I'll Be Dead by the Time You Read This

"Every morning, next to my bathroom mirror, Romeo’s anxious goldfish reminds me of the fullness of existence; for to be afraid of dying is not to lead a fearful life, but one so precious you don’t want to lose it." — Christian Rattemeyer, Associate Curator, Museum of Modern Art

"When Alaeff adds a line of dialogue to his stand-alone illustrations of a cat or jellyfish or ram, he creates something more resonant than a caption." — Oprah.com

"Romeo’s little animals have more tragic-comic personality than any character on Reality TV, and certainly more profound!" — DB Burkeman, author of Stickers: Stuck-up Piece of Crap