https://brettjcole.com/thoughts daily 0.75 2020-09-19 https://brettjcole.com/thoughts/blog-post-title-one-n5rbp monthly 0.5 2020-09-19 https://brettjcole.com/thoughts/blog-post-title-two-jkdxl monthly 0.5 2020-05-20 https://brettjcole.com/thoughts/blog-post-title-three-bjdew monthly 0.5 2020-05-20 https://brettjcole.com/thoughts/blog-post-title-four-afhhd monthly 0.5 2020-05-20 https://brettjcole.com/home daily 1.0 2025-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/679e08e5-9f06-4dd9-ba38-3f8923009cf3/00.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1605352622078-0CHCWTOIJXJ1ZEF4PDX8/Menu-Slide-Books.png Brett J Cole https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/0fe10f95-71b6-4232-ad1f-a8234cc0856f/Menu-Slide-ChildBooks.png Brett J Cole https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/e4e75e4c-c8fa-44ba-aef7-52ad89a08197/Menu-Slide-Education.png Brett J Cole https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1605352619495-DXW86CF16LJK4MB0ZS4O/Menu-Slide-ShortFic.png Brett J Cole https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1605352635657-5I37NQSVT3DH36CI6UE8/Menu-Slide-MWhile.png Brett J Cole https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1605352635607-962GZZ0816BXIEEAVDTO/Menu-Slide-SuppChar.png Brett J Cole https://brettjcole.com/home-day daily 0.75 2021-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600742059752-2YZ0RWW03K3HPAL8OLHR/Home-Day-Text-Pg-Banner.png Home Day https://brettjcole.com/short-fiction daily 0.75 2022-09-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600760626892-VPJMQJGYI6FD7OFYKCQS/Sad-Stillness-Shorts-Main-Img.png Short Fiction The Sad Stillness of a Caterpillar Slowly Crawling Over Sand https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600769063866-4DEYSZEL44B480X1GZ7R/Contents-Shorts-Main-Img.png Short Fiction Contents https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600754156202-FQFVCR2VJMIK92GIDKOV/Father-Knows-Best-Shorts-Main-Img.png Short Fiction Father Knows Best https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600746772687-H4844XOO6QVK8QEI7S8Y/Home.Day-Shorts-Main-Img.png Short Fiction Home Day https://brettjcole.com/father-knows-best daily 0.75 2020-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600752039340-ML97BRS5I9V3RI357XW4/Father-Knows-Best-Text-Pg-Banner.png Father Knows Best https://brettjcole.com/ol-dod daily 0.75 2020-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600757001107-JQ2Y1M1KO46J3KY4995C/Ol-Dod-Text-Pg-Banner.png Ol' Dod https://brettjcole.com/the-sad-stillness-of-a-caterpillar-slowly-crawling-over-sand daily 0.75 2020-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600760686948-1M3MRZAXZ4M04YRKI0S9/Sad-Stillness-Text-Pg-Banner.png The Sad Stillness of a Caterpillar Slowly Crawling Over Sand https://brettjcole.com/in-passing daily 0.75 2020-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600762777412-UXD5U8RR098VK05SZ23C/In-Passing-Text-Pg-Banner.png In Passing https://brettjcole.com/contents daily 0.75 2020-09-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600768228538-K4BJ6OV9MLWLXS2AYRA7/Contents-Text-Pg-Banner.png Contents https://brettjcole.com/supported-charities daily 0.75 2020-10-17 https://brettjcole.com/books daily 0.75 2023-04-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/8dc010e5-cf06-44c8-9af2-0d478772a68e/Once-Sq-Cov.png Books - Once… A Collection of Short Stories. Several of Which Feature Dogs. A man wakes up one day to find that a story is filling him to the brim, a story that belongs to someone else – someone who, in contrast, will feel quite empty in a story of their own. As one tale begins, entwined with the tale at book’s end, in between are other stories… A horse-headed man, who stalks only those who’d run from him… A child’s heart portrayed in a town of his own making… A very urban take on colonialism… A farewell by way of caterpillar… Ranging from fantasy and horror to the terribly urbane, Once… is a collection of short stories, several of which feature dogs. Although, one such dog may be a boy, depending on who you’d ask. https://brettjcole.com/instagram daily 0.75 2020-11-17 https://brettjcole.com/mongrel daily 0.75 2021-12-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/3fc0c0d6-babe-4678-b2ad-d1f9af18cbbe/Mongrel-Text-Pg-Banner.png Mongrel https://brettjcole.com/childrensbooks daily 0.75 2025-03-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/fd57d466-3e14-49e1-9c3b-7497b3daa11b/TCB-Header.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/ab694eb4-a4ca-4cfb-a05d-c0a2b5390981/Shine-Cover-SQSpace.png Children's Books - Shine - A book about Self-Worth Shine, written and illustrated by Brett J Cole, is a children’s book written with the aim of teaching children (and adults) how to recognise their own self-worth and also the worth of others. Aimed at children aged 3 and upwards, the book invites readers to think about the unique spark of light that lies within us all, how valuable that light is, and how we can nurture that light within both ourselves and others. Full Preview HERE The contents of this book have been made available so that buyers are fully aware of what the book entails, given that it’s intended for children and educational purposes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/fe249d52-4a60-478d-b84f-95623ee2573a/HWSG-Pg-00.png Children's Books - How We Say Goodbye How We Say Goodbye, written and illustrated by Brett J Cole, is an illustrated children's book that hopes to help navigate the loss of a loved one and grieving. Exploring why things die at all, and how we can still always love and remember those we've lost, the book is intended to offer comfort and understanding to children and adults alike. Full Preview HERE The contents of this book have been made available so that buyers are fully aware of what the book entails, given that it’s intended for children and educational purposes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/bf0c8a23-f515-4222-91b1-83b04217560e/TINYS-Cover-00.png Children's Books - This is not your stone This is not your stone is a book that aims to help both children and adults in navigating the complex issue of what it means to have suffered the trauma of abuse, be it physical or emotional. The book offers a sympathetic, but honest, discussion of the many emotions trauma may inspire while also highlighting that those who’ve suffered are not alone in that, and that there are others who can help to carry the weight that this might bring. Full Preview HERE The contents of this book have been made available so that buyers are fully aware of what the book entails, given that it’s intended for children and educational purposes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/679e08e5-9f06-4dd9-ba38-3f8923009cf3/00.jpg Children's Books - More You is more than okay, never less More You is more than okay, never less is a book for both children (and adults) that explores not only the Autistic experience but also many Neurodivergent traits that can overlap with this, as well as explaining these individual traits from the perspective of those who matter - the people who are experiencing them. The book not only seeks to validate these experiences, but also inform others of how to best accommodate the needs of Neurodivergents and why... In all settings from early education in childhood to the more complex environments that adults also often face. Full Preview HERE The contents of this book have been made available so that buyers are fully aware of what the book entails, given that it’s intended for children and educational purposes. https://brettjcole.com/shine daily 0.75 2025-09-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/565a63d3-f440-4a69-a4d4-0323e7a2d6a9/00.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/f4f757c8-fb39-4ec6-a33d-20ed640819c7/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-03.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/e25a9960-07da-4d0e-a713-f37b8540420e/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-04.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/be30ae0a-833a-4775-9a23-6ec4a4eaf378/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-05.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/4d5c2f6a-7e48-4e84-8274-d37cb059edc7/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-06.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/0257c2e5-0d7c-43bd-9725-0c11129fefe8/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-07.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/ddc33274-c55b-4385-931c-6bcf0be36a6b/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-08.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/79051ff4-d857-4c0a-9b45-a51535354dcb/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-09.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/16e4fe6e-24a6-4c7f-a190-311f2fec321b/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-10.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/7c081bea-3853-43b5-a9b9-b5ec69ae6bb2/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-11.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/550a8f91-628a-461a-96a8-64d271925556/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-12.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/7769ba84-c721-4466-a67b-c601d29f550d/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-13.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/f4f60c6f-7d5f-4af1-8d88-06bf667ce62a/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-14.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/e499a155-18f1-4ac8-8d97-797bfbbe38b3/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-15.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/976d91c1-0cb0-4eb6-a140-4df9dec0fba7/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-16.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/068ea267-f6e3-460f-ab78-9cca07b19696/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-17.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/922894e3-a66a-4b4c-8e05-6901e9f06807/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-18.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/d0f90b20-2e4b-4b85-b58f-b8ee5afcc149/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-19.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/3fb5d197-0cf0-4c5c-b14e-58b03d82370f/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-20.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1447974d-8758-4c6d-9431-bf6c8e09a591/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-21.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/49faf3ef-4a4f-4101-a7ec-453b87f137d0/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-22.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/c987254e-2907-4e0d-a419-7c53dcb2f80a/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-23.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/b2213984-20e0-407b-90f7-070c43d01005/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-24.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/21ac15df-752f-4972-b737-477d8bcf178c/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-25.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/24b6155d-551b-48ae-b7af-853f358f812e/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-26.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/f903e63b-fd26-4bf4-95d5-08be226d6013/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-27.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/58178c9f-226e-4667-9b71-f7310ef22753/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-28.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/e47095a0-a057-435d-9bd6-0af44d18f61b/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-29.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/2eb70e34-daf0-4fe2-8a38-1f6f314a0bf0/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-30.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/a14098a6-833a-48f0-9873-d19f53ff07f5/Shine+-+Digital+PDF-31.jpg Shine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/f2645193-d346-4f94-940b-ff263fc321f7/Thank+you.jpg Shine Paypal Link - Donations help me in providing my books as full previews. For personal orders please use the contact form on this website. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/f78721a0-b6c6-4a17-a0e9-3d7fe48e4454/u-002.jpg Shine Amazon Links - US Default Page https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/103ec70b-539f-45e3-9895-c63cde394537/u-003.jpg Shine PDF Version available at ko-fi.com/brettjcole https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/93f2f2bd-e9ef-4c31-bf10-68075ec2e8b4/u-0004.jpg Shine https://brettjcole.com/goodbye daily 0.75 2025-09-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/a758c1ea-b9f7-4589-93e3-1e7686b254e8/00.jpg How We Say Goodbye https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/755786d7-ae01-4002-b241-13fa165e48a3/How+We+Say+Goodbye+-+Digital+PDF-03.jpg How We Say Goodbye 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We Say Goodbye https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/3fd2ddff-9e48-484e-b551-ad1749a327da/How+We+Say+Goodbye+-+Digital+PDF-22.jpg How We Say Goodbye https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/5803486c-4cd4-4949-b9ee-c679ada92b49/How+We+Say+Goodbye+-+Digital+PDF-23.jpg How We Say Goodbye https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/30a90653-0301-4340-80de-230879597e37/How+We+Say+Goodbye+-+Digital+PDF-24.jpg How We Say Goodbye https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1435836a-1815-4a10-a6a0-f8f751063d9e/How+We+Say+Goodbye+-+Digital+PDF-25.jpg How We Say Goodbye https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/0669d404-47ee-4c4e-b347-697a4bb9724a/How+We+Say+Goodbye+-+Digital+PDF-26.jpg How We Say Goodbye https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/55b9fb76-f0ff-47e0-8616-7f492e616de8/How+We+Say+Goodbye+-+Digital+PDF-27.jpg 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For personal orders please use the contact form on this website. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/3fdf45c5-694b-4fe7-8683-ec9fd3c3b34f/u-002.jpg More You is more than okay, never less Link to the Teach to Care book series on Amazon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/d2127426-32c0-4494-aa31-1257a77653c7/u-003.jpg More You is more than okay, never less I also offer PDF Versions through Ko-Fi with a Pay What You Want option with the minimum price set at $5 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/a949dda7-6f78-4d59-b662-c4db6b225121/u-0004.jpg More You is more than okay, never less https://brettjcole.com/socials daily 0.75 2024-12-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/67625d4e-d9a8-4285-a1ec-32a0d878c2d7/00-BSky-Ginger.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/2334b379-0111-4638-b2db-94a75b8121c4/02-FB-TCB.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/dc80d9e0-1b82-40f1-a7d4-228f14816439/04-TTok-Ginger.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/8befd545-c3d2-4004-9862-4ca196642931/07-Kofi-BJCAut.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/39afede9-ab29-40bd-9c5e-898129067a85/03-Insta-BJCAut.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1dd8e2ed-05b4-4891-afb7-f21b8ef1f047/01-FB-Ginger.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/e254819f-e5bf-41f2-8626-2e4b55a9648e/10-Xyuck-Ginger.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/a884df9d-7118-4108-a322-1a2f0a73eb15/03-Insta-TCB.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/6fe4d496-1b7c-4710-a642-82988915bd36/06-YTube-TCB.jpg https://brettjcole.com/syhittlol daily 0.75 2025-05-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/8c995a0b-80e4-4268-90f2-a032c650a5b8/1000033922.jpg SYHITTLOL https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile daily 0.75 2022-01-03 https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/028 monthly 0.5 2021-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1608827414357-WBVHA5RDGXTO50C6NFY0/mw028-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 028 - Meanwhile… 028 What can I say. Christmas is okay, but it ain’t no Halloween. I love the gifting aspects of both, but c’mon… Halloween. HALLOWEEN!! That’s all I got, lol You either get that, or you don’t. Anyway, Happy Merry Halloweenmas Christmasween. Stay safe. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #comics #humor #cute #halloween #christmas #christmasween #halloweenmas #halloweenpumpkin #christmaspumpkin #xmas #antlers #cutthepumpkinsomeslack https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/029 monthly 0.5 2021-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1611370205773-Y1W374PY87IB3BP3GIBH/mw029-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 029 - Meanwhile… 029 Meanwhile… 029 Trigger Warnings: OCD, Anxiety & Germaphobia. One of the things (among many) that I’ve found hard about both 2020 and the move into 2021 is shaking off the hypervigilance that I had to maintain during the height of Covid-19 infections in my home state. It’s particularly hard also if you (as is my case) have ever had traits of OCD (Obsessive Compulsion Disorder). In my late teens and early 20’s – and to some degree, to this day - simple acts such as switching off lights, eating or getting dressed required certain actions for me to avoid feeling anxious, such as how I might do these things, how many times, when, where and other variables. One of the worst for me was hand-washing, which has some irony in itself as I’m loathe to shower because it’s a sensory nightmare for myself. At my most fragile, I was washing my hands some 60 to 70 times a day with no need to do so, to the point where at times it drew blood. Before realising that the dread I felt was due to anxiety attacks, for some time I linked it to absurd reasoning tied in with OCD – something that many people do when dealing with both. If I didn’t do something a particular way, something bad would happen – it was as simple a thought process as that. Simple, but overwhelming. It took years for me to recognise the mechanics of how my brain operated in this way, long before I was recognised as being Autistic. The heightened vigilance in hygiene during this ongoing pandemic (which is completely valid, trust me – this narrative is in no way meant to dismiss any precautions required because they literally save lives) is a very hard thing to navigate if it ties in with anxiety and OCD. This cartoon is simply my own means of processing that reminder that sometimes what you need to wipe clear is the burden you carry within yourself. In as much as we do have to be aware about managing the spread of the virus, remember to sanitize your soul now and then, and if that means seeking help or simply discussing it with someone you trust, do so. Stay safe. Be kind to yourself. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #comics #humor #ocd #obsessivecomplusivedisorder #anxiety #anxietydisorder #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness neurodivergence #2021 https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/030 monthly 0.5 2021-01-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1611563397266-OLIE7VBOP6HWZWIN20VF/mw030-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 030 - Meanwhile… 030 Meanwhile… 030 Simple message this, which I wish more people understood. EVERY child is born with a light inside them. The words you use can either feed that light or diminish it. Likewise, those words you use will nestle within that child as they add each layer to the next chapter of their life, much like the Babushka Doll in this comic. EVERY broken adult was once a child, and they carry that child within them, as they do the words that the child they were had thrown at them. Choose your words carefully and talk WITH children, not AT them. Guide them, don’t just try to govern them. There’s a very big difference between the two in what you instill in them. Your words will always matter. (Side note: The last hashtag was my cat’s contribution. I decided to leave it as is. Cheers, Willow!) -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #childrenmatter #childcare #parenting #children #earlyyearseducation#earlyyearseducator #bekind #wordshurt #wordsmatter #nochildleftbehind #teaching #equity #bekind#cats #catstyping #67777777777777 https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/031 monthly 0.5 2021-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1611645868184-WUCMCIAZ8G11LOQDHUMG/mw031-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 031 - Meanwhile… 031 Meanwhile… 031 As with other mediums, such as short fiction and private posts among friends (and public ones), this cartoon is me doing my best to convey how wrong it is that we celebrate our national day on a date that ties in with the invasion of those who cared for this land before we arrived and we were quick to not do or be better, neither for and to the first people of this land or the land itself. We have very little to be proud of in regards to our current and longstanding treatment of those here before us, along with the audacity as colonial invaders to treat those who seek asylum here with equal disregard. Change the date. Be better. And most importantly, until the greater system at large does change, make change where you can and make things right if you can afford to (everything big or small counts) and give a portion of your income to Pay The Rent. PAYTHERENT.NET.AU I've personally been offering $100 a month for some time now, but will increase that soon in 2021 now that work's more stabilised. If I earn more, I'll give more. It's only fair. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #shortfiction #shortstories #actuallyautistic #autisticartist #autisticwriter #january26 #paytherent #australiaday #invasionday #changethedate #deathsincustody #alwayswasalwayswillbe #blm #aboriginallivesmatter #changethedate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #noprideingenocide #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #BLM #BlackLivesMatter #AboriginalLivesMatter #AustraliaDay #paytherent https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/032 monthly 0.5 2021-02-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1611977736846-NAMXWYYQ63N4OU70QDCX/mw032-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 032 - Meanwhile… 032 Meanwhile… 032 This cartoon is an extension of an illustration I made during 2020’s Inktober, for Day 12’s theme of “Slippery”. I had an inkling (no pun intended, but I’ll take it) that when I drew this I would want to pursue the snail’s story further. As I said then, I’ll say now… it's the law of Dibs. Snail wins! That's if the human was so inclined to eat ice cream off the ground, and for the purposes of this narrative, they are. Otherwise the snail's declaration is redundant. And now that its tale has been told we know that’s it’s also destiny. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #inkdrawing #inktober #inktober2020 #inktoberday12 #inktoberslippery #slippery #digitalart #icecream #snails #oops #flawlessvictory #snailwins #thankyewgravity https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/033 monthly 0.5 2021-02-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1612683418649-D8WSW3BCHNM1DDH5IRUW/mw033-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 033 - Meanwhile… 033 Meanwhile… 033 This was originally an idea I had for a short story, some time ago, that involved one person wearing a “special day” where they were happy, and their friend suggesting they might do the same, only to realise that so many of their days weren’t that “special”, but were in fact painful or fraught with negativity. It was also - as is this - a commentary on how trying to gauge yourself by the lives of others and not wear your own true self can also set the standard of how your life unfolds. I certainly know that I went through a period of time where I just wasn’t happy in myself and that made for unhappy decisions, because I would often set the standard of my happiness by what I believed made others happy. Be yourself, if you can. That’s where you’ll find happiness. And that’s where happiness is more likely to find you. And then, there’s Frank, who you may remember from “Meanwhile… 015” Now we know who the tattoo belongs to, but will we ever meet Frank, the foil to Trish’s happiness? Do we even want to? I don’t think Frank would really give us a choice in the matter. Fucking Frank. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #digitalart #humour #humor #fashion #beyourself #happiness #fuckingfrank https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/034 monthly 0.5 2021-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1613269939828-ZG4T70Z5D2SUYUYFF1RD/mw034-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 034 - Meanwhile… 034 Meanwhile… 034 Poor Keith. He can’t be that uninteresting, surely. In all seriousness, though (despite the absurdity of the cartoon), this was inspired by my ponderings about self-worth and the merits of putting one’s self out on display publicly along with the pressure that must come with that. Nothing more than ponderings, though. It didn’t go any further than that or this cartoon. I really don’t care if people find me interesting or otherwise. I’m just me. I like to think I’m interesting (don’t we all? lol) and figure I’m fortunate enough to have enough foibles to make me so. I once foolishly leapt from a moving tram into oncoming traffic after forcing the doors open in a panic. After somersaulting several times I was spared a head injury only because I was wearing a vintage top-hat, fancy-pants that I was. That’s sort of interesting, I guess, but not enough so for a cartoon, apparently. So the onus is on you to entertain us, Keith. Get to it. Kevin’s not up to the task, clearly! -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #digitalart #humour #humor #selfworth #talkshows #anxiety #socialanxiety #everyonehasastory #donotjumpoutofmovingtramskids https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/035 monthly 0.5 2021-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1614481687818-C6VYJ42B3YJA13D8GYPA/mw035-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 035 - Meanwhile… 035 Meanwhile… 035 This is another idea that began as the seed for a short story, a medium that I’m finding more and more is engraining itself in this comic series. (I really need to get back to writing more, but ironically I’ve been somewhat deflated post-2020 as this year gears back up to “normal”) The idea was about someone on a bus who notices the passenger in front has an air-valve at the back of their neck, and as seen in this, they consider whether or not to open the valve, regardless of what it may do to the other passenger. Just as they resign themselves to doing so, they realise they have a valve at their neck also when a third passenger acts on the same impulse that they felt and they cast a condemning glance behind them as they begin to deflate. I guess it’s a morality tale about everyone sharing their own story and if you determine yourself fit to pick apart the soul of another, you should expect the same from others. Let they who are without air-valve cast the first unplugging… or something like that. What do I know? -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #digitalart #humour #humor #morality #thegoldenrule #dountoothers #kindness #everyonehasastory #checkforpunctureswhenindoubt https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/036 monthly 0.5 2021-03-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1614936346379-SNGRRMCCM0QAA1VWROGF/mw036-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 036 - Meanwhile… 036 Meanwhile… 036 This idea actually evolved a lot more than I intended it to. It began as the idea of having words such as “Little Fish” being consumed by “Big Fish”, and so on up the food chain, with the words actually defining the shape of each creature. It soon became much more detailed than I first intended, with an illustration of each creature overlaid with its title instead. I knew at some point I wanted the human who was fishing to be in turn overcome by a more dominant predator, and at first I was going to have something silly named “Doomatron Killageddon Extremus”, which in turn made me ponder it being a poorly drawn “Krapken”, which in turn lead to tentacles, and onward to Cthulhu - as you do. Then I pondered whether to maybe have the predatory turn be more of an existential threat, rather than physical instead of Cthulhu. But then common sense prevailed when I thought to myself, “Why not both?” It was a wise move and for the better, going by the sagely advice Cthulhu had to offer. Owen will thank us both for that once he’s swallowed his pride and called his son, I’m sure. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #digitalart #humour #humor #fishing #survivalofthefittest #foodchain #plankton #sharks #sharkweek #cthulhu #lovecraft #hplovecraft #eldritchhorror #eldritchadvice https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/037 monthly 0.5 2021-03-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1615165273875-1AIEYP15JV07YLTF1R9P/mw037-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 037 - Meanwhile… 037 Meanwhile… 037 This instalment of Meanwhile… is a take on the whole expectation to smile in photos. As an Autistic, I find the whole concept absolutely baffling. It makes no sense to me to smile for the sake of smiling. Don’t get me wrong, I smile very naturally, and often, but only when there’s a reason to smile. Being asked to smile simply so it can be documented in a photo just seems absurd to me, and the smile I’ll offer will always be very contrived. It’s something I’ve even had to practice. It doesn’t come naturally. Not in these situations anyway. I’ll smile if I’m happy, or engaged in something I enjoy. But I can’t (won’t) smile just because it’s a social requirement, especially just so that smile can be a trophy piece of supposed joy. It in fact inspires nothing other than anxiety for myself and for others who are also likeminded. I’d rather stub my toe. Take a photo of that if you must. It happens often enough and ironically quite often my first response is to laugh and yell out the first thing that comes to mind - one time it was “Bum Soldiers”, much to my brother’s amusement when we were kids. Side note: As an early years educator, one of my pet peeves is children being asked to smile when a photo is taken of them while playing or engaged in an activity. Don’t do that. You break their stride and you’re asking them to actually question what it is they’re doing outside of the simple fact that they’re happy and engaged. You’re essentially shattering that moment of happiness and asking them to put it on hold to present a feigned happiness that’s not only theatrical but also implies that that they owe it to the world to be happy. They don’t. Let them just be. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #digitalart #humour #humor #autismawareness #selfies #culture #earlyyearseducation #socialexpectations #anxiety #autisticproblems #donotaskustosmile #iwillonlysaycheeseifthereischeesetobehad https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/038 monthly 0.5 2021-04-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1615179399897-ANGIYB6N1CBZEBASYBWP/mw038-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 038 - Meanwhile… 038 Meanwhile… 038 ** Note ** Below commentary written in 2021 - An updated commentary for 2022 follows. Ugh. Just… UGH!! Scott Morrison, as Prime Minister of Australia, does nothing for women, let alone Australia in general. Truly. He’s a bland, unimaginative opportunist who lacks empathy and compassion. His foibles are far too extensive to mention, so if you’re unaware of just how repulsive and tactless he is, do a search on him and all that he’s ever said, done or “achieved” during his political career. All you’ll find is nothing but shallow lip-service, policies that cater only to the corporate sector and his political donors, and most importantly and equally damaging, a complete lack of integrity or conviction in anything. If you really want to see what this man encompasses, however, watch the video of when he met Jacinda Ardern - a true politician of integrity and merit - and when she offered her hand as a greeting, he crassly leaned in forcefully for a hug, going as far as to state as much by saying “Give me a hug,” in front of the press in what was far from a request. Watch ANY interaction of him with women. With anyone. He’s the embodiment of white, male privilege along with greed and conservative conceit. But anyway, enough about him. Scott Morrison can go fuck himself. To all else, happy International Women’s Day. ** Update - 15.05.22 ** With the Federal Election looming, and Scott Morrison’s popularity very deservedly having taken a dip in the polls, Morrison has very recently stated that he now admits that he needs to change his character, and that he will indeed do if given the chance - that chance being voted back into parliament for another term. In the time since this comic was originally posted, Morrison has since made numerous other comments and decisions that only lend weight to the implication that he regards women as second-class, a view that I’d personally suggest he holds for anyone who doesn’t serve purpose to him. This comic is a reminder of who this man, Scott Morrison, is with all his promises to change and do better - a statement that's so intrinsic to that of an abuser that I could only wish it was a cliché. It's not a cliché, it's a very real fact of what his mindset is, a mindset that leads to the detriment and - in his hands as Prime Minister - the very literal deaths of others beneath him. A promise of change means nothing when his actions and words of the past are of the ilk that should have NEVER been taken or thought in the first place if he truly was the man of integrity he'd have us think he is. Shame on him for then. Shame on him for now. Shame on him forever. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #digitalart #humour #humor #auspol #scumo #scomo #lnp #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2021 #womensrights #crediblewomen #feminist #timesup https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/039 monthly 0.5 2021-04-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1618024597352-72T0REJBC48B4Q9L2HYJ/mw039-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 039 - Meanwhile… 039 Meanwhile… 039 This one… This one was a rather obscure concept (or so I thought) that evolved into something much more personal. I at first wanted to create a dream-like scenario of someone caught in a confusing loop of tasks that had no sense to them, but soon realised that what it was becoming was a take on how confusing I found much of my life to be prior to realising I’m Autistic and what that entails - most importantly to myself and not to others. Having only just been recognised as Autistic (I personally prefer this term in lieu of “diagnosed”) in late 2019, spending a lot of 2020 in isolation - removed from the norm of expectations both social and occupational (and perhaps even emotional) - afforded me time I’d have not otherwise had to really examine a lot of what my former years had been. One of the most striking conclusions I came to was that much of my life had been confusing because I’d been doing my damnedest to wedge myself into being the answer to questions that I didn’t understand, simply because I can’t process those questions and expectations in the way they’ve been structured for others. This room, this person tasked with hurdles and repercussions that make no sense, this is what my life long felt like… an obscure series of tasks with a mythical “reward” that was just as elusive, all at the behest of an unseen taskmaster with rules that never were clear. As for what amounts to a prisoner’s uniform and the moniker of “25”, that’s the date I was born and entered that confusing room I long felt trapped in. I have two birthdays now. The second being that day that I was reassured that there was nothing wrong with me, what was wrong was trying to be someone I couldn’t. I will always now celebrate both. In short, part of my new life going forward is to stop trying to be an answer to other people’s expectations (looking at you, problematic puzzle-piece) and instead start my new life going forward by deciding that the questions to ask should be my own, not the questions of others. This is why acceptance is a very different path to that of awareness - something you’ll see much talk of during April’s Autism Awareness Month, which I really wish had more focus on ACCEPTANCE. Hope that all makes sense. I’m still making sense of it myself, but I’m doing it in my own way and in my own time. There’s answer enough for me in that. