A four-panel comic illustration of a pink figure with yellow hair lying in bed. In the final panel, the figure wakes up with wide eyes. The word “FUCK.” is written in the top left corner.

A "stress opus" from cartoonist Nadine Redlich

Words: Lucy Bourton
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Date: 25 November 2016; Work
Illustration

If you’ve had a long day and your stress levels are reaching an all time high, wander over to Nadine Redlich’s website for an instant chuckle. An It’s Nice That favourite who we’ve championed previously, the cartoonist has an immense ability to translate uncomfortable feelings into quick-witted illustrations.

Nadine has previously released “tension easing books” under the titles of Ambient Comics and Ambient Comics II, and this autumn the comic artist releases her “stress opus” Paniktotem. This is a book for those “who can relate to lethargy, phobia, stress, panic or resignation,” Nadine explains, “that much (as a phobic patient) I can promise”.

The series of illustrations which Nadine has created over the past two years depict the inner workings of our collective minds. Nadine uses the silly things: the feeling when embarrassing memories that happened years ago pop back into your head, or even the imaginary voices of animals as inspiration. The result is a collection of drawings so relatable that they might make you squirm, but will hopefully teach us to laugh at all our daft tendencies.

You can purchase Paniktotem here.

Above

Nadine Redlich: Paniktotem

An illustration of a red apple sliced in half to reveal a yellow interior. A small blue figure with two eyes sits inside the core. — Above
Nadine Redlich: Paniktotem

An illustration of a yellow sun character dipping into a blue sea. The sun has a red nose, half-closed eyes, and holds a glass of beer while smoking a cigarette. Above the image, the word “MEANWHILE” is written in a simple sans-serif font. — Above
Nadine Redlich: Paniktotem

An illustration of a yellow, rounded figure holding a broom. They stand on a green rug, sweeping a pile of dust while a speech bubble reads “It’s fine.” — Above
Nadine Redlich: Paniktotem

An illustration of three peas in a pod, each with a smiling face and a red nose. Speech bubbles beside them read “HA”, “HA HA” and “HA HA HA”. — Above
Nadine Redlich: Paniktotem

An illustration of a small, fluffy yellow creature with a large red nose and wide eyes. Below the figure, text reads “Whenever I feel sad, I just remind myself that I have never killed anyone.” — Above
Left
Nadine Redlich: Paniktotem
Right
Nadine Redlich: Paniktotem

An illustration of a round, yellow character with a sleepy expression and pink cheeks. Below the figure, handwritten text reads “THE GIANT WEIGHT THAT HAS LIFTED OFF MY SHOULDERS GIVES ME AN ENORMOUS HIGH.” — Above
Nadine Redlich: Paniktotem

A four-panel comic illustration of a white dog with a long nose. In the final panel, the dog looks exhausted as a speech bubble reads “I hate my job.” — Above
Nadine Redlich: Paniktotem

A comic strip featuring six panels of a grey rock with a simple face on a green field. In the final panel, a speech bubble reads “I feel everything.” — Above
Nadine Redlich: Paniktotem

Further Info

www.nadineredlich.de

About the Author

Lucy Bourton

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Lucy (she/her) was part of the It’s Nice That team from 2016–2025, first joining as a staff writer after graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a degree in Graphic Design Communication, eventually becoming a senior editor on our editorial team, and most recently at Insights, a research-driven department with It’s Nice That.

A "stress opus" from cartoonist Nadine Redlich

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