How to quit smoking, one illustration at a time

One of Sean Berthiaume's comic illustrations about quitting smoking.

New York City is known for its pizza. So to make your pizza known, you have to do something special.

That's why Vinnie’s, a Brooklyn pizzeria, has started to draw attention not just for their traditional pies, but for their illustrated daily specials whiteboard, filled with clever pop-culture references. Each day gets it's own intricate cartoon and pun-filled pie names. Home Alone becomes Prov Alone, FKA Twigs is FKA Figs, and Wu-Tang Clan's C.R.E.A.M. now stands for "Cheese Rules Everything Around Me." 

The specials are the work of Sean Berthiaume, a comic artist and co-owner of the restaurant. Hemakes punning on pizza look easy, but he's also adopted a new project that isn't as much fun: kicking his smoking habit.

Instead of griping, Berthiaume goes back to his drawing board. He transformed his struggles into a quirky daily comic series on his Instagram account. His portrayal is pretty honest, and will likely charm smokers and non-smokers alike. It's a tough goal, and we wish Berthiaume luck — but hopefully he can still focus some time and talent on new puns for his pizza boards.

Day 1

Sean Berthiaume

Day 2

Sean Berthiaume

Day 3

Sean Berthiaume

Day 4

Sean Berthiaume

Day 5 

Sean Berthiaume

Day 6

Sean Berthiaume

Day 7

Sean Berthiaume

This story was originally published as a blog post from Sideshow, a podcast from PRI's SoundWorks network hosted by Sean Rameswaram

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