You can find more about The Beagle Freedom Project here and also about The Identity Campaign. Let me know if you have questions or ideas for future cruelty free or vegan related posts, your feedback is really helpful for me!
~ Hola mis nerds: si están tratando de leer este post y no entienden ni un carajo, les pido muchas disculpas. Aun estoy tratando de dar con una forma de hacer este tipo de posts en español e inglés y por ahora no he dado con una solución. Si es que tienen una idea constructiva que pueda aplicar en posts futuros, les pido que la compartan! Estoy tratando de hacer lo mejor que puedo :) Si quieren saber más información, hace un par de años subí este post sobre productos no testeados y está disponible solamente en Español!
Hi Fran! It's good to see you talking about that, it's important other people know what happened and what we can do to make better choices. I think sometimes it's little frustrating because i discovered a lot of products around us, even for clean your house or some kind of tampons are non cruelty-free :( how can you deal with it without being paranoid when you buy something? (i don't know with you feel the same thing but i wish were not too difficult, where i live it's a little hard to find cruelty-free products). Btw, your drawings for explanation are amazing <3
ReplyDeleteOh thank you so much Jana! In my case, once I found out which products were cruelty free and which weren't, things became MUCH easier. Where do you live Jana?
DeleteI live in Brazil (south, one of the most big meat exporter for the rest of world x_x) i try my best but sometimes with some products is inescapable :( we don't have much options where i live, but at least i'm trying to find a solution to help.. it's great to see you helping people through your art! i would love to test some lush if one day i can find :) i know that they don't use slave work too and this is important to me too.. keep going! aah i know this is not about the subject of your topic but a time ago you said you were working on a personal comic, will be published? :D hugs <3
DeleteYou're awesome, Fran! Never change.
ReplyDeleteoh thank youuuuuuu! ; -- ;
DeleteI work for Lush, so I couldn't agree more with everything you said!! I'm really happy you made this post :> It's important to talk about these things, that's the way we can change the world and make it a better place for humans&animals!!
ReplyDeleteyaaay! Oh thank you Scampi!
DeleteI really loved this post! Thank you for letting us know about this sort of thing. I really didn't realize that there was so much animal testing still going on. Well I'm off to google all the things about vegans to learn more! :D
ReplyDeleteoh thanks Victoria! Please share with me any useful discoveries! :D
DeleteA beautiful Unicorn appears!! <3
DeleteHi Fran, this post was faultless and you're such a good story-teller! I would love to hear your thoughts and advice on going vegan. Any recipes you love, advice for switching out dairy, your thoughts on being vegan, a Frannerd vegan starter pack basically! I'm on a journey to being vegan but I'm finding it such a huge leap in comparison to vegetarianism and I'm a bit intimidated by the whole vegan lifestyle portrayed online - like if I can't create the perfect tropical smoothie bowl I'm somehow not worthy! When really, I just want to help out animals and the environment in any way I can. Should be simple shouldn't it!
ReplyDeleteHi there dear Holly
DeleteOh gosh, I felt the exactly same thing when I was vegetarian. I thought being vegan was so hardcore and that was "for other people, but not for me", specially because there's so many different ways of eating vegan food (as well as so many different ways of eating meals with meat, chicken, fish...) but then I realised, even though it was good to find inspiration on vegan cooking blogs and videos, I would had to find the best way to eat vegan.
I would love to eat perfect tropical smoothie bowls every day, but that doesn't fit my lifestyle. I live in a city where fruits and vegetables are expensive, so I have to come with different solutions and ideas with what and how to eat :)
Thank you so much for your ideas and concerns. Don't worry cause you are not alone!
Hi Holly.
DeleteYou should check out veganuary.com. It's a challenge to go vegan for January and there's lots of recipes and advice. And you can find vegan recipes for pretty much anything you want on the internet.
I live in a developing country and we don't have that many vegan processed foods, so you basically have to make a lot of stuff yourself. But when I see all the amazing things available in some countries I think that there's really no excuse if it's made so easy.
The best thing is to try different things to see what you like. People like such different things.
