Fungae – Wojtek Wawszczyk

A father, mother and son make their way through a terrifying, twisted jungle. It’s not clear how long they have been walking like this. They’re heading towards some unspecified destination, but it’s not clear why. Along the way, they encounter monstrous, aggressive insects and the ubiquitous fungal spores with which the father is becoming increasingly swollen. The hardship and futility of their journey cause the conflict between the son and his parents.

This is a story about intergenerational relay, about the search for meaning.

Initial cover Design 2019

By Tomasz Leśniak

Script outline 2019

Before I wrote the script, I put down the plot ideas in the form of a story outline, accompanied by my sketches. This made it easier for me to describe this invented world to Tomek.

script 2020

Drafting and revisions 2020

In 2020, based on my sketches and script, Tomek Lesniak drew the whole comic in sketch form. Sometimes I suggested some changes in the framing and emotions of the characters, and in turn Tomek edited the dialogues and suggested different dynamics of the scenes.

Final version 2021

Only after the sketch version of the whole thing was closed, Tomek set about drawing about 440 pages of the final version of the novel.

End of works 2022

Tomek finished drawing the comic almost exactly 3 years after I wrote the script. He was doing it in the evenings, after our work together on the full-length “Diplodocus” – which we were making during the day.

Final cover 2023

a few pages from the book

The comic was published in Poland by Kultura Gniewu in January 2023.

Polish premiere

Written by

Wojtek Wawszczyk

Illustrated by

Tomasz Leśniak

Published by

Kultura Gniewu 2023 (Polish edition)