Welcome to our celebration here at FunnyVet for passing our 1,000th cartoon posting! It only took six years to get to this milestone, yet it seems both a longer time and just like yesterday when we started down this road. We had a choice as to whether to post an official “Look! This is the 1,000th cartoon!” but no cartoon wanted that responsibility. There was worry that people would look at it, shrug, and go, “Meh. I’ve seen better.” Instead we decided to celebrate by adding a
new gallery of what we like to think of as very special cartoons since they combine our outlook here at FunnyVet and illustrate what it’s like to be a cartoon veterinarian. We hope you enjoy! Some of these cartoons have been kicking around my brain for quite a while and this seemed like the perfect opportunity!
FunnyVet started humbly, with just the thought of sharing some cartoons aimed strictly at the veterinary community. However, it has grown and morphed beyond anything initially anticipated! Over the years, we have added client comments, song parodies, veterinary truisms, a
CafePress.com store,
YouTube videos, a Forum section, a new
cartoon/humor book for veterinary students, and this blog. And we continue to grow thanks to the continued interest and viewer-ship of people like you! The blog portion of the site was suggested by my website designer and he insisted it was necessary. I resisted at first, as the thought of a blog was a source of anxiety. All I could think of was, what do I have to say that anyone cares about? I didn’t want to “talk about my day” or “let me expound on my thoughts today” or feel like I was in some way speaking for the entire veterinary community from some fountain of wisdom. Ugh. I finally came around when I thought that I could supplement my illustration humor with a more verbal format and took my cue from the very funny website The Onion, that takes nothing seriously and I can only aspire to emulate. In addition to all of the above (my favorite choice during vet school), I’ve started doing comedic performances for vet schools and conventions. So…..I stay busy.
FunnyVet started from the thought, “Well, I’m a veterinarian. How else can I not make money?” I had been drawing cartoons for my own entertainment and stress relief and slowly realized that other people appreciated the viewpoint and sensibility. Not being able to find a consistent outlet through our veterinary magazines, I took the plunge in starting the website. I had a few goals in mind. One, get these dusty cartoons out in the sunlight since all they were doing was just laying around, wastrels that they were. Two, my hope was to be able to be a stress therapy resource, a place for people in the veterinary community to stop and take a breath, have a laugh, and realize that it’s ok to not take things too seriously. I’m concerned with the mental health of everyone from vet students to practitioners and staff because this is a difficult profession with unique challenges in simple day-to-day survival. If FunnyVet helps anyone at all, then I feel I’ve done my job. Three, I didn’t want to have a website that just ate money. This last one was to stay in good with the wife and family. I figured FunnyVet wouldn’t make a lot (after all it’s a free site!); I just wanted it to pay for itself. For six years, so far, so good. Again, I owe this to all my supporters out there. Did I mention you can
donate to FunnyVet directly? I didn't? How strange.
FunnyVet gets around 3,000 viewers a month, from all over the world! Literally. All over the world. I’ve been amazed that this site seems to translate so well. Korea, China, Brazil, France, Russia, everywhere! I have received more praise and thanks in the six years running this site than I have in nineteen years of being a veterinarian. Maybe that says more about my ability to practice medicine, though, now that I think of it. Hmmmmm…..... Anway, one of the nicest compliments I got was from someone in New Zealand, who stated simply, “I’m glad you do what you do.” As long as you out there continue to enjoy the site and as long as I have material to present, I will continue to do this. Let others know about FunnyVet - we have no advertising dollars, so it’s up to each and everyone of you to pass the word! And, as always, we have a standing invitation for anyone to send in their funny stories, ideas, situations, limericks, etc. for inclusion in the site. We have always wanted this to be a communal site, not just my take on things. I’m just a cat and dog doctor; there are so many aspects to our profession and I’d love to hear from those out there doing other types of practice.
Please "Like" us on
Facebook, for we are needy and require constant affirmation. We are starting yet another new aspect to FunnyVet as part of our October milestone. We will start posting a cartoon a day from the site and give a little background, insight, or comment about the cartoon idea’s origins. We’re hoping you’ll like this addition. But, you’ll only be able to find it on Facebook, so go there. Now! Tell your friends!
Thanks one more time for tuning in to this slice of insanity that keeps us sane!
Above is what a stack of 1,000 cartoons looks like. I included this because I knew it was bothering you to not know. And, yes, that's a 15 inch ruler off to the left there, not that the size of your 'toons matters, only what you can do with them.
