Good Thing: Fierce Fashion in Binglin Hu’s ‘Furesh Taste’

When I've caught a gnarly case of the blues, there are only a handful of things that can tilt me towards warmer hues, and two of those are fashion photos and cute animals photos. In both, subjects exude aesthetic and autonomy: "I know my angles, my features, and my style, I'll allow you the pleasure of looking unto me," and, "I'm a fuzzy bundle unbothered by social stigma, look at me and hope to feel the same!"

Artist Binglin Hu built a better Icarus, dared to fly right at the sun, and survived to tell the tale. Their Furesh Taste zine boasts furry anthropomorphic folks modeling tangerine handbags, teal jackets, and clothes that I lack the language to describe. This pay-what-you-want experience features four models — Balsamic the dog, Melon the sheep, Pit the monkey, and Sachima the tiger — flaunting four fashions each.

In the piece above, Melon's outfit evokes a casual summer day, one free from flies and swarming beach sand. Their sundress carves inspiration from what looks like a sandstone pattern, until you realize one band of stripes might actually be a bridge. Are all the bands bridges? I am transfixed further.

Pit here is serving up Jolly Rancher joy in her swimsuit ensemble. People say that viewing the world through rose-colored glasses (goggles, in this case) can be dangerous, but I ask: how can anything be dangerous when you're equipped with an adorable cat inner tube and neon green scuba flippers? An outfit like this is worth the risk.

Find more from Binglin Hu on their website and Twitter. And, in the vein of good things: starting March 6th, a portion of all the zine's proceeds will go to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Good Thing is a new feature at ComicsAlliance where we celebrate something we love from comics or pop culture, because every day could use something good.