the premise

OBSCURE FUNERALS is the first zine in what will hopefully become a self-published series. the zine was written, drawn, and assembled in one day and given out for free at local spots and events. if you’ve found this site through my zine, WELCOME! i’m so excited to share my work with you!

the first issue of OBSCURE FUNERALS is really personal to me. i spent a lot of time visiting people in hospitals throughout my life. as someone who struggles with mental and at times physical health, hospitals are both terrifying and weirdly comforting to me. the aesthetics of the pastel, overly happy greeting cards, bright flowers, and gift-shop stuffed animals juxtaposed against the sick, injured and dying inform my visual style for this project, as well as the aesthetics of fashion movements like menhera, which call attention to mental health struggles through the depiction of physical illness and medical items. my characters have cutesy names and faces, which enables me to both make more lighthearted content with my cast as well as use their visual style to juxtapose against serious topics.

the name came to me out of nowhere, but to me, the term feels like grieving someone or something in a way similar to grieving for the dead. we may perform many instances of obscure funerals in our life: for people who have passed on, still-living people we once knew, times in our past, things we once had but have now lost, past versions of ourselves.

the first issue of OBSCURE FUNERALS was quite sad. i hope to use it to heal and make happier issues in the future.

the lovesick bunny