What a disgusting thing to eat
Why is it that we can eat animals such as cows and pigs without feelings of disgust but when it comes to insects there is a significant change in attitudes?
What a disgusting thing to eat questions our meat-eating habits and moralities towards different animals through the investigation of attitudes towards edible insects from a western viewpoint. This was done through illustration in different formats; posters, stickers and a comic to explore the attitudes, morals and our current meat consumption.
Some of the core questions which are explored through illustration and storytelling in this project are: why do we see some animals as friendly companions, such as dogs and cats, but other animals such as cows and pigs can be eaten? What differentiates cows from insects and why are cows more edible than insects to people in western countries?
Can illustration be a way to discover attitudes?
This project consists oft three different types of printed matter: comic, posters and stickers. The comic is a speculative fiction that tells a story of how the consumption of insects and other animals has changed through centuries. It highlights the environmental aspects of meat consumption and points out how far we are willing to go in order to eat meat. It also explores the moral differences we have towards different animals and questions what animals can or can’t be eaten. The comic consists of big main spreads and smaller inside spreads that have text and complimentary illustrations on them. The other printed matter in this project, the posters and stickers, are used to highlight current, often negative, attitudes towards edible insects.
This project uses various illustration styles and formats to explore if the style and setup of the illustration can affect how it’s viewed and what thoughts it sparks. The comic uses a more simple, graphic style with very few colors contrasting the colorful style of the posters and stickers.
You can read the full comic here.
