The semi-autobiographical experiences of the cartoonist, Michel Abstracto.
“Dragon Fight Music” is another edition of my D&D character, Levar “The Rotten.” I play Levar in a campaign with my brothers. Sometimes, I feel like our bard is too good and gets us feeling a little overconfident for the task at hand. Sometimes, consequences are pretty intense.
This comic strip is brought to you by Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Be sure to check out Abby’s About page to see where else you can find his work on the internet.
“Belly Kraken” is my clever way of making fun of my irritable bowel syndrome. I’m not really sure what else to write about this one. It is fairly self-explanatory. So I’m just going to leave it there and move on before you smell something uncomfortable.
This comic strip is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Be sure to check out Abby’s About page to see where else you can find his work on the internet.
“Not Really Options” is a tale as old as time for most of the human race. I’m sure just about everybody has heard “if it ain’t one thing it’s another.” Sometimes life just doesn’t have great options for us. It is important to remember in those moments that nothing lasts forever. Even the unfortunate circumstances are subject to change. The only constant in life is that nothing is constant.
This comic is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Be sure to check out Abstracto’s About page to see where else you can find his work on the web.
“Cat Betrayal” features my darling boy, Purrlock. Like most cats, he is NOT a fan of closed doors. He especially hates it when I go to the bathroom and don’t let him in with me. Every single time, I will open the door, and there he sits with a look of shame on his face. You’d think he found me with another cat or something.
Cat Betrayal is brought to you with Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Be sure to check out Abstracto’s About page to see where else on the web you can find his work.
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“Harm Reduction Saves Lives” is probably my favorite comic strip so far. As I’m sure you’re already aware, I am an avid Harm Reductionist. If you are unfamiliar with Harm Reduction, it is a philosophy that emphasizes safety education and measures, or typical “sobriety” types of education and measures. It also embraces meeting people where they are at and what recovery looks like to them. At the end of the day, safety is more important BECAUSE the dead cannot ever find recovery. Better to be alive to try again in the future.
Harm Reduction Saves Lives is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Check out Abstracto’s About page to see where else you can find his work on the internet.
“Bad Dad” is a gag based on a common occurrence between my son and me. You see, what happened was, my son has spent his entire life being told my dad jokes. Because of this, he has grown accustomed to my behaviors leading up to one. Everything from the tone in my voice, the pep in my step, and the expression on my face gives it away that one is coming. So, I have tried to get clever with the lead-up. Sometimes it still doesn’t work.
Bad Dad is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Be sure to check out Abstracto’s About page to see where else you can find his work on the internet.
“Big Meow Cat Drugs” was inspired by a conversation that I had with my partner. She was wondering why they put catnip in all the cat things, lol. If we’re being perfectly honest, I haven’t a clue if frequent exposure to catnip causes health issues for cats. I just know that as a Harm Reductionist, I am here to help my cats live their best lives and healthiest lives.
Big Meow Cat Drugs is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Be sure to check out Abstracto’s About page to see where else you can find his work on the web.
“She Loves Your Hat” is a real event that actually took place in one of our local grocery stores, lol. I am an avid pin collector, and one of my favorite places to collect my pins is on my hats. I’ve been doing that for years now, and I consistently receive compliments on them. People really love the hat…and…sometimes I like to pretend that it’s me they love lol. My partner, like any good anchor, keeps me grounded in reality.
She Loves Your Hat is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Be sure to check out Abstracto’s About page to see where else you can find him on the web.
“Early Morning Shenanigans” is pretty self-explanatory. I happen to be what society refers to as a “morning bird.” I just tend to function better when I have slept through the night and get up in the morning. As a morning bird, I am also able to fully function within minutes of waking up. This tends to make the night owls of my house disgusted with my morning antics lol. But the one who gets it the most would definitely be my partner. We wake up next to each other, so it makes sense.
Early Morning Shenanigans is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Be sure to check out Abstracto’s About page to find where they are throughout the web.
“Two in the Bush” isn’t based on one specific event in my life. In fact, there have been quite a few instances where this has happened. My son makes that face every single time, too. I almost feel like his facial expressions are a measure of how effectively I am “Dadding.” He finds dad jokes and the like repulsive. So when he makes that face, I have to be performing at a grade A Dad tier, right? It’s not my fault that I don’t always remember the things correctly.
Two in the Bush is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Do you like what you see? Be sure to check out Abstracto’s About page to see where else you can find him on the web.
“Don’t Make Me A Comic” is my artistic response to my family teasing me. They think that I turn everything that happens into a comic. To be open, honest, and transparent, I only turn things into comics that are either funny or can be turned into mental health advocacy. I actively strive to avoid sharing things that are too personal or could potentially harm those that I care about. I even avoid using people’s names other than myself and my cats. If my comics don’t make me laugh or educate people in mental health, I don’t have much use for them.
Don’t Make Me A Comic is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
Be sure to check out Abstracto’s About page to find him everywhere on the web!
“Thighs Like A Truck” was inspired by one of the flirting patterns that I do with my partner. I tend to lean on humor with most things in my life. So, as such, I enjoy singing ridiculous songs about either love or lovemaking to her. Since we’ve been together for 17 years now, I’m going to assume that she’s into it. The unfortunate side is that sometimes our children bear witness. Or I guess it is unfortunate. I actually think it’s pretty hilarious.
Thighs Like A Truck is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
To find Michel Abstracto on the web, check out their About page.
Crisis exhaustion is a very real concept, given the current global conditions. Because of that, I created this comic strip, ‘Creative Recharge,’ as a way of reassuring you that it is perfectly okay, even recommended, to continue living your life despite the evils of the world. We’re taught that our needs and wants aren’t valid. This couldn’t possibly be further from the truth. Your needs and wants are very valid, to the point that they are important. Guilt tells you that you shouldn’t be creating while people are in the streets being killed by government-sanctioned thugs. However, your mind still needs to recharge to function correctly.
There are also people in the world who will see your creative pursuits and recharge from them as well. Additionally, they will find community and solidarity through your work, which will help them battle things like loneliness and isolation. It is a good thing to fight for what is right in the world and try to remember that your creative pursuits are a part of that effort.
Caveperson Coffee is fairly self-explanatory. I wasn’t always a huge coffee fan, but when I determined that coffee assisted with my focus, it became a twice-a-day routine for me. Now that I have become accustomed to that routine, I can’t imagine life without it. In the Substance Use field, it is called chemical dependency. Most would think it is an addiction, but technically, it only becomes an addiction if/when it interferes with your life. Humans tend to be dependent on various chemicals and behaviors as we determine our individual needs and limitations. It is perfectly ok when it improves your quality of life.
Cavepeson Coffee is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.
“Wizards Can Make Mistakes” was inspired by a two-fold idea. First, this particular situation hasn’t happened YET to my D&D character, but my characters are known for leaping into situations they shouldn’t have and getting everything rowled up. Secondly, I like reminding people that even the “best” of us make mistakes, and it is ok to make mistakes. We must learn from them and respond to them effectively. Making mistakes gives us elasticity to bounce back when things don’t quite go as we hoped. You are human, and you are not always going to get it right. Not just in academic terms, but also in the things we say and do. But you’re not a bad person for getting things wrong.
How interested would you be in seeing a mini-comic of Levar “The Rotten?”
Wizards Can Make Mistakes is brought to you by Michel Abstracto’s Harm Reduction philosophy.