Sweet Animal Comics About Friendship Remind Us Why We Should Show Up for Our Pals

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Artist and animator Liz Climo knows how to make us smile. For the better part of a decade, we’ve fawned over her sweet comics that revolve around the gentle world of animal friends. Together, this crew—which includes a bear, snake, sloth, pig, and rabbit—shows the meaning of love and companionship as they support each other through the good and not-so-good things that come their way.

The beauty in Climo’s work is the fine line that she walks between applying human characteristics to her character while also recognizing the fact that they are, indeed, animals. In some instances, the characters have very human conversations but the punchline of the comic is rooted in their creaturedom.

An example of this is one of Climo’s latest two-panel pieces. The first panel shows a bear approaching a little rodent hanging from a tree branch. “You okay?” the bear asks. “I’m barely hanging on,” the creature replies. This is something that two (human) friends might say to one another. But in the final panel, Climo delivers the joke by reminding us that they are animals; the bear walks over to the rodent and offers the top of its head, allowing the tiny creature some relief. The act is literal as well as metaphorical and demonstrates the various ways that we can show up for our loved ones.

If you enjoy Climo’s comics as much as we do, make sure you check out her growing selection of books including her newest one titled You’re Dad.