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When the pandemic hit, I suddenly had a lot of free time on the weekends that I normally would have used to go on dates and visit friends and family. It was a pretty bleak time, especially as a single woman living and working alone. I was completely isolated. For some reason, I felt compelled to find some humor in the situation by drawing comics in an attempt to fight the despair of quarantining alone (a bunch of my early, very rough comics on my Instagram account, @zenacomics, are about this theme specifically). I just wanted to make myself laugh, which I've found to be a helpful mental health tool (it's hard to feel too down when you're distracted laughing about something). Then I started sharing these comics with friends and family in hopes they might also get a laugh too. They were incredibly supportive and encouraged me to share my work with more people. So I started doing Zena Comics as a more regular series.

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I grew up reading newspaper comics pretty obsessively, and then as a teenager got very into anime and manga. Being a comic book artist was my dream job, and though I drew a lot, I knew I didn't have the skills. In high school and college, I got into R. Crumb and started drawing my own comics a little more (which were basically rip-offs of his). The idea of adult-themed gag, alternative, and long-form comics appealed to me, but I didn't have the time to develop my own work much further as my life got taken up in college with more "serious" classes and then later grad school. But I never stopped reading comics, whether they were classic gag strips, manga, graphic novels, or webcomics. I think if you read them a lot, it's hard not to see your own life and ideas framed in a similar medium, especially if you're visually inclined. It becomes almost second nature.

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I was one of those kids who loved my art classes above everything else and drew for fun in my free time. My grandmother was an artist and always gave me her old art supplies to mess around with. Drawing was just something I could always kind-of do, though I knew my limitations. Sometimes I wish I had pursued it more seriously and learned more fundamentals (especially more life drawing), but I hated the one art class I took in college (very basic still-life drawing) and kind of walked away from it for a while. But I doodled on and off for years, and never stopped reading comics. Then fairly recently (maybe 2-3 years ago) I heard Roz Chast (the New Yorker cartoonist) give a great talk at a convention and she mentioned how much she loved her Apple pencil. That gave me the push I needed to get my own and try digital art on an iPad using the program Procreate—and I absolutely fell in love with it. It's such a great medium, especially for cartooning.

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#4

10 Comics Drawn By A (Very Single) Woman During The Global Pandemic (Zena)

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Iso
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

5th panel: stay there all night, slowly driving self crazy while overthinking the meaning of life

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I like to make jokes about what the world sometimes feels like to a single, 30-something-year-old woman. The absurdity of the internet and particularly how it overlaps with sex is another topic I keep finding myself going back to. The ridiculousness of the single life! In general, I like making jokes about love and sex, especially from a woman's perspective, which is pretty lacking in the webcomics sphere. I want to make people laugh about real things in their lives. If I'm feeling like something is absurd, maybe other people are having those thoughts too? It's a fun way to connect with others.

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#9

10 Comics Drawn By A (Very Single) Woman During The Global Pandemic (Zena)

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Mr. Derpy Dino
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So, the occasional Eminem(by occasional, i mean more than almost anything) Meatloaf, and a ton of EDM stuff.

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TheLazyPoki
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ALL of the songs from Hamilton, Beetlejuice, Dear Evan Hansen, Mean Girls, Wicked, Six, and Heathers- I am a huge theatre kid don't mind me qwq (and I'm still in 6th grade lol)

EchoRise
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m in 6th grade and my taste in music is.......questionable for my age. Eminem, Machine gun Kelli, Will Smith, and Nelly. (A few more too 😉)

Mr. Derpy Dino
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Heeey! nice! at least there's another Eminem/rap lover to join me in hell xD. I havent heard WIll Smith in a while now.

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Ryan Deschanel
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sabaton, Skilet and We The Kings... Guess it's straigt to Heaven for me.

SemelinaPitrone
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel like all of Skillet's songs sound the same. Sad yelling or angry yelling. I personally don't get it, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion! I'm glad you could find music that makes you happy.

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Mr. Derpy Dino
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

:0 idfk what to say, i mean, i cant listen to wap, i get like, 1 minute in then turn it off..(7th grade) the worst song i listen to is 50 Cent, or Ima a Real 1

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Maya
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"after all the Billie Eilish I think you'd be happier in hell" /s

Sista of the moon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hehehehehe ill be in hEaVeN cause i only listen to Fleetwood Macccccccc

SemelinaPitrone
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm probably not in trouble (eighth grade at the moment) because I was raised with the Beatles, the Zombies, Ray Charles, Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald and Roger Miller... I could go on for hours. My parents showed me just about everything except pop music because they hate autotune and the lyrics and anything to do with pop culture. They really hate it, which doesn't work out in my favor because I love K-Pop and am considering to come out of the closet... My mother doesn't mind Christian pop music, though. ANYWAYS! My point is that I should be good because I like most genres! ...Except metal... and most country music.

Jake
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh s**t! Please God! you must understand, Slipknot is awesome!

Aileen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everyone here is listing bands and genres, but the only thing that would actually put you in hell would be if you're legitimately into 10-hour loops. Not just "oh, I'll listen for a while because it's funny", I mean you're perfectly okay with sitting through the entire 10-hour video.

Harlow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

twenty one pilots 😳 (they’re still my favorite band)

~*Zodiac lover~*
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I listen to rock music and depressing music welp let’s see how that ends lol-

Requiem
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my generation was listening to and making up new lyrics for GnR and ACDC, Motley Crew, Beastie Boys while in grade 1-2. I did get into NKOTB and McHammer while in grade 5 for a year...

PrincessTheSiameseKat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

to be honest in sixth grade I liked 80's-90's pop so i don't think thats too bad? (my music taste hasn't changed sence then lol)

Rissie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well joke's on you, I had no taste in music to judge anyway!

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#13

10 Comics Drawn By A (Very Single) Woman During The Global Pandemic (Zena)

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Aaricia
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I'm in my home I fart, if a future partner doesn't like that he can leave!

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#23

10 Comics Drawn By A (Very Single) Woman During The Global Pandemic (Zena)

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J. F.
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It still is, it only takes knowing the right places and avoiding the toxic areas

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#28

10 Comics Drawn By A (Very Single) Woman During The Global Pandemic (Zena)

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Anyone-for-tea?
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please, for the love of god, if a woman tells you how she likes to be touched, do it that way. Not the way you think it should be!

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