It’s no secret that we live in… interesting times, those of uncertainty in our politics, our environmental protections, and the rapacious nature of corporations become more insatiable than ever. We need our satirists to speak truth to power, using books and movies and our culture to bring eyes and ears where they need to be focused. Thank the gods, then, for the creative pair of Owlin, the duo responsible from the graphic novel How Do You Smoke Weed?, who are now giving us a tale that is 100% of the moment we’re living in. In the graphic novel That Sexy Bear!, which, starting today, is now crowdfunding on Kickstarter through Iron Circus Comics, Owlin weave a tale commenting on nature, advertising, economics, and how all three can take away from our sense of self. We’ll let the official press release for the Kickstarter explain:
Welcome to beautiful and scenic Cascadia Falls National Park! Commodified, gentrified, consumerized, and digitized, the Elysian environs of 21st-century Cascadia is now just more Content©™… and so are its hopelessly-acclimatized-to-tourists bears, Ginger and Yaya. Involuntary beer mascots and social media stars, they’ve forgotten how to bear entirely, much to the frustration and chagrin of their park ranger caretakers, Eggs and Ricardo. But things are getting weird now, even for Cascadia. The exploitation’s been kicked up a notch, with a mysterious SUV and colonizing copycat among the new crop of troubles threatening the park! Can bear and ranger, hand-in-paw, push back against the invasion? Or are they as doomed to digestion for digital gain as the rest of us?
We spoke with Owlin recently about That Sexy Bear!, their satirist influences, the Kickstarter itself, and the timeliness of the book.
FreakSugar: Lord mercy, that was a fun read! What is the genesis of That Sexy Bear!?
Owlin: Thank you. That Sexy Bear! (TSB!) originally started as a doodle during lock down, of a sexy bear lady shrugging with crumbs all over her mouth, as a flustered park ranger asks her about a missing picnic basket. Mix that together with books on Advertising, family that works for the California state parks, and a deep respect for classic comic strips & television.
FS: For folks considering picking up the book, can you tell us what it’s about?
O: It’s about advertising’s effect on nature. Sister bears Ginger & Yaya have adapted to a park overrun by inconsiderate tourists. Park ranger Eggs & Ricardo want to maintain the balance of human influence on the wildlife. While a multinational mega corporation looks to profit anywhere it can.
FS: Much of the plot revolves around bears forgetting how to bear. Is this an allegory for how humans have forgotten how to human?
O: Yes. Also, a crystalized life lesson not to eat a ton of chocolate covered gummy bears really fast.
FS: The book is very much social satire, but can read without thinking about any of that. Do you have any particular satirists who inspire you?
O: Steve Martin, Conan O’Brien, All the MAD magazine cartoonists, Mel Brooks, Yorgos Lanthomos.
FS: On to the Kickstarter itself, what can you tell us about the campaign?
O: Lin will be drawing a limited amount of bear themed commissions and we also have stretch goals for a fancy cover!
FS: Other than being entertained, what do you hope readers take away from That Sexy Bear!?
O: To respect nature and protect it from corrupt influences. We’d also love for you to read the book with a friend. Do voices, have fun!
FS: If you had a final pitch for the book and the Kickstarter, what would it be?
O: Help print your next BELOVED comic book!
The Kickstarter for That Sexy Bear! is now LIVE! Make sure to check out this hilarious, timely comic and the bevy of bear-y bountiful back rewards!
From the official press release about the Kickstarter:
From the dynamic duo of Owlin — the co-creators of the graphic novel How Do You Smoke A Weed? — comes THAT SEXY BEAR!, a witty and campy graphic novel filled to the brim with metatextual humor. The book, which will be crowdfunded on Kickstarter by Spike Trotman’s Iron Circus Comics, is a satirical graphic novel about two bears in Cascadia Falls National Park who become the unwitting faces of an advertising campaign for a product polluting their home. The campaign is now live on Kickstarter.
“THAT SEXY BEAR! is about advertising’s effect on nature & how nature advertises,” said Owlin. “It’s a love letter to 50s and 60s television. We wanted to pay respect to cartoonists like Ed Benedict and Gene Hazelton, along with the mama bears that raised us.”
Welcome to beautiful and scenic Cascadia Falls National Park! Commodified, gentrified, consumerized, and digitized, the Elysian environs of 21st-century Cascadia is now just more Content©™… and so are its hopelessly-acclimatized-to-tourists bears, Ginger and Yaya. Involuntary beer mascots and social media stars, they’ve forgotten how to bear entirely, much to the frustration and chagrin of their park ranger caretakers, Eggs and Ricardo. But things are getting weird now, even for Cascadia. The exploitation’s been kicked up a notch, with a mysterious SUV and colonizing copycat among the new crop of troubles threatening the park! Can bear and ranger, hand-in-paw, push back against the invasion? Or are they as doomed to digestion for digital gain as the rest of us?
“THAT SEXY BEAR! is just the right amount of Completely Nuts,” said Trotman. “Equal parts insight, homage, whimsy and weird. Echoes of classic mid century cartoons, crossed with 21st century sociopolitical anxiety and TikTok shitposting. It’s a terrible but familiar vision of eking out an existence in an Always Online America. Y’all are gonna dig this one.”
Iron Circus has raised nearly 5 million dollars via crowdfunding and is now the premiere publisher of award-winning, critically-acclaimed graphic novels in the American Midwest. The company recently announced their 2025 publishing slate which includes:
- THE UNSINKABLE SHIP OF FOOLS, a raunchy supernatural graphic novel by breakout artist Jonas Goonface, co-creator and artist of the brilliantly imaginative Godshaper, about a mysterious magical train populated by a group of mangy misfits with no way to get off… well, off the train, anyway.
- RIGSBY WI: BURN IT DOWN, the second volume of S.E. Case’s acclaimed webcomic RIGSBY WI about the lives of a group of average teenagers in a small city in Northern Wisconsin.
- REAL HERO SHIT: HARDER THAN IT LOOKS, the second volume of Kendra Wells’ uproarious, queer fantasy adventure REAL HERO SHIT about a mismatched group of adventurers: a demonic playboy prince, a stoic elf, a short-fused mage, and a compassionate cleric who are sworn to protect the innocent, fight injustice, and show off how cool they look. The campaign will launch in June, during Pride Month.
- A Summer 2025 Mystery Project
To support the campaign for THAT SEXY BEAR, head to Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ironspike/spring-2025-mystery-project?ref=2h2jd4