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #digitalart #humour #humor #autismawarenessmonth #autismacceptancemonth #acceptanceoverawareness #notapuzzlepiece #nothingaboutuswithoutus https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/040 monthly 0.5 2021-04-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1619492728165-IQAC4S673Z91CJD6OFO2/mw040-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 040 - Meanwhile… 040 Meanwhile… 040 While I was growing up, and even now at times, I had a tendency to either cut collars away from my tee shirts or stretch them well beyond recognition if they felt too stifling or close around my neck. And as for sleeve cuffs that are ribbed? Just… no. To be honest they make me angry, absolutely furious. The commentary of this comic is essentially about the fact that being recognised as Autistic isn’t a means to an end where you’re meant to be “fixed”. It’s a recognition that you’re allowed to prefer having certain things a certain way and that not having so takes a toll that’s much heavier than others might empathise with or understand. Likewise with what you can or can’t do and how that affects your life. In the case of the analogy used in this comic, being Autistic doesn’t mean that you’re “ruining” a perfectly fine piece of clothing - what you’re doing is making a piece of clothing perfectly fine for yourself. And you’re allowed to do that. You’re allowed to make the concessions that you need to to get by. What might be an inconvenience or an irritant for those who are Neurotypical can be a literal nightmare for those with sensory issues. Something that for others might be a simple itching sensation can be like loud, angry static in your head that eclipses all else. And if you’re expected to focus on anything else above and behind that static, it is so… damn… tiring. This is why it’s such a kick in the shins when someone who’s Autistic shares something that they struggle with only to be told by others, “Well, everyone feels that way sometimes.” Maybe other people do, but the difference - the BIG difference - lies in how they cope, how it affects them and also why. The expectation that Autistic people can be “conditioned” to get past things that they struggle with is a misguided and dangerous one. Because that struggle isn’t overcome, it just gets buried, it gets hidden - hence the term “masking”. It becomes other things like fatigue, self-loathing, frustration, anxiety, depression and confusion. And when your life’s already tiring, hiding that only makes it more so. When I was recognised and diagnosed as being Autistic, to me it wasn’t an opportunity to change who I was, it was a validation that I was allowed to change what I did - to embrace what I need to to be comfortable, to be happy, to be… me. When someone tells you that they’re Autistic, don’t treat them as though they’re someone that needs to be fixed. And don’t expect them to be anything other than the person you already know. They’re sharing who they are because it’s a big part of “how they are” and they trust you with that. That doesn’t require change on their part. It only requires acceptance on yours. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #autismawarenessmonth #autismacceptancemonth #acceptanceoverawareness #notapuzzlepiece #masking #nothingaboutuswithoutus #autisticpride #proudnotbroken #anxiety #depression #meantalhealth #takethemaskoff Continue to Meanwhile… 041 https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/027 monthly 0.5 2020-12-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1608775957639-R7OA3NJSIQGACUWQY86T/Meanwhile-027 Meanwhile... - 027 - Meanwhile… 027 This instalment is a clear example of how one concept can begin from a simple image that’s drawn off the cuff. When I first wrapped up the previous instalment of number 26, I actually felt somewhat drained from simply having to explain what it entailed (if you haven’t read or seen it, it deals with social masking and my own take on the mechanics of it) so I knew I wanted to do something light and simple. With that in mind I found myself drawing a small dog. And then a dandelion. And I realised that I wanted the dog to be sniffing it. As for the rest of the narrative, I knew that come the end I wanted the dog to sneeze, sending the dandelion spores (technically known as “achenes” - something I find amusing, given how close it is to “Achoo!”). I then pondered it from the dandelion’s perspective and considered how annoyed I’d be if I’d just been about to say something very important before being sneezed apart by a curious mutt, lol The dandelion will find its voice later on. Trust me. This isn’t the end of this saga. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #comics #dog #dogs #dandelions #dandelion #flowers #flower #hayfever #humor #cute #halloween #christmas #christmasween #gesundheit #merrygesundheit https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/026 monthly 0.5 2020-12-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1608436965804-5ACXWWQCZ1UZ8SLDYTK5/Meanwhile-026 Meanwhile... - 026 - Meanwhile… 026 Part of my own experience as being Autistic is that I'm very sociable. Extremely so. You could put me in many situations with people and I can easily adapt and talk, engage, "do" very comfortably - but it's tiring. Because a lot of that comes down to social mimicry. By that I don't mean that there's anything of insincerity to my interactions, but rather that I will consciously be aware of what sort of person you are and what sort of person I need to be to get along with you. Social mimicry means that, if we click, I understand how you "operate" as a personality and can access parts of my own personality that operate at the same level. It's an algorithm that my brain (and heart) follows to form and express a connection with you. But your algorithm and operating system may differ to others that I also get along with, and were you to see me engaging with them, it might come across as me being a completely different person, when in fact it's actually a facet - a reflection, albeit an honest one - of how I connect with someone else. From my own experiences (because I wouldn't , nor should, speak to the experiences of others), social mimicry isn't a deceitful thing. Nor is it "pretending" or even "learned behaviour". It's a bond. But it's firm in what that bond is, and what the expectations of that bond are. It's safe. It's trustworthy. For a long time, my social interactions were many, but they were also compartmentalised. Some were a one on one bond where I had friends I'd meet for a drink or coffee. Others were a group dynamic, but confined to that one group. They were familiar and safe in that I could be very open with aspects of myself that would be welcomed by any one of those social dynamics. Those times when any of those dynamics would overlap, however... Those times were confusing. You might be thinking that this is part of the norm for many people in regards to socialising and not necessarily an Autistic trait, and yes, that may be true to some degree. But as an Autistic, one of the ways it affects me is that when there's an overlap of different social circles it requires more effort - both consciously or otherwise - and it can be very taxing, frustrating and isolating, especially when the easiest option is to withdraw into yourself and just "not". Not engage. Not talk. Not bother. Not care. The latter is one I found easy to embrace for a long period of my life when drinking became my default in any social situation because everything was more fluid and filtered. And sometimes erratically angry. I was the piano that had been drinking, for those who are fans of Tom Waits. That's a song for another day, though. Meanwhile... this. A Rubik's Cube was the best way I felt I could express what social mimicry is in both its positives and negatives. Note: Choosing a puzzle toy to express this in no way implies anything of the "Puzzle Piece". The Puzzle Piece can go fuck itself. Again, that's for another day. Maybe while drunk on the piano. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #comics #socialmimicry #autisticburnout #loneliness #isolation #rubikscube https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/014 monthly 0.5 2020-11-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598619951108-9QC0CNYLNTUPM0SZJAAB/Meanwhile-014 Meanwhile... - 014 - Meanwhile… 014 I'm not going to even embarrass myself by stating how many emails I have yet to read but probably should. Pi wouldn't even begin to cover it, though. Needless to say, I imagine my email accounts - if they were sentient (analytical intrusions notwithstanding) would be in a constant state of conniptions, not to mention digital constipation. As reminded by my dear friend and former science teacher, Pi is actually 3.1415926535 and onwards if you’re so inclined to keep counting. I’m sticking with this analogy because in all I only ever have 3 relevant emails at any given time that I read. All else beyond that decimal point is a game of mouse. No cat. Just a very bloated mouse… and a lot of emails I never delete. I'm good at deleting spam, though. Both the email kind and the tinned variety by way of eating it. And don't make that face when I say I like Spam. Save that face for when I ever tell you about my other vices relating to food. Remind me to tell you about "bin cake". Or don't. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/025 monthly 0.5 2020-12-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1600478589946-GXKE3VHHXQIB0NRQBVNV/Meanwhile-025 Meanwhile... - 025 - Meanwhile… 025 I've always found it odd how often contestants appearing on reality-TV shows claim that winning (or even just appearing on them) is the "greatest" moment of their lives. I mean, sure, at the time with all those cameras on them it might seem like a big deal, but I imagine other moments they've had would beg to differ. Or it may just be that, in regards to important moments, I set the bar very low. If I do, don't film it, please. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/001 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598612190004-LY4FCNXXSR6F5Y5WYPKG/mw001-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 001 - Meanwhile… 001 Meanwhile… 001 Growing up, I adored drawing because it was a means of filtering out all else or at least dulling it while my attention was on the paper. It makes sense now, but among numerous things I drew often (including themes that included masks) one of them was often eyes. This first instalment is in some ways a reflection of my own journey in that, but also that of others. It represents a child literally drawn into their own world they can control, while also depicting the exact thing that they shun, which is the scrutiny of others, depicted as an eye greater than the sum of each individual page that makes it in whole. The aspect of the child marking a "You are here" map-reference point within the veins of the eye, is indicative of the child making that same observer (us) a small thing that they have control over, while also inviting them into that world they've created, but clearly on their own terms. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/002 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598612152728-V0FJ1HI4Q9F2JSBGBBOF/mw002-Lng.png Meanwhile... - 002 - Meanwhile… 002 This one is a commentary about the state of humanity and its place in the world at large. The cockroach represents what's perceived to be tenacity - something that earns it disdain, much as weeds often do. Each panel is an era of the cockroach declaring its ongoing survival, until the last panel which depicts an uncertain time that wavers. The fact that the cockroach is dead and it's a human who now speaks on its behalf portrays humans as the more invasive and tenacious species of the two. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/003 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598617457682-Y8UR8EZPPFL50ACAM7GM/Meanwhile-003 Meanwhile... - 003 - Meanwhile… 003 This one evolved from the idea simply of a balloon that bears the words, "I'm Sorry". I knew I wanted it to have its own journey, and while drawing the images, I realised the balloon was travelling backwards through that journey. Sometimes the thought processes behind an idea evolve on an unconscious level and I let the story take me where it goes (if that makes sense - it's a bit like instinct, but that of a daydreamer). It was while drawing those reacting to the balloon, each with their own interpretation of what the balloon meant, that I realised the irony of such a thing as tangible and solid as a balloon with a printed apology being in fact filled with a voice that said otherwise. Upon finishing this, my own take on it is that it may be inspired by my own misgivings and confusion about interpreting what people say and what it means - the worlds within books and cinema make perfect sense to me, but in flesh and blood interactions, I'm internally a mess. People are balloons with stuff printed on them, and what inflates them isn't always what the printing says. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/introduction monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598768946559-VRKX762APOOMLXL8TX1J/Insta-Intro-pic.png Meanwhile... - Introduction - Meanwhile… An Introduction Hi. Hello. How are you? This an introduction to why I began the ongoing comic series that is "Meanwhile..." Recognised as Autistic as an adult in late 2019, I came to realise that one of my stims and means of calming myself is drawing. With 2020 being – well, 2020 – I began "Meanwhile…” as an ongoing project, with the final panel of each instalment leading to the next, with the aim of it being to just keep doing and being in, well, 2020. With the comic series being sequential, some of the narratives are conceptualised ideas of what I find personally poignant or amusing, some are just abstract thoughts that are absurd – growing up I fully embraced and found a kinship in the absurd (Monty Python, Spike Milligan, Dr Seuss) because as I stated to my psychologist when being assessed, it became very clear while growing up that being weird was my best shot at being normal, lol While normally I’d leave artworks or narratives of this nature up to personal interpretation, I made the decision to actually include what influenced each instalment of the comic series, explaining the reasoning behind the thought process and how it may have influenced the symbolism within the narrative. My reason for this is that, as an Autistic adult, I realised that writing, literature, art and television had played an enormous part in how I learned to relate to the world and to others. In this, metaphor became as much a part of how I would understand others or try to explain myself. I first showed this comic series within online communities for Autistic adults, and some commented that certain metaphors or analogies weren’t immediately clear to them. I’ve detailed the thought process behind each instalment of the series as best as I can (some are just simply abstract concepts and go no further than that) to provide a context and also as a glimpse into what inspired such ideas – something that surprises myself sometimes when I hold my own thought processes up to scrutiny. This is my weird, my thoughts, my idle notions and my being and doing, cast as an ongoing project. I hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it. Best Regards, Brett J Cole in, well, 2020. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/004 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598617595807-DXUANTDF18ALYZPJ63C4/Meanwhile-004 Meanwhile... - 004 - Meanwhile… 004 This one is an example of how much I love idle, absurd thoughts. It's hard at times because I'll be in so many situations where while I'm trying to follow what's going on, my brain is also at the same time conjuring up scenarios that could extend from those situations. A lot of the time they're nonsensical, sometimes there's a point to them, other times it might seem like pure absurdity but there's a deeper connection that links separate things that might otherwise seem polar opposites to other people. This idea was simply that I thought it would be funny if a tiger in the wild malfunctioned and its stripes had to be replaced with the old test-patterns they'd use on TV broadcasts while fixing technical issues. This instalment inspired the graphic design of Test Pattern Tiger, available on clothing, giftware and other items at Redbubble. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/005 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598618285704-85N4F0PDPHCL3CZDEQZO/Meanwhile-005 Meanwhile... - 005 - Meanwhile… 005 This one is already one of my favourites. It's a commentary on the innocence of children and a celebration of not following the rules that everyone expects you to. I work in childcare and so often, once the "rules" have been completely ignored or not understood in full, children have fun making up their own rules, very often involving both parties being happy and on equal ground. