By Ty Sanges
Both drawing and spending time outdoors are easy outlets for many people to escape the stresses of their everyday lives. For very few, however, these two hobbies can be combined into their professional career. For Springfield College alum Brian Ahearn, these two passions have created both a profession and a lifestyle, as he has made an impact in the world through his powerful illustrations and messages in his comics.
Since as early as the 12th century, comics have been a form of entertainment for countless people around the world. However, Ahearn’s uncommon spin on the medium creates an original form of entertainment but still stems from something that has been around for hundreds of years. Ahearn has infused his passion for wildlife conservation, creating unique content out of his comics. This distinctive adoration for these two fields stems from his time at Springfield College.
Brian Ahearn began his time at Springfield College as a transfer student, coming to the college in 2001 as a sophomore. He quickly found his lane at Springfield, noting his rationale for transferring because it was one of the only colleges in the Northeast to offer an excellent 3D art program at the time. Through this program, Ahearn made great connections with other students like him.
“I started in Massasoit Hall, and found that most of the current computer art majors were also rooming on the basement floor,” Ahearn said. “But what we lacked in direct sunlight, we made up for in the warm glow of weekly movie marathons made possible by the equipment we occasionally ‘long-term borrowed’ from the Media Services department. I quickly made great friends among that group, and I still stay in touch with many of them today.”
After graduating from Springfield College in 2004, Ahearn began his work as a freelance 3D artist for multiple production companies, working on several projects. These included a Batman Begins toy campaign and TV advertisements for companies such as Tanqueray Gin and Johnny Walker. However, following this time in his career, he had a change of heart.
“It wasn’t until the 2020 pandemic, when many people in my industry were given some time to take a step back and reflect, that I began to veer away from 3D graphics and pursue my first love: drawing wildlife,” Ahearn said. “I grew up with a deep love and respect for nature, in a house where wildlife guides and almanacs could be found in every room, and the sighting of a rare bird at our feeder would monopolize dinner conversation for hours. It only felt natural to share my love and fascination for animals through humor and illustration, as I had done as a kid many years ago.”
The pandemic was the beginning of his comic series, Zoodraws, in which he rediscovered his true love of wildlife illustrations. He was able to do so while focusing on conservation in his drawings, adding a twist to the everyday comics one might see. Through the creative angle of his creations, Ahearn’s work has grown to gain massive popularity on social media, with the Zoodraws Instagram account surpassing 100,000 followers.
Not only has Ahearn gained a huge online following, but his growing online presence has led to the formation of incredible connections.
“I’ve gotten to work with several amazing wildlife organizations to share and convey important stories about nature, including Born Free USA, ReWild, Rewriting Earth, and Birdability,” Ahearn said. “Some of the topics we explored together include the triumphant return of the Tasmanian devil to mainland Australia and the unfortunate negative impact the global exotic pet trade has on wildlife.”
Ahearn’s work comes at a time in which wildlife conservation efforts need to continue to be bolstered. Approximately 30,000 species per year – about three every hour – are being driven to extinction, with about 5,760 acres of inhabited wildlife land being destroyed every day according to Harvard University. The work of Ahearn, along with many others, can have incredible impacts on the wildlife conservation movement.
Ahearn discussed a specific series of comics he created that was used by the United States government to pass an act regarding the ownership of big cats. This was an overwhelming success for Ahearn as an artist and a conservation activist.
“In particular, a series of comics I created was successfully used to lobby the United States Senate to finally pass the Big Cat Public Safety Act in 2022, which ended the private ownership of big cats as pets and prohibited exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats like lions and tigers, including their cubs,” Ahearn said.
Currently, Ahearn is working on multiple publishing projects, including a non-fiction humor book about how animals find and celebrate love in the wild, and a daily calendar featuring both old and new comics.
Outside of his work with Zoodraws, Ahearn enjoys his time as a father of two in Upstate New York, where he has lived his entire life. Ahearn and his wife, Kim, do their best to educate their kids about wildlife conservation and biodiversity. However, Ahearn noted some of their learning gets hindered due to their young ages and obsessions with Minecraft and axolotls. Regardless, Ahearn will forever continue his passion for conservation and shared one final call to action to continue the hard work he and many others have executed for years.
“It’s going to fall on your generation, more than any other, to make and carry out the policies and decisions that value wildlife conservation, and halt and reduce the harmful impacts of climate change,” Ahearn said. “No pressure!”
Photo courtesy of Zoodraws.com