Fran thank you so much for this post. I' m crying reading it.. I recently started making some changings in my life, I became vegetarian and hopefully I will manage to become vegan too. I am also trying to use cruelty free brands. It's not easy, but I know I'm on the right way. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and these important information with us.
ReplyDeletethanks to you annie, I'm so sorry you're crying! It's SO DAMN hard to talk about these issues, specially because how cruel they are. Stay strong and thank you so much for you lovely words!
DeleteHola Fran, me encanta cuando haces ilustraciones como éstas con texto, demasiado entretenido!!! podrias hacer por favor un post sobre como los haces? Nos podrías enseñar-guiar un poco?
ReplyDeleteYo amo a los animales pero no soy ni vegan ni vegetariana, y creo que es más que todo por falta de información, no se mucho al respecto sobre el tema, y ya que quieres enseñar a la gente sobre esta problematica, se me ocurre, porque no comienzas con un blog exclusivamente sobre este tema? Explicandonos sobre todo esto y no se, compartiendo articulos, noticias y demás y ya que haces un trabajo genial con tus ilustraciones lograrías más y más seguidores y así combinas tu pasión por el dibujo y los animales :-)
Te invito a que te pases por mi web y redes sociales: www.carolinavillalobosillustration, www.facebook.com/carolinavillalobosillustration, www.instagram.com/carolinavillalobosillustration
Me encanta tu trabajo, es genial!!! Exitos y muchos abrazos!!!
Gracias por tu idea Carolina!!!!
DeleteYes yes yes! I've gone cruelty-free a couple of months ago, as well as vegetarian. Not quite there yet for veganism, maybe I'll never be, but ... baby steps. And yeah, you're absolutely right, we need to talk about it more often and make people see what this is all about! Doesn't mean we're gonna be preachy and offending everybody. Well, some people will be offended, but it's worth it.
ReplyDeletehahaha thanks Daniela! :)
DeleteHi Fran! I'm also an artist living in London (btw I'm friends with Joy, who's friends with Alessandra. Small world!) and I've been following your youtube channel since Estee introduced you in hers.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to be a vegetarian when I was little, but my mother wouldn't let me. Now, as an adult, I eat very little meat and no milk and I try to buy cruelty free products when possible. I want to change my eating and buying habits further. I wasn't aware of how horrible things are behind the scenes until not so long ago and I'm sure that most people don't care only because they really don't know. It takes courage to watch those eye opening real videos of how animals are treated.
Looking at your drawings I can't stop thinking they would look amazing animated! It would be a way to teach people by making them watch something pretty instead of horrible. The way you explained things doesnt sound offensive at all, just informational.
I'm an animator too and I'm good with after effects (I can show you examples). I could animate your drawings if you'd like to make a video about this. I think it would be awesome! Let me know if you like the idea and would like to talk about it :)
Hey Cheila, small world!
DeleteOh, that would be so cooool!! * 0 *
Hi Fran - this is such an interesting post (well done on illustrating the whole thing despite being ill) and I really think you should go for it! I'm a vegetarian and I really struggle to broach the subject with people for the first time, but there need to be more people talking about the choice of not eating meat or animal products and using cruelty-free products. I'm also involved in laboratory research and I think the issue of the role of animals used for scientific research is something that needs a lot more scrutiny as it's really not as justifiable as some organisations make out and needs to stop!
ReplyDeleteContinuing to appreciate and be inspired by your art, and also looking forward to hearing more about your views!
oh thanks Laura! Your opinion on this matters so much to me, how horrible must be for you to deal with animal testing on a daily basis. I know all of these things and facts because of people doing uncovers inside labs, but I can't imagine being there every day :(
DeleteI love this. It would be so great for you to help teach us about these things! There's just so much information out there, that I don't know where to begin, or even who to trust. Standing up for what's right will always offend somebody. Stay encouraged!
ReplyDeleteoh thanks Juji! thank you so much!
DeleteThese kinds of posts are great Fran.. I'm happy to hear and know more.
