helen stefanie

sketchbook & drawings *** zines *** diary comics @vaguesteph [email protected] 4 correspondence or trades!

[helenstefanies]

here is some information about me:

i like making comics. i live in Leipzig. i have had this tumblr account since 2011, when i was 16 years old.

my local comics community is SQUASH Comics e.V. which organises Snail Eye Comic Festival. 💖

my username on instagram & bluesky is helenstefanies,

you can find my "artist portfolio" at helenstefanies.com .

(last updated 05/2026)

[helenstefanies]

two things i painted at a watercolor session hosted by @nuie

[vaguesteph]

"weird art comics"

comic made to post on instagram (i hate that app!) drawn on post-its i stole from my day job.

the image on the third page is an edit of a B. Kliban cartoon that someone made on twitter, i think in 2020 or 2021. unfortunately i can’t find the information on who made this edit so if you know, let me know, i’d love to credit them.

i have been thinking about ways to make "small" comics or mini-projects that one can work on while life and day job and other things are happening. often on instagram i see diary comics and/or journal comics with very, very personal content getting a lot of attention. the interest and theme of this blog (vaguesteph) has been diary comics. i wanted to experiment with that format. i think it's funny that the post-its are square lol

[helenstefanies]

29-08-25 / 30-08-25

drawings traced from ghost in the shell (1995) film stills for a comic in anytime zine.

[helenstefanies]

anime film club salonanimation.xyz asked me to contribute to the GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995) issue of their zine ANYTIME last year.

i sent in a fragmented comic-essay hybrid collage reflecting on body - identity - gender issues. 💙💕🤖 i worked closely together with the editor and graphic designer of the zine, Sarah Podbelsek, and the final design of my comic is the result of a collaboration between us.

the whole zine is really interesting and beautiful, there are text and art contributions.

i love the 1995 ghost in the shell movie very much. it was such a treat to be asked to work on a comic about it!!

if you would like to buy an issue of the zine from me, it costs 12 - 15€ (sliding scale) and i am sending any money made through sales back to the ANYTIME team, which they are using to fund print runs of future zine issues.

you can also see more images of the zine on the @ anytime.zine instagram.

[helenstefanies]

i'm working on a talk about fannishness and "appropriation" (not sure if this is the right word). i want to talk about artists or writers who have a fan background and who bring their being a fan into their other "professional" contexts - explicitly - and referencing their fan culture background in their artwork or writing, "celebrating" it even? or treating it simply as normal.

(when i say "fan culture" i am not talking about sports fans. i am talking about what is called "transformative fandom" by some. people who read and write fanfiction and make fanart and are active in fan communities. also furry communities! maybe also anime fandom.)

if you have ideas or are if artists come to mind, i would welcome suggestions.

when i think about like, "contemporary art"/ '10s net art context artists who worked with internet community culture (not the type of fan culture i am specifically interested in), Jon Rafman comes to mind. i personally didn't like what i have seen of his work very much, it always felt a little voyeuristic to me- like it wasn't his "culture" he was making work about, he was more of a tourist (?). though i would like to see some of his work again, do more research, and doublecheck this gut feeling.

i have been really really inspired by hearing people talk about Room Party , which was co-curated by @hypertyping and @uglygrlswag ! such a wonderful event! and some artists whose work i wanted to show in my talk were exhibited in Room Party. who i would have wanted to talk about anyways, definitely: Paul's own work, Maya Ben David, and Mark Zubrovich.

i remember that i saw Ann Oren's film about Miku Hatsune , a few years ago, but i can't remember what i thought about it.

my friend Isa/Matthias Conrady wrote a text about men and fanfiction (in german), which i want to selfishly credit to my influence in initial idea to even consider the topic of fanfiction because i inspired them to read fanfiction for the horrible clown movie (in 2021. every day i want to go back to reading clown movie fanfiction.). i want to talk about my friend but they are not a famous artist!!!

