Turnip Cake Fail

Turnip cake fail, mushroom lasagna win ;)

This is the quintessential Asian American experience: things don't go as planned, but you make do. 

I celebrated Lunar New Year by trying to learn how to make a dish I haven't had since childhood. I modified the recipe because it traditionally contains shrimp and scallops, which I'm allergic to. It didn't exactly turn out how I wanted, but it's salvageable as its own thing -- like my AAPI identity! 

Happy Year of the Tiger! Thanks for reading.

[3-panel autobio comic of a girl with a bun attempting to make a traditional dish from her childhood for the first time. Panel 1 is full of the ingredients that make up the dish, like daikon radish, rice flour, and shiitake mushroom. She's wearing an apron and is "so excited" to make the dish for the first time, which is a "childhood food memory." An arrow pointing at the girl indicates that she "studied recipes online for a week." In panel 2, it's "hours later" and she is holding a knife, looking at a flipped casserole. Caption reads, "Classic mistake: too much liquid in the batter" and that it's "too soft to slice neatly and sear." In panel 3, she's fixed herself a plate and sits down to partake: "Oh well. Still tasty." Text reads: "Turnip rice cake FAIL; mushroom lasagna WIN."]

Happy Year of the Tiger

Happy Lunar New Year, if you celebrate! 

Let it be known that I find tigers very difficult to draw. I studied several nature documentary clips to eke out this one sketch. 

In my research, I learned that tigers are the largest of the big cats and that they have webbed paws, which make them strong swimmers.  This as nothing to do with the Chinese zodiac; I just think it's cool. 

[Lunar New Year Illustration of a tiger sleeping and a girl with a braid in the background whispering, "Shhh...let us not anger the kitty." Chinese characters and English translation read "Happy year of the Tiger"]

Thanks for reading!

Yet Is My Only Hope (Tinyview #36)

Are you following me on Tinyview? I draw a weekly webcomic strip there! It's best read on your phone.

https://tinyview.com/connie/

Here is episode 36.  Episode 37 ("No Faking It") is live on the app! 

[6-panel webcomic episode by Connie Sun, from “Creative Notes” series on Tinyview. Panel 1 shows a girl with a bun looking into a bathroom mirror. Caption reads: “I’m not the ‘new me’ I wanted to be yet.” Panel 2 shows an idealized reflected version of what she wants to be: “Confident! Self-assured! Unstoppable!” In panel 3, she’s starting a self-care regimen. Caption reads: “Embracing change is harder than I thought.” In panel 4, a close-up of her plopping a sheet mask on her face. Panel 5 is a beat: she walks off with a dripping sheet mask. Panel 6, close-up of her profile: “‘Yet’ is my only hope.”]

Elephant Experience

That feeling when the prerequisite for the job you want is prior experience :')

Thanks for following! Connie on Ko-fi

[Two-panel borderless comic of a girl with a bun, lounging on a couch, as an elephant casually walks by. In panel 1, she wonders out loud, "How does anybody get good at dating?" Elephant answers matter-of-factly, "Same as everything...you need experience." In panel 2, she looks up at the ceiling in frustration and says, "Damn it all. Life is so unfair." Elephant is already halfway off-frame and says, "Take it or leave it."]

Fantasy Versus Reality

Reality is too real. Except I don't even have a couch! 

Just for fun. Thanks for reading.

[Two-panel borderless comic, titled "Fantasy Vs. Reality," in which a girl with a braid imagines being in a relationship. Panel 1 shows a thought cloud of the girl snuggling on a couch with her arms around a hot guy. The thought bubble leads into the second panel, which shows the girl's reality, sprawled out on the couch, alone, with snacks and a creepy sheet mask on, probably watching k-dramas on her laptop. Caption reads, "I often wish I had someone I could feel comfortable around and be myself with...but the fantasy is getting more and more far-fetched with each passing day."]

