Comics are not only about messages that almighty superheroes saving the day and Hello Kitty convey through the images. Self-discovery, empathy, kindness, and coping with anxiety are just a few topics to mention reflected in the comics of Slimy Oddity. Their light-hearted and colorful illustrations explain Carl Jung’s terms such as ‘shadow’ and ‘what you resist persist' and how to work with them, how to practice self-love, compassion, and inner peace. The world of drawing is just as unlimited as the boundaries of imagination and so is the philosophy within it.

Bored Panda had a chance to talk to Cherie, the artist who draws Slimy Oddity, about its characters, inspiring gurus, hard days we all have, and spirituality behind the comics.

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Image credits: slimyoddity

Slimy Oddity is a collaboration between illustrator Cherie and her partner Tim, the wordsmith in charge of all the accompanying words, that are usually shared in the captions. “I started drawing about 3 years ago, on my bedroom floor, armed with a box of Colleen color pencils and some rough bits of paper I had laying around. That’s when the blobs were created, which then became the central characters in my work. It all happened in such a random and sporadic manner, but I haven’t stopped drawing ever since!”

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Image credits: slimyoddity

The two main characters are blobs: the red one is Slimy, and the purple one is Oddity. These 2 characters actually represent Cherie and her partner Tim respectively. “In some comics, you will see that Oddity is the one constantly dropping truth bombs on Slimy all the time. These are actually true stories of all the times my partner helped me along on my journey. I see him as my teacher and my mirror. He was a huge catalyst in my growth as a person, and I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today without him! I chose these 2 blobs to represent us because I wanted them to be amorphous and non-binary, so that everyone would be able to relate and see themselves in them.”

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Image credits: slimyoddity

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Image credits: slimyoddity

Most of the topics that are on Slimy Oddity are based on Cherie’s personal experiences and the lessons that were learnt from them. She admitted that sometimes they even serve as messages of encouragement to herself on days where she is not feeling so great. “I am also deeply inspired by my favorite gurus and teachers—Ram Dass, Adyashanti, Alan Watts, just to name a few. I love sharing their quotes in my artwork, because their words have helped me so much, and I just want to pass on that wisdom to anyone else out there who might need it,” told Cherie.

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Image credits: slimyoddity

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Image credits: slimyoddity

The creative universe of Slimy Oddity is largely set on this black backdrop with colorful, dazzling stars. This backdrop symbolizes the infinite space that exists within us, and a lot of the lessons that Slimy Oddity is sharing reside in this space—that which is unseen but can be felt. It serves as an invitation for people to discover the universe that exists within themselves. “I want to show people that going within is not as scary or daunting as it seems! In fact, it’s the gateway towards understanding your true authentic self, and gaining a deeper love for Life and all that it can offer.”

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Image credits: slimyoddity

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Image credits: slimyoddity

Cherie also shared that “I see Slimy Oddity as a fun, inviting bridge that serves as a guide to help awaken people to their true selves. We are currently in the process of writing a children's book, and we hope for it to touch the hearts of all kids and adults universally! There isn’t an end goal for Slimy Oddity, I just want to keep expanding our universe into all kinds of mediums, experiences, and expressions. I would say that a dream project of mine would be to have a Netflix series, though. It seems far-fetched right now but I’m manifesting it right now.”