Isa also showed me I.V. Nuss' book "die realität kommt" recently. I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!! I.V.'s new book, R-O-N=O, is coming out next week. the new book is even more "about" furry community than the last one, i have been told. i wish i could read it now immediately. i want to talk about I.V. Nuss in my upcoming talk! and I.V. was also exhibited in Room Party!

i have been wondering if there are other writers who write "literary" fiction who talk openly about their fan culture (esp. fanfiction writing) backgrounds. i am not really interested in "fans" who become writers and write original works. (especially not in the sci-fi etc. context. i mean i AM interested in it, but it is not the topic of the talk i would like to make!) i am interested in artists/writers bringing the fan culture background into their other "professional" context, as i said. like explicitly acknowledging it. i feel like i don't know (?) of writers who do this except like, fangirl by rainbow rowell and the practice of "filing off the serial numbers" but again, that is something different to what i am thinking about.

i guess to be more precise it is the high/low contrast and the appropriating of "contemporary" art contexts (i believe there are _many_ art worlds, not just one, but i mean one type of discourse-y white cube gallery art world) alternatively the "literary" fiction world (not genre world), by the fannish people, that is the concept i would like to bring forward.

okay in writing this, the other person whose work i really liked who is in "literary" fiction world comes to mind! I did _really_ enjoy IDLEWILD by james frankie thomas and it is really inspired by the author's own experience of reading fanfiction, i think. so maybe that is another good example for literary fiction!

[helenstefanies]

(Re-)Kontextualising Fannishness Wie Fans zeitgenößische (Kunst-)Kontexte unterwandern und aneignen

Lang etablierten Definitionen folgend denken wir Aneignung und das, was „transformative Fandom“ genannt wird, typischerweise in die eine Richtung: Fans nehmen das urheberrechtlich geschützte „ursprüngliche“ Material, sie stellen fest, es ist ungenügend, sie wollen anders, sie wollen mehr, sie schließen sich zusammen in Gemeinschaften, nicht-kommerziellen Räumen, und sie produzieren Fanart und Fanfiction. Dieser Vortrag arbeitet eine gegenteilige Bewegung heraus. In einer Art Coming Out-Geste tragen Künstler*innen und Autor*innen ihr Fan-Sein, ihren Hintergrund aus spezifischen Fankulturen (Transformative Fandom/ Fanfiction lesendes Fandom, Furry Communities), in ihre professionellen künstlerischen bzw. schriftstellerischen Kontexte. Wie selbstverständlich werden das Fan-Leben, dessen Inhalte, Themen und Ästhetiken in die Codes der zeitgenössischen Kunst bzw. Literary Fiction übersetzt und diese Räume somit angeeignet. Mich interessiert das darin liegende Spannungsverhältnis und das ironische Ineinanderfallen von High und Low, DIY und Professionalism. Ich spreche über meine eigene Arbeit und deren Hintergrund, ich stelle einige Autor*innen, Künstler*innen und eine Gruppenausstellung vor, und diskutieren zusammen, was uns noch dazu einfällt.

[helenstefanies]

https://comicfestivalhamburg.de/ausstellungen/und-forum-fanart/ausstellung-und-forum-fanart/

nächste woche/ next week! 🥰

[helenstefanies]

i'm working on a talk about fannishness and "appropriation" (not sure if this is the right word). i want to talk about artists or writers who have a fan background and who bring their being a fan into their other "professional" contexts - explicitly - and referencing their fan culture background in their artwork or writing, "celebrating" it even? or treating it simply as normal.

