+
upworthy
More

J.K. Rowling approved the first-ever 'Harry Potter' comic — for a great reason.

The comic's proceeds go toward the victims and survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting.

In September 2016, DC Comics and IDW Publishing announced "Love Is Love," a charity comic anthology to support the victims of the June shooting at Pulse nightclub.

Teaming up with more than 200 artists and writers, Marc Andreyko (best known for his work on "Batman" and "Wonder Woman '77") led the charge in curating the anthology of more than 100 short graphic stories packed into 144 pages. In DC's announcement, "Love Is Love" was described as a "love letter to the LGBTQ community."

In addition to featuring some of the biggest names in comics, the anthology also features stories from actor Matt Bomer ("White Collar"), documentarian Morgan Spurlock, and comedians Taran Killam and Patton Oswalt.


The big-name affair got even bigger when J.K. Rowling signed off on a "Harry Potter"-themed illustration — the first time an officially approved version of the character has appeared in comic form.

DC co-publisher Jim Lee created a sketch featuring Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing with Dumbledore, who Rowling famously revealed was gay after the final book in the series was released. The final version of Lee's illustration will include the words "Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open," a quote from "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" published in 2000. As Lee notes in a caption on his Instagram page, it's the first time Rowling has given her blessing to an illustration of this kind.

Check out @georgegustines lovely article in the @nytimes in which my "Love is love" contribution is revealed. This first of a kind illustration was done with #jkrowling's blessing, inspired by her quote: “Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.” –The Goblet of Fire #harrypotter #Loveislove is an amazing anthology and collaboration among so many of comicdom's finest talents with all proceeds going to the victims, survivors, and their families of the Orlando shooting tragedy via EQUALITY FLORIDA. I want to thank @idwpublishing editor #SarahGaydos and @dccomics Vertigo group editor @jamie_s_rich for their tireless work in making this book a reality. The full uncropped image available in the book in stores 12/28. Colors by the magnificent @markchidc!

A photo posted by Jim Lee (@jimleeart) on

While events like the Pulse shooting are tragic and devastating, it's heartening to see people respond in solidarity however they can.

In the months since the shooting, which killed 49, a number of Pulse benefits have been held to honor the victims. The OneOrlando fund raised more than $30 million to pay out to victims of the shooting, Orlando-area hospitals are taking steps to ensure that survivors won't be billed for treatment, and a number of entertainment industry fundraisers have been held in support of the victims.

That's what superheroes do — and that's what makes the "Love Is Love" anthology so appropriate. Harry Potter will appear alongside some of the most famous DC characters — such as Batgirl and Superman.

While we could all use a Superman in our lives, especially amid these sorts of senseless acts of violence, we'll have to settle for the next best thing: regular people with a lot of heart.

For "Love Is Love" pre-order information, check out IDW's website.

A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

Keep ReadingShow less
Health

8 nontraditional empathy cards that are unlike any you've ever seen. They're perfect!

Because sincerity and real talk are important during times of medical crisis.

True compassion.

When someone you know gets seriously ill, it's not always easy to come up with the right words to say or to find the right card to give.

Emily McDowell — a former ad agency creative director and the woman behind the Los Angeles-based greeting card and textile company Emily McDowell Studio — knew all too well what it was like to be on the receiving end of uncomfortable sentiments.

At the age of 24, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin's lymphoma. She went into remission after nine months of chemo and has remained cancer-free since, but she received her fair share of misplaced, but well-meaning, wishes before that.

On her webpage introducing the awesome cards you're about to see, she shared,

"The most difficult part of my illness wasn't losing my hair, or being erroneously called 'sir' by Starbucks baristas, or sickness from chemo. It was the loneliness and isolation I felt when many of my close friends and family members disappeared because they didn't know what to say or said the absolute wrong thing without realizing it."

Her experience inspired Empathy Cards — not quite "get well soon" and not quite "sympathy," they were created so "the recipients of these cards [can] feel seen, understood, and loved."

Scroll down to read these sincere, from-the-heart, and incredibly realistic sentiments.

Keep ReadingShow less
Innovation

A student accidentally created a rechargeable battery that could last 400 years

"This thing has been cycling 10,000 cycles and it’s still going." ⚡️⚡️

There's an old saying that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.

There's no better example of that than a 2016 discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that could last up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium ion batteries piling up in landfills.

Keep ReadingShow less
Health

This woman's powerful 'before and after' photos crush myths about body positivity

"Body positivity is about saying that you are more than a body and your self-worth is not reliant on your beauty."



Michelle Elman, a body positivity coach, helps people who are struggling to find confidence in their own skin.

After persevering through numerous medical conditions and surgeries in her own life, Elman realized a few years ago that body positivity wasn't just about size or weight. Things like scars, birthmarks, and anything else that makes us feel different of self-conscious have to be a part of the conversation, and she tries to make the movement accessible to everyone.

Sharing her own journey has been one of her most effective teaching tools.

Keep ReadingShow less
via wakaflockafloccar / TikTok

It's amazing to consider just how quickly the world has changed over the past 11 months. If you were to have told someone in February 2020 that the entire country would be on some form of lockdown, nearly everyone would be wearing a mask, and half a million people were going to die due to a virus, no one would have believed you.

Yet, here we are.

PPE masks were the last thing on Leah Holland of Georgetown, Kentucky's mind on March 4, 2020, when she got a tattoo inspired by the words of a close friend.

Keep ReadingShow less

"Fun" dad versus "lazy" mom.

Last November, Upworthy published a popular story about Chloe Sexton, a mother who went viral on TikTok for a video she made explaining “daddy privilege” or the idea that fathers are applauded for doing things that mothers are supposed to do.

"In my opinion, 'daddy privilege' is that subtle upper hand men sidestep into as parents that allows them to gain praise for simply…being a parent," she said. "You fed the baby? What a great dad! You held the baby while mommy bathed? So considerate of you! You picked up something for dinner? What would your family do without you?! It's all the little ways mothers do exactly what the world expects of them without a second thought and then watch fathers get praised for simply showing up."

Sadly, the post resonated with a lot of mothers, because it's true. Expectations for fathers are so low that men are commended for handling basic parenting tasks. But if a mother falls short of perfection, she faces harsh criticism.

Mary Catherine Starr, a mother living in Cape Cod who owns a design studio and teaches yoga, is getting a lot of love on Instagram for her cartoon series that perfectly explains daddy privilege.

Keep ReadingShow less