Live! Laugh! Love!

 In my vast experience with suburban American living rooms, I've noticed the phrase "live, laugh, love" is often displayed prominently somewhere. Now, I'm not against doing any of those things, but I always imagined it being shouted at me in an aggressive voice, like a military command. Because of that, my natural opposition to obedience kicks in and I think, "NO! I will not live, laugh, love! Fuck you!" I get so angry that I can't concentrate on anything else. This lunacy was the origin of this strip. 

More broadly, this strip is an an exploration of "toxic happiness" in general. Divi's willing to shell out a few bucks for happiness but she has some neurotic doubts. Kurtz, on the other hand, is just going with the flow. 

Forking Class

 Yes, clearly I think about leaf blowers too often (see previous post). .In this strip, the evil leaf blower has replaced pitch forks as the angry mob's implement of choice, obviously a transition to full automation of angry mobs. 

The root of this piece is my anxiety surrounding the digital revolution. In particular, its potential effects on human psychology and the economic ramifications of the looming automation crisis. As an analog kid, I often feel out of step in a society that is moving too fast. This concern is represented here by Squeak showing up with a pitchfork. 

Go Blow

Kurtz has a very laissez-faire approach to parenting and does not exactly enforce certain rules, such as school attendance. Fortunately, Squeak has thrived in this unstructured enviornment and spends her time constructively. This dynamic between father and daughter, along with a hint of anti-capitalism, is on display in this strip

The idea for this one occurred to me when I was contemplating the absurdity of the leaf blower... like cutting a cake with a chainsaw.  Every time I see one I yell, "go get a rake!"or "leave the leaves alone, they provide habitat for overwintering animals and nutrients for plants!"  Actually, I don't yell any of those things, I just suffer in silence...imagining a world where humans learn to nurture biodiversity or at least coexist. 

If you've been following Approaching Zero, you will notice that the backgrounds often change. When I first started cartooning I couldn't draw characters or scenes from frame to frame with any consistency at all. Instead of fighting against this limitation, I decided to emphasize it. It's a good example of Wabi Sabi. 

Strike!

Spending most of one's life in a pot can cause a plant to develop a sense of individuality. Combine that with a liberal arts education and walla, you have a full blown organizer in your hands (yes, Flo was the first member of her division to go to college). Good thing she has a conspiratorial biped on her side to help bring her message to the mosses, er, the grasses, er, the masses. 

This strip originated when I was thinking, as I often do, about how little humans realize our total dependence on plants and other organisms that perform photosynthesis. I thought, "what would happen if they went on strike?" It then occurred to me that they would probably poison us. 

Econ 101

 You know how sometimes when you are immersed in a deep conversation you don't exactly notice what is happening around you? 

A while defined

 Divi,  despite all her positive qualities, is always getting dumped. To put an end to this chronic condition she has recently experimented with love potions and other magical interventions. This is an odd coping mechanism for an empiricist, but desperation is a powerful motivator. 

Even with her extensive experience in the dumping department, however, Divi is never quite sure how to interpret all the common euphemisms for ending a relationship. Thank goodness she has a hardnosed investigator on the case to help her navigate the perplexing lexicon of dating. 

This strip features a somewhat recurring character El Bronson (the guy in the hat). Though he is well meaning, he cannot help thinking that something better is always lurking around the corner...or perhaps in an "I scream" stand.  

Trees know how to live

 I read recently that tree diversity on planet earth is decreasing at an alarming rate. So, in honor of my fine leafy friends I am posting this first cartoon which prominently features the dinosaurs of the plant world. 

In this strip, Divi, who is most likely unemployed, is taking a walk in the woods to commune with nature. On the planet Arb, plants are sentient, but not always nice. This is a good example of the different plant personality types that one might encounter in an Arbian forest. 

Warning: this cartoon features some cross kingdom flirting, which some may find offensive.