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/006 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598618416328-J13X3FTX864TROEO2QEZ/Meanwhile-006 Meanwhile... - 006 - Meanwhile… 006 This instalment is simply an abstract idea I had during an idle moment, picturing if someone was trying to hit their snooze button, only to find that their face had been swapped with the alarm clock - and also how "alarmed" the clock itself would be at such a thing. It's a far cry from the musical japery in Beauty and the Beast, that's for sure! https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/007 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598618544698-UI2CX1N8TOSVG70WJERI/Meanwhile-007 Meanwhile... - 007 - Meanwhile… 007 This is a commentary on gender identity, beginning with what historically has been the dominant gender and how with each new definition that people have been comfortable in affording themselves, the conversation grows. Even though those conversations can seem muddled, busy or confusing to outsiders yet to understand, empathise - or even choose to do neither - there's still growth that comes from those conversations below the surface as long as those conversations continue - as shown by the progression of the plant and the new seedlings inspired in the last panel. Respect the identity and pronouns of others. It's simple. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/008 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598618717658-5IFYVY8G536DA53T4FPG/Meanwhile-008 Meanwhile... - 008 - Meanwhile… 008 This one definitely has shades of my own personal take (aside from just the ginger beard) on traditional "work ethics" and life-work balance in that I never understood the dynamic of work ethic being intrinsic to one's sense of self worth until I found an occupation that I actually enjoyed - that being childcare. That said, don't let your job define you, and don't let your not having found the right job for yourself define you either. This narrative is a reflection on my long-standing view that being part of a machine simply to keep that machine running is unhealthy in itself, especially if that machine doesn't value individuality. I could lead into all sorts of viewpoints from here about the inadequacy of welfare, the hoarding of wealth, a fairer distribution of that wealth AND taxes, but I'm going to simplify it by saying this... NEVER question your right to be happy. There will always be reasons to be unhappy, but try not to let one of them be the majority of your days - five days a week for eight hours a day - in how you support yourself and support a system that, as things currently stand, doesn't support you the way that it should. Don't let it suffocate you. If possible, let it inspire you to find something better, something that makes you happy. You deserve that. We all deserve that. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/009 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598618821553-I0RJ7F2H7NWOKFKW83AE/Meanwhile-009 Meanwhile... - 009 - Meanwhile… 009 I've often wondered what a dog might ideally do once it's caught its own tail. I think this might be it, provided there was an endless supply of the things. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/010 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598618894944-XEDSGEBTZ8OS45VXGA0Z/Meanwhile-010 Meanwhile... - 010 - Meanwhile… 010 This idea started in the previous episode with an interaction that began with the tired and worn statement of "It's not you, it's me..." which I'll admit to having used along with having heard - both of which don't discount the validity of the phrase when it's true. The idea then evolved into a "conversation" in which the voice-bubble conveyed little else but other much-used commiserations that are offered during a break-up, with the absurd irony at the end of of this narrative being that it's the voice-bubble itself that's the second character in this two-person interaction, offering platitudes that the woman clearly does not want to hear. And why would she? Why would anyone? Even if it's something we all may have said. Even when it may be true. That said, though, it is an unspoken understanding between the artist (myself) and the woman depicted in this that the voice-bubble is actually an arsehole. That might be explored in later tales of both the voice-bubble and the woman. Maybe. Who knows? Certainly not me. Not yet, anyway. *shrugs* https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/011 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598619021801-9OEVLIMFG1AZ2P7GHKDQ/Meanwhile-011 Meanwhile... - 011 - Meanwhile… 011 This one is about the inner struggle between mind and body upon waking, especially if you're fond of sleeping, and especially again if falling asleep is elusive. This one, though, about waking up before an alarm is set... Every... damn... morning when an alarm is set to wake me. Full disclosure, If I have to get up for work, appointments, ridiculous time-constrained pursuits regarding gaming, etc, I have to have at least 6 alarms preset at 10 or 15 minute intervals ahead of when I "really" need to get up. Without fail, if any alarm has needed to be set, I will wake up before the first of any of these alarms. And be it 5 minutes, be it an hour, there's a battle with my inner self that knows I could make use of that extra time, even if it's to simply enjoy time for time's sake. I've at least got the timing down perfectly to close my eyes again before that "voice of reason" can take the reigns and I then go back to sleep for be it 5 minutes or an hour. Not so much a game of wits, but more of a witless game, because I'll often lament that lost time once I awaken to that 6th or 7th alarm, knowing I'd have not had to rush if I'd just gotten up the first time. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/012 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598619379875-4HYPQEU477LBLO3IBCE7/Meanwhile-012 Meanwhile... - 012 - Meanwhile… 012 As much as this episode is a commentary about conventional teaching methods, I think it also speaks to the deep affinity I have for fictional characters. There are times when I feel like they've spoken for me and I've spoken through them, be they characters of my own making or of others. Anyway, back to the narrative on teaching. I have a lot of issues with the standard approach that conventional teaching takes. These issues range from educator wages including those within early years as well as primary and secondary schooling, teacher to student ratios, the focus on "the whole" to the extent that "the self" gets lost in the haze, and many other areas that need more balance. In regards to the attitude towards teaching at present as I write this - during the COVID-19 pandemic - I'll say this, which I wrote in reply to a relative who feels likewise... During this pandemic, people have underestimated what a great opportunity this social shift has been to engage children in much more different approaches to teaching. It's the perfect opportunity for the children to focus more on family, connections, homelife, and share that with one another through their education - rather than making them reflect on learning a curriculum, let them reflect on themselves, and let them share what they're comfortable sharing with their peers and teachers. This opportunity, for children to be liberated from the structures and social moors that bind them, is a rare thing. These children have a wonderful chance of connecting with peers, teachers and even family in some cases, in a way that has meaning, individuality and sincerity. Adhere to some curriculum guides by all means, but don't pretend this is a normal scenario. Doing that is an enormous disservice to how openly, sincerely and honestly children view the world. We shouldn't be letting one of the greatest challenges faced in their lifetime - in our lifetime - be a lesson in maintaining the status-quo. All that teaches them is that their own journey, their own selves, their own uncertainties, are things that need to be uniformly shaped so that they can be stacked uniformly in order. Children could learn so much more from this if the perception of what "learning" is was shifted. And in regards to the very valid argument that schools are a safer place for some children than it is for them being at home, that in itself just shows another facet of our social standards that desperately need to be addressed and why maintaining or returning to the status-quo shouldn’t be the end goal - not now and not ever as long as any child is at risk. Education that includes growth that's emotional - not just academic - would be a lovely place to start. Because those children become adults. Teach them to be good ones, not just workers. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/013 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598619579811-JZ57ZIA36GIDCVE93KTV/Meanwhile-013 Meanwhile... - 013 - Meanwhile… 013 Religion's a funny thing, innit? Personally, I'm what I'd refer to as a spiritual Agnostic. I do believe there's a driving force behind everything, but I also believe that force is as much to do with science as it is faith - my own faith, that is. I have faith in the science, and any spiritual benefits are found when one finds their own harmony (synchronicity, if you will) with their fellow peers and their world at large - that's where the spirit comes into play. Whether we become lofty entities adorned in bed-sheets (I mean ghosts by this, not ancient Romans in togas - although ghosts of ancient Romans may double up on bedsheets, who knows?) or revert to star-matter, compost or confetti - ignoring science in the name of religion helps no one. And science without compassion helps no one, either. Compassion is spirit. Spirit is compassion. If your spirituality would have you held above someone simply for differing beliefs, then it's nothing of spirituality. It's an elite. As far as the interpretations go within this episode, the idea of a snail making more of a gnome’s hat and envisioning a Great Snail beyond it’s own stature and standing is an example of how humanity at one time had to fill in the gaps between what they did or did not understand. Some labelled it as knowledge, some labelled it as faith. Some used it for good and selfless ambitions, some for ambitions that have proven self-serving and purely evil. It’s no coincidence either that each time we see one snail address another or others, “sharing” the vision of the Great Snail, they have held themselves aloft and raised themselves above those they would preach to. This is not for the sake of visibility or presence when addressing their peers, this is for the sake of self, making them more than their peers by way of holding themselves above them. This instalment inspired the graphic design of Hail the Snail, available on clothing, giftware and other items at Redbubble. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/015 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598620031623-ZW81EX5SGOORBADXX55L/Meanwhile-015 Meanwhile... - 015 - Meanwhile… 015 Tattoos. Relationships. Some are permanent, some are not. Feel free to tag a Frank who might find this funny, however. Or even one you dislike. A "Fucking Frank", if you will. Sorry to any Franks out there undeserving of this. I had to pick a name as an example, and wasn't about to use my own one, clearly, lol https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/016 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598793308610-5FD0MGY2Y73LWDNC7KYC/Meanwhile-016 Meanwhile... - 016 - Meanwhile… 016 Sometimes you just have to frame the whole narrative around the fact that you wanted to see what you'd look like as an identikit cow. This is one of those times, clearly. Unless I really am a giraffe. I'm not. Promise. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/017 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598793475423-09VUQ5W6MRTFW65NC8DR/Meanwhile-017 Meanwhile... - 017 - Meanwhile… 017 When I first began this comic series I had no idea whether it would be episodic, linear, sensible, and all else it had the potential to be. It simply started with me drawing a child, who in turn was drawing an eye. I did know that I wanted the final panel of each instalment to be left open as a segue into the next, not just as a means of leading into the next story arc, but also as my own incentive to keep the project going. Sometimes, that final panel has been an intentional one in that I had a clear idea of where it would lead and whether it might interconnect with previous instalments or not. Other times it's been a simple idea that just "popped out" with myself having no clue as to where it would lead until further exploring it. This bowling ball was just such a thing. Why was it? Where was it? Turns out it was floating in space, but how did it get there? Who would do such a thing? A bowling pin, of course. Does the mystery go any deeper? I don't know. And Paul's certainly not saying anything. Not if he knows what's good for him. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/018 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598794777769-DK78V1P5ST0MEDHIMKHJ/Meanwhile-018 Meanwhile... - 018 - Meanwhile… 018 “The Spoon Theory” is a phrase that I came across quite often when I first began my foray into looking into how Autism presented itself in adults when it became clear to me that from what I’d already gathered, it explained a lot of the hurdles I’d had in the past and those that I still have to jump today. First coined by Christine Miserandino in an essay that she wrote in 2003 to explain the challenges of fatigue when having Lupus, it’s been adopted by many others who face the issue of having fatigue, both physical and mental, when it relates to illnesses or circumstances that aren’t immediately apparent to others. Very much in line with the phrase of having “burn out”, Miserandino’s spoon analogy is a wonderful one that perfectly explains how what one person is capable of is not the same as that of another, and how each person’s own limits can affect how challenging a “normal” day can be. Essentially, her essay uses spoons as a visible representation of units of energy, inviting the reader to imagine starting their day with a set amount of spoons – each spoon being the ability to perform a task – and how quickly one can run out of spoons depending on their own personal circumstances. I’m not going to go into it fully here, as I could never do it justice, but I will add the link to her original article explaining Spoon Theory. It’s worth googling it further also to see how it’s become a valuable means of many people who suffer from fatigue for numerous reasons to explain how challenging it can be. For myself, Spoon Theory struck a chord because when I began to question whether or not I may have been Autistic, I’d had a change of both home and employment, moving from a small town to a larger city environment – something I’d grown unaccustomed to across 11 years. With this change, mostly due to work, came greater levels of interaction with greater numbers of people – something I handled well while working, but come the end of each week I was finding I’d be burnt out and sleep for anywhere between 18 to 22 hours. Something which was most unlike me, having long been a night owl well-accustomed to running on short hours of sleep. What had changed for the most part wasn’t even how much interaction I’d had to adjust to, but with how many people. It’s a problem that many people face. Autistics, those with Lupus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, depression and many more situations where you really couldn’t imagine that degree of simply not having the energy for something unless you’d experienced that level of burn-out yourself. Christine Miserandino explained it perfectly, and I’m so glad that she had the spoons herself to do so, because it’s helped make it easier for so many others to explain why what might seem to be simple things to others can sometimes be so hard to do. Read Christine Miserandino’s Spoon Theory https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/019 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598795074637-4KY2FWW1LZD3ZN6D678E/Meanwhile-019 Meanwhile... - 019 - Meanwhile… 019 I’m white. I will NEVER know the full extent of how frustrating, frightening and unfair it is to live in this world that’s been founded on cruelty and oppression and still runs on that fuel to this day – all to keep the wealthy continuously comfortable. That’s the simplest reason behind it aside from the blatant racism that goes hand in hand with that selfish social construct that we all abide by, willingly or not. Consciously or not. Also conscientiously or not. In being white, I am PRIVILEGED. Day in, day out, from the cradle to the grave. I really struggled with this instalment of this series. At the tail end of the previous one about Spoon Theory, I stared so many times at an empty panel, and just as many times I tried to fill it. Nothing fit. I drew several things and each one was broken, despairing, sad. At the same time, however, I knew I didn’t have it in myself to draw anything that was trite, trivial or amusing. To do so would have been disingenuous, because – as I’ve tried to make clear in this instalment – while it’s not my place to speak FOR Black Lives, as a person of privilege, I feel it’s my duty to say at least something. We all need to. But the best thing to do now, along with standing with Black Lives, is to listen to them. Show your support in any way you can. If you can donate to the