Flora & Fauna (2)

I think I saw this guy yesterday!

Arent these comics sort of insulting to those who are misfortunate to be in such a situation? Its sort of like making fun of the poor or mentally disabled.

Do you think these pass for some kind of "illustration realism"? They come across as arrogant and clueless from my perspective. Maybe you should make a companion series of illustrations indexing "bratty middle class bloggers who supposedly give a shit about their city."

I don't see it as making fun.

Everyone thinks Zanta is great, but no one seems willing to care about the lack of mental health help in this city.

Should Toronto bloggers completely ignore all the bad things in the city? Let's all pretend that Toronto is free of any problems, shall we? Then we pretend to be middle class brats.

Rebecca,

If you want to read my comments as a call for Toronto bloggers to put their heads in the sand and ignore mental health and social issues, that is your perogative.

I was responding to both comments made about the comic, Greg. I honestly don't see the work to be "making fun" of anyone with a mental disability. There isn't any judgment anywhere, just a description. Maybe you just dislike the style?

What are you driving at with these comics? As mentioned previously, it seems your only goal is to be contentious. These comics lack wit, observation beyond the superficial, and empathy. Your writing is plain, has no edge, and offers nothing in the way of insight.

I used to defend your work, but these last two character profiles are plain repugnant.

Geoff,
Wow, Dude, I am with ya on that, and I know you and I have disagreed on this comic before (no hard feelings)...but you echoed my thoughts exactly, I think his comics are on here to simply incite, they are certainly not creative or well-drawn. Also, with all of the crooked politicians and crooked capitalists who are sucking the life out of our continent (and created most of the homeless this comic likes to ridicule)...why on earth would you go after societies victims? Hey, I know, let's pick on the unemployed or starving kids next, or even better, uh, how about? "Guy Hating, Frigid Rape-Victims" "Self-Loathing Suicidal Teen Cutters", "Mono-Breasted Cancer Cuties", "What's Shakin' with the Cerebal Palsy Gang", "Abused Woman Who Just Don't When to Shut-Up", "My Parents Went on Vacation and all I Got Were These Cigarette Burns"?

I completely agree with what Geoff said (except I didn't defend Jason's work before). Profiles of people just trying to go about their private lives with descriptions like "food is rarely consumed" (how do you know unless you've followed him for extended periods?) are such cheap shots. Maybe these aren't supposed to be funny, but shouldn't they have a point? For example, I really liked the profile about the guy who picks up litter. The writer went to talk to the guy, found out more about him, and then we can all be like "O, so that's what he's up to."

I agree that these illustrations seem to serve no purpose whatsoever. Actually, I find it kind of creepy that this artist is spending so much time observing mentally ill street people with all the compassion of an entomologist.

These are spot-on great! I'm waiting for the "Can you spare any change for me and my son" lady in the Annex, the "Can you spare fifty bucks" grey-bearded old man on Queen West, and more.

I sure hope the portrait sitters are being paid for their time!

Yeah, how about "post-traumatic stress disorder veteran". You can draw him hobbling around with no legs, it'll be hilarious, yelling at people, you could draw the cold sweat on his forehead! Riot! Or how about "Delusional Cancer Patient" who wants to keep on living but is gonna die in 6 months"
You can show them living for the day, enjoying each monet even though they're gonna die anyday, then you can show them wasting down to 98 pounds. How funny would THAT be?
Let's see those.
Gives it a little perspective now, doesn't it?

I find these comments very revealing, that you can pick out and create these detailed scenarios of "victims." What makes a portrait of "post-traumatic stress disorder veteran" in your comment any different from these portraits, except that you are assuming it would be a hypethetical equivalent and that you have enlightened us all? You are also taking a really patronizing and arrogant stance when you call these characteres the victims of society. I also dont think that the point is to do some kind of research project on people, and just because a person goes out and interviews a homeless person and posts it on a blog with a photo doesnt mean its not exploitative. I also find the characature of "Guy Hating, Frigid Rape-Victims" original and disgusting.

I hate myself for clicking on this link and putting a comment in here, because I don't want to give BlogTO the traffic to validate this garbage. I'm passing these "strips" off to friends who work everyday with the homeless and mentally challenged to see if they find them as funny as you think they do. I would prefer to see a strip about all the different types of delusional U of T fine art grads out there.

I moved to Toronto three years ago from a small Canadian city (with its own social welfare issues) and for maybe a week I found the large homeless issue to be overwhelming maybe even as much to write a journal entry. After a while I was more concerned with the causes that led to the symptoms than the symptoms themselves. The total lack of context in these portraits turns the subjects into some sort of freak show. I would really love to see a comic that was the result of research into an issue. Just go talk to a social worker and start from there. Maybe you find homelessness to be so overwhelming/saddening that you must express yourself. Well if anyone wants to be part of the solution then try and take some time to learn more about the issue.

The comic seems to be as dispassionate as can be, yet people are reading all sorts of hate into it. Is the only acceptable acknowledgement of the homeless/mentally ill/what-have-you white liberal guilt? I don't see any judgement or comedic spin in this rendering, yet it offends some nonetheless.

I just want to set the record straight on blogTO's view of these comics. As a general rule, we're interested in promoting local Toronto culture and providing insights into issues relevant to Torontonians. We do not make a habit of publishing content that doesn't further this mandate or is hurtful or exploitive of a minority or defenseless group.

In looking for a comic to add to blogTO, we gave Jason Kieffer wide range to come up with something that might fit within our editorial mandate and add insight, humour or otherwise contribute positively to our ongoing conversation about Toronto.