ReplyDeleteI'm someone who has been interested in becoming a vegetarian (and vegan later on as well) for a long time now. Most of the time, I'm more attracted to vegan dishes and things anyways. But to become fully dedicated has been a struggle for me. I'm not sure why. Partly because I do still enjoy some meats? (mainly those meats are seafood..) It's people like YOU who I NEED to hear from. Because you have been living the lifestyle for so long, it would be nice to hear all the knowledge you know and things you do and dishes you prepare. And even hearing about all the nitty gritty details of animal testing and things animals go through just so we can eat.
So please, do not be afraid of sharing. Those awkward and angry people can just walk away. Because what you do is for you and not for them. And for the precious animals of this Earth as well of course.
I would absolutely love to see more posts like this from someone I trust (you!) and even YouTube videos (once you're feeling better).
Thanks for sharing Frannerd. And please share some books or sites that tell us info about being vegan/vegetarian and about animal testing.
Thank-you Fran!
<3
thank you Amyyy! This means a lot to me, thank you so much!
DeleteI'm writing all of your ideas and concerns for future posts!
Hi Fran, this is such a great post! I just stopped eating meat in July (still eating seafood because I still live at home and its a concession so meal time is a bit easier for everyone else) and am trying to be more conscious of what I'm eating and buying. It's so murky trying to establish what brands are truly cruelty free so any posts on that or recipes or just Vegan life would be fab! I don't imagine you'd be a preachy in your posts which kind of puts me off seeking out other Vegan bloggers so I'd definitely welcome any fun and interesting posts about veganism from you!
ReplyDeletehahaha thank youuu! Yeah, I'm trying to find a nice way of saying all these things. That's why I'm experimenting with these type of posts, with illustrations and thoughts, cause are more eye pleasing but with a deep message. I'll work really hard to make this useful for you guys <3
DeleteI'm happy to see you talk about it.
ReplyDeleteI made it a (almost) year long challenge this year, where I sculpted one different miniature fruit or vegetable per day to raise interest in veggies.
I myself am struggling to go vegan. I started to go vegetarian for environmental reasons and later learned about the animal abuses and started to care a lot. It got to a point where I felt miserable for still eating animal products, but I learned to be a little forgiven toward myself.
I do my best, but there are things I have a hard time giving up.
And although I hardly buy new clothes or shoes, I don't see myself living without wool socks or leather shoes. Mainly because I also always think about the environment, and I'm not convinced that plastic replacement are a better choice, as the whole plastic industry is a lot worse in terms of destruction of the environment. (and hence of the animals that live in said environment)
That being said, I truly believe in mending socks and I have my wool socks for years now (I mend them about 3-4 times per winter) and also mend the shoe sole if necessary.
Ok, that comment ended up being too long. Sorry about that.
In any case, continue spreading the word, the more people aware of it and even by just little changes, we can do a lot. :)
hi there! Oh no, your comment wasn't too long!
DeleteLet me see if I can come with a solution with this whole whole and leather dilema. I haven't worn leather shoes or clothing in years, but I'm sure somewhere people already figured it out an idea for keeping the environment save, but also cruelty free :)
Yes, my non-leather shoes don't last nearly as long. At first I thought it's better to still buy leather for this reason and it's just a by-product of the meat industry. But then I found out that leather tanning is also terrible for the environment. I watched a video about different textiles the other day and basically everything has some negative aspects, it's so difficult to figure out what's best.
DeleteThere's a lot of cruelty in the wool industry, but I think the best would be to look for a small company that treats the sheep really well and don't cut their tails etc.
I totally agree, testing trivial things like makeup and bath products on animals is needlessly cruel. But I think that there's a significant distinction that should be made morally when it comes to separating testing makeup on animals vs. using animals such as rats and rabbits in research for finding cures to disease. It's not even comparable.
ReplyDeleteFor example, in neuroscience animals play an integral role in understanding how nervous systems work to further develop our understanding of how messages are transferred throughout the body. Without the experiments performed on rats, no new developments could possible be made in combating terrible diseases like cancer that kill so many people every day.
