Author | Lightnews

Jen Toal aka vettha

@vettha.bsky.social

520 followers 820 following 40 posts

Artist. Mermaid. Laser Maven. Teacher. Faerie Godmother. Activities of Daily Living Olympian. I don’t know if I’ll go down in community memory as an ally, but I continue to do the work to the best of my understanding and abilities.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Art by Emily K @museum.of.emilyk.art · 4d

I've been thinking about Matt Furie a lot during this period of political frog realignment, so I made this comic dedicated to him.

Color comic with multiple panels. Pepe the Frog, a lanky frog with a stoner expression on his face - but somewhat sad - walks away from a burning pile of 4chan logos and "Kek"s. He sees some commotion and perks up. In the next panel, he's shocked at the sight of dancing frogs, a la the Portland Frog inflatable costume protesters. One frog notices him, and reaches for his hand. The final panel shows the frog leading Pepe by the hand to the other dancing protesting frogs. The frog says "Frogs together strong," and Pepe says "feels good, man."

8 670 2K

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Gwen Jody @gwenjodyauthor.bsky.social · 6d

Some attention on the talented artist Jen Toal, who created my wonderful avatar. It was great working with Jen, and I got a unique headshot that preserves some online anonymity. All her art is human-made. Highly recommend Jen for a professional avatar created by a real person. @vettha.bsky.social

1 1

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

The Contrarian @contrariannews.org · 6d

Who are the private donors funding the disgusting demolition of the East Wing of the people's house for Trump's $250M gilded ballroom?

98 860 1.6K

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Chronic Illness Humor @chronicillness.bsky.social · Aug 28

guy sobbing - you saved my life. i don't know what I would've done without you.

neck pillow - buddy, i'm literally just a neck pillow.

4 53

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

ellie lockhart (she/they) @eleanor.lockhart.contact · Aug 8

since everyone's doing this and I have an AI art API subscription that I don't really use, here's Google Imagen 4's take on the Presidents of the recent past

11 30 150

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Charles Ghoul-ba ✡️ @charlesgaba.com · Jul 18

Holy shit.

The gamine is a popular archetype of a slim, often boyish, elegant young woman who is described as mischievous or teasing, popularized in film and fashion from the turn of the 20th century through to the 1950s.

12 34 110

Jen Toal aka vettha @vettha.bsky.social · Jul 8

I’m making my first comic. It feels like I’ve been heading here the whole time.

I started it in a class on processing climate grief and anxiety with comics and I even already had a poem ready for this.

Jen Toal aka vettha @vettha.bsky.social · May 23

New shirt!

image of a 3/4 sleeve shirt. the body of the shirt is black and the sleeves and shoulder caps are grey. white text on the shirt reads, “Was the fall of Rome this embarrassing?” a blue doodle shape hovers over the shirt and holds the website: vettha.threadless.com
handwritten text floats around the shirt reading variously, “WTF?” “UGH,” “THIS SUCKS,” and “available on many shirt styles”

Jen Toal aka vettha @vettha.bsky.social · Mar 7

omg LOL... I'm still in the process of adding styles, but omg! if there was ever a shirt to get in orange, right??

Screenshot of a page from Jen Toal's Artist Shop page; vettha.threadless.com
An orange tshirt with black lettering is displayed. It has large black numbers: 8647
Since 47 is orange, well... but there are also other color options. No one has to go for the full joke, if they don't like wearing orange.

Jen Toal aka vettha @vettha.bsky.social · Mar 7

Wow.

Jen Toal aka vettha @vettha.bsky.social · Mar 4

I got to talk about Mothership HackerMoms AND slip in a quote from one of my all-time favorite authors, Sheri S Tepper. Very exciting. Much squee. <3
(I do think I sound nervous, but whatever.)

kpfa.org/episode/wome...

One handlebar from my mobility aid is visible poking in from the bottom of the frame. The scene is a dapple-shaded sidewalk and the KPFA entry and sign on the building.

