Author | Lightnews

Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 2h

Thank you to everyone who has shared and checked out the book!!! I'm very grateful for the warm reception, and I'm emboldened to keep on making more things like it ☺💖✨

Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 1d

There are things I only draw when I'm sad, and it's only through the act of art-making that I can navigate the dark.

56 pages of lush illustrations paired with a moving, uplifting comic.

I hope you'll enjoy my new book 😊💖
Patreon: link.hiencomics.com.au/TID-P
Itch: link.hiencomics.com.au/TID-I

Front cover: a digital painting of a close-up human figure facing away from the screen. He's wearing a black short-sleeve shirt with white flowers patterns and a pair of light tan shorts. His right arm lays on his side with his fingers curled up in a relaxed, yet melancholic expression. The outline of his body is lit in a bright yellow hue that fades into deep orange.

He looks out onto a hazy, dream-like landscape. There are no distinguishable details, only soft waves of colours fading into each other: from deep orange at the bottom to a murky light yellow at the top. The ambiguous scene feels like it could either be a sunrise, or a sunset.

The handwritten title of the book lays on top of the illustration: “Things I Only Draw When I’m Sad. By Hien Pham.”

Back cover: the logline and content warning of the book display in a deep dark orange over the hazy scenery like in the front cover: “A collection of paintings on feeling things deeply, and a comic on how art has helped me navigate the dark. Content warning: heavy mental health topics, mention of sexual assault, artistic nudity.”

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Reposted by Hien Pham 🐻

Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 1d

There are things I only draw when I'm sad, and it's only through the act of art-making that I can navigate the dark.

56 pages of lush illustrations paired with a moving, uplifting comic.

I hope you'll enjoy my new book 😊💖
Patreon: link.hiencomics.com.au/TID-P
Itch: link.hiencomics.com.au/TID-I

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 1d

This is my first fully indie work in a long, long time. I've put many pieces of my heart into it and I'm so, so proud. Oh! And it's got alt text through-out, so it'll be accessible for screen readers too!

I hope it'll be worth your while 💖✨ please enjoy!!!

Illustration on the left. A lush digital painting of the figure on the front cover walks into deep teal water. He’s wearing a yellow shirt wrinkled and soaked in water. The surface of the water is lit in the top right corner by moonlight, which reflects faintly through the waves of water onto the figure’s body. The painting feels somber, but not entirely hopeless - as if the figure wishes his descent to be witnessed knowing he won’t yet completely sink below.

Comic page on the right. Hien continues drawing at his table. He seems slightly slumped over his desk with slightly furrowed brows. Another Hien stands behind him with one hand holding onto the drawing Hien’s chair. This second Hien looks on with a subtle worry. Narration at the top: “Small, seemingly meaningless things can pull me under faster than my heart can beat.”

Illustration. A warm digital painting of the figure from previous illustrations. The figure, Hien, is pictured in the middle of putting what’s left of his hair up in a bun. His eyes are closed and his face is angled as if looking away or hiding from the viewer’s gaze. He seems deep in thought with his cheeks flushed. His yellow shirt is unbuttoned and open at the front. Parts of his hands, arms, and back is lit by a warm late morning / early afternoon light.

Comic page. One Hien strikes a pose identical to the one in the previous illustration. He turns slightly to look back at the Hien drawing at the table and gives him a sly wink. The drawing Hien looks up from his work and seems amused by his counterpart. His expression relaxes into a pleasant smile. Narration at the top: “Unreciprocated yearning is a veil so thick it only makes sense on a canvas.”

Illustration. Close-up of a stem of two pink orchid flowers and one pale lime-green bud. The background is a stark black. The stem is shown torn at the middle with strands of sinewy plant matter slowly being torn apart.

Comic page. Whimsical Hien sits down with working Hien at their desk. The former holds the torn orchid stem, looking over to his counterpart who’s back at work with a solemn expression on his face. The previously-black-and-white page is slightly dimmed. Narration: “Sometimes, the feelings are unnavigable within myself. I have to reach out into the abstract.”

Illustration. A dark shadow casts over a murky red ground. The red fades into black shadows where one small raccoon bares its fangs. The shadow backs it into a defensive stance with its eyes and teeth reflecting a bright red-orange light.