grassroots causes, the ones that are doing the hard work, do so. If you can attend the protests, do so. If all you have it within yourself is to put word out to as many as you can, do so. The more that do, the more that’s done. Good people outnumber the bad. Share their stories and their voices. Always. Today. Tomorrow. For as long as they’re being murdered. Because being murdered they are. Make racists afraid again. Especially the ones that are unfairly elected. Because they profit from those deaths and do so knowingly. And they’re terrified of you when you’re not alone. They’re terrified of us all when we’re united. I’m not sure what else to say. Go find those people. Listen to their voices. Listen when they tell you what you can do to help change things. blacklivesmatter.com https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/020 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598795612286-18E1E69OQZNVIQV2OPCT/Meanwhile-020 Meanwhile... - 020 - Meanwhile… 020 One day I hope that the entire way that we view education has a massive overhaul where the focus isn’t foremostly on academics, but also emotional values, equity and simply teaching children how to be respectful of one another, regardless of who those others are, and to equally value themselves. There’s no money in that, though, is there. That also needs to change. And it is. Some countries are very much on top of it by introducing a focus on emotional well-being as being of as much worth as economic well-being, along with recognising that the two do go hand in hand. 2020, with its pandemic of COVID-19 sweeping the world, was the main instigator of my beginning this series. That was in January when the first notion of what this might become began to bloom. It’s now June as I write this, and I can’t even fathom how quickly the world has turned. Throughout the world, of all the responses to the pandemic, the most astonishing to watch has been the response in America – or more specifically, the response from Trump. In what was already a tenuous period in not just his own nation’s history, but that of the world, Trump chose to continue his on-brand methodology of lying, contradicting himself, and bluffing his way through “leadership”. The nation was already ablaze when a police officer, staring brazenly into the camera of someone filming him, held his knee upon the neck of George Floyd for just over 9 minutes. He knew the man was dying. Passers-by and those filming were telling him so, while three other officers who’d also helped pin George Floyd down, also did their damnedest to stop any of those citizens from stepping in to help, one of whom was an off-duty fire-fighter who told them that she knew her job and could tell that George Floyd could NOT breathe. America has a long history of Black people being murdered by the police with the police not being held to account. Australia does also. We’ve always known it. Some of us try to change that by supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and similar movements here in Australia with the Deaths In Custody that continue to plague the Aboriginal people in Australia to this day. Naturally, people in America were angry. Black people in America were angry. Black people were already dying in higher numbers due to the pandemic because of racial inequality, being classed as “essential services” while also being denied the same access to health care as white people. This was all also barely two months after Breonna Taylor, an innocent 26 year-old black woman, was shot at least 8 times and killed by police in a dubiously botched raid (with no body-cam’s switched on). These are just two names among many. Far too many and for far too long. So people protested. And they did so peacefully. This was only weeks after WHITE protesters, armed with semi-automatic weapons, had been protesting in Michigan at the House Chambers, instilling enough fear in local government to shut down their proceedings one day. Donald Trump praised these people, as well as protesters in other states who during a pandemic roadblocked access to hospitals, as simply being frustrated people who just wanted to be heard. His subsequent tweets at this time were beyond inflammatory. During these protests, with WHITE people brandishing firearms and storming their way into local government, police responded passively, maintaining a barricade and doing no more than that. The peaceful protests of the death of George Floyd, the deaths of ALL black lives lost to police violence in America, was swiftly branded by Trump as “thuggery” and he acted as such. The police, and soon other forces, including the military, are now as a rule meeting peaceful protests with hostile force, attacking protesters, bystanders, the press. People have lost the use of their eyes, having had gas canisters and rubber bullets fired at them from close range. Why? Because the message within these protests is one of equality. It’s one with a voice for the downtrodden, for the Black community who suffers and dies in disproportionate numbers that have NEVER been acceptable. Why say this? Because Michigan. Because Trump. Because objective facts. It’s very much the same here in Australia with our Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a mediocre portrayal of “leadership” who covets only self-interest and even aspires to align himself with Trump as though it’s a good thing. With protests gathering momentum in other countries across the world in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Morrison has been very vocally against such a thing, whereas 3 weeks earlier, WHITE protesters concerned about the COVID-19 virus being passed by 5G phone network towers had the right to openly protest and voice their concerns, going as far to say, in his words, “it’s a free country”. It’s not. Morrison, much like Trump, bought his position of power through lobbying. But he was also aided, like Trump, by ignorance. By misinformation. By too many people simply believing what they wanted to hear because it catered to not only their point of view, but also their prejudice. That’s always been an inherent problem in politics, especially when there’s long been an entrenched two-party system. Along the way, politics garners the same loyalty that one sees within the fervour of sports and supporting a team. But loyalty doesn’t equate to logic. Loyalty that asks you to ignore logic – especially to the detriment of others or yourself – is abuse. Trump in the US, Morrison in Australia, Johnson in the UK with Brexit cementing his position, Bolsonaro in Brazil and many more… these are people who rely on misinformation to rally the worst of people’s spirits, uniting with only division, dividing with lies about unity. And people believe them because they don’t question what they hear. Granted, there’s elements of this on both sides of the political fence at times, but only one side is content with people dying. The divide between accepting that has never been wider than it is now in the supposedly “free” worlds that make up those of the “West”. Information, when it’s the truth, is the bridge. But people need to want to walk that bridge. They need to want to ask those questions, and answer them with facts. That’s why this. The world is built on our children. We need to teach them to think, to question, to feel. We need to teach them to be better people, not better employees. And we need to do it now. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/021 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598795939384-IANWHZXDDH6ICREAUFU0/Meanwhile-021 Meanwhile... - 021 - Meanwhile… 021 Cats. What can I say...? Just... cats. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/022 monthly 0.5 2020-08-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598796124864-B3XP97F1KP2JJYUTN4T5/Meanwhile-022 Meanwhile... - 022 - Meanwhile… 022 Sometimes when an idea gels in my head it begins with a simple phrase, or an image, sometimes a combination of both. This started with the simple idea of a dentist asking the simple and obvious (almost childlike) question of “What’s in the mouth?” and I knew as soon as that scenario formed that I didn’t want the answer to simply be “teeth”, unless it was the teeth stating that themselves, lol The idea very quickly morphed into the concept of a dentist pulling a “truth” out of their patient’s mouth, and the reason for this came to me just as quickly. While I’ve injected some humour into the exchange between the dentist and patient, there’s a deeper subtext to my reasoning behind the entire narrative. My life hasn’t been an easy one. It hasn’t been the hardest, I’d never lay claim to such a thing – there are others far more deserving of having the stories of their hardship heard, but I can say for myself that my own life hasn’t been easy. I say this with some hindsight, what with knowing much better now the mechanics of who I am and how that led me down certain paths through my life. One of those paths was a very crooked and broken one in my late teens and entering into my twenties. I was 19, I had terrible teeth, and I’d recently been misdiagnosed as being Schizophrenic – a misdiagnosis that the mismedication of for almost two years only compounded what was now clearly depression, anxiety and my attempts to navigate the two as an undiagnosed Autistic. At the age of 23 my teeth were at the point of being in such poor condition that I had to have all but three of my upper teeth extracted, with those three kept to help keep an upper denture plate in place. At the time, still depressed, still suffering anxiety attacks and still not knowing how to define or place them, I remember thinking that it would be nice if the source of such angst resided solely in those teeth – an antiquated, simple assumption that would have sat neatly (albeit ineffectually) with outdated medicine when it was the custom to attribute any misunderstood malady to whatever could easily be removed or hacked away at. My teeth were removed and nothing changed. I never truly expected that things would, but at the least I did think that the cosmetic change would perhaps serve in some way to make me less… sad. It didn’t. What became apparent to me as an awkward, depressed adult who’d hoped there’d be an easy way to shake off being an awkward, depressed teen was that awkward and depressed were perhaps just part of who I was and always would be. So, anyways, I think there are two things that can be taken away from this instalment of Meanwhile… The first thing is that this comic series is clearly steering towards being a visual journal of me trying to understand myself as much as being an art project for the sake of making art for the sake of keeping busy, which is what it began as when I first put stylus to screen and drew a child drawing, only to then find that the child was drawing an eye. The second thing is that dentistry is stupidly fucking expensive and it shouldn’t be. Nothing in healthcare should be. But that’s a rant for another day. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile/024 monthly 0.5 2020-09-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1598796453356-FCTCFDUEIOAR1GQY0PH1/Meanwhile-024 Meanwhile... - 024 - Meanwhile… 024 This theme is about something called “Masking”, and normally when I write a narrative for one of these instalments, it flows out rather effortlessly, but this one’s proven hard to write. Possibly because it’s something I’m still getting accustomed to having done in the past, along with a greater awareness of when, how and if I continue to do it. The difference now is that I’m trying to make it my choice to do so, on my own terms. Masking. It’s a thing. And it’s very tiring. Essentially, part of being Autistic can be having to “mask” when socialising and interacting with others. While the term might imply something of presenting a false pretence, it isn’t that at all. Masking, in itself, isn’t anything disingenuous or insincere, what it means is that you’re having to make yourself appear more “present” in your interactions in an attempt to fit in, engage with others, sometimes to even just “be” when you know that you’re not “being” as easily as others do, and it’s an effort. Speaking for myself, there’s very much a sense of “otherness” that you can feel within yourself as an Autistic person. It’s a feeling that you’re not a part of things in a way that seems so easy for others. And so you adopt traits that others have – again, not in any attempt to deceive, but to fit in. What might take a simple two steps of internal thought for some when socialising, can take as many as ten for others. Masking is the difference in asking us to negate those steps we’d otherwise take at our own pace and instead jump to the expected conclusion, rather than take the steps we require. Metaphorically, (and apologies for the ablist metaphor, it was the best I could summon up) that jump can be especially hard on the ankles and more so on the ego when you stumble upon landing. You feel even more so that you don’t fit in and that feeling of failure runs very deep if you’ve felt like a misfit all your life. I’ve had so many of those moments in my lifetime. And they linger. They often very easily swing into bouts of depression and self-loathing because you feel like you’ve failed at what should be the simplest of things – simply “being”. This is why it’s liberating for many adults who are recognised or diagnosed as Autistics later in life. They suddenly make sense, to themselves and, hopefully, to others who understand what that means to them. They no longer have to feel weird about needing to stifle all sight and sound if overwhelmed by too much sensory input. They no longer have to feel weird about still wanting to chew their sleeve at the age of 45 when stressed about bills. They no longer have to feel weird about wanting to do anything that’s a comfort that others may find “odd” like touching grass, clapping their hands or clicking their tongue for minutes on end. They no longer have to feel weird about needing their own time and space to navigate what might seem so simple to others. If you listen to adult Autistics – and I suggest you do, especially if there's anyone, yourself included, who's Autistic in your life, students included – you’ll hear a lot of talk about Masking and how it’s presented itself to them personally, either intentionally or not, in their lives. You’ll hear many adult Autistics explain why realising what Masking actually was, and essentially removing that mask, made them more aware of who they’d always been. Just as importantly, you’ll also hear talk of their stims and special interests, that which they find comforting or helpful in simply being. This is also why therapy methods such as ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis), something long supported by Autism Speaks, are considered dangerous and problematic by many adult Autistics. ABA stifles much of an Autistics natural inclinations to self-regulate by way of stimming and instead “fit in”. ABA sets out to alter the behaviour of the individual so that they will “fit”. It doesn’t recognise the individual so much as conditions them to conform and do what others do. It’s grounded in a lot of the same methodology and structures that Conversion Therapy is in regards to sexual preference. And much like Conversion Therapy, ABA has its own issues in regards to many who’ve grown up with it being applied to them having related issues of depression and suicide later in life. Masking is a very involved topic and if you are going to look into it, listen to the voices of those who’ve experienced it, both intentionally and otherwise. There are many more people that could maybe explain it better, so I do suggest you read on it further if interested. As far as this instalment of Meanwhile… goes, this is why Rudy. B. Nudie is tired, not because he has to bear a supposedly pixelated part of himself each night to entertain the crowds, but because he has to cover up so much else. Masking. It’s a thing. And it’s very tiring. https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2 daily 0.75 2023-01-08 https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/041 monthly 0.5 2021-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1619938389583-QD5J9GLRTPY8ZXHPZZIO/mw041 Meanwhile... Page 2 - 041 - Meanwhile… 041 Meanwhile… 041 I am not at all a “go-getter”. To be honest I hate the whole notion of having to go and get. I don’t see the point. I’ll “do things”, by all means, but going to get? I don’t get it. I’ll go get milk if I need it, does that count? I have a very real emotional disconnect with any talk of motivational fortitude in regards to all things. I just don’t get it at all. Words of encouragement? Sure… maybe. Meh. I dunno… (insert weary groan here) I think a lot of people confuse simply telling someone they’ve done a good job or congratulating them on their achievements with empty and unimaginative platitudes that don’t really say anything at all. As soon as I hear them, I switch off. And if I don’t switch off, I find them irritating. If something needs to be done, say what it is. If it needs to be done by a certain time, say that too. If it’s not done correctly, point out why, point out how - don’t just mouth-breathe your way through banal social prose that you’ve heard others spout to you. It’s not inspiring, it’s annoying. People say a lot of stuff without actually saying anything, and it’s at its worst when they’re saying a lot of nothing under the guise of being inspiring, especially when the end-goal is simply to goad others into appearing “productive” or “active”. I’m not even sure what the point of this comic is, but I do know the roach needs to shut its yap. NOTE: Click HERE to return to Meanwhile… 040 -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #lifecoaching #motivational #cockroach #dothethingmaybe https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/042 monthly 0.5 2021-06-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1621041195150-2U10JB1NWUUMC4ZGVCX4/mw042-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 042 - Meanwhile… 042 Meanwhile… 042 One of my pet peeves with all things internet, especially on social media - namely Facebook, is the ridiculous trend of sharing “puzzles” that claim only a certain percentage of people can solve, or testify to someone having a “genius level” intellect. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not at all having a dig at those who share them or partake in them - some of them can be fun when they’re actually a challenge. But the blind willingness of so many to share them is also a reflection on the pack-mentality that people easily get swept up in during online interactions, where the first step in critical thinking shouldn’t be the puzzle itself, but why it exists in the first place, and the sad answer to that in many cases is simply for the purpose of click-bait and gaining audience traction. It’s a mindset that lends itself to further avenues of “liking” and “sharing” without wondering what the source is - something that some very toxic wells use to poison the water that flows through the feeds of others. When you share a post from someone, you’re not just sharing that one single voice, you’re amplifying all that their tongue may offer - for good or for bad. Anyway, waxing prolific aside, I just thought it would be funny to have a zebra using the same social trappings to bamboozle the predators it’s faced with. And I was right. I personally think this is funny as fuck, but I’m biased. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #socialcommentary #socialmedia #areyougenius #humananimals #wildlife #animals #zebras #animalhumor #animalcartoons #viralmedia https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/043 monthly 0.5 2021-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1624062105925-2YZVB2NVCAD3JXRU8MAV/mw043-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 043 - Meanwhile… 043 Meanwhile… 043 This instalment is simply a reflection on mortality. No one’s light is ever truly diminished, even when the candle that their life is is blown out. What that light becomes and where it goes… that’s not for me to say. Only they know. Grief and loss seems like a shadow bearing upon us, because it is. But shadows are only cast when they come from a source of light. And that light, the one that those passed once cast on those close to them, that light will always flicker and dance with every memory they leave behind, be it grandiose or small. RIP - Rise In Pyres. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #surrealism #mortality #spirituality #death #life #lifeanddeath https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/044 monthly 0.5 2021-08-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1624763944964-J0MRFR1JWCK38KMUB51C/mw044-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 044 - Meanwhile… 044 Meanwhile… 044 I struggle with the whole formalities that surround smiling, something that I’ve mentioned before in this series in the context of being Autistic, but I also struggle with it as someone who suffers from depression. For a long time, both before and after accepting that medication was something I required to maintain an “even keel” and function better, I also felt weighed by what I perceived to be an obligation to be “happy”. I wasn’t. No one is. But in accepting that also, I found a greater degree of happiness in the fact that happiness would come when it came. I no longer fought my depression. I didn’t embrace it, but I no longer battled it, I accepted it as something that I would at times have to simply ride out… and in that I won the battle by conceding defeat when needed. With that, I also found myself less prone to the anxiety that came in trying to be happy for the benefit of others. That’s what this instalment is - a clown realising he know longer needs to wear a smile and finding a smile in that realisation when he leaves that smile upon the mirror along with his not-so-subtle resignation. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #surrealism #anxiety #mentalhealth #depression #depressionawareness #mentalhealthawareness https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/045 monthly 0.5 2021-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1627794386546-6COK4F7DYL5MD3OFW6AV/mw045-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 045 - Meanwhile… 045 Meanwhile… 045 Simple wordplay here, folks. In a nutshell, I was bored and curious about the collective nouns of various animals. It simply made sense that a group (or lack thereof) of Introverts would be known as a No Thanks. That’s it. Nothing more to it. Now, kindly leave me alone… ;) -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #surrealism #anxiety #mentalhealth #introvert #introverted #ambivert #ambiverted #nature #kangaroos #ducks #crows #foxes #wordplay #nouns https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/046 monthly 0.5 2021-08-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1629605460550-9ZJO94ZD6D01U6DVS7NZ/mw046-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 046 - Meanwhile… 046 Meanwhile… 046 This began as a simple concept about a leaf pondering its fate, having left the tree, but as it progressed I realised there was a deeper meaning at play - literally. I knew I wanted the leaf to be found by a child, and at first I intended to have the leaf happily accepting of such a fate, recognising the love the child held for the leaf’s simplicity. But then I realised that the child might possibly share in the same dreams and aspirations of the leaf. I also realised that in tailoring the ending to what it was, it struck a chord with me about how important play-based learning is to children, and how it should really be fostered further along in the school system. School readiness and academics are fine, but I do honestly think that they eclipse the greater possibilities that children have through imaginative play - a style of play that not only fosters learning on each child’s personal level and interests, but also maintains connections to their world at large, rather than what’s in a text book or there upon a desk. Let… children… play. And let them do so for as long as they need to. The world would be better for it, trust me. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #learningthroughplay #earlyyearseducation #earlyyearslearning #childcare #children #imagination #everychild https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/047 monthly 0.5 2021-09-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1630191789646-E84ADPULMOE20BYMQWPR/mw047-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 047 - Meanwhile… 047 Meanwhile… 047 Who knows where this is headed. All I do know is that this tale is far from over… How could it be when it features the fabled nation of Poyais?! For the uninitiated, do a search for Poyais, it’s quite a tale. This is one of those idly considered story arcs that I suspect will lead to something deeper. And what of Alistair Finch…? What lies at the end of their finger and the pulling thereof? A simple fart joke or something much more sinister? It depends on whether there’s an actual fart, I suppose, and how bad it is. Will our intrepid explorer find the answers in Poyais? It’s a hard task ahead of them, given that the country doesn’t exist… Or does it? -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #pullmyfinger #messageinabottle #fartjokeshavefeelingstoo #poyais https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/048 monthly 0.5 2021-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1630674276990-61C1RKEUR6X190I2HY1A/mw048-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 048 - Meanwhile… 048 Meanwhile… 048 Honestly, I have no idea what’s going on here. What I do know is that there’s more going on than meets the eye, pun intended. This is another one that I think will extend further in later episodes, but in what way, I can’t say. Not sure that I trust that talking eye, though. I know that much. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #surrealism #ambiguity #eyes #magick #tricks https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/049 monthly 0.5 2021-09-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1630798561928-Z4E0DEAY3JXARHKKLSQI/mw049-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 049 - Meanwhile… 049 Meanwhile… 049 It always amuses me when I see the way other nations regard the wildlife that we have in Australia. I mean, sure, we have some of the most poisonous, toxic, dangerous and life-threatening creatures, but they’re also beautiful in their unique originality - something that sets them apart from the creatures found on other continents. Sometimes I think it’s not all that bad, what Australia’s evolution has produced. But then I remember that we also gave the world Rupert Murdoch, so… maybe the rest of the world’s right. Toxic, dangerous and life-threatening it is, then. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #celldivision #australia #australiawillkillyou #evolution #nature #science #poison #venom #platypus #kangaroo #kangaroos #blueringoctopus #cassowary #cassowaries #scorpion #scorpions #snake #snakes #redbacks #redbackspiders #murdoch #rupertmurdoch #foxnews #skynews #newscorp https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/050 monthly 0.5 2021-10-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1631429454185-9OVBLBWRS2ALMYOY89BB/mw050-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 050 - Meanwhile… 050 Meanwhile… 050 The astronaut’s right. This was meant to be a simple joke episode of “Meanwhile…” that entailed an astronaut forgetting his keys. But then the child in Episode 1 reminded me that we had indeed gotten lost, somewhat. We still are, but we’re a lot closer along the way to what we wanted to say when we first began this with the notion that there would be an underlying narrative that ties many of the episodes together. Along the way it became as much a visual journal of my thoughts and mindset as it is an experiment in differing drawing styles initially meant to keep myself busy during the onset of 2020’s pandemic when I very much felt lost, having only truly found my feet after being diagnosed Autistic in late 2019. To be honest, both the child and I were never expecting to reach 50 episodes. It’s a milestone considering how often I abandon projects and get distracted by the next idea or impulse. That or just fall into a creative rut, often weighted also with depression, malaise, ennui or whatever you choose to call it. At present, as I write this, the pandemic continues, as does this comic series. As do I. Here’s to the next 50 episodes and wherever that happens to take us, be the path ahead light or dark. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #satire #humour #humor #depression #mentalhealth #arttherapy #2020 #2021 #pandemic #keys #astronaut https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/051 monthly 0.5 2021-11-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/1634607937393-TL7TJQGO6OIGUMTR57FY/mw051-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 051 - Meanwhile… 051 Meanwhile… 051 When I left off the last episode I was in a very grim mood, caught in the thick of depression. It had been creeping in for some time now - worse than usual - but then my beloved cat, Orlando, passed away, and that depression ran deeper. So much so that I’ve upped my antidepressants - something I haven’t felt need to do since beginning them 9 years ago. I wasn’t sure where this instalment of “Meanwhile…” would go, but I did know the last was veering away from social artistic commentary and simple one-off absurdist gags and deeper into something else, as stated by the drawing child in the last episode. With the momentum of this comic series running from the final panel of the previous episode (as is the style of this series) I wasn’t sure what it would entail, but did know it had something to do with that sinister shadow first seen in Episode 23 and again in the previous episode. As I often do when depressed, I felt the need to ground myself in art, writing and other creative pursuits, and I realised that “Inktober”, a yearly event of daily prompts to inspire illustrating, was again at hand. Several things then occurred to me… Firstly that it was a good activity to bury myself in (albeit late to the game, it now being well past mid-October/Inktober), secondly that my depression was as much a character engrained in my reasons for making “Meanwhile…” and thirdly that the Inktober Day 3 prompt of “Vessel” was fitting for this episode with that sinister shadow having hidden in various other previous instalments, having made vessels of them and myself. Depression will always be a passenger in the vessel that I am. Now it has a face. What that means for myself, Grace and other characters in “Meanwhile…” time will tell. Note: For panel references read “Meanwhile…” episodes 8, 22, 23 and 50. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #depression #mentalhealth #arttherapy #inktober2021 #inktober #inktobercatchup #inktoberday3 #inktobervessel #inktoberprompts #vessel https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/052 monthly 0.5 2021-11-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/830101d7-af1c-4a15-970d-4906af56b87a/mw052-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 052 - Meanwhile… 052 Meanwhile… 052 Ooh, look’it! I made a funny. I had to really. Three weeks since the last one, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say they were a rough three weeks. Depression and anxiety got the better of me, so I knew I had to amuse myself, if not anyone else, to get over the creative hump and continue this comic series... So, here it is. I realised some time back that my foot had ventured beyond the zebra-crossing while making my way to the shops, and that lead to me wondering whether that made me fair game for an oncoming car, and furthermore whether the size of the car was relative to how much “foot” had strayed from the crossing. It wasn’t a great leap from there to the idea of a tiny car meting out such retribution. And who better to convey such indignation than a zebra themself? Anyway, that’s all there is to it. This week’s proving much better, by the by. Hope you’re doing well also, whoever you may be. As you were, and look both ways before crossing. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #depression #zebracrossing #absurdism #tinycar #abbeyroad https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/053 monthly 0.5 2021-11-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/879a1a85-6643-40c2-8987-cd10e1f9b992/mw053-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 053 - Meanwhile… 053 Meanwhile… 053 They’re name is Astrid Traveller, by the way. And it’s true…. they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing. I don’t know what the fuck they’re doing either. But maybe that’s a good thing. It makes it more interesting. For me, anyway. What little I do know, however, is that something about Penny Dreadfuls awaits. And also something about Cat Memes. And soup. Good luck with that, Astrid. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #astridtraveller #enlightenment #endarkenment #obscure #ambiguity #soup https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/054 monthly 0.5 2021-12-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/81abef86-99a9-403c-8529-bb062c86896c/mw054-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 054 - Meanwhile… 054 Meanwhile… 054 True story! I am TERRIBLE at knowing what to write on greeting cards. This week just past I’ve been mentally wrestling with three cards in the staff room at work - cards for two engagements and a retirement. I truly like these people and respect them so much, both as co-workers and for who they are - they’re truly wonderful people to know and work with - but each time I’ve tried to write something on their cards, my brain has curled up like a possum in the rafters of my brain, despite how much I’ve really wanted to convey my well-wishes to them. There’s a bit of a disconnect I have with how I feel about any people I know and being able to relate to celebrating special events that make up the social norms that we’re expected to follow. It’s a bit on par with being asked to smile in photos, something I’ve also explored in this comic series. My go-to whenever I’ve been expected to write something on greeting cards has always been to read over what others have written and just mimic aspects of what’s already been inscribed. The idea for this instalment came when it occurred to me to just re-write the generic card information printed at the back and I laughed out loud at the thought, both at how absurd the notion was but also at how fittingly it conveyed how awkward I feel about what’s such a simple thing for others. There should really be greeting cards for such awkwardness… offering congratulations and condolences in equal measure. