| I Will Survive | |
|---|---|
 The first page of the comic, in whichJudy Hopps discovers her pregnancy | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DeviantArt |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | Zootopiafan fiction |
| Publication date | March – June 2017 |
| No. of issues | 25 |
| Main character(s) | Judy Hopps Nick Wilde |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | William Borba |
| Artist | William Borba |
I Will Survive (colloquially known as the "Zootopia abortion comic") is afan art comic by William Borba surroundingZootopia characters Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. The comic features Judy discovering that she is pregnant and wanting to get anabortion, leading to an argument between the two and the end of their relationship. The comic quickly spread as anInternet meme due to its serious subject appearing in a comic aboutZootopia characters.
Judy Hopps discovers that she is pregnant and wakes up her boyfriendNick Wilde, who insists on showering before Judy shares her important news. Judy tells Nick about the pregnancy, and Nick is overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a father. However, Judy is still upset and confesses that she does not want to keep the child. Nick demands an explanation, but Judy cuts him off for rudely interrupting her and says she will continue only if they speak maturely.
Nick agrees, and Judy explains that she did not usecontraception duringsex, assuming that they would not be able to biologically have children; she confesses to fearing that their child will be a "freak" and expresses concern over her own health. Nick is hurt to learn that Judy does not want to have children with him.
Judy apologizes, adding that there is another reason she wants to have anabortion, namely her desire to protect her career and her ability to inspire and help others as a cop. Nick is further upset by this and retorts that Judy is "killing" their child for her career, leading Judy to slap him. Judy begs forgiveness, but Nick silently packs a bag while Judy pleads with him to stay. Nick reminds Judy that he loves her because of the good things she's done, saying that having an abortion would rob their child of a chance to do the same. Judy refuses, insisting onbodily autonomy.
Nick asks why Judy did not simply keep the pregnancy secret, so Judy says she thought he deserved to know. Taking this as proof that Judy cares nothing for his feelings on the matter, Nick ends their relationship and walks out. Crying, he assures Judy that he will survive. Alone in her apartment, Judy collapses on the floor in tears.
Prior to the comic's publication, the filmZootopia was already popular among thefurry community due to rumors thatThe Walt Disney Company had directly asked members of its community to promote the film.[1]
The art and story were put together by artist William Borba. The art for Nick and Judy's apartment was visually similar toJerry Seinfeld's apartment in the seriesSeinfeld.[2] According to Borba, he did not intend for the comic to align with eitherpro-life orpro-choice arguments, but rather simply to highlight the arguments of both sides and show that "even an apparently eternal love can fall apart" when a couple is unable to reconcile their differences.[3]
The comic was first published in March 2017 onDeviantArt by Borba. In June 2017,I Will Survive was published on the website Zootopia News Network, which acknowledged that the comic was highly controversial.[2]
The comic was met with controversy, with one website calling it "the most controversial comic the fandom had ever seen". This controversy however largely stayed withinZootopia's already-extant fanbase until December 2017,[2] when images from the comic were posted onTwitter by Eric Munn.[1] After that, the comic quickly went viral for apparently beinganti-abortion as Nick refers to the act as "premeditated sin".Internet memes spread about the comic,[4] including people editing the text bubble so that the characters were arguing about other topics, including air conditioning andArby's.[2] By October 2023, the comic remained a common cultural reference that people could identify fromcouple costumes.[1]
In analyzing the comic's popularity, Jay Hathaway ofThe Daily Dot described it as unintentionally humorous due to combining "a straight-faced diatribe on a serious subject" withDisney characters. He praised Borba's art as "stunning and well worth saving" while noting that the direction the characters go is "laughable". Overall, he said that the comic was worth rereading and finding new elements to laugh at each time.[2]
While the response to the comic was largely criticizing its supposed nature of being anti-abortion,[1][4] a number of articles were written, including byThe A.V. Club, which were specifically against thefurry community, as noted byThe Mary Sue's Ollie Kaplan.[1]
A sequel toI Will Survive was later released, titledBorn to Be Alive.[1]
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