POV you’re me on the radio with your friend. I’ve got a table full of sound equipment in front of me and my iPad open to drawing a bunny-capybara friendship cuddle next to controls for my mic. Vylma V is rocking purple to my left, reading important notices to the people.

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Alexander Hamizdat @alexhammy209.bsky.social · Mar 4

It's true. And obviously, it would have to be bipartisan.

1 2

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Weevil Under the Sun @audmonstr.bsky.social · Feb 28

It's always okay to say, "Hey, I was wrong, and I've changed my mind. I learned a bunch of stuff and my opinion on this has changed."

www.theguardian.com/global/2025/...

Formerly anti-vax parents on how they changed their minds: ‘I really made a mistake’

Researchers believe personal stories are more persuasive than facts alone in addressing vaccine skepticism

www.theguardian.com

2 3

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

90.1 WRUV-FM Burlington @wruvfm.bsky.social · Feb 28

🎶 Amphibians with an attitude
Bufos that were in the mood
Don't just float there, let's hop to it

Present & Correct @presentcorrect.bsky.social · Feb 28

Strike a pose, there's nothing to it. FROGUE.

imgur.com/a/r5cckKJ

1-linda-lester.pixels.com/art

Happy Friday!

A curvaceous frog hangs seductively amongst some greenery, FROGUE is written in the same style as VOGUE magazine

1 2

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Jeffrey Ⓥ @liftforever67.bsky.social · Feb 27

“Sleep is my lover now, my forgetting, my opiate, my oblivion.”

#Caturday
#CatsLover #CatsOfTwitter

2 2 17

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Weevil Under the Sun @audmonstr.bsky.social · Feb 23

I have had this conversation at work at least twice this week. There are lots of things to have major wobblies about, and Adobe Illustrator (in general) is not one of them.

Mx. Fee - FREE LINK @mxfee.bsky.social · Feb 20

Adding alt text because this is super important

1 1

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Alexander Hamizdat @alexhammy209.bsky.social · Feb 24

How tf are they going to miss the opportunity to give her the Morning Joy slot.

Athena Z @athenasrx.bsky.social · Feb 24

Write postcards, emails and do phone calls. Make them hear us! Joy has some loyal fans:
CALL: 212) 664-6605

WRITE: MSNBC
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10112

email:
[email protected]

OR

[email protected]
#DemVoice1
#ProudBlue
#FightBack

Athena Z @athenasrx.bsky.social · Feb 23

This Black woman is a brilliant journalist, and a fearless outspoken critic of the MAGA cult. I will miss her and hope to see her in a new role on some network. 💙🇺🇸 JOY REID
@joy.msnbc.com
@joyannreid.bsky.social

#DemVoice1
#FightBack
#ProudBlue

1 1

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Jen (She/her) @jen1701d.bsky.social · Feb 24

From What Happens on the Holodeck, Stays on the Holodeck:
A great day to revisit Wil Wheaton's excellent takedown of Elon Musk from 2022;
I can not fathom the emptiness, the insecurity, the insatiable need for attention and validation, the staggering arrogance, the malevolence and total void of human experience that is Elon Musk.
He's the richest man on the planet. You can't go anywhere or do anything without interacting with something he's part of in some way. There are literal millions of people who uncritically worship him, in spite of overwhelming evidence that he's a douchebag. Some number of them will come after me, as they come after anyone who points at their naked emperor.
They'll spend entire days going after me and people like me, slavishly serving a man who does not even know they exist. They are his army of fools, uncritically serving his every whim. And it still isn't enough.
He can have any material thing he wants, and he will never be happy or satisfied.
He has no real friends. Every single person around him is either a viper, a parasite, or both.
So what does he do? He bullies and threatens and harasses and trolls and behaves like the weak, scared, insecure child he has always been. That's a tragedy for him, but it's dangerous for us. He doesn't care what he destroys or who he hurts as he chases this existential thing he can not ever have.
You know the saying "hurt people hurt people"? He's a hurt person who is hurting our society, making people I care about less safe. The consequences of this one man's midlife crisis are global, and that terrifies me.

