[image description: series of 18 comics in color with text by The Happy Broadcast. Each contains a different good-news story from 2021.
1. On a yellow background, a red AIDS ribbon has been drawn with a head and feet to make it look like a person walking. The ribbon-person holds up one hand making the OK sign. Text reads “This is huge! Landmark HIV vaccine passes phase 1 of human trials and proves successful in 97% of the participants.”
2. On a blue background, a drone that has a happy face, arms and hands, and a green park ranger hat is sowing seeds. It holds a bag with a picture of a seedling on it in one hand, and tosses out seeds with the other. Text reads “A Canadian company plans to plant 1 billion trees using drones that can shoot seed pods into the ground in remote areas that have suffered from deforestation.”
3. On an orange background, a rabbit wearing a sarape with the colors of the Mexican flag rattles a pair of maracas and dances happily while confetti streams down. Text reads “Mexico just banned animal testing for cosmetics! It’s the first country in North America to outlaw the practice.”
4. On a blue background, a submerged marble bust with a calm, happy expression wears seaweed on its head like an ancient Roman laurel wreath. Happy sea creatures are placed here and there in the picture. “How to stop illegal net fishing? An Italian activist dropped 39 huge marble sculptures in the sea. The sculptures created both a physical barrier for nets and a heaven for underwater life.”
5. On a yellow background, a bearded, bespectacled man wearing a white button-down shirt, tie, brown trousers and shoes runs with his arms spread open wide. His hat, briefcase, pen, calculators, and papers fly in the air on either side of him, suggesting that he has just tossed these things aside and that this has made him happy. “Portugal have been given a massive win in work-related mental health as a new law says it’s illegal for your boss to phone, email, or text you after work hours.”
6. On a blue background, Planet Earth has a happy face on one of her oceans and green arms and hands. In her right hand, she holds up a pink bandaid (plaster). Text reads “Major study finds that the Ozone layer is healing and it’s on pace for a full recovery by 2050. A much needed win!”
7. On a white background, a giant panda dances with a glass of champagne in one hand, while golden stars and ribbons float down. Text reads “Great news! Giant pandas are no longer an endangered species. Thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers are finally rebounding after years of decline.”
8. On a blue background a diamond with a happy face spreads its arms wide in a happy gesture. The diamond is placed on a microscope where the slide would go and below one of the lenses. There are white sparkles around the diamond. Text reads “Great news! The world’s largest jewelry maker will no longer use mined diamonds and focus on more sustainable lab-grown gems.”
9. A Japanese flag flies on a blue background. On the central circle that represents the rising sun, there is a happy face with wisps of black hair. Text reads “The Japanese government has appointed a ‘Minister of Loneliness’ in a bid to tackle mental health issues caused by isolation and loneliness.”
10. On a blue background, a pair of orange coral hold hands and have happy expressions. The coral on the left appears to be male, while the one on the right appears to be female. The female coral holds a swaddled baby coral that is yellow in color. Text reads “The Great Barrier Reef bursts with new life as millions of ‘coral babies’ are born! A very happy coral reef news after three bleaching events in past years.”
11. A photo of a female-presenting purple with blue hair cut in a bob and full, red lips is on a purple background. At the bottom of the photo is a checkmark, followed by the word “retouched” and common social-media symbols for liking and sharing. Text reads “In efforts to combat beauty and appearance pressures, Norway’s new law mandates that social media influencers disclose when they’ve retouched or added a filter to a photo.”
12. An elderly elephant sits in an easy chair with a plaid rug over its legs. The elephant holds up a pipe and is smiling. There is a floor lamp on the left side of the picture, which has a yellow background. Text reads “The first ‘retirement home’ in Europe for elephants from zoos or circuses has opened its doors in France. 52 year old elephant Gandhi is their first resident.”
13. A purple octopus rides an orange ship that has blue portholes. Next to the octopus is a big black garbage bag full of garbage. The octopus is smiling and waving one of its tentacles. Text reads “A half-mile installation by nonprofit The Ocean Cleanup just took 20,000 pounds of plastic out of the Pacific, proof that ocean garbage can be cleaned!”
14. A grumpy mosquito with a bent proboscis stands on a brown surface against a pink background. Text reads “Groundbreaking vaccine for malaria, the biggest cause of childhood illness and death in Sub-Saharan Africa, is approved and could be rolled out to billions.”
15. A child stands between two happy trees, which extend branches to hold hands with the child. The tree on the left is looking happily down at the child. The picture has a green background. Text reads “In an unlikely partnership, every time a new child arrives in Wales, two trees are planted, one at home and one in Uganda. So far 15 million trees have been planted!”
16. A man and a woman hold up a document meant to represent the Chilean constitution. The man wears Chilean traditional dress of a hat and sarape that is red, white, and blue. The woman has long, dark hair in a braid, and her blouse is red and her skirt is blue. The background is pink. Text reads “Making history: Chile is creating the world’s first constitution to be drafted by an equal number of women and men. A new global standard for gender equality.”
17. On a blue background, a grey factory spews out clouds of black smoke. To the right of the factory, Planet Earth uses scissors to cut the smoke in half. Earth has a happy expression. Text reads “In a historic ruling, a Dutch court has ordered oil company Shell to cut its CO2 emissions by 45%. A precedent for cases against polluting multinationals!”
18. A test tube full of red liquid holds up a magnifying glass to its left eye. Around the test tube are thought balloons with different characters: a happy face with one tear coming from its eye, a sad face, and a brain with a neutral expression. The background is pink. Text reads “In a major breakthrough, a blood test proved to be effective in detecting depression and bipolar disorder and match people to the right medications.”