(when i say "fan culture" i am not talking about sports fans. i am talking about what is called "transformative fandom" by some. people who read and write fanfiction and make fanart and are active in fan communities. also furry communities! maybe also anime fandom.)

if you have ideas or are if artists come to mind, i would welcome suggestions.

when i think about like, "contemporary art"/ '10s net art context artists who worked with internet community culture (not the type of fan culture i am specifically interested in), Jon Rafman comes to mind. i personally didn't like what i have seen of his work very much, it always felt a little voyeuristic to me- like it wasn't his "culture" he was making work about, he was more of a tourist (?). though i would like to see some of his work again, do more research, and doublecheck this gut feeling.

i have been really really inspired by hearing people talk about Room Party , which was co-curated by @hypertyping and @uglygrlswag ! such a wonderful event! and some artists whose work i wanted to show in my talk were exhibited in Room Party. who i would have wanted to talk about anyways, definitely: Paul's own work, Maya Ben David, and Mark Zubrovich.

i remember that i saw Ann Oren's film about Miku Hatsune , a few years ago, but i can't remember what i thought about it.

my friend Isa/Matthias Conrady wrote a text about men and fanfiction (in german), which i want to selfishly credit to my influence in initial idea to even consider the topic of fanfiction because i inspired them to read fanfiction for the horrible clown movie (in 2021. every day i want to go back to reading clown movie fanfiction.). i want to talk about my friend but they are not a famous artist!!!

Isa also showed me I.V. Nuss' book "die realität kommt" recently. I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!! I.V.'s new book, R-O-N=O, is coming out next week. the new book is even more "about" furry community than the last one, i have been told. i wish i could read it now immediately. i want to talk about I.V. Nuss in my upcoming talk! and I.V. was also exhibited in Room Party!

i have been wondering if there are other writers who write "literary" fiction who talk openly about their fan culture (esp. fanfiction writing) backgrounds. i am not really interested in "fans" who become writers and write original works. (especially not in the sci-fi etc. context. i mean i AM interested in it, but it is not the topic of the talk i would like to make!) i am interested in artists/writers bringing the fan culture background into their other "professional" context, as i said. like explicitly acknowledging it. i feel like i don't know (?) of writers who do this except like, fangirl by rainbow rowell and the practice of "filing off the serial numbers" but again, that is something different to what i am thinking about.

i guess to be more precise it is the high/low contrast and the appropriating of "contemporary" art contexts (i believe there are _many_ art worlds, not just one, but i mean one type of discourse-y white cube gallery art world) alternatively the "literary" fiction world (not genre world), by the fannish people, that is the concept i would like to bring forward.

okay in writing this, the other person whose work i really liked who is in "literary" fiction world comes to mind! I did _really_ enjoy IDLEWILD by james frankie thomas and it is really inspired by the author's own experience of reading fanfiction, i think. so maybe that is another good example for literary fiction!

[helenstefanies]

(Re-)Kontextualising Fannishness Wie Fans zeitgenößische (Kunst-)Kontexte unterwandern und aneignen

Lang etablierten Definitionen folgend denken wir Aneignung und das, was „transformative Fandom“ genannt wird, typischerweise in die eine Richtung: Fans nehmen das urheberrechtlich geschützte „ursprüngliche“ Material, sie stellen fest, es ist ungenügend, sie wollen anders, sie wollen mehr, sie schließen sich zusammen in Gemeinschaften, nicht-kommerziellen Räumen, und sie produzieren Fanart und Fanfiction. Dieser Vortrag arbeitet eine gegenteilige Bewegung heraus. In einer Art Coming Out-Geste tragen Künstler*innen und Autor*innen ihr Fan-Sein, ihren Hintergrund aus spezifischen Fankulturen (Transformative Fandom/ Fanfiction lesendes Fandom, Furry Communities), in ihre professionellen künstlerischen bzw. schriftstellerischen Kontexte. Wie selbstverständlich werden das Fan-Leben, dessen Inhalte, Themen und Ästhetiken in die Codes der zeitgenössischen Kunst bzw. Literary Fiction übersetzt und diese Räume somit angeeignet. Mich interessiert das darin liegende Spannungsverhältnis und das ironische Ineinanderfallen von High und Low, DIY und Professionalism. Ich spreche über meine eigene Arbeit und deren Hintergrund, ich stelle einige Autor*innen, Künstler*innen und eine Gruppenausstellung vor, und diskutieren zusammen, was uns noch dazu einfällt.

