comic - Jen Hernandez Art

Welcome to the Misty Forest! Read Wildling on this website here.

This little comic was first inspired by a character design I made while teaching comics camps this summer. In our camps, we would often take time to create characters starting with basic shapes, inspiration from our environment and questions about what we could make. And in the midst of that, Little Bun just jumped right out.

Little Bun has grown a bit since they’re first concept, but they’ve maintained their core characteristics. They’re a Bunny/ Deer hybrid in the spirit of the Jackalope except they’re forest based, they’re fluffy and small with bunny ears and deer antlers. And they like to wear really nice clothes. Right now for fall, knitted sweaters and big mud boots are in.

From that first design, a whole world unfolded where I could see Little Bun wandering around the forest, taking care of the other critters there, collecting flowers and mushrooms, and enjoying small moments in their acorn-style home.

Creating this comic has been a way for me to create a little time and space for myself to enjoy those little moments, and as I focused some energy on crafting the world of the Misty Forest, I have found myself getting lost in the details of the trees in the distance, moss on a root, and a tiny window sill herb garden that’s certainly there but still a little bit secret (for now). This comic is my ode to slow life, smelling the rain over pine needles and savoring hot tea on a cool morning. I hope you enjoy hanging out here with me and Little Bun for a bit.

This webcomic will update about every two weeks here on my website, on Webtoons, Instagram, and Tapas. Patrons on my patreon will see comics before everyone else, plus some little extras as they come along.

I made this comic about 5 years ago, when I was in the midst of a personal crisis and struggling with anxiety. I was very lucky to be in therapy at the time with an amazing therapist who helped me survive the worst moments of my life. From some of those sessions, I learned about the anxiety that I had more or less “managed” all my life. The feeling of being tied down to a needy, obnoxious, relentless albeit ineffective little monster clarified in my mind so clearly, I had to draw it. And this comic came out exactly how I pictured it.

I was having coffee with a friend recently and I remembered this comic in our conversation. I love this comic. I love it because it was made with simple pen and markers and sticky notes, and I love that’s all it took for me to visualize something I struggled so hard to reconcile. This comic feels so freshly relevant to me now, even 5 years later, when my artwork has changed but my anxiety really hasn’t– and it won’t, it’s part of me, but I don’t have to struggle against it and me so much anymore.

My anxiety is still very much with me, still screaming and demanding potato chips.

Tag: comic

Wildling, A Quiet Comic about Life in the Misty Forest

Little Buddy, a comic about anxiety