Research Sketchbook

Alyssa Suzumura is an invertebrate taxonomist and Natural Science Illustrator living in the Pacific Northwest. She earned her B.S. in biology in 2013 and a certificate in Natural Science Illustration in 2014 from the UW. Her preferred media include pen and ink, carbon dust, gouache, and colored pencil.

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Kit Fraser @kitcadoodle​ contributed “The Shark Lady” about Euginie Clark to Awesome ‘Possum 4, now on Kickstarter. Kit is a cartoonist living in New York. Her work can be found on The Nib, The Stranger, and in other publications and anthologies. She contributed to Awesome ‘Possum 3: “Introducing Salmon.”

How did you pick your topic for Awesome ‘Possum? For this volume of Awesome ‘Possum, I knew I wanted to make a biographical comic about a scientist. I love learning about the natural world, but I often forget that behind this knowledge are many years of hard work and research by many passionate people, so I wanted to highlight one person’s work. Eugenie Clark stood out to me as a strong female scientist who overcame many obstacles that women (especially biracial women and women of color!) face in the field of science. She made deep impacts in the study of marine life and really blazed a trail for women who followed in her footsteps. I knew only a little bit about her when I began my proposal for Awesome ‘Possum 4, but it quickly became clear that she was a scientist everyone should know about! By featuring Clark, I hope some people are inspired to become more involved in studying the natural world or supporting those that do!

(The above image of Euginie Clark is copyright John Pendygraft)

What is your favorite animal or plant? My favorite plant (at the moment!) is hibiscus—beautiful and edible!

Why do you think talking about nature is important? I think for many people nature can feel distant, but we are inextricably tied to the natural world. The more we talk about different species of animals, plants, and ecosystems, the more holistic our worldview is. By 2020, 67% of invertebrate populations will have gone extinct, as compared to numbers from 1970. It’s clear that we are in a time where talking about nature and our relationship to it is essential, not just for the well being of our favorite animals, but for our own well being as a species.

What are your favorite drawing tools? I love using Sakura ink pens and I usually color with watercolor paints, but I also enjoy playing around with different mediums.

Kit Fraser on: Tumblr | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

[tom-obrien]

Awesome 'Possum, Vol. 4

Fourth volume of the natural science comic anthology.

I know you’re all probably sick of hearing me talk about Kickstarters, but @inkyphalangies is putting out Vol.4 of Awesome Possum, and I have a comic about Ligers! Check out the Kickstarter!

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Ptinella sp.

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MhEPHP6rWs)

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so i got a notification from our security camera that someone was at the front door and

a blurry friend

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For measuring water

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Aulonothroscus sp in ink and watercolor

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[shitpostempire]

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[alsuzumura]

Japanese seaweeds - watercolor

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Guess what you can now buy online. Yes, Awesome ‘Possum, Volume 3. You can buy it at angelabcomics.storeenvy.com

But if you run a book store or know a book store, it is also available for wholesale through Ingram! So feel free to tell your local book store or comic book store, or let me know who it is and I can contact them. Books everywhere.

[eartharchives]

X-Ray Video Captures Maggot Metamorphosis

Using X-ray imaging, scientists have peered inside a pupa to capture time-lapse video of a maggot transforming into an adult blowfly.

[naturalsciencesbelgium]

Two of our veteran taxonomists claim that knowledge and skills are not being transferred to the next generation, and are thus lost. Just as taxonomists are threatened with extinction, many families of animals, without an assigned specialist, are becoming extinct beyond our knowing. Read their interview in full in which they advocate the fundamental necessity of taxonomic research for biodiversity. Picture 1: Beatles from the Emile Derenne collection: 90.000 Belgian specimens @rbins; Picture 2: Taxonomist Patrick Grootaert: ‘Taxonomy is more than collecting stamps’; Picture 3: Taxonomist Léon Baert with the jumping spider Sitticus vanvolsemorum: “I named this spider after my wife. That’s better than flowers!”

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A little bit of blephie love for some sick day productivity

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Garry Bonesteel. Cartoonist. Father. Horror enthusiast. MFA in Cartooning from The Center for Cartoon Studies. Amateur chef. Baller. Northern boy at heart. For Awesome ‘Possum, Volume 3, now on Kickstarter for another 3 days, he contributed the comic “Invasion of the Invasive Plants.”

How did you pick your topic? 

I wanted to explore a subject that had a horror-ish bent to it and invasive plants seemed ripped for that. I also really enjoy drawing things that are super detailed.

What’s your favorite animal or plant? 

There are so many animals to pick from but for the sake of the list I will say a Corgi. They’re just so adorable and happy.

What draws you to comics? 

I’m a storyteller. I enjoy putting a character in a situation and learning more about the character and the world as the story unfolds. Comic, unlike movies, lets me have complete control over the process.

If you could do a nature trip anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? 

Norway. I recently watched The Wave, and while it is a disaster movie, some of the shots of the mountainsides were gorgeous. If I’m honest anywhere where there are forests and mountains I would be happy to visit and explore.

Find Garry online.

Killerinkcomics.com

Twitter

Letterboxd

Instagram

[itsopossum]

Iris Yan @irisyan1 is a Brazilian-Chinese cartoonist who is a professionally trained aura reader. She believes life is humorous and likes to make funny comics. For Awesome ‘Possum 3, now on Kickstarter, she is contributing “How I Met Your Father” about the different mating rituals of spiders.

How did you pick your topic?

I have many close friends and family who are biologists, and they originally suggested the topic “Strange parents” to me, but once I started detailing what to draw I restricted it to spider courtship tales.

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