Secondlina's Panels

We grew up believing no one would love us.

Don’t tell me that hurts less then a broken bone. (X)

I was really touched by this poem by Shane Koyczan about bullying, it made me want to draw this picture. It's the type of subject that really makes me want to take arms and defend the weak, the depressed and neglected. Because it reminds me a bit of my own life, but mostly, because it reminds me of the harsh lives of so many of the people that are beloved to me.

The characters in the image are a bit the... stereotypical underdogs, in a way. People with disabilities. People who are punks and geeks. People who are homosexuals, people who are minorities in mostly white schools, people who are told they aren't pretty... And people who are punished because other people want to own them. When I first drew them, they seemed a bit too much like stereotypes, but then again, those are the types of people who are still getting the raw end of the deal. It has not changed yet. It changed in a couple of spots. A few towns and schools got better. But you still have so many places where black kids are called dirty, where girls are raped and then threatened to hold their tongue,  where people don't want to touch the "kid with the weird hand" because they are afraid they will catch something. As it turns out, people are so afraid of what's different, that what is different has not yet changed, despite us suppose to have had evolved. Sexism, ignorance and racism is not gone. In fact, the more I think about it, the more it seems strong. I want to fight it when I can, by treating kids in school well, by letting them talk, and in my art. 

Long story short I suppose... injustice and bullying bothers the hell out of me. If you can donate to an organism that helps kids in your area, please do. 

In other news, seems I need new glasses. *sigh* A new pair is always an expense, but my eyes are my main tool, so I need to treat them well. I have a bit of a minor infection thing too, due to the dryness in the air. Urgh, my poor eyes. 

I also finally saw les Miserables... It wasn't bad. They really sing all the time though. I would have appreciated less songs and more spoken dialogue. You know, make the songs seem more pretty and epic rather then the constant dispensers of story. I got a bit tired of the constant close-ups too. I was, however, really amused by Javert extremely romantic song about catching people. Javert wants to catch people so hard.