Comic page. Whimsical Hien sits at the table with his eyes closed. A small raccoon rests on his lap. Working Hien slinks further into his work with a tired expression on his face. The page is dimmed further into a darker grey. Narration: “There is more than just me down in the dark.”

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 1d

There are things I only draw when I'm sad, and it's only through the act of art-making that I can navigate the dark.

56 pages of lush illustrations paired with a moving, uplifting comic.

I hope you'll enjoy my new book 😊💖
Patreon: link.hiencomics.com.au/TID-P
Itch: link.hiencomics.com.au/TID-I

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 1d

I'm furiously making final edits and writing the last bits of alt text for the book and just realized it's coming out in 2 hours 😱😱😱😱😱???

Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 1d

So what's the deal with "multiple mini Hiens" living in one brain? How do they work?? Is there a secret THIRD Hien somewhere???

Find out the answers to these internal family questions in the Things I Only Draw When I'm Sad epilogue 🧐 Coming out first thing tomorrow 😱😱😱!!

A digital cartoon of two identical balding bearded Asian men. One is multi-tasking so rapidly that it looks like he has multiple arms and are in multiple locations at once. He's carrying groceries, taking out the trash, putting laundry out, juggling work commitments and feeding himself all at once. The other man looks on in awe. He stands excitedly with both hands on his chin, smiling brightly with big sparkly eyes.

Narration: "At any given time, there are two Hiens living in my brain. One of them gets things done, and the other processes my feelings."

A digital cartoon of two identical balding bearded Asian men. The multi-tasking man has put down all of his tools to console his emotional counterpart who's swelling up with emotions and tears forming under his eyes.

Narration: "When the sensitive Hien gets overwhelmed by an emotion, the responsible one makes space for him to experience it. He helps him acknowledge it, and tries to talk him through it."

Words float above a dreamy orange-hue scenery with no distinguishable shapes other than soft waves of orange fading into warm yellow.

Narration: "A collection of paintings on feeling things deeply, and a comic on how art has helped me navigate the dark. Content warning: heavy mental health topics, mention of sexual assault, artistic nudity."

A digital painting of a man looking out into the sunset. His left arm hangs down his side. He wears a black shirt with white delicate flowers scattered in its pattern. His beige shorts crinkles up as he leans his weight on on leg. The blurry orange sky sets a bright burning orange on his outline.

Clean lettering writes the title: Things I Only Draw When I'm Sad by Hien Pham. A small ribbon on the corner of the illustration says "Coming Soon!"

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Reposted by Hien Pham 🐻

Erika Moen @erikamoen.bsky.social · 1d

It was real cool to get back to my autobio roots in this travelogue comic about meeting the Magic Wand team and sitting in on the presentation of their legit scientific study on masturbation. Also, I ate so much. Like. So, so much. I regret nothing.

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 1d

So what's the deal with "multiple mini Hiens" living in one brain? How do they work?? Is there a secret THIRD Hien somewhere???

Find out the answers to these internal family questions in the Things I Only Draw When I'm Sad epilogue 🧐 Coming out first thing tomorrow 😱😱😱!!

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 3d

Hopemaxing by watching Zohran Mamdani's campaign videos during work breaks and remembering to hydrate more than the tears I've cried

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Reposted by Hien Pham 🐻

Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 3d

Things I Only Draw When I'm Sad came about when I didn't want to beat myself up for feeling things deeply or needing time to process. Instead, I wanted to see if I could treat it as how my brain worked, and eventually, if it could be a strength.

Coming out SOON on Nov 6 😱!!

A digital painting of a two pink orchids and a bud on a green stem on a black background. The stem is broken and tearing apart.

To the right of the painting is a black-and-white cartoon of two identical balding Asian man sitting at a desk together. One is holding the broken flower stem. He looks with a soft expression toward the other one who's drawing solemnly on a digital art tablet. Narration: "Sometimes, the feelings are unnavigable within myself. I have to reach out into the abstract."

A digital painting of a shadow casting across a hazy, murky blood-red expanse. A small raccoon snarls with bright red eyes and bloody teeth as it's being backed away into the dark.