It sucks and I really like animals, and am very sympathetic to animal needs. But it's important to understand that there is a serious and valid need for animal testing. If you can alleviate human suffering by the testing done on animals, such as the humble lab rat, then it benefits humanity as a whole.
I know you didn't mention other kinds of testing in your illustration, only those done by cosmetic companies and such, but I just wanted to make sure that others reading this would be reminded that there are examples of animal testing that are imperative.
I think that's horrible to say that any life is comparable to the next. A dogs life and feelings are just as important as a "humble lab rat". If it hurts a human, it hurts a rat. And shouldn't be tested. We have come so far in the realm of technology. I think that there are far more advanced ways of testing than on living things that have no say or choice in the matter. No matter how imperative it is. Humans are no more important than animals.
DeleteI'm sorry.. I just don't agree fully with what you're saying.. But to each there own.
hi there! Thanks for your comment!
DeleteYes, I'm aware that animal testing is important for scientific research. That's why there's a ton of scientists right now doing in vitro alternative testing research for things as big and important as nervous system or brain conditions. All the talks on the Lush price awards conference were about ALTA (Alternative To Laboratory Animals) and the conferences were focused on Research, Public Awareness (here's Jeremy's and Friedrich's talks, which I illustrated) but also about Science. Since we all know I'm no expert here, I felt awkward or rude talking about scientific research or technical words because I don't have the title, studies or knowledge to talk about it here in a deep level.
Fingers crossed someday I would have an expert explaining us why is really in the high level of science animal testing! But for now, what we can do in our small domestic scale is stop consuming non cruelty free products (make up, home cleaning supplies, etc). Thank you so much for your thoughts!!
This is extremely cool! I am not articulate enough to say more ;)
ReplyDeleteyay!
DeleteQue Bakan Fran! te admiro muchisimo!, sufro igual al responder la pregunta ¿porque? pero lo que digamos al respecto tiene que tener algo de utilidad. Seguro
ReplyDeletebeso!!
Porfin Frannerd hablando sobre el tema!!! jajaja yo creo que sería bakán poner esta información en un video, se que es dificil decir lo correcto (porque la gente se ofende fácilmente), pero yo creo que si tu eres vegana debes poder ser una vegana libre capas de poder dar tu opinión (yo no soy vegana, pero te admiro demasiado porque tu si lo eres), además cabe destacar que de alguna forma eres un personaje influyente y tienes poder para hacer conciencia y sé (por que te leo y te veo hace tiempo) que eres demasiado adorable para odiarte por lo que eres (una sucia vegana <3 jajaja). Yo sé que no eres una beauty blogger, pero sería bakán que aondaras el tema porque al menos a mi (incluso no siendo vegana) me da mucha rabia que animales paguen por cosas que no necesitamos (como los productos de belleza), por eso también amo Lush (bueno y también porque es de las pocas empresas que invierten en movimientos de liberación animal :') son demasiado bakanes <3 )
ReplyDeleteY algo que agradecería demasiado sería verte cocinar vegano jaja <3 Mil veces has dicho que te gusta cocinar, pues deberías hacerlo en tus videos <3
Saludos a Cereal y Hamburguesa :Q_ <3
ay gracias neeeerd! :3
DeleteThank you for talking about this! I want to know more!! Most definitely, I think that we are not informed enough about this subject and I would love if you need more articles on this subjects.
ReplyDeleteoh thanks Andrea! This means a lot!
DeleteThanks for talking about this! maybe you can make a video so people that follows you can learn more about veganism.
ReplyDeletesending love from Colombia!
gracias Lauraaaa!
DeleteGracias fran por este post! No soy vegetariana ni nada, pero me interesa empezar a no consumir productos probados en animales, sobre todo productos de belleza, siento que es por demás cruel y egoísta, así que gracias! Me dio ánimos para segur buscando y aprendiendo para hacer aunque sea lo mínimo por esta causa :)
ReplyDeletegracias bella Celeste <3
DeleteHola Simona! Si! Qué cierto!
