Pina ✨ ADHD Alien

@adhd-alien.bsky.social

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📕PRE-ORDER my Graphic Novel: ✨Feeling like an ADHD Alien ✨http://adhd-alien.com ⭐️Releases Sept 15 ⭐️

Single panel comic. The ADHD Alien character smiles while holding up a blank sheet of paper against a glowing yellow background. The character still has tears under their eyes but looks relieved. Three speech bubbles appear around the character. One says, “But look, I drew this comic!” Another says, “Not my deepest work…” A third finishes, “…but I got past the first step!”
Single panel comic. The ADHD Alien character is curled up on a white pillow against a swirling purple and white background. The character has watery, spiral eyes and an overwhelmed expression. Three speech bubbles surround the character. One says, “I just have to start….” Another says, “I just have to do something…” A third replies, “Yes sure, a meltdown will help…”
Two panel comic. In the left panel, the ADHD Alien character stands with arms stretched out against a bright yellow background. The character has watery, spiral eyes. One speech bubble says, “I know I just have to start,” and another continues, “but it always feels like I’m doing the wrong thing!!” In the right panel, the character appears wrapped in several red ribbons labeled “Should,” “Shouldn’t,” and “Should do.” A speech bubble says, “Every time I start, my head says:” A large red scribbled thought bubble reads, “You should be doing this other thing!”
Two panel comic. In the left panel, the ADHD Alien character is shown from the shoulders up against a pale yellow background. A speech bubble says, “I haven’t been able to work in weeks.” Another bubble asks, “Why not?” The character quietly replies, “I don’t know…” In the right panel, the same character has watery, spiral eyes and looks distressed against a peach colored background. A speech bubble says, “I don’t know what task to do first…” Another bubble reads, “no matter what I do, I’m always behind on tasks.”
In the first panel, the ADHD Alien character sits stiffly on a chair. One speech bubble says, “I said I’d write those e-mails today,” while another says, “but I can’t do anything because I have an appointment ‘soon’.” She looks frozen between intention and action. In the second panel, the character stares at a large dark cloud labeled “soon.” The text explains that her brain treats “soon” as an unidentifiable mass. A note adds that timers can help by making time visible and concrete. In the third panel, a pink blob representing her ADHD brain holds a battery and stands in front of a pile of batteries labeled with words like “power” and “energy.” The blob insists, “We need to preserve energy for later!” while the character protests, “No no no!” The scene illustrates the feeling of mentally reserving resources for a future event. In the final panel, the character is curled up on a chair in frustration. A speech bubble says, “But now I’m waiting for my boyfriend to move in next week.” Another exclaims, “I CAN’T JUST DO NOTHING FOR A WHOLE WEEK!”
Panel 3 At the top, the ADHD Alien character moves through the clouds toward a large glowing star. The text explains that immediately rewarding activities feel more real and compelling because they provide a sense of satisfaction right away. In the center, the character crawls across the sky reaching for another bright star. Smaller stars sparkle throughout the scene, creating the impression that attention is constantly being pulled toward the nearest source of reward. The stars represent hobbies, interests, entertainment, or other activities that provide immediate feedback and stimulation. At the bottom, the text explains that long term goals and lasting life changes rarely feel rewarding in the moment. Because their benefits are distant and difficult to perceive, they are often harder to pursue consistently. The contrast between the bright nearby stars and the unseen future illustrates why immediate rewards can feel far more motivating than important long term objectives.
Panel 1 now & not now in ADHD At the top, a white silhouette stands beside a long timeline stretching far into the distance. A pink arrow runs almost the entire length of the timeline, illustrating how far into the future many people can perceive. The text explains that other people are often able to see and plan for events that are still far away. Below, the ADHD Alien character stands beside a much shorter visible section of a timeline. A large cloud covers most of the future, leaving only a small portion visible directly in front of her. The text explains that with ADHD, she often perceives only the immediate “now.” The future exists, but much of it feels hidden behind a mental fog. At the bottom, a glowing star accompanies text explaining that it can be difficult to start a task when the deadline is still outside the visible time horizon. The cloud serves as a metaphor for future events that are technically there but do not feel real, urgent, or motivating until they come much closer.
Young ADHD Alien lies flat on the floor surrounded by pencils, papers, and a remote control while staring blankly upward. The narration explains that boredom always came with a heavy, itchy feeling in the stomach. Frame 2: The character looks toward a nearby pencil while explaining that, mixed with poor impulse control, boredom led to doing random or destructive things just to see “what happens if.” A close up shows a hand slowly reaching toward the pencil.
comic depicting the ADHD Alien character at a desk, looking frustrated and scanning for where a noise is coming from. The desk is full of USB devices, speakers, and two screens. A big, long beep noise sound effect spans across the image.
