The reason art must do most of the “talking” in cartoons is because they do not usually have a lot of room for words. Which, as promised, brings us to the cultural bottom of the artistic totem pole: comic books. In the expanded format of comic books words can rival pictures in artistic power. This makes comic books the perfect medium for someone whose artistic strength lies in imaginative writing but still wants to work with visual imagery. Because comic book writers essentially create a screenplay—providing plot, dialogue, narration, and even staging for each page and panel—they are responsible not only for the words you read, but, at least in part, for the pictures you see as well. One of the main reason comic books are dismissed as pop cultural junk food by so many people is that they have become synonymous in their minds with adolescent power fantasies of superpowered men in tights (and super-powered women wearing even less). While it is sadly true that this much-maligned art form has been dominated by superhero stories for nearly 70 years, these stories have often been used to raise awareness about social injustices, including those committed against animals. 26 Without a doubt, the gold standard of animal rights superheroism begins and ends with DC Comics’ Animal Man, who began his career as a minor character in a 1965 Amazing Adventures story entitled “I Was the Man with Animal Powers” (and here shown using them in a very animal unfriendly way). In this bizarre origin tale we learn how former stunt man Buddy Baker mysteriously gained the power to duplicate the abilities of any animal species after an alien spaceship exploded in his face. In 1988, Scottish comic writer Grant Morrison was recruited by DC Comics to breathe some new life into this forgotten hero—with the help of regular interior artists Chas Truog and Doug Hazelwood, and cover artist Brian Bolland. 27 In his first adventure, a researcher hires Animal Man to find the super powered person responsible for a failed attempt to liberate great apes from his laboratory. Initially treating this assignment as a straight up criminal investigation, as he learns more about what goes on at this lab, Animal Man eventually resigns in disgust. This experience has the effect of radicalizing Animal Man, who quickly becomes an outspoken animal rights activist. In addition to going vegetarian, 28 Animal Man often takes direct, illegal action to defend his fellow beings from human cruelty. Swooping out of the sky like an eagle, he snatches a cornered fox from a band of British hunters and their pack of hounds. Swimming like a fish, he tries to stop the annual slaughter of dolphins and pilot whales by local villagers on the shores of the Faeroe Islands. In a scene obviously based on the 1985 liberation of “Britches” from the University of California at Riverside, he bursts through a laboratory wall like a rampaging elephant so that he and a group of ALF lookalikes can rescue monkeys whose eyes have been sewn shut by researchers. And Morrison did not examine the exploitation of animals from the human perspective alone. In this poignant scene from the issue of Animal Man about the Faeroe Islands, he shares the thoughts of a dolphin who is searching for his family: 29 Animal liberation was not only a prominent part of the storylines in Animal Man, it was also a frequent topic of debate in the comic book’s letter column, where readers regularly wrote in to share their views on topics like vivisection, hunting, and factory farming. While many readers 30 were offended by Animal Man’s activism, many others shared his sense of outrage and commitment to social change, which he attempts to explain to his friend and business manager in this scene: This hints at another service the artistic expression of animal rights philosophy can provide. People who have become sensitized to the plight of animals in our society often feel isolated, surrounded by others, even in their own families, who fail to comprehend or even actively revile 31 their ethic of boundless compassion. When someone like that can walk into an art gallery, or pick up a newspaper, or even a comic book, and see their point of view expressed—perhaps more eloquently than they could themselves—by someone they’ve never met, who may live on the other side of the world, it validates their concerns and makes them feel less alone. Especially when they see their own efforts to make the world a more compassionate place portrayed as heroic. Unfortunately, Grant Morrison left the series after issue #26. While Animal Man’s commitment to animal rights left with Morrison, his entire run as writer on the series has been collected in three trade paperbacks which should be easy to find at any comic book store, bookstore, or online book seller. 32 (Though it has not been used in subsequent printings, the picture that originally appeared on the back of the first Animal Man trade paperback was the same photograph of one of the Silver Spring monkeys that Judy Chicago used in her Holocaust Project.) Although mainstream superhero comics have made very few references to animal rights since Morrison’s days on Animal Man, in the last couple of years, two of the world’s most famous superheroes, both the property of DC Comics, have been outed as vegetarians (although one, only temporarily). In Birthright, a 2003 miniseries retelling the origins of Superman, writer Mark Waid and artist Leinil Yu reveal that as a young man, Clark Kent developed the ability to see the auras of living beings. During a trip to Africa, where he is seen playing with an adult lion as though he was a kitten, Clark explains to his mother in an e-mail: 33 Unfortunately, despite Mark Waid’s rewriting of comic book history, since the publication of Birthright there has been no further mention of Clark’s vegetarianism, which seems to have been dismissed as a passing youthful fad. But this has not been the case for his famous female counterpart. In addition to her duties as a superhero, Wonder Woman, known to her friends simply as Diana, serves as ambassador to Man’s World for her Amazon sisters. In these panels from a 2003 issue of Wonder Woman written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Drew Johnson and Ray Snyder, the staff of her New York City embassy is being served a delicious tofu dinner by Diana’s chef, a minotaur named Ferdinand. When a new employee asks if all the meals are vegetarian, he is told that Diana doesn’t eat meat and asked by a coworker, “Would you if animals could talk to you?” 34 Superheroes are universally recognized icons of truth and justice. Since superheroes have long defined comic books in the minds of most people, it only makes sense that as society’s idea of justice evolves, comic book creators should redefine superheroes. Using live models and working in watercolors, Alex Ross creates photorealistic paintings of superheroes that have taken the comic book world by storm and been praised by critics as the works of fine art they are. In one of his most prestigious projects, Ross collaborated with Emmy Award-winning writer Paul Dini to create a series of books released by DC Comics between 1998 and 2003. Each of these oversized graphic novels—designed to show off Ross’ artwork to its maximum effect—addresses a different real world problem—from global hunger, to poverty, to terrorism— 35 and many also include scenes, however brief, of superheroes coming to the aid of animals. In 1991’s Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth, the Amazon princess is not only shown apprehending common thugs and saving workers from a sweatshop fire, but rescuing an orangutan mother and child from poachers. In JLA: Liberty and Justice, released in 2003, Justice League of America member Aquaman presents what is essentially an animal rights manifesto: 36 These are the words that appeared with these images in their published form: The heroes of the Earth do not limit their compassion to humans. Wherever lives are threatened, a champion will fight to save them. On land or in the sea, the rules are simple. Those who use force will find it returned in kind—and killing will never be tolerated. 