r/SympatheticMonsters • u/Time-Woodpecker-529 • Sep 21 '25
Original Content Valerie the Eldritch Creature Having Self-Doubt by me
Earlier I posted Valerie helping out Cori the half-orc kindergarten teacher. In this comic she's helping out in the school library. The Librarian is named Digit, and she is jumping spider who was accidently turned into a gal by Fae magic.
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u/Mr_Kingfisher Sep 21 '25
Have you made any other Valerie art? Mb it sounds fake but this hit weirdly hard and I want more.
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u/Time-Woodpecker-529 Sep 21 '25
This comic starts in the beginning/middle of a story arc, but starting here Valerie first starts working with Digit who will be chaperoning some of the paranormal students who want to do a ghost hunt in their school. https://wapsisquare.com/comic/nurturing-smile/
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u/Geek1979 Sep 21 '25
The eldritch horror has ADHD? Wait, am I an eldritch horror and never knew it? This is the best news I’ve heard in a long, long time!
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u/kioku119 Sep 22 '25
Take a look at the voidpunk subreddit. Maybe it's not for you but maybe you'll like it. (Note it marks its content as NSFW in protest of certain things Reddit has done but it doesn't really allow anything NSFW other than cursing.) It is focused on minorities who feel dehumanized and uses a lot of eldritch horror imagery to represent things.
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u/The_Hij Sep 21 '25
This being a metaphor or analogy for ADHD is so good. It's really difficult to describe what "catastrophising" in your head looks like. It really is like a flood that you sometimes can't stop no matter how much you want to.
I don't know if that makes sense but... thanks for making this.
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u/Dronizian Sep 21 '25
Didn't notice the sub. Loved the eldritch explosion of flesh. Thought it was metaphorical at first, but then again, I guess it kinda is?
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u/Coal-and-Ivory Sep 21 '25
Every step of this is perfect. The bizzare logic chains ADHD paranoia can cascade down even from a positive interaction. Someone close to you noticing and defusing it with ultra-clear communication and reassurance. The weird shame afterwards. The literal masking to contain something thats incomprehensible to others. And the "beaver dam" thing, I call them catch-points, because they catch runaway trains (of thought).
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u/AlexiDurak Sep 21 '25
The real trick is getting the rewiring to hold, and not slip back into this Says the fae who's brain does this everytime
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u/LostInThoughtland Sep 21 '25
Deeply relatable to me… also incredible artwork, especially the tower of anxiety tentacles, great mix of detail and simpler cartooning~
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u/Time-Woodpecker-529 Sep 21 '25
Thank you very much! ^_^ It means a lot to me when folks say that they can connect with my characters! =D
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u/akornzombie Sep 21 '25
This was a good story, and I look forward to seeing more!
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u/Time-Woodpecker-529 Sep 21 '25
Thanks! ^_^
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u/Baptized_in_Salt Sep 21 '25
Same! Will you be posting more chapters here?
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u/Time-Woodpecker-529 Sep 21 '25
Valerie is one of the side characters in my comic, but I'll try to post others of either her, or the other paranormal characters dealing with their personal demons or anxieties. =) If you'd be interested in checking out the full comic, the whole archive has been running since 2001. The story started outside of the paranormal world and slowly works its was into the lives of paranormal entities just trying to live their life like all of us. =) https://wapsisquare.com/
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u/CaptainZackstuf Sep 23 '25
So my overthinking brain isn’t weird, I’m just an Eldritch creature? That’s awesome!!
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u/Expensive_Umpire_178 Sep 22 '25 edited Sep 22 '25
WOOOO love that last part. Yes, you have adhd, and yes sometimes you overthink things, and yes sometimes you create problems that aren’t there, etc. But your mind is an incredibly flexible thing, and what you’ve learned, you can always unlearn, and your mind is a fluid thing that changes and morphs, so with enough effort and time and the right environment it can change in a better direction.
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u/SarcasticJackass177 Sep 22 '25
This is adorable. And I need a book of it.
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u/Time-Woodpecker-529 Sep 22 '25
Thanks! ^_^ The whole comic archive is here: https://wapsisquare.com/ However the story starts with one set of characters slowly realizing that they live in a world surrounded by paranormal beings, then the comic later focuses on the paranormal beings just trying to live their lives. If you end up liking what you see, books of the comic can be purchased here: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/pablowapsi
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u/catgirlbarista Sep 23 '25
I've been observing myself doing this in my relationship. with my ex, everything felt like a crisis, and that got reinforced by how quickly conflict arose if I tried to not act like everything was a crisis. now... my anxieties spiral out of control and I work myself up, and he's just. calm and reassuring and he tells me that we're fine and that he just wants me to be comfortable. and it's like going from... being spun around out of control, to being settled in a chair and handed a purring cat. it's so nice to be rewiring this part of my brain.
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u/ChompyRiley Sep 22 '25
I like it, I love it, I want more of it. Clean visuals generally, faces are a bit weird and blocky but distinct at least, very cute and wholesome <3
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u/Dazzling_Champion_53 Sep 21 '25
Aww poor thing. I do that a lot. For some reason I assume the worst at every moment and that it's always my fault.