50 ‘False Knees’ Comics About Birds, Nature, And Existentialism

Ever looked at cute animals in the wild and wondered if they have any of the same pessimistic thoughts as us? What if all those fascinating noises they make translate into nothing more than the same mundane conversations we have? We may never know for sure, but thanks to False Knees, we can at least imagine the answers.

Canadian comic artist Josh Barkman has certainly come a long way since publishing his first comic strip through Concordia University newspaper The Link in 2013, starting the series now known as False Knees. In late 2016, the comics took a decidedly wild turn, depicting woodland creatures and their various existential crises. Barkman found his niche, and his Instagram follower count is now creeping above 11 thousand. A resident of Kitchener, Ontario, he often draws animals native to the area in his frames, including the Canada goose and the red-breasted nuthatch.

The life and times of a forest animal can indeed be bittersweet, but one could say that they’re just like us that way.