After publishing the latest two comics from Jason we have informed him that we don't feel it is something we want to continue to support, but we will keep them on the site b/c we do feel they have raised important issues and dialogue that we have no interest in muzzling.

We'll leave it up to Jason himself to explain or defend his comics in this space if that's something he feels he wants to do.

"I also find the characature of "Guy Hating, Frigid Rape-Victims" original and disgusting. "
PJ, that was the idea. To illustrate a point. If you're going to make fun of the homeless, who is next?
"You are also taking a really patronizing and arrogant stance when you call these characteres the victims of society"
- I's say you are being more arrogant in saying otherwise. So I assume that you think that the homeless are 'open game" because for some of them, "it's their own damn fault they're homeless". How arrogant of you to assume what the circumstances are that leads anyone to that place in life.
But ask yourslef this... let's have someone come to you at one of your' 'not so glorious' moments in life and ask to draw a caricature of you pointing out all your' 'not so great' details. Sound like fun? Why yes, please, living on the street, starving and cold, begging for money, evading teen-agers with baseball bats and junkies with knives isn't bad enough...Please, by all means, draw a cartoon and make fun of all my little "homeless quirks".

I agree with Geoff's evaluation of this comic.
I can't see an interpretation of it as anything other than someone taking pleasure in other's misfortune. Disgusting.

These comics are exploitative, end of story. What reason could the "artist" have to draw them other than to set the subjects up for ridicule? I don't buy the ironically dispassionate observation theory.

Furthermore, did the "artist" obtain the permission of the subjects to draw their likenesses and write about them on this blog? Did he even speak to them? Does he even know their names or anything about them aside from his observations made from a safe distance?

It all seems rather provincial and high school-ish. Let's all make fun of the weirdos on the street!

"The comic seems to be as dispassionate as can be, yet people are reading all sorts of hate into it. Is the only acceptable acknowledgement of the homeless/mentally ill/what-have-you white liberal guilt? I don't see any judgement or comedic spin in this rendering, yet it offends some nonetheless."

rek, I agree.

While I don't really care for this series, I note that if the illustrator had instead taken a photo of the subject and placed the same captions below, it would be seen as a sympathetic appeal rather than ridicule.

Wow, the medium IS the message!

These comics are like Homeless People Trading Cards or something. Though it seems like this situation is now under control, the fact that you previously removed one of Jason's comics that had a punchline that stated, "You faggit [sic]-ass piece of shit!" shows that he obviously has a judgment chip missing. Ditch him.

The criticisms of this comic are sterile and boring. I find this comic interesting, and I don't think it 'makes fun' of the homeless, it's tries to be purely descriptive. I've seen this guy myself, and have noticed some of the same things about him (knocking over newspaperstands/ cursing God).

As a social worker myself, I find that the discomfort that most people feel looking at this comic probably results from their own disengaged fears and insecurities regarding the neglected, mentally ill of our city. I also object to the apparent sentiment expressed in these critiques that the only acceptable emotional response to the mentally ill is pity. These people generally don't need or want your pity. They need and want your understanding. Few people laugh more at the mentally ill than 1)the mentally ill themselves, or 2) social workers. The reason for that is that when you work with them day to day, laughter is survivalism.

Get off your ridiculous high horses. Jason, kudos to you for actually looking at these people and taking note. It's more honest than the self righteous crap I read in these critiques

Derek,

I can't see how these illustrations are supposed to increase our understanding of the homeless or mentally ill. All he has done is document 'Rage Man's' physical appearance, and what is surely, little more than a sliver of his overall behaviour and personality. This is supposed to help us empathize with his plight? Perhaps maybe if he had dug a little deeper into who these people are, there may be something to defend.

You're right that the mentally ill and homeless make many 'normal' people uneasy. Nevertheless, depictions like 'Rage Man' and 'Crazy Hand Lady'?that title certainly communicates understanding!?do little to bridge the divide.

Take your sanctimony elsewhere.

It's ironic that you're accusing me of being sanctimonious considering the tone of your criticisms. What makes you think you have an enlightened understanding of the life of a mentally ill person? Have you spent any considerable time at places like CAMH?

The fact of the matter is that these people are "crazy". They suffer from a disease that works like the diseases of many other organs, except the afflicted organ happens to be their brain. The neural disruption (visible under a microscope) that occurs in the neocortex and hypothalamus of these people offsets their behavior and creates a perception of the world that is inaccurate. Much like how the pancreas of a diabetic inaccurately percieves his/her bloodsugar. Jason's portrait is an honest interpretation of someone he sees in his neighborhood, and it's admirable in that he actually looks at these people and forces you to look at them rather than what most people do, which is look away. If a depiction of these people and their 'craziness' makes you uneasy or feel guilty, then that speaks more to your ignorance and lack of understanding than it does Jason's. I think the majority of the criticisms of this comic ironically mirror the attitudes of their writers. You don't like someone looking at these people and having an honest reaction because you yourself are stymied at how to react. Most people refuse to look, and so refuse address the problem of the homeless mentally ill in Toronto.

I commend Jason for looking and forcing other people to look. If you feel there are missing pieces then stop bitching and fill them in yourself.

Toronto totally can't compete on the international level: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEH_5SNDo-4

Well, I look forward to seeing whatever else Jason Kieffer draws and publishes. Even if I have to go to another site to view it. I like, and support, local Toronto comic artists. I looked forward to each of his strips here at BlogTO.

Unlike some, I find it difficult to be offended by comics.