Split comic titled “How ADHD” vs. “made me Depressed.” Top row: A girl imagines many dreams, ideas, and interests at once, full of excitement and possibility (left), followed by her lying on the floor, exhausted and unable to motivate herself, even for things she enjoys (right). Second row: She hyperfocuses intensely on a topic, reading and learning until she becomes very knowledgeable (left), but then in a real conversation forgets everything and feels embarrassed and stupid (right). Third row: She is often quiet and thoughtful but can suddenly become very loud and excited (left), which leads to overstepping socially and pushing others away, making her feel like being herself is wrong (right). Fourth row: She struggles to maintain routines and work toward long-term goals (left), which turns into a feeling of being stuck and unable to create meaningful change (right). Bottom row: She has trouble regulating what she says when emotional (left), resulting in a painful gap between what she believes is right and how she actually acts, leaving her disappointed in herself (right).
an image showing the vtube model of adhd alien in front of a sketch with some speechbubbles, saying "I'm live, finishing and posting this comic with you on stream! Hopefully. Tbh I'm feeling a bit rough, but maybe streaming will cheer me up!"
Panel 1: The character faces a large bug-like creature, representing an overwhelming feeling. Text: “It felt like I was trying to reason with a toddler throwing a tantrum.” Panel 2: She tries to move forward, but the creature pulls her back. Text: “And no matter how determined I was to start,” Panel 3: She struggles directly with the creature, pushing against it. Text: “all I did all day was fight with this feeling.” Panel 4: Both lie exhausted on the ground. Text: “And at the end of the day, I’d be tired without anything to show for it.”
Photo of the Adhd alien graphic novel in a shelf
An annoyed looking ADHD Alien reminds the audience that it's the first of april and that she has already fallen for 3 pranks today
The ADHD Alien character is pointing at her bunny ears, saying she no longer struggles with ADHD, so she will have bunny ears from now on
Comic spread about time management. "Whenever I have to be somewhere at a certain time, it feels like a leap of faith..." Kiki jumps off a clock and through fog towards another clock. "hoping that somehow, I'll arrive at the right time."
Panel 1: “With ADHD, my ability to regulate and process emotions to choose a reaction is inhibited.” A small black cat represents emotions: “My emotions look like everyone else’s,” but quickly grows: “they grow much bigger, much faster than other people’s.”
Panel 2: She holds the book proudly and says, “If you want to know why I had been inactive for so long—look! I was working on a graphic novel!” In the background, a messy desk is labeled: “(Hasn’t cleaned up in months).”
Panel 1: The character excitedly says, “After 5 years of hard work it’s finally finished!” A book cover reads “Feeling Like an ADHD Alien” by Pina Varnel.
ADHD Alien comic Top panel text reads: “Some people say my ADHD would go away if I spent more time in nature.” The character kneels in a garden, planting small tomato plants. Text: “I spent weeks planting things," Middle panel: She carries a heavy log outside. Text reads: “helped cut and carry tree logs,” and “I touched immeasurable amounts of grass.” Next line: “But for some reason, I still have ADHD.” Bottom panel: Close-up of the character smiling blankly with a small ant on her head. She looks distracted. Speech bubbles read: “What was I looking for…?” Right, the watering can.” and then: “Wait what did I need that for?” A watering can sits nearby on the ground, pointed out with an arrow.
Comic: Japanese ADHD Alien comic explaining why building habits can be difficult with ADHD. Top panel: The character says she actually has a lot of motivation and genuinely wants to become healthier and eat proper meals, even if it doesn’t look like it. But somehow things never go according to plan. Next panels: She realizes she hasn’t gone running for months and decides: “This time I’ll definitely keep it up!” The comic explains that with ADHD people often either hyperfocus intensely on something or avoid it completely. Middle panel: Lying in bed, she becomes overwhelmed by all the invisible steps before running. Thoughts include: “Do I eat breakfast before or after?” “Am I hydrated?” “Where are my running shoes?” “Maybe I’ll go later.” The result: she never goes running. Bottom panels: Before medication she feels useless, thinking: “I didn’t do anything today.” Another panel shows extreme productivity where she finishes everything at once: cooking, cleaning, exercise, laundry, taxes. Final panel labeled “On medication”: she calmly says she finished two tasks today and can do the rest tomorrow. Side title: “Why ‘doing things little by little’ is difficult with ADHD.”