ReplyDeletePasa lo mismo con muchas muchas cosas que consumimos diariamente. La idea es simple en verdad, y es preguntarse de dónde viene y cómo se hace todo lo que consumimos. Muchas gracias por tu comentario Simona!
Que bonito y valiente que estés hablando de esto Fran ! Creo que hacerlo a través de la ilustración puede ayudar a que llegue a más gente, especialmente si continuas explicándolo desde la humildad y el propio desconocimiento que cada uno tiene en este camino, que si bien es lento y chocante, es super satisfactorio. Creo que el tema de los beauty product tiene harto que ver con la falta de información, la comodidad del status quo y también la disponibilidad de los productos (yo vivo en Conce y si bien conozco varias marcas cruelty free, no hay tanta oferta como en Stgo o en otros países (cof cof del primer mundo), y es aún más difícil encontrar estas marcas que además cumplan con la buena calidad o resultados. De todas formas, creo que tener información más a la mano, y entregada de la forma en que entregaste este post sería mucho fácil de digerir y útil a la hora de comprar. Btw, la idea del frannerd vegan starter pack de más arriba me pareció genial !
ReplyDeleteAbrazos de lejos :)
This is lovely and amazingly done as always!!! Also it's such a great way to talk about things that aren't that enjoyable and spread the word by drawing! Art is an expression itself, it definitely has 'words' in it!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Fran, please keep up the great work! :) <3
Diana P. | Cups & Roses
Hola Fran, espero ayudarte con mi comentario. Hay una función de html que se llama Rollover o onmouseover, que podría servirte para este tipo de post. Funciona de tal manera que tienes una imagen y mientras pones el mouse encima se cambia a otra, la cual podrías poner la versión en ingles y la versión en español en el mismo cuadrito y así tus lectores solo tendrían que pasar el mouse por encima si quieren ver el otro idioma. Espero que te sirva, y si no me di a entender espero que encuentres por youtube a alguien que te explique mejor jajaja
ReplyDeleteSaludos! y GO VEGAN :D !
Great posts and illustrations as always! I have also been vegan for 3 yrs and prior to becoming vegan was a vegetarian. I can so wholeheartedly relate to your posts. It is so heart wrenching to become aware of how animals are treated and in some ways, how indifferent people can be towards it. Regardless, we work on abolishing practices that are so unnecessary and barbaric, and I look forward to the day when it won't be this way. For the animals! :)
ReplyDeleteMe gustaría que hicieras un video en el que hablaras de tu experiencia con el ingles, como lo aprendiste que nos recomiendas a los que estamos aprendiendo etc. Por favor! :)
ReplyDeleteHola fran soy María vivo en Rancagua, Chile y de verdad estoy comenzando a dejar de comer carne... hace como 1 mes llevo con mi vegetarianismo y de verdad me he sentido tan bien :) amo a los animales tengo 2 perros y me encantaria tener algun día gatitos xd.
ReplyDeleteYo siento que deberias hablar de esto en tu canal de youtube (soy una unicornia como tu dices jajajaja) porque siento que es importante tu información y dilo a tu forma porque me encantan tus videos son super creativos y adoro tus ilustraciones... eres seca!
Wow! I am so touched and honored that you found my presentation memorable and took the time to create this absolutely beautiful illustration. And I totally identify with your three scenarios about how people react when you discuss vegan and animal related topics. As most people learn more about what is happening to animals in the abattoirs, the laboratories, the fur farms, etc. they have to deal with a lot of cognitive dissonance. Most people consider themselves animal lovers, and it can be very difficult for them to learn that their actions might be causing suffering. It is easier for them, psychologically, to simply lash out at the messenger, or trivialize the issue by making dumb jokes ("mm bacon!"), than it is for them to re-examine their habits and behavior.
ReplyDeleteBut things are slowly changing. When I went vegan fifteen years ago, most people around where I live didn't even know what the word vegan meant. Now the issue is at least treated like a credible topic worthy of discussion, even if most people aren't on the same page yet. It's tough, but I'm confident we're winning and making huge progress. We're just ahead of the curve. :)
Hi Fran!
