All manner of unknown haunt the liminal spaces of the New England-esque town of Darlington and nearby Sullivan Forest. Strange apples keep appearing on gravesites and doorsteps. Ringing bells are heard before an unfamiliar man or dog appears in the distant fields. There's a locked door with nothing behind it hopping around the stone ruins the settlers left.
Most human residents try their best to avoid catching the attention of their odd neighbors, but they know it's a matter of time before the black dog picks another soul to bring into the widderwood.

What is the widderwood?

It is a place the neighbors live. It is what is behind the veil, a liminal space that holds no rules, the uncomfortable edge between town and forest. 

Who are they?

Waite Bailey is a short, bookish man born into the family of a prosperous tea & coffee trade company. With his gentle yet passionate demeanor, strange mannerisms, and never-ending curiosity of the fae, he was never bound to fit in with his highly class-concerned blood. After a series of frightening paranormal encounters and a firey "accident", he is swept into the afterlife by the hands of the unknown and finds something much sweeter than expected.

Lavoie Gagnon is an agent of the end- a black shuck- and fate has picked Waite to be his next ghostly protégé. He is the one behind multiple local legends on the breath of Darlingtonites, a shrouded figure to be avoided when spotted at the forest edges paying visit to the lost or forgotten. Mysterious, odd, and a complicated mess, his portrayal of a distant monster is betrayed by his heartfelt actions.

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Widderwood is a personal story centering around paranormal love, nonbinary & autistic identity, accepting change & balance, & navigating the aftershock of trauma.

An extended gallery relating to Widderwood can be found here.
​You can also join Lydia's Widderwood discord server here (18+).

Are the boys from a series?

They're my own characters based on my special interests (ghosts, black dogs, death, fae, New England, etc).
​I created the first rendition of Widderwood 15 years ago, with its two protagonists existing for 10 years. Both are very loosely based on real-world black dog sightings (Darlington barghest & lady Howard).

Why "widderwood"?

A bit on the nose, but combination of "widdershins" (a term often used in witchcraft, to turn counter-clockwise, sometimes thought to be the 'wrong' way) and "woods" (often a euphemism for where the unknown or dangerous live, sometimes a term for the afterlife), so you have to go 'the wrong way' to get to where the monsters or dead live.

Is it a comic?

With some time... we'll see. ; )

Can I draw them?

Go for it.

Are your (black dogs, nymphs, etc) an open species/can I make characters based off them?

Fancharacters- As long as its clear that's what they are, ok! Have fun.
Your personal story- I do not own black dogs/fae but please put effort into finding your own resources & inspirations rather than just copying my specific rendition of them.
​I have had people cross boundaries in the past by having an unhealthy idolization and basing their art & designs almost solely off mine- it is very weird and disrespectful for everyone involved.
Adoptables- I do not make my story designs adoptables & I am not part of the adoptable community. Multiple people have also asked if they can create & sell adoptables based specifically on how I draw fae and the answer is no, please don't do that, that's also weird.

Is Deg (Lavoie) trans?

Yes. In simple words, his gender is fluid and he identifies as nonbinary (Waite does as well), he is what he is.
This question is usually in reply to Deg having breasts, so: he has mixed sexual traits influenced by magic and identity, very common among his fae brethren.

What is a "shuck"?

In terms of real-life folklore, black shuck, black dog, barghest, padfoot, galleytrot, guytrash, so on, so forth, are large solid black spectral dogs who are seen all over the world but are most notable in England. Their individual traits and nickname vary by location, but most associate them with the dead or disaster.