Next to the painting is a black-and-white cartoon of two identical balding bearded Asian men. One is doozing off on a chair with a sleeping raccoon on his lap. The other slumped, drawing sluggishly on a digital art tablet. Narration: "There are more than just me down in the depths."

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Reposted by Hien Pham 🐻

Ripley LaCross @ripleylacross.bsky.social · 5d

There's a new sketchbook post for paid members over on #Patreon 🌞 #art

In this collection of spreads we explore someone's backstory while introducing a new crew!

www.patreon.com/posts/142541...

Cover image. SKETCHBOOK: OCTOBER 2025
Patreon.com/RipleyLaCross

Preview sketches, in cream and purple, include an anthro elk and opossum, a Dwarven woman with long hair training with a rapier and hand musket, a veiled Tiefling and construct, with faded text in the background.

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 3d

Aw thank you that's very kind of you! I'm alright without so no worries, but it is a very thoughtful offer and I appreciate it 😊💖✨

Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 3d

Thank you so much for your very kind words and for reading my stuff!! You're definitely not alone, even though it always feels that way when you're going through heavy stuff. It's so tricky!! I wish you the best of luck with your journey and many fun adventures ahead! Thank you for your support 😊💖✨

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 3d

Things I Only Draw When I'm Sad came about when I didn't want to beat myself up for feeling things deeply or needing time to process. Instead, I wanted to see if I could treat it as how my brain worked, and eventually, if it could be a strength.

Coming out SOON on Nov 6 😱!!

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 6d

Sad that a couple Pokemons I had on my team have their Mega Stones locked behind online play (therefore nintendo online subscription) 😢 decided to reshuffle my dudes around and I'm excited to welcome an alpha Starmie at last hehehehe 🦵🏾⭐️🦵🏾

I love this game 😭💖✨

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Reposted by Hien Pham 🐻

Giopota @giopota.bsky.social · Mar 20

If you like reading comics that are lgbtqa+ focused, set in an immersive, meticulously crafted world building, based on real science and fantastical literature, with a cinematic early 90s anime style, FOR FREE, you should really give my series a shot.
www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/mo...

Mothersea

The Moon orbits so close to Earth that it could be reached by flying, If only a strange force didn’t keep humankind from landing on its desired ground. Reo wishes to reach the Moon someday, but the me...

www.webtoons.com

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Reposted by Hien Pham 🐻

BirthJey Party 🏳️‍⚧️ @jpawlik.com · Sep 29

My really popular barebones RSS comic from November 2022! I hope it helps you stay updated with your favourite webcomics, artists and websites.
I’m just a simple guy who’s passionate about RSS feeds, comics and staying updated using both. Go forth and make the feed of your dreams!
#Art #Comic #RSS

Comic page giving a mini tutorial on what an RSS feed is. Panel 1: You might've seen this icon before. It's the RSS icon. But what is RSS? RSS is an update feed for a website. Every time the site publishes a post, article, comic page, etc. the feed is updated. Most websites have a RSS feed. Panel 2: You'll usually find it in a site's menu. It might also be on a sidebar or the footer. Panel 3: But if I click on it it's just a bunch of code! What gives? What am I supposed to do with it?! Panel 4: This is where you'll need a feed reader like feedly!

Comic page giving a mini tutorial on what an RSS feed is. Panel 1: One, on Feedly click the follow button. Two, copy the URL from the site's RSS button and add it to the search box. Panel 2: Three, this will bring up the feed for the site. Four, Add it by clicking the follow button. You can also search the name of the site without the RSS link but it's more accurate if you have the link. Panel 3: Add the new feed to a folder. Panel 4: Now the feed will appear on your Feedly when it updates! Panel 5: What I did was get the Feedly add-on for my browser. So every time a site I follow updates the extension lets me know! Panel 6: Clicking the title of the update opens the site in a new tab. I personally like seeing content on it's own site. But you can set everything up so you only ever need to open Feedly.

Comic page giving a mini tutorial on what an RSS feed is. Panel 1:If you run a site make sure your RSS button is easily accessible. The URL will usually be something like yoursite.com/feed or yoursite.com/rss. Panel 2: Be sure to follow your own RSS feeds to make sure they're updating properly. This way if it goes down for whatever reason you'll be able to catch the problem before your readers miss too many updates. Panel 3: And that's all there is to it! It's very customizable so play around with it to see what works for you! Panel 4: No fuss. No algorithms. Just the updates you choose to see! Hey! My favourite comic updated!