ReplyDeleteThis was absolutely AMAZING. You were already inspiring me to draw and doodle more and you're a VEGAN?! Amazing. Almost everything I eat is vegan, and I've been a vegetarian for 4 years now. Its so hard to explain my views without people being patronising, or even being rude. I think because I'm 'cute' people don't really take my views seriously, and they assume I'm some naive baby, but its so wonderful to see that this is becoming a huge movement and awesome people like you are spreading the love :)
hello fran!
ReplyDeletethis made my day it's so inspiring and well done in a lovely way gave me a boost to draw <3 you are so brave to speak about it. keep it up awesome lady! <3
I almost never talk about being vegan. I always think that people are going to think I'm a weirdo and in a cult or something :D
ReplyDeleteI only found out that animal testing for cosmetics still happens a few years ago. I thought it was something that happened in the past. I think a lot of people also don't realise the extent of the tests and think they just put lipstick on dogs.
Hi Fran! I just wanted to say that you are an amazing person and you inspire me so much. ^-^ I am actually working toward living a cruelty free, vegan lifestyle. My biggest frustration is food. I hate cooking so it's a struggle to not only get off my lazy butt (which I am working on) but then working extra to make vegan dishes. What are your favorite meals to make?? Or what are the ones you make most often? Thanks Fran! <3
ReplyDeleteHi Fran. I absolutely loved this post. I became vegetarian a few years ago and found that initially people were fairly accepting about it but seem to come across so many people who, as Jeremy said above, lash out or turn it into a joke. i find it really fruatrating when people don't take these things seriously, but then i remember that i didnt do any of these things 3 years ago and i LOVED animals. I think youre absolutely right that we arent aware of the truth, and we dont want to consider it because we believe ourselves to be a nation of animal lovers.
ReplyDeleteIm trying to switch to a vegan diet now. I dont know if this is a boring thing to say but even just seeing what you and ed ate in fredcember made me think it was do-able.
Thanks so much for doing what you do!
Hi Fran,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated this post. I try to recognize the products that do test and avoid them as much as I can. It just becomes difficult when the products like Always (sanitary pads) and toothpastes are also tested on animals. I know there are alternatives to these products but living in South Africa makes it very difficult to get hold of them. But I'm happy to say we have now received a Lush store which is great! It would be wonderful if you made more posts like these, especially for people who aren't aware yet.
Thank you so much for letting your amazing art speak for those who can't!
Klea
Hi Fran,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated this post. I try to recognize the products that do test and avoid them as much as I can. It just becomes difficult when the products like Always (sanitary pads) and toothpastes are also tested on animals. I know there are alternatives to these products but living in South Africa makes it very difficult to get hold of them. But I'm happy to say we have now received a Lush store which is great! It would be wonderful if you made more posts like these, especially for people who aren't aware yet.
Thank you so much for letting your amazing art speak for those who can't!
Klea
Hi Fran!
ReplyDeleteI think it's an awesome idea to apporach this trying to avoid arguments that lead nowhere. As a scientist I understand that many drugs wouldn't exist without animal testing right now, but I think we can change that. I thought it could interest you to know that at Harvard they're researching how to make human organs on chips using just a small sample of our own cells to make drug testing more accurate and decreasing the need for animal testing (http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpressrelease/161).
Have a good day!
Clara
Thanks for the post about this!! I just recently went vegetarian and am working on transitioning into a vegan/plant-based lifestyle. I'm pretty much vegan at home, but tend to make exceptions when eating out :/
ReplyDeleteI would love to hear you speak more about this topic!!
Btw, I saw your illustrations said 'vegan' in your copic/promarker video and searched out what you had to say on this topic (: So glad I did!
DeleteI guess we don't know enought about animal testing which is a shame. I truly don't know how to buy make up without it being tested on animals.. Also talking about veganism is never easy cause we're afraid to be annoying, but we have to annoy people out of their bubble where eating animals and using them is normal. The better thing to do is to speak about it in an educational way...
ReplyDeleteAnd also I love your drawings and video, keep going on !!!