Filipino creator Veya Sebastian writes, illustrates, and publishes her own comic series on Webtoon, using a mobile reading platform to bring her stories directly to readers.

Sebastian, 21, publishes “Head Over Heels” under the name FriedStrawberry. She produces about three episodes a month, handling the work from the first outline to the finished pages. Her process includes writing scripts, planning each scene, drawing, coloring, adding backgrounds and effects, and placing speech bubbles.

That workload shows what digital publishing makes possible for an independent creator. A writer and artist can release a continuing story online without first securing a traditional publishing deal. Readers can follow each new episode on their phones and discuss the story as it develops.

Sebastian discovered Webtoons when she was around 12, after developing an interest in drawing at a young age. She now creates both the story and artwork for “Head Over Heels,” drawing inspiration from Sailor Moon and the works of Ai Yazawa, including Nana and Paradise Kiss.

Although she enjoys illustration, Sebastian finds writing more difficult. She has to keep track of what her characters do, why they do it, and how each episode fits into the larger story. Publishing several times a month also means managing every production step on a regular schedule.

Platforms such as Webtoon have made comics easier to publish and read on a phone. They give emerging creators a place to share original work and build a readership over time. But Sebastian’s experience also shows the labor behind a digital comic: each short update requires both storytelling and visual production.

For Sebastian, the phone screen has become a place to publish the stories she once encountered as a reader.

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