WEREWOLVES. Though, not real ones. Yet. We’ll get there. This is the preview! I really enjoy drawing werewolves, so it’s good that I’m making a comic about them.
Anyway, I’m basing Malaya’s reaction here to what I typically deal with when I get an anxiety attack. It’s difficult to calm down when your brain gets to that place where you can’t fight off the thoughts you don’t want to have anymore. The worst part is, me not being a werewolf at all, usually these attacks are over the stupidest things. Like the other week, I was trying to find handles and knobs for my kitchen cabinets, and that became the only thing I could do that day. I was stupidly conflicted over what to choose, if they’d be big enough, if the color was right, if I should go for some antique handles off of ebay, if that would look too pieced together, etc. It was a lot. And I don’t think I really chilled out until I finally paid for the ones I decided on the next day. But that’s not really that big of a deal! I could have returned them if I hated them! But my brain turned it into a big deal, and I didn’t have a lot of recourse to change that. I took a long walk with the dog, but that was about the best I could do. So here, those thoughts that she normally keeps off to the side are finally creeping back in.
Deciding how to deal with these pages has been very frustrating! Rewarding, but frustrating. When you’re creating something, it’s easy to assume that everyone understands what you’re trying to get across. You’re in the midst of it, so you have an understanding of who’s doing what, and what everyone feels, that your audience isn’t aware of…so, you have to communicate what’s in your brain to your audience in a way that tells them what they need to know. Your audience doesn’t need to know everything! Or at least, not right away. But in any form of media, your audience shouldn’t be guessing at why stuff happens unless you want them to be guessing. This particular sequence is basically an anxiety attack, but I can’t just come out and have Malaya say, “Oh! I think I’m having an anxiety attack because of my pent up emotional trauma over being a werewolf and my insistence on ignoring it completely!” I mean, I could do that. It’d be…very clear, at least. But more effectively, I have to show you what an anxiety attack looks like. Not everyone has them! Or has had them. Or will have them. But it’s very hard showing someone fighting their own brain, and it’s hard to make that problem have context in a sequence of pages where you get two a week XD.
So anyway, I’m posting three pages next week. Or, that is the plan. Because the page for Wednesday next week really works better as two very sparse pages, so it’s much better splitting it up. The only problem is now I have to think of another question for the title of the Thursday pages, because originally I was only going to have 5 pages and that fit my title scheme much better.
Okay, I’m off to get stuff done before I go to Chinatown tonight and eat pork soup dumplings/xiao long bao and get bubble tea at a new place that opened *_*. I’m like, the worst almost vegetarian ever. I only eat pork when it’s in xiao long bao. I don’t generally like pork or beef…or really most meat, but I eat it out of necessity when I don’t have other options.
Silly, but I just wanted to chime in that I enjoy your “behind the scenes” commentary just as much as the comic. When it’s thing I totally get, I love the feeling of jiving with someone I don’t even know (validation, I guess?) When you explain things that are foreign to me, it’s in such a way that I “get” something I’ve always felt shut out of. Someone very important to me has anxiety issues, and I’ve done my best to be supportive even though I have no idea what’s really going on. I feel like im finally starting to understand, and that feels awesome. Thanks 🙂
I’m glad! I like writing more, because I feel like that kind of commentary helps me be a better creator when I read it from other people, and also helps sort out my own intentions from page to page :). So I’m glad it’s helpful!
I think the best thing to remember when dealing with people who have anxiety is that, from the outside, it may look crazy and irrational and useless to worry about such small things, but that person knows that these aren’t normal or good or rational thoughts. They aren’t being an anxious mess on purpose! But usually, those weird attacks will pass, so it’s best to just ask if there’s anything you can do to help them. And, you know, don’t just tell them to calm down. They would if they could :).
Oh gosh. I know how that feels…I had anxiety, and my parents literally accussed me of “Faking it”.
…That did not help. At all.
I don’t think anyone else has accused me of faking it, but I usually keep my freak outs pretty private. There are days when I’m like, “there is no reason to feel this way whatsoever”, but I can’t turn it off and it’s frustrating as hell.
