I'll Be Dead by the Time You Read This: The Existential Life of Animals

by Romeo Alaeff

"Each image winks at the cosmic joke of existence." - Antenna Magazine If you've ever eavesdropped on people's conversations, had heart-to- hearts with friends or family, or even just paid attention to the thoughts bouncing around in your own head, you'll undoubtedly find that we humans have, well, issues. In a stroke of cruel genius, internationally exhibited artist, Romeo Alaeff, what if animals had as much emotional baggage as we do? Pairing gorgeously detailed drawings with overheard snippets from human conversation, I'll Be Dead by the Time You Read This collects the neurotic animals that have become an art world sensation.

Genres: Humor, Comics, Art

96 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Romeo Alaeff was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1970.

Initially studying biomedical engineering, he received his BA in photography from Tulane University in 1993 and his MFA in photography from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1996.

His work, expressed through a range of mediums, including film/video, drawing, printmaking, and writing, converges on epistemological, psychological, or sociological concerns.

His work has exhibited internationally in major museums, galleries, and film festivals including: Lyon Biennale, France; Artists Space, NYC; International Print Center, NYC; Hannah MacLure Centre, Scotland; Brooklyn Academy of Music, NYC; State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia; Chelsea Art Museum, NYC; NY Video Festival, Lincoln Center; Witte de With, in conjunction with the International Film Festival, Rotterdam; National Museum, Madrid; Museum of Contemporary Art, Barcelona; Dallas Museum of Art; and Cartier Foundation, Paris.

His work has also been included in university curricula such as Emory University’s “The Displaced Person, Literature Beyond the Canon,” The University of Texas at Austin’s “American Studies: Religion and Society in American Literature,” and Georgia State University’s “Graduate Educational Psychology Seminar.”

In addition, Alaeff has been a guest artist at the Rhode Island School of Design, Brown University, Pratt, Parsons, The University of Georgia, and Georgia State University. He was also a photography instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Romeo is the author of the photobook, "In der Fremde: Pictures from Home" (Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2021) and "I’ll be Dead by the Time You Read This: The Existential Life of Animals" (Penguin Books / Plume Books, 2011). His stickers appear in Stickers: Stuck-Up Piece of Crap: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art (Rizzoli, 2010).

Alaeff is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Lines & Marks, an online publication dedicated to the role and practice of drawing across the arts and sciences.

Reviews

[Yodamom · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you thnk about all the usless comments we make everyday and put them in the minds of animals you will see the sillyness of it all. I was a bit confused about what I was reading at first. This is not the average book you pick up. When I just releaxed and looked at the beautiful drawings and the humorous words I found myself laughing and chuckling with the author.

Fun, beautiful and uncomplicated.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short little book that imposes some of the things we humans are always saying on animals. It's an interesting concept. I know that I'm guilty of being a little overly dramatic sometimes as I think many of my fellow humans are as well. When Alaeff imposes some of the things that we say on to the animals, in a strange way, it sort of makes you realize how we often blow things out of proportion or turn a relatively minor thing into something massive and life changing. Very interesting comment on human society.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll Be Dead by the Time You Read This is a charming collection of animal pictures. However, those animal pictures have quotes that are essentially not animalistic. A lot of them are common things that people think when they feel like they need to fix themselves. The humor of these pictures, though, is that these negative sayings attached to animals seems to make human complaints almost absurd and ridiculous. A fun, quick read that is definitely a pick me up when one is down in the dumps about their existence.

[EeeJay · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unusual (and uncomplicated) book. Takes about 10 mins to flip through but leaves an impact that makes you wonder about it days later. The thing I kept thinking was: we project our problems to be way bigger than they are but then again, only the one who faces these issues can understand how complex they seem at the time. A good book for the eternal worrier. The only thing that could have been better was to have some of the animals' thought processes better matched.

[Steve Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wasn't impressed with the art…at all. Putting what seemed to be random human phrases next to sketches of animals made no sense and wasn't funny. The upside is that it takes about five minutes to flip through the book.

I really don't get why people thought this was worth more than one star.

[Issa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ★彡 Witty and fun!

What, you think humans are the only species to experience identity crises and existential dread? Welp, these critters beg to differ (≧∇≦). This book seems like a fun and witty pet project; I had a good chuckle at some parts. I rate it 3|5 because it's not really unique from the memes we can find on Tumblr or the 'gram v('ω'). 

[Shelbi Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved each page. i cared more for these animals with completely human thoughts than I have for humans thinking them

[Manciu Alexandra Estera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precious!! It hit me like a truck,if you wondered what are the animals thinking+some beautiful drawings for it,this book is for you

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

the animal pictures are cute, the words are realistic

[Tyler Bruns · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was essentially made up Post-Secrets, for animals. It's a humor book, excellent for a few seconds of miniscule entertainment, poor for anything else.

[Amania Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were 3 that I liked the best. ^_^

[Schnaucl · Rating 3 out of 5]

The drawings of the animals are incredibly detailed and well done.

[Huda Fel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Animal pix & quotes; not a children's book.
It's for adults to sheer them up.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect mix of tragic and absurd.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute. The cover hooked me. And it was worth paging through. Very silly. Sketches much like I do.

[Clover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really funny and sad at the same time. The drawings are great and I want to steal them. I wish they used thicker paper though... You can see the drawing on the verso of every page :(