Panel 7 An older version of the ADHD Alien gently reassures a younger version of herself. The older character says: “You’re not overreacting.” “It makes sense that you’re trying to prevent rejection.” Additional text reads: “Feeling anxious is not proof of rejection, it might just be a relic of the past.”
Panel 5 A circular diagram shows a repeating cycle. Caption reads: “There would be this endless cycle of being scolded out of nowhere,” then “not being able to regulate emotions well because of ADHD,” and finally “being scolded for ‘overreacting.’” The illustrations show the child being criticized, crying, and then being criticized again.
Panel 3 A diagram illustrates how reactions feel different to someone with rejection sensitivity. Caption reads: “I’ve learnt that only enthusiastic responses are safe responses.” At the top, a smiling person giving an excited response is labeled “Enthusiastic safe reaction ✓.” Below, a neutral expression is labeled “Neutral ✗ Danger! Rejection possible!”
Panel 1 Comic titled “Rejection Sensitivity Explained.” The ADHD Alien character stands beside another person who responds casually with the words “Oh, thanks.” The reaction is neutral and calm. The ADHD Alien character looks worried and overthinks the interaction. Caption text reads: “When people react neutrally to me, I think they secretly hate me.”
Comic depicting the ADHD Alien character holding her phone in shock. She is hunched over a mop with the floor behind her still wet. Her hair and clothing look a bit unkempt. The text says "things I should take to the grave but I'll tell you: Before meeting my boyfriend for the first time, I had to clean my place for 8 days." The phone in her hands shows her boyfriend on a call, saying "Good news! I'll arrive an hour earlier!"
Single-panel comic about daily exhaustion. Text at the top reads: “Every day after work I just crash and get really exhausted.” The ADHD Alien character sits slumped on a couch under a green blanket, looking drained and unfocused while holding a pink phone. Her expression shows fatigue and frustration. A small table beside her holds an empty bowl, spoon, and a yellow drink bottle. A TV remote lies nearby, and laundry is draped over the couch, suggesting low energy and an unfinished day. Text near her reads: “I don’t even have the energy to watch or play anything.” Another line adds: “…or clean.” At the bottom: “…is that normal?”
Multi-panel comic about calling health insurance and discovering forgotten payments. Top left: Text reads, “Yesterday, I finally called my health insurance.” A computer screen shows a bank statement. A voice says, “Okay, I can’t see any insurance payments for at least 4 months.” Top right: The ADHD Alien character sits at a desk, talking on the phone with papers in front of her. Text reads, “I was pretty proud of myself for handling it.” She says, “…and I was wondering how much I owe you, and why no payments were taken from my account.” Middle left: The voice replies, “…okay…so it seems like you have been paying. Payments HAVE automatically been taken from your account.” Middle right: The bank statement highlights “Health insurance $430.” The character says, “what the…” Bottom panel: Dramatic close-up of the character’s intense, confused face with distorted lighting. Small speech bubbles read, “Whu–?” and “Wh–?” and “?”
Single-panel comic. The ADHD Alien character stands in comfortable home clothes, holding a mug and giving a small, tired smile. Her hair is messy, and the background shows a cluttered table with dishes, suggesting low energy and difficulty keeping up with tasks. Text reads: “I was supposed to make more content and post more often, but I spent last week being overwhelmed, depressed and did almost nothing.” Below, smaller text adds: “(I did shower yesterday, yay)”
Split-panel comic contrasting confidence and rejection sensitivity. Left panel, titled “Me normally”: the ADHD Alien character laughs casually and gestures with one hand. Speech bubble says: “I don’t see rejection everywhere, that’s silly!” The background is warm yellow. Right panel, titled “Me as soon as I’m around people”: the character crouches anxiously, sweating and blushing, looking distressed. One speech bubble says: “Did you hear how that guy said ‘yes’?” Another adds: “I think he hates me!” The background is cool purple, emphasizing anxiety.
Split Comic, left side has the adhd alien character saying „I’ll make so many comics for Valentine’s“. Right side shows the alien looking at a calendar at the wall „oh… valentines was yesterday“
Panel 1: The ADHD Alien character stands against a pink background, looking determined. She says: “I’m done constantly having to better myself!” A caption adds: “I’ll keep taking responsibility for my actions and growth,” and below: “but I’m tired of having to prove to the world that I’m not lazy about my ADHD symptoms.” Panel 2: Split scene. On the left, she points and shouts: “Read more books!” and “Think of how your ADHD affects others!” On the right, she is on all fours, struggling under a heavy stack of books. Panel 3: Warm, glowing scene labeled “To myself.” A gentle, glowing figure speaks to her: “You are enough, right now. Face situations as they arise,” and “keep growing from a place of love, not of feeling not good enough.” A small heart floats between them.
