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A promotional image for the book "Hi, Earth" by Elizabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz (War and Peas). The image shows the book cover featuring a cartoon Earth wearing a cowboy hat and sweating while surrounded by flames. Cartoon animal characters surround the book: a bee with a blue balloon above, a smiling cow on the left, and a yellow dog/squirrel on the right. The background transitions from orange to yellow, with a quote at the bottom reading: "I can't remember the last time I snorted this much while reading a book." - Patile on Goodreads.
A promotional image for the book "Hi, Earth" by Elizabeth Pich and Jonathan Kunz (War and Peas). The image shows the book cover featuring a cartoon Earth wearing a cowboy hat and sweating while surrounded by flames. Cartoon animal characters surround the book: a bee with a blue balloon above, a smiling cow on the left, and a yellow dog/squirrel on the right. The background transitions from orange to yellow, with a quote at the bottom reading: "I can't remember the last time I snorted this much while reading a book." - Patile on Goodreads.

It’s Out Now!

We still can’t quite believe it’s happening, but today we’re releasing our book “Hi, Earth” into the wild. We’ve spent years drawing talking animals, suicidal icebergs and horny flowers, trying to make sense of this beautiful mess we call home.

4-Panel Comic by War and Peas. Panel 1: A melting iceberg complains, "It is so hot! This damn climate change!" Another iceberg listens in the background. Panel 2: The second iceberg, "My great-grandfather was doing something about climate change before it was en vogue." Panel 3: The first iceberg looks puzzled and asks, "Your great-grandfather?" Panel 4: Flashback to a historical scene: a mustached iceberg watches as the Titanic sails toward it under a moonlit sky. The iceberg smugly replies, "Yeees, yeees."

We never set out to create something profound. Honestly, we just wanted to draw comics that made us laugh during our own late-night anxiety spirals about the state of the planet. Somehow those drawings about Timmy the terrified teenage praying mantis and aliens who can’t decide if they want to take over the planet or not, are now bound together in actual book form.

4-Panel Comic by War and Peas. Panel 1: A UFO hovers in the night sky, beaming up a man named Jerry with a bright yellow tractor beam. Panel 2: Two people watch the abduction. One exclaims, "They're abducting Jerry!" Panel 3: As the UFO flies away, the two people remain unbothered. One says, "Thank God! I never liked him." The other replies, "Yeah, me neither." Panel 4: Onboard the alien spaceship, Jerry is seated on a throne, surrounded by decorations, gifts, and an alien celebration. An alien reassures him, "They didn't deserve you, Jerry."

In these strange times, we’ve found that laughing at colorful pictures about the apocalypse helps us cope better than spiraling into despair. We hope maybe it might do the same for you. Sometimes sharing a nervous laugh about the things that terrify us can make them feel a little more manageable.

We’re endlessly grateful to the infamous publishing house Andrews McMeel for taking a chance on our odd little collection.

4-Panel Comic by War and Peas. Panel 1: A news reporter, standing in a floating transparent water pod, says, "Since becoming a water planet, things have been difficult." Panel 2: The reporter continues, "We’ve adapted by using water pods as a mode of transport." In the background, people are seen moving around inside similar floating pods. Panel 3: Two people inside separate pods try to kiss, but their pods squish against each other with a squeak sound. Panel 4: The reporter, maintaining a serious expression, states, "It has made reproduction quite difficult," while in the background, the couple struggles with their pods.

If you pick up “Hi, Earth,” we hope it gives you a quiet chuckle, or if we’re really lucky, a full-on snort-laugh that makes the people around you uncomfortable. That’s really all we were aiming for.

Get it via Amazon, Barnes & Noble or BAM. Or order it through your local bookstore!

With humble appreciation,
Elizabeth and Jonathan

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War and Peas 4-panel-comic: 1. A polar bear talks to other polar bears: "Friends, we must prepare for climate change." 2. They continue: "Even if the 1.5 degrees goal is met, our habit will be disappearing." 3. Another polar bear notes, "We could live with our friends the penguins!" Another one agrees, "Yes!" 4. Caption text says, "Later on the ocean" You can see the polar bears with luggage on one ice floe and the penguins on another one. The penguins also have luggage. The polar bears say "Fuck!" The penguins go "Fuck!" as well.

New comic! “Move” is one of a series of climate comics that bring art and science together to explore the big questions about the climate crisis. More to read & download at https://www.comicartfestival.com/constrain-climate-comics

The other artists involved are – award-winning comic creator Darryl Cunningham and comic creator, academic and illustrator Sayra Begum.
CONSTRAIN is a 4-year programme of research and engagement, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme. Led by the University of Leeds, the CONSTRAIN consortium involves 14 partners and around 50 researchers from 9 countries across Europe.