"Very Asian" Food Therapy

When society breaks my heart, I subconsciously crave the comfort foods that connect me to my history and heritage. The older I get, the more the foods my grandparents fed me as a child mean to me.

It's a rough time in the world. Hope you are finding ways to cope and comfort where you can. 

Thanks for reading.

[4-panel comic of a frayed-looking woman with a braid, remembering foods she ate as a child. Panel 2 is a flashback of a young girl with bowl-cut hair, peeking at a table full of Chinese foods, like dumplings, turnip cake, rice bowls, and steamed bao. In panel 3, she opens wide for a dumpling being fed to her with chopsticks. Back to present day in panel 4. Woman with a braid sits in front of a laptop. The text of the comic reads, "When society breaks my heart, I subconsciously crave comfort foods...that my family made for me as a kid...and it soothes a part of me...to watch the hell out of Asian cooking channels on YouTube."]

Everything Is A Lot

I imagine I'm not the only one who's feeling it these days. I don't have any better ideas, but I hope you have what you need and are finding ways to cope the best you can. 

Thanks for reading. 

[Single-panel comic of a girl with a bun, wearing a full astronaut outfit, next to an elephant. Caption reads: "I don't want to feel numb and desensitized, but everything altogether is a lot right now." Elephant in the room comments on new outfit: "Ooh this is new..." Girl responds, holding a cup of hot tea, "It was either this or pay somebody to hold me."]

Favorite Pre-Pandemic Pastime

Drawing on New York City subways used to be my favorite pre-pandemic pastime. It used to calm me and make me pay more attention to life around me. I haven't done it in a while and gave it a try again recently. It feels different, but I like how it makes me feel a little bit closer to other people in a city of strangers. 

Thanks for reading

[3-panel comic of a girl with braid, remembering her favorite pre-pandemic pastime. Panel 1, black and white frame of a girl sketching in a subway car: "My favorite pre-pandemic pastime used to be drawing on the subway." Panel two, full color, girl wearing a mask, standing stiffly on the subway, not touching anything. Text reads: "I haven't felt at ease enough to do it in a couple of years. Recently, I pulled out a sketchbook again on a long subway ride." Panel 3, full color, wide angle frame of a subway car of people, mostly wearing masks. Girl sits in the subway car with a sketchbook on her lap. Text reads: "Of course, nothing is the same anymore, but it did remind me of how much I miss -- [she crinkles eyes] -- creepily watching other people." Although the scene implies that the pandemic is ongoing, there is also a coziness in the subway car of people just living their lives. Two masked young people share a "shimmy of laughter."]

Pink Bear Head Hoodie

I don't know if this is disrespectful to bears in general, but it was a cool winter look. Kid looked happy.

Hope you're keeping warm and cozy through the season. I think it's been a hard start to the year for a lot of parents with young kids. I see folks trying hard and doing their best to keep their families safe and happy. A lot of unsung heroics. May the worst of the latest covid surge pass soon. 

Connie on Ko-fi

[3-panel autobio comic of a girl with a braid walking in Central Park in winter. She passes a kid who is holding hands with an adult and wearing a pink bear head hoodie with a bear nose and ears, which make it look like the kid's head is in the bear's mouth. Caption reads, "Yesterday, I saw a kid wearing what looked like a fuzzy, pink bear head hoodie." In panel 2, the girl with the braid walks on. In panel 3, girl turns to look back at them. Text reads, "My first thought was -", followed by a thought bubble that says, "I wonder if they have that in my size."]

Hope and Optimism on Twitter

Happy new year! The moral of this comic is to stay off of Twitter on the Monday after a holiday.

Wishing you an easy transition into 2022 and the strength to face anything. 

Connie on Ko-fi

[2-panel comic of a grave stone, inscribed with the text "RIP Hope & Optimism on Twitter, Dec. 31, 2021 to Jan. 3, 2022." In panel 2, Elephant and girl with a braid walk across an exposed, overcast landscape. Elephant remarks, "Wow, that was quick."]