I Wonder If It's A Sign Of Better Or Worse Mental Health When You Wake Up To Loud Explosions Outside

this artwork is dedicated to my killed, robbed, and colonized Ukrainian ancestors.

I Am Not Your Asian American Doll: a comic for AAPI Heritage Month 2023

I usually spend a lot of time editing and fine-tuning my comics so that they come across as polite and inoffensive. But honestly, I’m really tired of the way Asian cultures and countries are treated / talked about while Asian people themselves are excluded, and thought it was about time I really let my rage out lol.

id in alt

today, February 24, second year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The tenth year of the war. A centurys of struggle. Thousands and thousands of killed and maimed people. Endless grief and pain. Fear and rage. If you have Ukrainian friends, support them today, this is a difficult day for all of us 🫂

Burning Ukrainian books isn't enough for russians, they are bombing printing houses.

This is Factor Druk, one of the largest full-cycle printing houses both in Ukraine and in Europe (located in Kharkiv region), where a lot of Ukrainian publishing houses print their books. And today russia bombed it. There are injured and killed.

After reading this horrible news, I went to my bookshelf, and the first comic I picked up was printed by Factor Druk. And you know what's fucking ironic?

It was one of Atla comics.

I have a collection of all Atla comics that are already published in Ukraine, and apparently they were printed by Factor Druk.

I'm sitting here completely devastated, holding these comics like the biggest treasure in the world.

Russia is a terrorist state

No. He is literally fighting against an authoritarian regime, so no

has someone done this yet

Overnight, Russia launched an attack on Ukrainian energy facilities, damaging power generation, transmission and distribution systems in various regions, including Ukraine's largest hydroelectric power plant, the Dnipro hydroelectric power plant in Zaporizhzhia.

Many towns and cities were partially or completely cut off from electricity.

Seems that Russians not had enough of the terrible disaster at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant last year.

Ukraine needs weapons and air defense against Russian terrorism and genocide.

Fairytale illustrations by Kateryna Shtanko

My old edits of Ukraine wearing a more accurate (simplified) traditional costume in comparison to the Sharovarshchyna-like clothes she has on in the original

Sharovarshchyna is basically pseudo-ethnic clothing that has nothing to do with Ukrainian national wear, and only pretends to be ethnic through kitsch elements. Sooo... something like this:

Sharovarshchyna:

Cheap, thin fabric, often glossy. Eye-straining red + white colour combination. Large and very vibrant flowers on the clothes, sometimes glued on. Generally very saturated colours, plastic-looking flower crowns that have no usage in traditional rituals or holidays. Often very low in details, minor accessories like a single necklace. Men often depicted wearing vibrant red boots (symbol of femininity? most of the time brides would wear those). Has nothing to do with Ukrainian heritage. A caricature, theatrical costume popularized in the late 19th century, later endorsed during the soviet era, when russification was especially violent, and only the "correct" showcasing of Ukrainian things wasn't persecuted. Still used by Ukrainians as a scenical costume for the very purpose it was created - because it's cheap, and easier to dance in.

"Sharovarshchyna" comes from the word "sharovary" which is the name of the stereotypical loose Cossack pants

Traditional Ukrainian costume:

Mostly muted colour scheme. Dark red, black and white often used as dominant colours, with details of other tones with higher saturation. Many elements vary depending on the region and occasion. Typically linen or thick cotton fabric. Detailed decorative embroidered elements have spiritual and symbolic meanings. Flower crown-like headwear worn by women during holidays and ceremonies (like weddings). Decorative tassels and fringe are often used on sleeves, hems, and headpieces to add texture and flair.

Also! Aprons, scarves, sashes, belts, and a lot of different headwear! (⁠っ⁠.⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)⁠っ

edit: for additional context, the second picture showcases wedding crowns and hats

Also some bonus examples of modern Ukrainian ethno-fashion ↓

Thanks for reading. I plan to do a more elaborate post with illustrations about Ukrainian traditional wear sometime in the future 🙏

Love these quick sketches of simple designs

They all trans and gay