37 Despite this declaration, I am still waiting for the comic book where a captive bolt gun shatters against Superman’s indestructible hand as he swoops into a slaughterhouse just in time to save a cow from being butchered. Hopefully one day, as more creators enter the comic book field with a passion for both art and animal rights, superheroes will finally fulfill the promise of “Justice for All.” Of course, superhero stories aren’t the only kinds of comic books. Wild Girl is a six issue miniseries put out by Wildstorm Publications, which was co-written by Leah Moore and Jon Reppion, and illustrated by Shawn McManus. It is the story of 13 year old Rosa Torres, who runs away from home when she begins experiencing disturbing visions and blackouts. Living on the streets, Rosa soon discovers she is able to 38 communicate with animals, and finds herself immersed in a society of urban wildlife most city dwellers are totally unaware exists. In one of her many mystic visions, which are beautifully illustrated by J.H. Williams III, a group of butterflies gives Rosa her charge, which should resonate strongly with most animal rights activists: 39 While the story of Wild Girl is told as an urban fairytale aimed at a teen audience, WE3, by former Animal Man writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, is a frightening, hyperviolent science fiction story “suggested for mature readers.” It opens in a secret military research laboratory where scientists are working to replace humans on the battlefield with cybernetically enhanced, remotely controlled animals. Their first success is creating a horde of “rat biorgs” able to repair complicated machinery—aided by the drills and other tools that have been surgically grafted to their bodies. But when a senator comes to inspect their progress, the scientists show him their proudest achievement; an armored dog, cat, and rabbit outfitted with an array of deadly weaponry and electronic voice boxes that allow them to communicate in a crude form of human speech. 40 At the conclusion of his visit the senator orders the animals destroyed—or as he puts it, “decommissioned”—not because he disapproves of the project, but because they were not specifically bred to be used as test subjects and he is afraid the mental strain of their condition may eventually make them uncontrollable. As each cover of the three issue series makes clear; Bandit the dog, Tinker the cat, and Pirate the rabbit are all stolen pets (who their new masters— in the literal sense of slave owners—now simply refer to as “1,” “2,” and “3”). Instead of euthanizing the animals as ordered, the doctor in charge of their care removes their restraints and allows them to escape into the night. As described in the ads for the series, what follows is a cross between Terminator and The Incredible Journey, as the three animals try to find “home” with the U.S. military in hot pursuit. 41 Without taking an overtly animal rights position, this rollercoaster ride of a story touches readers on an emotional level that makes it clear what reaction Morrison wants from them. In an interview on the Newsarama website, he said: Anyone who gets even a hint of what goes on in some of these ghastly laboratories is likely to feel rage and shock and anger. In fact, anyone who doesn't feel that way would have to be emotionally disconnected to quite a frightening degree. . . . The bottom line is that we've been horrible to animals. Really horrible in so many ways that we deserve to be ashamed of. We should know better. When the We3 creatures start causing some real painful damage in issue #2 I'm sure there will more than a few furtive cheers. 42 Not only did WE3 receive critical acclaim from comic book trade publications and Web sites, it was favorably reviewed in several newspapers around the country, further insinuating animal liberation into the cultural mainstream. The series did so well in fact that, almost as soon as it had concluded in January of 2005, it was difficult to find all three issues in most comic book stores. Fortunately, in June of that year, Vertigo Comics released a trade paperback, with new cover art by Frank Quitely, that collects all three issues in one book. The military backdrop of WE3 brings me to the last argument I want to make for the use of art in the cause of animal liberation. And once again, Grant Morrison provides me with the perfect way to illustrate my point. When Animal Man learns that several firefighters were injured in a blaze set during the lab raid he took part in, he tells the animal activist who lead the operation he will no longer participate in these types of actions: 43 I have never been comfortable with the idea of using war as an analogy for the animal liberation movement. My wife once told me she was at a demo where animal rights protestors actually began chanting for “Vegan War,” and I had to laugh. I mean, who did they think would win? The other side not only has all the firepower, they have the willingness to use it. Those who perpetuate the ongoing institutionalized enslavement, torture, and murder of animals are driven by a lack of empathy, and the belief that violence is an acceptable tool for solving problems. We can not beat people like that on their own terms. As Audre Lourde once put it, "The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." This is made clear when a Faeroe Island villager savagely kills a baby dolphin in front of Animal Man, and the enraged superhero carries the murderer out to sea and drops him. As the drowning man sinks, he is discovered by the dolphin we encountered at the beginning of the story, whose mate and child have since also been killed. He looks the man in the eye and watches as the air in his lungs is used up: 44 The dolphin’s thoughts continue on the last page of the story: 45 I like to think our way is different too. That we know cruelty and destruction can only be overcome by compassion and creativity. So the next time you are feeling frustrated, or angry, or alone, and at a loss for how to make others see the animals of the world as we see them, I urge you to remember that not only is the pen mightier than the sword, but so is the pencil, the brush and even the crayon. In other words, get in touch with your inner muse and “Make Art, not War.” 46