In the second panel, I can’t help but think the werewolf’s face looks incredibly, hilariously deeply.
This is of course with the image taken in vacuum, and ignoring the body language and next panels.
I kind of aimed for that panel to seem like the werewolf was more amused, like it was taunting her more than threatening her, so you’re right! That, and it’s more fun to draw werewolves that look sneaky XD.
I think Mal needs to read up on her Incredible Hulk comics.
Might help her plan her wardrobe better. She needs to invest in those sweet purple stretch pants.
In her case I might invest in a good sports bra as well. =P
Exactly! She’s actually wearing one here, you can kind of see it peeking out the sides of her neckline. Can’t have your titties flying around when you’re a werewolf. Inconvenient!
Welp. So much for my previous guess >.<
As for the current page, I'm somewhat confused about the switch on the second wolf panel, what emotion it represents. The first feels like taunting and the last to loose control/focus?
Lol, I liked your idea a lot, though! Her fears are communicating with her, at least XD.
I like to think all three panels are taunting her, but in a different way. They’re taunting her with her own fear, and her fear is becoming that last wolf. The second panel is like, the warning that what she’s afraid of is coming.
In a way, shouldn’t those thoughts of the werewolf side of her (which is what I’m guessing those panels are) actually be helping her? It’s maker her think of her “wolf” which is what she needs right now.
Making*** not maker
Yes, but it’s not on her terms. This is her fear and anxiety talking. She’s gotta take ownership of the part of her she’s so afraid of, or else it won’t be of any benefit to her. This all connects back to the conversation she had with her mom in chapter four. The werewolf part of her is scary because she’s never faced it before. She has to get passed that initial fear long enough to let this become a normal part of her, or she’ll always be afraid.
Trying out the new bubble tea places that open anywhere in the general 150km away area is kinda my thing…
HOW WAS IT?!
I ended up going to a different place, because it turns out the place I had in mind wasn’t in Chinatown, but somewhere like five miles away! So I went to a shop called Kung Fu Tea, which was…normal! The Chicago milk tea scene is kind of weaksauce compared to what I was used to in Los Angeles. In LA, they’ll put like, pudding and jelly and caramel and all kinds of weird shit in your drink, and there’s a BUNCH of flavors. Chicago places all have really basic flavors, though this one had Oreo milk tea? I’m not sure how that works.
It’s never easy learning how to use your inner power.
No it isn’t!
“The worst part is, me not being a werewolf at all, usually these attacks are over the stupidest things.”
Talk about holding yourself up to unreal standards! You are just not like normal people, who are all werewolves.
Damn, I knew it! No one ever tells me nothin’.
I just came by here through an ad at another webcomic site. I feel like I never know what to say in these comments, but oh well. I like the characters, and Malaya’s family makes me feel just so good and warm. They seem like such good people. Thanks for sharing your story!
I never know what to say in comments either, but I’m glad you like my little werewolf family! Thank you for commenting :D.
Not sure If you know this or not, but canine snouts tend to scunch up when their snarling. Just a friendly tip from a fellow artist!
I’m aware! I don’t like pushing the scrunching aspect too much because I don’t find it appealing lol. I make a lot of decisions based on what I think looks good rather than what looks right.
That makes sence. It’s your comic after all! I’m so happy I managed to run across this website, good luck on your next page!
The best kept artist secret is always what we do because it looks better than reality XD. I’m glad you’re liking it! I’ve been redrawing stuff on the next couple pages all day :p
just found your comic,, love it.. ( also found it thru add site )(( well found it hour ago,,had to get caught up..)) ?? sooo?? is wolf ‘s power hereditary ? an was grandma an alpha?? ( cuz i believe shes the one who turned Mal…)
I’m glad you like it! A wolf’s powers are hereditary, though a werewolf giving birth might not have another werewolf if their partner is human. Grandma was an alpha, though that won’t end up mattering :).
I’m liking your comic a lot, tides me over ’till the next Patricia Briggs novel comes out! Please forgive my being mildly amused at a vegetarian writing werewolf stories 😉 .
Orrr are they helping with that change a little too much?