Given the week’s comic it’s a good time to ask a simple question: what the Carol J. Adams is Umberto doing?

I had the opportunity to meet Adams at a talk years ago, and was blown away by the visceral analysis and intensity of her work.  If you’re not among the millions familiar with Adams’ groundbreaking work, then catch up: from theoretical examinations to practical guides and reflections, it’s only about twenty-five years of reading.  Get busy.

The powerful insights of Adams’ look at animals and intersecting oppressions remain as provocative and intriguing today as they were upon initial publication. Considering the interconnections between and among movements to end oppression also make visible the systemic elements embedded in social texts and contexts.  Adams is a key figure in a growing body of activists and writers exploring whose bodies are “consumable,” figuratively and literally.  She raises potent questions that challenge dominant cultural assumptions and associations around the exploitation of animals, including humans, and exposes a warped entitlement vested in holding power-over others in the process.

Maybe you’re thinking: That’s deep.  I’m just here for the comics, but the comic was too perfect a segue to ignore. As for Umberto: no comment.