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #greetingcards #congratulations #neurodiverseproblems #autisticmasking #masking #socialmimicry #socialcues #awkward https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/055 monthly 0.5 2021-12-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/259d9251-6921-4370-92da-dd20c622dba9/mw055-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 055 - Meanwhile… 055 Meanwhile… 055 This cartoon was another case of me starting with what seemed a trivial notion at first - that of a super-hero plagued by the iconic noise effects used in comics - only to realise as it progressed that it had a deeper, personal resonance. Like many Autistics, I can be sensitive to sound, but that in itself tends to adjust to what’s happening (or has already happened) in the environment at large and what I’ve already had to traverse throughout the day, or even week, sometimes. Working in the child-care setting, I’m quite at home in a room or yard with as many as 20 to 40 children and the noise levels and the conversations of the children are easy for me to follow and navigate. But put me in a staff-room with more than 3 adults talking, and it’s like nails down a chalk-board. It’s like static that puts me on edge, and as near as I can figure, it has a lot to do with pitch and tone, let alone intent. Children say a great many things because they’re processing and celebrating what’s new, exciting and meaningful - it’s how they learn. Adults fill silence with “things” because it’s somewhat of a social expectation, and often it’s just conversation for conversation’s sake - something that I get, but at the same time don’t get. I began to realise while making this comic instalment that there’s an affinity I feel for the character with their plight of having noises both relevant and incidental mounting up, inspiring them to silence at times to simply limit what they have to carry. It’s something I can identify with, knowing that I may be talkative in many social settings, most certainly while working with children, but I can also suddenly flip towards a reserved quiet that may come across as rude and dismissive to some people, which it’s not at all intended to be. It’s just simply that my brain’s had enough noise or activity, and I’d rather not add to it by making noise of my own. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #neurodiverseproblems #autisticmasking #masking #sensoryissues #noisesensitivity #anxiety #burnout #autisticburnout #heroes #shhh #silence https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/056 monthly 0.5 2021-12-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/7699e4f7-a4b5-49ae-bbfe-3359915b0b0a/mw056-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 056 - Meanwhile… 056 Meanwhile… 056 Yeah, smiling, laughing, crying and all that. Humans, hey? What gives? It hard to all start somewhere, so why not blame an Aegyptopithecus, named Carl, from some 30 Million years ago or so. Or thank him, even. I don’t always get it, but smiling, laughing and crying has it’s place. It’s more a question of why, when and where, really. Cheers, Carl! -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #Aegyptopithecus #evolution #emotions #smiling #crying #teeth #socialcues #socialevolution #anthropology #emotions #humans #whatthefuckcarl https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/057 monthly 0.5 2022-01-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/85c48714-d279-4b29-8d90-626101b3226e/mw057-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 057 - Meanwhile… 057 Meanwhile… 057 Christmas, hey? I have no problem with Christmas, but I do find Christianity, and how it’s long been engrained in so much prejudice and colonisation, to be problematic. More so Fundamental Christianity, which has Westernised a religion and skewed it so far from what it’s original intention may have been. I do believe that Christ was possibly an actual figure, but I also believe that whoever that person was, was essentially something of a socialist who believed in equity, fairness and philosophy that lent itself to the greater good of the many, and not the few - something that Christianity as an organised religion very much lacks. I personally like to celebrate Christmas as a day when people are generally kinder to one another, or at least try to be. But that should be every day, and not once a year when the symbolism and rhetoric that ties in with it is so commercialised - looking at you, Coke Santa - that it’s something of a parody of what it’s true origins are. The fact that a good many people would be more incensed and offended at the thought of Mary and Joseph being of Middle-Eastern appearance rather than Baby Jesus being replaced by a carrot, speaks volumes. The carrot - as much a part of Christmas now by way of being a nose - is essentially a metaphor for the symbolic evolution of Christmas celebrations and how they’ve long evolved. Celebrate kindness. Every day of the year, if you can. For today, however, Happy Whatever You Choose To Celebrate. Stay safe, stay kind. Be loved and love. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #christmas #merrychristmas #christ #christianity #agnostic #yuletime #carrots https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/058 monthly 0.5 2022-01-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/4c9f62a5-5a40-4a7b-962a-8766bb9f0cda/mw058-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 058 - Meanwhile… 058 Meanwhile… 058 Dissociation… It’s a horrid, fuck of a thing, and also one aspect of anxiety that I personally feel isn’t talked about as much as it should be. This comic is my attempt to portray just how jarring dissociation can be, and how absolutely unsettling it is when experiencing it, especially if it’s an experience you’re unfamiliar with until it hits you. Dissociation is an unsettling feeling of being displaced, be it emotionally or even physically. It can quite literally feel like your perception and sense of self has been skewed and rearranged, leaving you fragile and lost. When I first suffered dissociation at the age of 19 it absolutely left me broken and confused. I had no idea what it was that was happening, and so I called it “having Camera-Head” wherein I was so aware of my inner self being disconnected, and yet at the same time trapped, from and within my physical self - as though the world was being viewed through a lens that wasn’t mine. It was such a prominent part of the mental breakdown I experienced at that age, and with Autism being such a narrow and misinformed pigeon-hole at the time, that I was mistakenly diagnosed as being Schizophrenic, something that saw me wrongly medicated for a year and a half, exacerbating the anxiety and dissociation. Back then, I had no context for something that I now more easily recognise, and like with other aspects of anxiety, understanding what you’re experiencing is the first challenge in trying to overcome it, to make it through to the other side of calm and balance to ground yourself. Anyway… this is my own contribution towards trying to raise more awareness of it. Dissociation, it’s a thing. And it’s a lonely, frightening, unsettling thing if you ever suffer it. But please know that you’re not alone. There are others, like myself, who understand. Hold on to that if you can when it feels like all else is out of your grasp. And remember to breathe. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #anxiety #depression #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #anixetydisorder #dissociation #itsokaytonotbeokay #breathe https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/059 monthly 0.5 2022-01-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/14c82683-4d3f-4b79-95e9-59d9060efda8/mw059-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 059 - Meanwhile… 059 Meanwhile… 059 The stick-person’s right… It is no big deal, or at least it shouldn’t be. Gender Identity’s not that hard a concept to get your head around - it’s simple. People can choose what gender they wish to identify as, and it has NOTHING to do with biology. Attributing Gender Identity to biology is not only a lazy argument, but also an unimaginative one that lacks empathy, understanding and, most importantly, respect. As with pronouns, how a person chooses to identify themselves in regards to their gender has NO IMPACT upon you whatsoever. And if it does, that’s an issue within yourself that you really need to examine. You’re judging a person by how they present themselves, and not by their actions. And while you might consider it simply “your opinion”, you need to know that opinion matters, especially when it’s one that’s entwined with bigotry, violence, hatred and inequity - your “opinion” adds to the collective voice that tries to weigh others down at the cost of their sense of self, their pride, their right to happiness and, far more often than should be the case, their lives… Literally. By their own hand, or by the hateful hand of others. Gender Identity matters. Respect matters. If you think otherwise, well, you’re simply not being a nice person. Please stop that. Because your voice matters also. Try and say something supportive, and if you can’t do that, ask yourself why? Long story short, don’t be an arsehole. It’s really not that difficult. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #sjw #socialjustice #lgbtq #lgbtqally #genderidentity #equity https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/060 monthly 0.5 2022-01-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/c7eb09c8-5d4c-4467-9b7c-3ac3e83ae7b8/mw060-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 060 - Meanwhile… 060 Meanwhile… 060 I can NOT stress just how much I adore the Pink Underwing Moth caterpillar!! It’s an adorable little thing! Practically Halloween in insect form! Seriously, if you’re unfamiliar with it, go do an image search… I do know that if I was ever such a thing, forced to become a moth, I’d do my damnedest to maintain that spooky goodness by donning a skull mask just like Kevin here. Good job, Kevin! -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #pinkunderwingmoth #moth #butterflies #butterfly #moths #insects #entomology #lepidopterology #dragonfly #bushtailedpossum #dragonflies #bushtailedpossums #possums #nature #australianwildlife #kevin https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/061 monthly 0.5 2022-01-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/b6fa5cc3-9bb3-4a19-8e7c-c8c7500bb8ec/mw061-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 061 - Meanwhile… 061 Meanwhile… 061 Well, Astrid Traveller still doesn’t know what they’re doing. I’d like to say that I had an inkling, but an inkling of an inkling is all there is. There’s a story to them floating about somewhere in my own floaty brain, possibly as a series independent of this comic, but for now Astrid seems to be a voice of… something. I think what they’re saying here - by way of wordplay, something I’m very fond of - is that if you spend too much time trying to be what you think others expect (especially when it comes to social conventions that are for convention’s sake alone), what you’ll eventually be is something shit, literally. You’ll be consumed by others, digested by others, and eventually discarded by others. Be you, and be it fiercely. Unless that entails being an intolerant arsehole, in which case I’d suggest that you tone that down, please. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #astridtraveller #observations #thoughts #beyou #bedifferent #benice https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/062 monthly 0.5 2022-01-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/9c0f3c9d-0955-4cb1-9d43-949b1811cb7a/mw062-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 062 - Meanwhile… 062 Meanwhile… 062 No deep mystery here - aside from what the job in question was, that is. I simply thought it’d be funny to draw a cat in a phone call, and that lead to the notion of the poor cat being told he’d ben rejected for job. It just made sense to have a canary being the one who was job-blocking him. That and I love the idea of a small canary working in an office. I mean, can you just imagine him typing away on that big keyboard! Someone make it happen, please, then have your people call my people. By “my people” I mean my cats. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #absurdity #cat #cats #bird #birds #canary #officehumour https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/063 monthly 0.5 2022-02-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/b6de10d8-9eee-483f-aa01-1f4c3a7dd6dd/mw063-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 063 - Meanwhile… 063 Meanwhile… 063 No deep meaning behind this. I just like the idea of a magician’s rabbit who lacks as much diplomacy as the magician they “work” with. I think in future episodes the rabbit’s definitely going to pop up again, literally, given their residence within a top hat. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #magic #rabbit #rabbitinahat #magictrick #magician #magicians #magicianforhire #weddingspartiesanything https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/064 monthly 0.5 2022-03-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/9d773d27-01e0-4a25-a78e-3cf3242e4fb2/mw064-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 064 - Meanwhile… 064 Meanwhile… 064 This is me. I’m the worm, lol I don’t drive. Never will. I hate having to navigate the intentions of others while on foot, let alone trying to ascertain them from within a big-arse box of schrapnel-in-waiting while they “talk” by way of blaring horns, waving their hands, or most likely angrily flipping me off. Any attempt to even entertain the thought of me driving, and all I can envision is the video of R.E.M’s song “Everybody Hurts”, but with lots of cussing in the subtitles. Jetpacks, please. I think I could manage a jetpack. Disclaimer: I would in no way manage a jetpack. The jetpack would manage me. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #worm #worms #driving #trafficjams #jetpacks #strictlypedestrian #ridingshotgun https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/065 monthly 0.5 2022-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/743a899b-e0b7-4304-874a-9efa3d990b50/mw065-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 065 - Meanwhile… 065 Meanwhile… 065 This is clearly a commentary on the vast difference (and disconnect) that there is between humanity’s method of “simply being” and that of nature itself. True, there can be some overlap where the motivations of humankind can appear just as hostile and aggressive as those of many species within the natural order of our world - weeds, fungi, the seemingly “ruthless” antics of the insect world (pun intended) - but what drives them is a vastly different “need” to that displayed by humans and our many social failings, sadly motivated by “want” and not “need”, wherein greed itself is the dominant force behind our actions. And sometimes simple cruelty. Normally, there’s a segue in the final panel of these comics that leads to a separate and unrelated narrative, but this time - with the next instalment being a commentary on the invasion of Ukraine, taking place as I write this - this comic and the next to come very much relate to one another, something that I’ll admit wasn’t a conscious play on my part, only realising how aptly they connect upon readying the final panel of this instalment for the next. Crown Shyness is a practice of trees of growing only as far as needed, halting their growth so as to not encroach into the space of neighbouring trees. It makes for the most beautiful patterns when viewed from below, witnessed from a humble perspective. If only humans practiced the same. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #trees #nature #philosophy #politics #humanity #crownshyness #war #ruspol #ukraine #russia #zelenskyy #putin #peace https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/066 monthly 0.5 2022-05-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/0dcc6e88-ddf3-4659-acae-fc3a77940f6a/mw066-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 066 - Meanwhile… 066 Meanwhile… 066 Two men led their nations, and each one wore a mask… One, a “fearsome king”, took the “jester” up to task. When those masks had fallen, amidst words, deeds and might, the “jester” proved the better, with his crowned head ever high. ~~~-::-::-::-~~~ Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose prior career as an actor and comedian before becoming President of Ukraine inspired much talk of just how competent he’d be in his new role, had long before had one foot in the political realm while his other stood on the stage of entertainment. In 2014, despite the longstanding conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, Zelenskyy very publicly opposed the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture’s intent to ban works of art or culture - and artists themselves - from being allowed within Ukraine. This, along with his production company, Kvartal 95, donating funds to the Ukrainian Ground Forces, had seen Zelenskyy’s own works banned in both Ukraine and Russia at times. Why does this matter? Because it shows a measure of his character, as a performer and as an individual, and speaks to his inherent desire to foster conversation - as many artists do - for good or ill. I say “measure”, because this is also at odds with Zelenskyy’s own decision as President to ban three pro-Russian media outlets in February of 2022. That measure of character, one that would rather foster conversation over conflict, was also shown in the lead-up to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine when Zelenskyy very much downplayed talk of the escalating conflict - talk that was dominated by political voices from the US and Russia, with Ukraine caught between the “banter” of the two. His pleas to deescalate and downplay the imminent threat of Russia’s invasion were a source of frustration for the US, viewed as naiveté, while Putin (for this invasion is Putin’s intent, not that of Russia itself) viewed it as something of a weakness. Both were wrong, and as the invasion of Ukraine continues at the time of writing this, Zelenskyy has shown that he is anything but the clown he was believed to be. If anyone in this does have a mask that’s slipping, it is Putin, as Zelenskyy proves to be everything of the fierce leader that Putin has long pretended to be. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #politics #humanity #crownshyness #UkraineRussianWar #ruspol #ukraine #russia #zelenskyy #putin #UkrainiansWillResist #peace https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/067 monthly 0.5 2022-05-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/9454068a-68b1-4624-abc2-ef0e709b158c/mw067-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 067 - Meanwhile… 067 Meanwhile… 067 I’ve known since drawing the first panel of this what I needed and wanted it to be about, but the words and sentiment were hard to actually dredge up… until life pushed the point with me and forced my hand - or “our hand” I should say, given the duality of this character in question. This comic’s about the whole conversation around that question of “Are you okay?” and how it’s often something we don’t ask of ourselves, especially when we need to. Sometimes that’s down to emotional avoidance, sometimes it’s simply that with all the rigmarole of simply “living” we don’t or can’t afford ourselves that pause to take the time to ask ourselves if we’re okay. The question is certainly always there in everything you feel, do and contend with… but taking a breath to offer yourself a reply to that question, that’s not easy to do if you don’t have the time, space and liberty to afford yourself that moment of reflection. Since writing the last instalment of this comic, I’ve had to give myself that time to ask if I’m okay, and I’m not - but I will be. And part of taking that time to ask myself that question of being okay and listening to the answer within myself has meant - for me - walking away from a job as an Early Years Educator that I’ve loved, adored and taken pride in for many years. I’ll very much miss the children I’ve worked with and for and made wonderful connections with, but I’ve met with other elements within the profession that, as an Autistic, I’ve recently found challenging - enough so for me to decide it best to walk away for the time-being. Will I return to teaching in Early Years again? I don’t know. Time will tell. And for me, as I write this, time begins with that moment when I’ve had to pause, breathe, look within myself to ask if I’m okay. I’m not okay at the moment, but I will be. Because I took that much needed moment. It’s a moment we should all offer ourselves when we can. Your time is yours. Use it well. Use it wisely. Use it to be kind to yourself when you can. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #humor #humour #comics #earlyyearseducation #teaching #depression #suicideprevention #autisticburnout #mentalhealth #ruokay #ruok #ruokday #ruokdayeveryday https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/068 monthly 0.5 2022-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/ec386b43-ddbb-4e50-89f1-8b2cf054089c/mw068-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 068 - Meanwhile… 068 Meanwhile… 068 As I write this, it is a new day for Australia with Scott Morrison having last night been ousted from power as our Prime Minister in the wake of 2022’s Federal Election. And good riddance to him. He’s the epitome of toxic, ignorant privilege. There’s so much that could be said of Morrison’s flaws, but I’ll sum it up in this… Scott Morrison saw to the detention of a family of four that included two young girls, detaining them at a cost beyond that of 6 million dollars, if not more, simply to make an example of them, keeping them in detention for years. With pressure from the public, the media and opposing political parties to do the compassionate thing and return them to the home they’d made in the Queensland town of Biloela, Morrison’s government granted approval for three of those family members to return, denying any such visa to the youngest child and thus forcing the family to reject any offer for the older daughter and their parents. This… this is the height of Machiavellian cruelty. It’s absolutely cruel, heartless and evil. As is Scott Morrison and every other political member who took part in supporting such a thing. Likewise for anyone who willingly supported Morrison’s political party, knowing that this cruelty was at the heart of how they would operate. Morrison is not a good person. Good riddance to him. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #DemocracySausage #auspol #biloelafamily #biloela #election2022 #SoLongFuckface #scumo https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/069 monthly 0.5 2022-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/20f81013-c6ed-4059-bddc-0a01f2eab6b2/mw069-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 069 - Meanwhile… 069 Meanwhile… 069 This recurring character, Astrid, has started to become something of an avatar for any melancholic disenchantment I have, be it inspired by influences internal or external, while also embodying my dissent against such a thing. When I ended the last instalment with Astrid’s approach into this one, the reason for the discontent at that time (a sadness I carry still) was that I’d only just resigned from my position as an early year’s educator, an occupation that’s the only one I’ve ever actually enjoyed, felt good at, and didn’t carry the elements that other work might in regards to Autistic burnout. Indeed, part of my diagnosis was the recognition of the fact that teaching (aside from my time spent working alone at home in IT) was the only profession I’d ever had that had lasted longer than 4 to 6 months without a complete mental breakdown. It’s been a profession that I’ve adored and excelled at for 11 long years. More than that, it’s long been the other half of who I’ve been and what truly made me happy, what I cared about, and where I felt I belonged. So walking away from it was not an easy decision to make. But it was very much a necessary one. As much as my being Autistic has (in my opinion) served as a great benefit when dealing with children - neurodivergent or otherwise - the downside of it is that I struggle with the nuances of staff interactions at the best of times. I can navigate them quite easily, but it comes with an effort that’s incredibly tiring. So, being Autistic, when those interactions also become toxic in nature, that mental fatigue not only becomes draining, but in my experience it also leaves me vulnerable to greater fatigue, self-doubt and depression. Without the nitty-gritty details of why I resigned, I will say that I don’t believe the various circumstances that inspired my resignation were at all fair. That in itself brings with it so many thoughts, among them a feeling of having always been expendable in the role that I had, along with a sense of foolishness for not having realised so sooner. Whether that’s true or not, it’s nonetheless what I’ve been feeling for six weeks now. In that time, though, I’ve felt and done other things. I’ve felt relieved for being removed from a work environment that wasn’t healthy, I’ve written a children’s book I’m very proud of, I’ve returned to no end of artistic endeavours, and I've also felt saddened, angry, frustrated, lost, depressed, and admittedly even suicidal during the darkest moments. In short, what I had been doing was grieving the loss of a big part of my life, my identity, my joy. What I hadn’t done, however, until just last week… was really cry. I’d shut down. Emotionally I was feeling “all the things”, but at the same time I wasn’t really feeling anything at all because I’d applied a filter to myself, allowing myself to feel only the thinnest silhouettes of such emotions, and not the solidity of what had cast those shadows. It’s difficult to explain, and also something that may not make much sense unless you’ve done it yourself. I know from my own experience that being in that state of semi-detachment never ends well for me. I also know from experience that if I don’t find a way to break that detachment, that detachment will find ways of breaking me. And in knowing that, I sometimes have to make a conscious effort to seek inspirations to cry as an outlet, before I can cry for myself. One of those outlets is music. Anyway, enough about me and my woes. This is Astrid doing likewise, using music to break through their hurt and rage to find their sad other self and, in doing so, again seeking joy. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #cartoonist #art #writing #depression #mentalhealth #bemorethanyourjob https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/070 monthly 0.5 2022-12-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/e95ab62b-2ef0-405e-a49b-1b0f729fb1bd/mw070-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 070 - Meanwhile… 070 Meanwhile… 070 Five uncaring, ruthless, heartless, cruel, evil people… Amy Coney Barrett Samuel A. Alito, Jr. Brett Kavanaugh Neil M. Gorsuch Clarence Thomas With the Supreme Court of the United States overturning of Roe versus Wade in 2022, these five people have ruined - and will continue to ruin - the lives of countless people. With the misguided power given to them, they have undone almost 50 years of civil rights in an incredibly heinous and evil fashion, stripping away the basic right of anyone with a womb to decide whether or not they would consent to the life-changing act (and for some, trauma) of giving birth to another. They’ve made this decision with no regard, concern or care to not only the ongoing life of that person they’d force a pregnancy upon, but also to the life of that child they supposed hold in such high esteem. We know this because they aren’t concerned with anything of benefit to that child’s life from the moment they’ve left that “sacred” womb. They care not for victims or rape or incest, regardless of those victims including children they claim to champion for. They care not for social or economic reform to make the lives of those children better. They care not for children gunned down in schools. They care not for those who would die during a pregnancy. They care not for choice. What they DO care for, is their religious faith. Something that holds no place within a system such as the Supreme Court of the United States. Forcing anyone to give birth treats that person as an object, as livestock. It’s cruel, heartless and evil. It’s also insulting when it comes at the direction of those who trade in despair and division for a profit, which is what fundamentalist religion does, and use their supposed morals as a means of denying equity to all. There’s so much that can be said of those who sought to overturn Roe versus Wade, and those who support such a thing, but the simplest thing to say is this… They care only about controlling a narrative that suits them. They do not, for one moment, care about life. So, in wanting/needing to try and express the true horror of what these people have done, I ended up with this. Five bowling pins that defy all reason and logic by standing while that which by all rights should topple them is laid to ruin. It’s simply something that shouldn’t be. And every day, every hour, every minute and second that it is what it’s come to be is an affront to common sense, democracy, compassion and decency. And it’s so very, very heartbreaking. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole twitter.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #roevwade #roeversuswade #prochoice #choice #righttochoose #socialjustice #roevwadesaveslives #abortion #fuckscotus #scotuskills https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/071 monthly 0.5 2022-12-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/9ad744a6-d859-4f44-8353-84689ace4dc3/mw071-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 071 - Meanwhile… 071 Meanwhile… 071 I’ve mentioned in the comic explanations here before that part of my Autistic processing when I’m engaging with others is that I recall a lot of past events, conversations and interactions. What this also means is that every new interaction, while I’m trying to take that in and navigate it, part of my brain is most likely also processing every other interaction I’ve had with that person. It’s like having a brain that’s a computer that you can’t quite successfully defrag. It can get tiring at times, especially if it involves past interactions that were unpleasant, be it due to my own shortcomings or the other person. It’s even more tricky in romantic relationships because it feels even more so that it’s best to tread carefully, which only adds to the level of processing that can sometimes occur. It also means that sometimes when talking with others I may seem distant or detached, but that’s not the case at all. If anything there’s sometimes too much attachment and not enough distance - it makes appearing “present” hard sometimes when you’re also simultaneously revisiting the past. There’s a pun there somewhere about conversations being “past-tense”, and I suppose that was it. That was the pun. You’re welcome. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #autisticthinking #differentnotless https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/072 monthly 0.5 2022-12-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/742285b0-9298-4df2-97bd-8d11e210daf5/mw072-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 072 - Meanwhile… 072 Meanwhile… 072 This came about after I made a comment on another artist’s social media page. It was in response to a comment thread about a barrage of messages they’d received from someone who was rallying against gender identity and the right of people to choose the gender that suits them. Anyways, after there was a comment that the bigoted and overly religious messages were an absolute word-salad of misguided notions, the artist wondered if they’d made any more salad to message them with. My response was “salad dressing if it's a girl-salad, salad pants if a boy, because Bible”. And so… this. Salad Pants, in lieu of Salad Dressing. This comic’s intended to highlight just how nonsensical and intrusive the argument is of those who’d deny others their own right to embrace and identity and gender that feels best for them. It’s none of their fucking business, because it doesn’t hurt anybody. Their bigotry does, however, hurt many. If you can’t support the right of others to be who they want to be - happily and freely - you need to question why you’d deny them such a simple courtesy and show of respect. Especially if that person you’d grind down with hate is your own child. If designating your child’s gender or their name against what they’d prefer is essential to them having your approval, then you should really let them be who they want and just buy a fucking boat so you can gender-name it to your heart’s content. Long rant short… Pronouns matter. Choice of gender matters. Get used to it. Please. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #translivesmatter #genderisachoice #pronouns #pronounsmatter https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/073 monthly 0.5 2023-01-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/00b7e4e4-18f6-40e8-9efc-0b3ea4b56566/mw073-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 073 - Meanwhile… 073 Meanwhile… 073 Welp... it’s the last day of the year as I write this. Happy New Year? Yeah, happy New Year. I hope 2023 brings change, joy, fairness and compassion to you. I hope you had that yesterday and yesteryear also, though. I wish you well, is what I’m saying. I’m not that good at the platitudes, lol What I will say about New Year’s Eve, though, by way of this episode of “Meanwhile…” is that I’m all for people celebrating the milestone that is a year coming to an end, what I really am not keen on is fireworks. They’re just dreadful and so traumatising to both domestic and wild animals. Each year at this time when they go off, the next moment’s one of frightened fury across the sky when startled birds and bats soar through their air where I live, shrieking of their panic. Then the chorus of howling dogs, huddled tight in their fear. Fireworks can just get in the fucking bin. That’s it. That’s all I got. I wish you well. I wish your pets well. I wish the wildlife well. Here’s to 2023, hopefully one year closer to being rid of the loud, sparkly nightmares that plague the humble critters. -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #happynewyear #2023 #fireworkscanfuckoff https://brettjcole.com/meanwhile-2/074 monthly 0.5 2023-01-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3a924f72b5051afda45859/26feb181-1c36-48fe-8058-c9d39edffdef/mw074-Lng.png Meanwhile... Page 2 - 074 - Meanwhile… 074 Meanwhile… 074 Woot! First comic of 2023 for this series! I started this series in April of 2020 and to be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to get this far. The whole point of having each episode lead into the next was intended to inspire me to keep up momentum with “Meanwhile…” and clearly it’s worked so far. Anyway, this… I found the idea of someone having a tune stuck in their head and the tune actually being an Eldritch portal amusing. This of course raised the prospect of what other ear-worms might counter such a thing, and the notion of more prominent ear-worms being far worse than any horrors the Eldritch portal could offer seemed equally amusing. I don’t intend to song-shame anyone who actually does like the song, “Blue - Da Ba Dee”. Like what you want. I won’t judge you. Music’s a very personal thing. But for myself, in the list of songs I just really dislike - especially for being so catchy while also being disliked - this one’s right up there in that list. Seriously, no shame intended. I own a CD of “A Dog’s Christmas” by The Singing Dogs… it’s exactly what you’d expect, so no judgement from me. Honest! -::-::-::- brettjcole.com instagram.com/brettjcole facebook.com/brettjcole brettjcole.tumblr.com Merch Available at Redbubble bit.ly/BJC-Redbubble #brettjcole #meanwhileBJC #meanwhile #actuallyautistic #autisticart #autisticartist #autismacceptance #autism #drawing #illustrator #artistsoninstagram #bluedabeeda #cthulu #eldritch #eldritchhorror #eldritchhorrors #earworm #thesingingdogs #horror #horrorhumor #horrorhumour