"Another victory for the animals"

When animal "rights" groups and organisations claim that there has been a "victory for the animals" I can't help but shudder at the blatant speciesism on display. The phrase is used any time a single-issue campaign appears to have had some effect - from pressuring a fancy restaurant to remove foie gras from it's menu, to international bans on cosmetic animal testing. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm always glad to hear when fewer animals are being used for human gain. However to suggest that any of these things is a "victory for animals" is insulting. How is removing foie gras a victory for the cows, pigs, chickens and fishes whose body parts will most likely replace a duck's liver on the dinner plate? Equally, a ban on cosmetic testing suggests that testing on animals for other reasons is morally acceptable.

But there's another reason I find this type of victorious declaration unpalatable: money. It feels like these organisations are exploiting the generosity of people with good intentions by pandering for donations at any given opportunity. Francione has touched upon the subject many times and sums it up rather nicely "... single-issue campaigns (and welfare reform campaigns generally) are nothing but business opportunities for the large groups. They have nothing to do with helping animals." These charities choose to focus on single issues, with short-term, accessible targets in order to declare victory as often as possible and use each "victory" as a marketing strategy. The campaigns are catered specifically to non-vegan, "animal-loving", speciesist supporters in order to maximise donations, rather than aiming for real change or, God forbid, asking their supporters to go vegan. But when becoming vegan is the very least we can do to help end animal exploitation, surely we should be promoting nothing less than veganism, and celebrating the creation of each new (abolitionist) vegan as real victories.

Our Children and Other Animals

In 2013 I was thrilled to be asked to illustrate an academic book about children, animals and media. Written by Matthew Cole and Kate Stewart, the book explores the subtle ways that seemingly innocuous books, games and other types of media can affect the way children view animals. Having a huge interest in both children's literature and animal rights, this was right up my street and it was a joy working with Matthew and Kate due to their enthusiasm for the project too.

The book was published in November (find out more here) and I am excited to show you the front cover plus some of my favourite illustrations from the book!

 

 

Vegan clothing

Vegan t-shirts can be a great way to get a conversation started, especially if the tees are awesome designs in their own right. Here's a selection of my favourite vegan clothing options on the market and where to buy them.

 Vegan unisex tank top from Blood Tight Apparel

£18.60 (approx $31)

Sometimes it's best just to keep things simple. There's no ambiguity here, just a powerful statement about your ethical alignment. This UK company also make tote bags and wrist bands, generally aimed at younger vegans. They also offer free worldwide shipping which is pretty handy wherever you are.

I Listen To My Heart t-shirt from Unite for Animals

£20 (approx $34)

Probably the most ethical choice of all the shirts I've featured, this tee is fairtrade, organic cotton, printed in the UK with environmentally friendly water-based inks. And all of the profits go to Mino Valley Farm Sanctuary in Northern Spain. So quadruple bonus points for ethics. It also uses typography and a limited palette in a rather lovely way to get its message across.

Love Life (No Matter Whose) women's tank top from Herbivore Clothing 

$25 (approx £15)

This utterly adorable tank top has a lovely, positive message and who can resist a tank with bunnies on it?! Perfect for starting peaceful, thoughtful vegan conversation, this design can also be found on t-shirts (including men's sizes), long-sleeved tops, hoodies, button badges and as a print.

Wings are for flying, not frying women's long-sleeved top also from Herbivore Clothing 

$35 (approx £21)

Who can argue against such a catchy rhyming slogan? I certainly can't. Combine this with a neat colour scheme and distressed effect print and you've got a pretty sweet addition to any wardrobe. Herbivore clothing also never use suppliers that use sweatshops so they get a bonus point for human rights ethics too.

Green Dino Kale from V Apparel
$20 (approx £12)

Dinosaurs and kale, two of my favourite things, brought together on a gorgeously bright green organic cotton tee. I also adore the way the model wears this with a (vegan) belt and rolled up sleeves - right on trend. This top is also on sale at the moment so grab yourself a bargain and show off your kale love at the same time.