[helenstefanies]

i'm working on a talk about fannishness and "appropriation" (not sure if this is the right word). i want to talk about artists or writers who have a fan background and who bring their being a fan into their other "professional" contexts - explicitly - and referencing their fan culture background in their artwork or writing, "celebrating" it even? or treating it simply as normal.

(when i say "fan culture" i am not talking about sports fans. i am talking about what is called "transformative fandom" by some. people who read and write fanfiction and make fanart and are active in fan communities. also furry communities! maybe also anime fandom.)

if you have ideas or are if artists come to mind, i would welcome suggestions.

when i think about like, "contemporary art"/ '10s net art context artists who worked with internet community culture (not the type of fan culture i am specifically interested in), Jon Rafman comes to mind. i personally didn't like what i have seen of his work very much, it always felt a little voyeuristic to me- like it wasn't his "culture" he was making work about, he was more of a tourist (?). though i would like to see some of his work again, do more research, and doublecheck this gut feeling.

i have been really really inspired by hearing people talk about Room Party , which was co-curated by @hypertyping and @uglygrlswag ! such a wonderful event! and some artists whose work i wanted to show in my talk were exhibited in Room Party. who i would have wanted to talk about anyways, definitely: Paul's own work, Maya Ben David, and Mark Zubrovich.

i remember that i saw Ann Oren's film about Miku Hatsune , a few years ago, but i can't remember what i thought about it.

my friend Isa/Matthias Conrady wrote a text about men and fanfiction (in german), which i want to selfishly credit to my influence in initial idea to even consider the topic of fanfiction because i inspired them to read fanfiction for the horrible clown movie (in 2021. every day i want to go back to reading clown movie fanfiction.). i want to talk about my friend but they are not a famous artist!!!

Isa also showed me I.V. Nuss' book "die realität kommt" recently. I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!! I.V.'s new book, R-O-N=O, is coming out next week. the new book is even more "about" furry community than the last one, i have been told. i wish i could read it now immediately. i want to talk about I.V. Nuss in my upcoming talk! and I.V. was also exhibited in Room Party!

i have been wondering if there are other writers who write "literary" fiction who talk openly about their fan culture (esp. fanfiction writing) backgrounds. i am not really interested in "fans" who become writers and write original works. (especially not in the sci-fi etc. context. i mean i AM interested in it, but it is not the topic of the talk i would like to make!) i am interested in artists/writers bringing the fan culture background into their other "professional" context, as i said. like explicitly acknowledging it. i feel like i don't know (?) of writers who do this except like, fangirl by rainbow rowell and the practice of "filing off the serial numbers" but again, that is something different to what i am thinking about.

i guess to be more precise it is the high/low contrast and the appropriating of "contemporary" art contexts (i believe there are _many_ art worlds, not just one, but i mean one type of discourse-y white cube gallery art world) alternatively the "literary" fiction world (not genre world), by the fannish people, that is the concept i would like to bring forward.

okay in writing this, the other person whose work i really liked who is in "literary" fiction world comes to mind! I did _really_ enjoy IDLEWILD by james frankie thomas and it is really inspired by the author's own experience of reading fanfiction, i think. so maybe that is another good example for literary fiction!

[helenstefanies]

undressing, digital sketches, printed out undressing, charcoal drawings for use in comic

drawings for the so-called „sex comic“ (silly nickname title). the sex comic was published by the magazine that it was made for recently. i‘ll work on the translation so i can post it on english speaking tumblr and on my newsletter too.

i made a second bluesky account where i post photos of sketches and studio snapshots sometimes. it‘s @ juliuncesored .

[helenstefanies]

a project that i keep mind as a "thing i could do for fun" (when other projects aren't as urgent) is that i would like to paint a big painting of a painter. my flatmate agreed that they would model for me when i do it! i really like thinking about this painting i might do sometimes... this is a sketch for my future painting.