Split image: Top is a picture of Wil Wheaton. Bottom is a picture from CPAC.

1 3

Jen Toal aka vettha @vettha.bsky.social · Feb 21

omg adore

Oak Tree Comics @oaktreecomics.bsky.social · Feb 16

Happy World Whale Day! Hope you’re doing whale 💙🐋🌏

This is a Blue whale + Reverse Mermaid illustrated by @adamicoarts.bsky.social for our book The Weird Animal Hour! Each drawing in the book combines a mythical creature with an endangered species ✨

Jen Toal aka vettha @vettha.bsky.social · Feb 20

I can’t sit back and sip tea about how we warned them because they are not the only ones being hurt.

VJM4democracy @vjm4democracy.bsky.social · Feb 20

“I voted for Donald Trump. But this is not what I was expecting. We didn’t think they were going to take a chainsaw to a silk rug.”

The man’s wife said they also believed his 13 years of military service in the Navy and Air Force Reserves would have offered him more protection against DOGE cuts.”

Eddie Smith @eddsmitty.bsky.social · Feb 20

MAGA federal worker from North Virginia shocked that the fat felonious leopard ate his face. He is also a disabled veteran. That didn't mean shyt whatsoever.

I'll say it again:

We fukn told you!

*sip*☕️

#ProudBlue
#ResistanceUnited
#USDemocracy

wtop.com/virginia/202...

1 2

Jen Toal aka vettha @vettha.bsky.social · Feb 17

Ok, ok, I've polished this one plenty. I can let her be on things. Really, I can. She's strong. She'll guard your heart.

vettha.threadless.com

AND they're throwing a site-wide sale. Bonus. <3

20% OFF EVERYTHING
Use code GET20. Code expires 2/26/25 at 5PM CST. Exclusions apply.

vettha.threadless.com

Designs / Strength / Everyone / T-Shirt

Strength

The image of the shirt shows an illustrated, fancily-dressed person with a feathered hat and butterfly wings flexing her bicep.

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Thadra Sheridan @thadrasheridan.bsky.social · Feb 17

Weird.

God @thegodpodcast.com · Feb 16

Don’t you just love how the people who wanted school open during the pandemic think we don’t need a Department of Education?

1 3

Reposted by Jen Toal aka vettha

Ashley | Anti-Trump Coloring Book Creator @freshprintsdesign.bsky.social · Feb 15

Venting because I’ve been banned from ~another~ Facebook coloring group for posting “political” content. Today’s post? “Not Today Fascism” 🌈

Guess it tells you everything you need to know about Meta 😅

Want to help an independent artist? Feel free to share! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

#coloring #art #artsky

Not today fascism coloring page from Coloring Through Chaos the anti Trump coloring book for adults and teens now available on Etsy

4 6 25

Jen Toal aka vettha @vettha.bsky.social · Feb 16

Someone asked for mermaid jokes and I was ready. :D

What do you call a sarcastic mermaid? A SIGH-REN

Page from a coloring book, a mermaid shrugs beside the words.

Mermaid Squad Coloring Book
by Jen Toal

This is the front cover. There are purmaids (cat mermaids) swimming in formation around the words.

Jen Toal aka vettha @vettha.bsky.social · Feb 15

Tonight's the night!

Hosted by Berkeley Poet Laureate Aya de León

Friday, February 14, 2025

30th anniversary

2025

featuring Caro DeRobertis Aida Salazar

Gabriel Cortez

Janine Mogannam

Kaylah Marin Penny Rosenwasser

& more

LOVE FEST

an alternative valentine's celebration

in spoken word & music, celebrating love of self, spirit, family, community & democracy!

I'll be donating all my personal proceeds to the Working Families Party!

also featuring the youth band

Prospect

a collaboration with the Empowering People of Color Open Mic

doors 7pm/show 7:30 Sliding scale $15-25 Youth 18 & under $5

then

La Peña Cultural Center 3105 Shattuck Ave. Berkelely

www.lapena.org

now