creativity and support. Alongside them stand some of the biggest names in contemporary comics, including the legendary Jenny Jenya, Elizabeth Beach and Jonathan Koons of War and Peas, Cho Hon Lam of Buddy Gator, Nicholas Gorewich of The Berry Bible Fellowship, and others.
Bored Panda brings you an exclusive look at Jenny’s latest powerful comedy “Mama Bear,” co-created with Rewriting Extinction and World Animal Protection, about the horrors of the yellow bear trade. Be warned, though, that just like her other stories, this one is true. I had a friendly chat with both Jenny and project founder Paul, so be sure to read Bored Panda’s in-depth interviews with both.
Take a look at these awesome, powerful comics by Jenny and other artists, and tell us what you think about them and the issues they address, dear Pandas. If they make you think about the future of all of us sharing this blue jewel of the planet, consider making a donation here. 100% of any donation goes to projects sponsored by Rewriting Extinction.
More info: RewritingExtinction.com | Donate | Book | Instagram | WorldAnimalProtection.org | Jenny-Jinya.com | Instagram | Facebook
Mama Bear
Global Animal Protection explains that the bile industry is causing “extreme and unjustified suffering” to bears across Asia.
“Bear bile is extracted in incredibly cruel and inhumane ways, often by people who don’t have veterinary qualifications and don’t care much about animal protection. Some bears face this cruelty their whole lives. That can mean 20 years of torture — unless the bears succumb to infection or Tumors or self-inflicted wounds. Bile-making bears often groan out of great anxiety. Many have had broken teeth from biting the bars of their cages.”
Bear bile is used as a traditional medicine, however, there are a lot of alternatives to it – synthetic and herbal.
It’s about that emotional theme painted by comedian Jenny Hevczyk, aka Jenny Jenya, whose comic strips of Loving Reaper Bored Panda have appeared widely over the years, as a sentimental comedy. Jenny told me she had the impression that many people had never heard of raising yellow bears before.
“You can’t blame them, it’s rarely reported. Like all the other subjects I paint, this one was very difficult to take up on. But reading about the suffering and psychological damage of these poor bears is really something else, especially when you know there are alternatives. Cruelty-free for the time being. I hope our efforts raise awareness of this issue,” Jenny told Bored Panda in an exclusive interview about how emotional working on this piece was.
“This comic took longer than most before it, but that was because some changes needed to be made. However, taking my time, I treat my comics with the same respect I treat the subject matter itself.
Jenny revealed to Bored Panda that Extinction Rewrite called her last year and introduced her to the very ambitious project. “I was really amazed at how many celebrities and artists are involved in the project, so many people with the goal of improving something for our environment and for the (endangered) animals. World Animal Protection is one of the organizations that has been involved with Rewriting Extinction and has suggested the Yellow Bear theme,” she said.
“I hope my comic book will do justice to this problem and I am honored to be a part of the Extinction Rewriting Project. We will also be using comics to raise money for animal protection in the world, which is actively addressing this problem. I just hope we can educate as many people as possible, Another small step for a better future, for a better world,” Jenny tells me. I suggested that anyone hoping to help combat the bile trade should consider supporting the World Animal Protection Organization or animals in Asia, avoid using products that contain bile, and do what they can to raise awareness about it.
There is no doubt about Jenny’s drawing talents and skills. However, I was curious to see how Jenny deals with drawing animals she is not as familiar with as the others. She said she has drawn animals such as cats, dogs and birds many times throughout her life which made the process smooth and fast.
“For some animals that I have never or rarely drawn, I have to look at different references. For example, I had to take a closer look at how the shark’s nose is shaped, it is not only pointed, but slightly raised at an angle in some species. Or That in sucker fish, the sucking surface is on their head and they just don’t use their mouth, I didn’t know that before because I’ve never handled fish before. But these details are important and I want to take them into account,” the comedian noted that she believes the details are vital.