The Scarecrow

I stumbled across this video on the internet today and decided to share it for a number of reasons. First of all, as an illustrator I am a huge sucker for anything that's visually engaging. The animation in this video is by Moonbot Studios and it is simply gorgeous, using a lovely colour palette and great character design. And on first impressions it seems to be a decent commentary on animal farming too - what more could you want? Well there is certainly one rather large issue that I have with it.

The film follows a scarecrow who is being shown the cruelties of farctory farming while the humans blindly eat animal products without knowing their true origin. This draws a comparison with the way real humans can often be blissfully ignorant when it comes to consumption. The scarecrow, frustrated and upset by the way the animals are raised, then rides home where he discovers a single pepper on a plant in his garden. You can practically see his mind make the connection right there. So off goes the scarecrow, truck laden with delicious, nutritious vegetables to present an alternative to the meat-heavy diet in his world, in the same way vegan activists take to the streets with their plant-based treats and leaflets. The phrase 'Cultivate a better world' is even hung on a banner above his stall as if to emphasise his non-violent, activist stance. Pretty neat animal rights campaign right there, huh? Unfortunately not.

The video, along with the accompanying app game, was funded by Chipotle Mexican Grill in the US to promote their welfarist stance on food production, i.e. happy exploitation. Discovering this after watching a three minute tale of empowerment through education left me with a bad taste in my mouth. If we want to make informed choices about our food we need to analyse all levels of production, including slaughter. Instead companies like this reinforce the idea that it is ok, or rather desirable, to exploit and kill animals as long they are "raised outside or in deeply bedded pens, are never given antibiotics and are fed a vegetarian diet." But then, what do you expect from a large corporation whose most profitable products are animal-based?

I'm just frustrated that such a great quality film couldn't have been put to better use. It frustrates me that animal-based industries can afford to make these films as advertisement for their unnecessary products and as welfarist propaganda. If this film had ended with the phrase 'Go vegan' and a few links to resources it would have had a profoundly different effect.

Uwe Heidschötter - The Meaning of Life

I came across this beautifully drawn comic on Tumblr and just had to share it over here because it involves my two favourite things (illustration and veganism) but also my least favourite thing (cruelty to innocent beings). The stark use of black and lack of dialogue gives the comic an ominous feel whilst hinting at the way farmed animals are 'silenced' and hidden from the public consciousness. This comic is exactly the kind of thing the vegan movement needs: intelligent, thought-provoking imagery that provides information clearly and without propaganda tactics.

If you'd like to find out more about the egg industry click here. If this comic explains it enough then please go vegan.

"Debate"

As a vegan, and a vegetarian previously, I have ended up in many heated debates about my food and lifestyle choices. Most of the time it begins with a question as to why I’m vegan, to which I simply reply that I think it’s wrong to hurt animals. General discussion ensues; I talk of the cruelties of the meat and dairy industries while the other person becomes increasingly defensive of their actions. Phrases like “But we evolved to eat meat” and “I only buy humanely sourced, organic meat anyway” are thrown around, eventually devolving into “You vegans think you’re so much better than everyone else” and a plethora of other personal insults. I have been described as militant, preachy, irrational amongst other things despite approaching the topic calmly and with facts and figures to back myself up.

Rather than reacting appropriately to the information being given, the non-vegan reacts to the debate itself, which becomes increasingly aggressive. They become defensive when they realize their lifelong values are being questioned and desperately attempt to justify their actions. When these attempts are debunked by simple logic or nutritional information the last resort is to insult vegans personally, in an attempt to discredit veganism and further justify their position. This kind of backlash is a perfect example of how meat-eaters can sometimes perceive vegans as a threat – a threat to their comfortable lifestyles and blissful ignorance. However rather than shooting the messenger, perhaps this kind of anger needs to be directed at the unethical industries that cause the discussion in the first place.

It's World Vegan Day!

To celebrate World Vegan Day, which kickstarts World Vegan Month, I'm offering my Vegan For A Day booklet as a free download! Inside you'll find some of the recipes included on this blog plus ideas for other meals if you're new to vegan food. I became vegan during World Vegan Month two years ago, maybe this year you'll do the same.

Click here to download Vegan For A Day.