Artist Spotlight:
TerrorFoxes

I've drawn for as long as I can remember. I was that archetypal kid who zoned out in class, preferring to doodle in the back of my schoolbooks! Unfortunately, it was never encouraged—in fact, quite the opposite—so I simply stopped drawing in my mid-teens and didn’t pick it back up until years later.

As a kid, the art I was most attracted to were the illustrations in the old Fighting Fantasy gamebooks.

I didn't know the artists' names at the time, but I've since learned that most of my favourite pics were drawn by Iain McCaig! The only time I remember actually learning an artist's name because I was so impressed with their work was when my friend at school lent me some 2000AD comics, and I was exposed to Simon Bisley’s ABC Warriors art. I remember just being stunned by how cool his designs were, and he remains a favourite.

Since then, I’ve gravitated toward some classics like Frank Frazetta and Bernie Wrightson. I’m always picking up new inspirations!

Most of my ballpoint work is done intuitively. I often just put the pen to paper, make a shape, and see where it goes from there. I enjoy the challenge of creating something aesthetically pleasing from an initially random design.

Occasionally, I do have a specific motivation for a drawing when I get an idea I just have to put down. In both cases, I feel freedom and joy— especially during the first few strokes as the drawing comes together.

I don't feel comfortable giving out advice, as I'm still a beginner. However, I can share what has worked for me: I had little improvement until I bought a pocket-sized sketchbook and resolved to draw every day. I started filling the pages whenever I could, even in short ten-minute bursts.

I then posted the results on Instagram, which helped me maintain a routine and provided motivation. So, I’d say: put the time in, draw, and practise as much as you can—while not being too disheartened by slow progress.

That said, while social media is useful and fun, I've recently found myself spending more time on it than I'd like. Checking up on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, X, and DeviantArt takes more time than I want, so I plan to step back and focus more on my comics and practice.

Any job where I can be paid to draw fantasy/horror/sci-fi ideas would be a dream!

Yes, I have two fantasy-themed comics on Webtoon Canvas: Simeon & Grigzy For Hire! and Dunjun Gremz. I'm enjoying both, and I find Webtoons very user-friendly for uploading episodes. The experience has been positive overall. My main issue is not being able to release issues faster!

Comics take ages to draw, letter, and edit, especially with my detailed art style, which is why Simeon & Grigzy has transitioned from full colour to just black and white.

I also need to practise colouring, so I created Dunjun Gremz as a smaller comic to keep me on track with that.

My comics are pre-planned but only as a loose skeleton. I have the story mapped out, but I’m fleshing out a lot of the details as I go. Dunjun Gremz is usually a one-joke strip though that I make up as I go.

Both characters in Simeon & Grigzy were created with adaptability in mind. They are quite standard-looking—one’s basically a ninja, and the other a generic ogre/orc. This allows me to tinker with their designs over time. I expect their appearances to change significantly from their original looks in a couple of years while still maintaining the ninja/ogre template.

What I’ve learned is that comics are incredibly time-consuming, and each aspect—pencilling, inking, colouring, and lettering—is a discipline in itself that could take a lifetime to master. Writing, too! Managing all these tasks while trying to learn is far more challenging than anyone who hasn’t drawn their own comic might appreciate.

One frustrating limitation has been needing to tone down the violence for Simeon & Grigzy. Originally, it was meant to be hyper-violent, but Webtoons has guidelines against that, so I’ve had to get creative and hide some content or imply violence happening off-camera. There are plenty of panels on the cutting room floor!

I've had no formal art training, so all my bad habits are mine alone! I do try to watch the occasional YouTube art tutorial video, but only in small doses as I'd much rather be spending my time drawing instead!

I find now that almost all of my free time is taken up with drawing, which is fine with me, as it’s something I stopped doing while still at school and wish I’d stuck with. Instead, I wasted a lot of years not doing something that gives me a lot of pleasure and satisfaction.

I hope to be a lot more polished and professional in years to come. My only goal for now is to keep drawing and improving while continuing my comics. Although, I’d like to self-publish my own printed comic book one day, just for the thrill of seeing it and holding it in my hand!

It's a hobby for now. But it'd be nice to be professional enough to support myself with my art one day.