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Reposted by Hien Pham 🐻

Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 9d

My zine Things I Only Draw When I'm Sad pairs emotive paintings with simple cartooning to deliver its narrative. I hope the chibi Hiens work both to ground the sometimes-abstract illustrations and add levity to otherwise heavy topics!

Coming soon on Nov 6th 😊💖✨!!

A digital painting of a man wading into water. The composition centers on his half-submerged hand. His wet shirt clings to his body as he casts a shadow upon the turbulent waves. The deep teal water is lit by presumably moonlight.

Next to the painting is a simple black-and-white drawing of a man sitting on a chair drawing on his digital art tablet. An identical man stands right behind him with his hands resting on the back of the chair, he watches as his counterpart continues to paint. Narration: "Small, seemingly meaningless things can pull me under than my heart can beat."

A digital painting of a balding bearded Asian man. Both of his arms are held at the back of his head as he ties up what's left of his hair. The back of his figure is lit by a warm, golden light source. He faces away with his eyes closed.

Next to the painting is a black-and-white cartoon of two men who look identical to the men previously depicted. One takes on a pose similar to the one in the painting, albeit with a more whimsical and playful expression. His counter part sitting at the drawing desk looks away from his work to let out a pleasant sigh at the posing man. Narration: "Unreciprocated yearning is a veil so thick it only makes sense on a canvas"

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 9d

My zine Things I Only Draw When I'm Sad pairs emotive paintings with simple cartooning to deliver its narrative. I hope the chibi Hiens work both to ground the sometimes-abstract illustrations and add levity to otherwise heavy topics!

Coming soon on Nov 6th 😊💖✨!!

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 11d

Had a great time doing my first Shibari demo at a local Leather / Fetish social 🤘🏾💖✨ My rope Pups had a blast, and I even tied up some new friends too ☺️ what great joy to be alive

A person in a fetish Pup hood and paw pads has his torso tied in an intricate Fisherman's harness. Magenta Shibari ropes stretches from
Their shoulders to their elbow, making ornamental knots as they go. Pink fabric flowers are placed delicately on different knots.

A person in a Rottweiler Pup hood stands with his upper arms tied to his chest. His wrists are tied to the back of the previous Pup (they are tied together). His shirt is lifted up to showcase his big hairy belly. Some pink fabric flowers are placed on his ropes as well.

A view from the side of the two Pups tied together. They stand back to back with their individual ties connecting to the other person's ties.

Me (balding bearded chubby Asian man with glasses) throws a peace sign as my two tied-up Pups smile at the camera.

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 12d

Sad to keep hearing friends & folks call new Pokemon game trash 😥...

Happy to keep playing new Pokemon game because I love it and it brings me a great deal of joy 🥰💖💖💖

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 12d

There's one section of my zine (coming soon!!) that I've been wanting to rewrite for months but could never found the right words. Finally dove deep and cracked it today while listening to the new Sigrid album. It's real special.

I hope you'll like it. Many pieces of my heart in this one 💖

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 12d

OH thank you so much 😭💖!!! I love making OJST comics very much and am very grateful to get to do it! It's been such an interesting challenge to make something more information-heavy and educational like the PrEP comic instead of my usual sentimental stories haha!

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 13d

Shibari Donkey Kong 🤘🏾✨ took about an hour to figure out and I'm very proud of it!

A chubby shirtless Asian man stands triumphantly flexing his right arm. He wears short grey shorts and brown sandals. On his wrists and ankles are yellow Shibari cuffs. On his torso are suspenders and a red tie made out of red Shibari ropes. The letters DK made out of paper are attached to the end of the tie. A bunch of bananas are attached to his waist.

The man smiles at the camera caught in a candid moment with his right arm no longer flexing and his wrist limp (cause he is gaaay)

A pencil sketch on paper of the man's outfit when he planned it initially.

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 13d

Thank you for reading ☺!!

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Hien Pham 🐻 @hiencomics.com.au · 13d

Thank you so much!!

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