Panel 1: A young ADHD Alien character looks up at a pointing adult hand, holding her chest. Text reads: “I’ve always felt different. Instead of being understood, I got dismissed and criticized.” Below: “So I made sense of it the only way I could: ‘There must be something wrong with me.’”
Panel 5: Gentle moment. Partner says: “You’re worried again, hm?” She answers: “Yup.” He adds: “It’s ok, let’s go through our to-dos.” Caption below: “But you see me.”
Panel 1: A couple sits together on a couch. Text above explains: “It’s hard for me to relax into love because I’ve learnt that: relaxing → forgetting something → disaster & punishment.” A thought reads: “What if I’m just bad at love?”
A split-background comic. On the left, a simplified figure gestures dismissively and says: “I have ADHD and I don’t have those problems.” A smaller speech bubble adds: “You’re just looking for excuses!” The background is purple and feels confrontational. On the right, the ADHD Alien character faces forward with a calm but firm expression and gives a thumbs-up. She responds: “Really happy for you, but ADHD is different for everyone.” The background is warm yellow, signaling reassurance and self-confidence.
A split-image titled “The duality of my ADHD.” On the left, the ADHD Alien character looks overwhelmed, holding a tangled mass of colorful ribbons over their head. Text reads: “Burdened by a billion thoughts, struggling to finish anything.” The background is dark blue and heavy in tone. On the right, the same character appears calm and content, gently holding flowing, colorful ribbons. Text reads: “Master of a billion thoughts and ideas, connecting them like no one else can.” The background is warm and soft.
illustration with blue background, a character with antenna is looking at the camera, summoning sparkles from her hand. A text says "This year I will grow not because I'm not good enough, but because I want to be nicer to myself.
A split-panel comic. On the left, under the heading “People’s opinions,” a stern-looking person points a finger and says, “Don’t take meds just to fit in and be more productive!” The background is blue. On the right, under the heading “My reality,” a cheerful character with cat-like features happily wipes a desk, with sparkles around them, saying, “Hehe, I can finally clean my desk!” The background is warm and glowing. The comic contrasts public judgment about ADHD medication with the personal relief it can bring.
Comic titled: “The ‘gift’ of ADHD – Part 1/2.” Panel 1: The ADHD Alien character sits at a desk with papers, looking frustrated. Text reads: “When I’m not interested in a task, it’s so hard to start.” Panel 2: Bright, glowing scene. A golden, angel-like version of the character appears as the character looks amazed at a small dinosaur. Text: “But when something interests me, my brain will hyperfocus like there’s no tomorrow.” Speech bubble from the glowing figure: “Let’s use all that brain energy to research dinosaurs!” Caption below: “This is what people refer to as THE ‘gift’ of ADHD.” Panel 3: The glow fades. The character looks exhausted while the golden figure dismisses her. Text: “But it comes at a cost.” Thought and speech bubbles say: “I didn’t drink all day.” “Or spoke to my boyfriend…” “Can we take a break?” The glowing figure replies: “Hahaha, no.”
Comic “How I feel getting my ADHD meds.” On the left, a pharmacist or doctor in a white coat looks uncomfortable while holding a paper labeled “Prescription.” On the right, the ADHD Alien character leans over the counter wearing a cartoon burglar outfit with a mask and beanie, smiling eagerly. Speech bubble from the character: “Crime pills please.”
Comic split into two panels labeled “People’s comments vs. My reality.” Left side: A simple angry figure with arms on hips shouts: “You just want drugs, you’re an addict!” Right side: The ADHD Alien character stands in a brightly colored, overwhelming shampoo aisle of a store, looking confused. Thought bubble: “Why is the shampoo isle so overwhelming?” Speech bubble: “Oops forgot my ADHD meds again.” Background shelves blur into overstimulating colors, showing sensory overload.
Panel 1: Caption: “If there is just the possibility of being rejected by someone important…” Character smiles at her phone, texting: “Thank you for listening to me yesterday.” “Do you want to go to that new coffee place?” A reply pops up: “Tbh I didn’t really like the movie, sorry.” “But it’s ok if you like it!!” Panel 2: Two minutes later, she stares at the same messages; thirty minutes later, still frozen, holding her phone.