[helenstefanies]

two different sketch versions of bad dildo joke for the so called „sex comic“ i am working on.

the loose sketch is always better but will go with stiff referenced from photo hands in the final drawing anyways… :-|

[helenstefanies]

instead of posting my thoughts online, i wrote them down in a minizine and made up some drawings to go with them. this idea was inspired by Remedios @lumieresdanslacave work, whose minizine practice is really incredible. her minizine tag: https://lumieresdanslacave.tumblr.com/tagged/minizine blog post with photos of all minizines 2018-2025: https://lumieresdanslacave.tumblr.com/post/773114109268033536/so-heres-the-legions-of-hell-i-counted-them-i

the youtube video i took notes on in the last image is this one . i don't know if i agree with the points this youtuber makes about "scrolling" but i liked the "how did this make me feel" questions. they seemed adaptable.

[helenstefanies]

sketchbook & pen case nov 2021 - jan 2025 first page & last page and new sketchbook starting jan 2025

"NORMAL" "ADULT" sticker by @toxicmetalexpo, museum of obsolete futures sticker by spiders (enbyspiders.itch.io), wonderful mini-zine by @junkworldusa

[helenstefanies]

comic essay (english translation) collaboration with Fidelia Schlegl for Snail Eye Magazine No. 4

original german language version: https://helenstefanies.tumblr.com/post/768602469976653824

[helenstefanies]

comic essay kollaboration mit Fidelia Schlegl für Snail Eye Magazine No. 4

translated version: https://helenstefanies.tumblr.com/post/769767053147144192

[helenstefanies]

i’m still here but if you would like to connect with me elsewhere:

my username on twitter & insta is helenstefanies,

my portfolio is helenstefanies.com,

i hate the corporate-owned internet more each day,

please write to me at [email protected]

(last updated 12/2018)

[helenstefanies]

in the years since:

2018: spend all of 2018 trying to go to the USA, then go to the USA. write above post because of tumblr tittyban. 2019: recover from going to the USA. made a lot of diary comics. 2020: pandemic. work on thesis project. i sprained my ankle and broke a bone in my hand because i was wearing birkenstocks at the skatepark. 2021: finish thesis project, graduate. present a performative lecture in berlin. start a job. 2022: move to a different city. the job made me very depressed. organise a panel about queer and trans bodies in comics at snail eye festival. 2023: exhausting horrible legal dispute with old job, lol. unemployed era. happy. pitch my thesis project to publishers. help organise snail eye comic festival. helped make window exhibitions for the festival of ari s. mulch's and kimball anderson's work. make a new diary comic. read my diary comic at snail eye festival. finish a comic i started in 2021. read my weird comic about a plant advice blogger at cozi comics festival in frankfurt. made a comic contribution to an anthology but hated it. (participating in anthologies makes me feel very bad. i am trying to change this.) find a new job in december. applied for a grant but didn't get it, sad about it. 2024: work at new job. new job makes me very tired. have money to travel so i go to fumetto comics festival (in switzerland). my friend clara is exhibiting at fumetto. make a comic together with fidelia. (i want to post this comic online, i'm writing this post instead of doing that.) table at comicinvasion berlin with nice weird artsy comics friends (fidelia and toni). we didn't sell very many books hahaha. help organise snail eye comic festival, putting together the community books table, working together with sophie. have more energy again. exited about comics and life and drawing.

i want to finish and scan the sketchbook i've been using since november 2021 (i really didn't draw at all in 2022) and post some drawings on here again!

(last updated 11/2024)

[helenstefanies]

i’m still here but if you would like to connect with me elsewhere:

my username on twitter & insta is helenstefanies,

my portfolio is helenstefanies.com,

i hate the corporate-owned internet more each day,

please write to me at [email protected]

(last updated 12/2018)