The leaves are changing, the air’s getting crisper, and the spooky vibes are in full swing. It’s the perfect time to dive into some eerie, enchanting, and straight-up fascinating art. At Threadless, we’re spotlighting four artists who don’t just dabble in darkness—they live it. Whether it’s creating creepy comics, illustrating eerie myths, or crafting candles with scents like “Ash & Embers,” these artists bring the spooky to life in ways that’ll make you smile… and maybe shiver a little, too. Grab your pumpkin spice latte (or your cauldron), because these mini-interviews with Scott Buoncristiano, Gina Jo, Hink, and Devin Forst will have you looking at spooky art in a whole new way.
Featured Artists
Illustrator Scott Buoncristiano has a flair for blending horror, fantasy, and humor, most notably in his comic The Dark Room. With spooky art ranging from concert posters to beer labels, Scott’s passion for all things eerie shines through in every creation.
The Dark Room blends horror, fantasy, and comedy—how do you approach balancing these different genres in one narrative?
Scott Buoncristiano: I don’t know that there was a conscious effort to try and balance things, we just did what felt right to us. Originally we had set out to do a straight up horror book, but very quickly and naturally we shifted into making our own “Big Trouble; Little China” type thing. Just a bonkers fun mix. A blend of everything we liked to watch and read and grew up on, and especially what was fun for us to write and draw.
I heavily relied on Gerry’s experience for the timing of the beats and whatnot. I would use more shadow for horror parts and be more playful with facial and body expressions for fantasy and comedy parts. I’d stretch the characters more. Other methods like dramatic “camera” work for extra impact. It was all fairly subtle stuff, but hopefully enough to make the genre changes perceptible while still keeping it cohesive. Tamra Bonvillain, the colorist on The Dark Room, did an amazing job of keeping cohesion from scene to scene as well.
How did your collaboration with writer Gerry Duggan come about, and what’s the creative dynamic like between the two of you when building this world?
SB: Gerry and I had a mutual friend, Neil Mahoney. Neil and I grew up together but he had moved to L.A. where he befriended Gerry and eventually forced him to look at my work. I got an email out of the blue one day from Gerry, asking if I liked comics, wanted to do a comic, and wanted to be in comics. It was a yes to all three, and we set out on creating a story.
This is my first bit of comics work, so I don’t know how anyone else does it, but I always say that it reminds me of improv comedy. Gerry has an overall idea of the story which we’ll chat about, and will hit me with smaller chunks of script at a time. Then I’ll work off those pages and add bits of visual flair, or “improvise”, and that will inform a bit of the story going forward, Then he’ll write to that, then back to me and so on. That’s how it was built. The underlying guide for us both was to just make it cool. We’d talk about things and say “is this part cool?” We let “cool” and fun be our guide.
Your art often captures a dark, almost sinister atmosphere. What draws you to these themes, and how do you keep them fresh and exciting across different projects?
SB: Dark and spooky stuff is just really fun to draw. I have more fun drawing a skull or bat or werewolf than a beautiful model. Maybe it’s the janky shapes. Maybe it’s that if I’m a little sloppy with my linework, it just adds to the flavor. I’m not really a huge horror buff or anything…I love Downton Abbey and The Great British Bake-Off. Skulls and spooky stuff is pretty marketable too—most people like it for one reason or another.
I’m always trying to evolve things but sometimes it’s a slow process. Different palettes, different compositions, etc. On the occasion when I get hired by a company to do something along those lines, it’s a fun challenge to adapt what I “do” to what they want, and that merging of what the client needs and what I like to draw usually ends up with something fresh and exciting, and I just keep building off of that.
You’ve worked with some huge brands in your career, including Warner Bros, WWE, and Magic the Gathering. Is there one project that stands out as a turning point in your career or a personal favorite?
SB: I have been really blessed with some excellent clients, both large and smaller scale. I have been doing this for a long while now, but way back in the day I landed one BIG job with a publisher, and that was enough money for me to quit my day job and never look back. That was a stand out.
I do have to say that the biggest turning point was years ago when I decided to stop drawing how I thought people (clients) wanted me to draw, and started drawing how I wanted to draw. In other words, when I started drawing for ME. It was then that I started landing more work, and was sought out for the spooky fun stuff. I kept leaning harder and harder into my chunky, spooky, and brightly colored style and things have just gotten better and better from there.
The art you created for Revolution Brewing has its own distinct vibe. How do you approach something like a beer label compared to a comic project or concert poster?
SB: Different jobs call for a different focus. In comic book interior pages, the name of the game is storytelling. For things like beer labels, comic covers, book covers etc, my job is to get something to stand out on the shelf, and make it interesting enough that I help the client sell their product. Concert posters are a little more of a personal touch, as people want a memento of a show they went to, so I try to tie in the vibe of the band, and sprinkle in some easter eggs about the city it was in for example. The state bird. Stuff like that.
My style of drawing is consistent, so I know that no matter what type of project focus a job has, it will still have my look.
If one of your illustrations came to life, which one would you be the most terrified of?
SB: One time I drew this massive cosmic turkey that was some old god of Lovecraftian nature. I think the idea of that thing pecking at us is pretty terrifying. The bad guy in The Dark Room Volume 2 is a close runner up. He creeps me out.
An Indianapolis–based artist and candle maker, Gina Jo crafts spooky art that’s cute, creepy, and whimsical. From macabre illustrations to scented candles inspired by fall nights, her work is all about capturing the beauty in the strange and unusual.
As an admirer of all things strange and unusual, what are some of your favorite oddities or curiosities that inspire your work?
GINA JO: I love medical and anatomical curiosities in humans and animals. I also love bones (especially teeth), old mysterious photos, puppets, paranormal-related objects (though not to own), antiques such as Victorian decor or art (I’m obsessed with Victorian hair art), bugs, cryptozoology. The list goes on forever!
How do you get into the right mindset for creating your spooky art? Do you have any go-to music or favorite spooky movies you like to have on in the background?
GJ: I’m someone who is ALWAYS in the spooky mindset. Every outfit of mine usually includes Halloween–themed socks or some macabre touch, as well as my house decor! I listen to a lot of dark wave, moody, or even nu metal music, which helps me visualize creative ideas that I use for my work. I am a huge horror movie fan, but I am also so in love with stop motion animation or even just animation in general. A go-to in the background would be Over the Garden Wall or Coraline; but it is hard for me to work with anything visual happening around me as I usually get swept into watching it. Oftentimes while I work, I listen to podcasts of immersive fictional spooky tales, true paranormal storytelling encounters, and true crime.
You’ve customized T.U.K. shoes with your art. How was that experience, and how did working on a 3D surface change your creative approach?
GJ: It was so much fun and I was so honored to be a part of such a cool project. It definitely had its challenges though, as I do not typically work on 3D surfaces or with acrylic paint. I learned a lot about which art supplies work on certain surfaces and which ones don’t. The material was still surprisingly a lot more forgiving than how paper can be with paint though, so I was able to fine tune a bit more than usual.
I also learned that water soluble pencils are a must have! Since I tried to approach the shoes with design and intention in mind, that way of thinking now helps me plan ahead more thoughtfully moving forward. I also really enjoyed just letting the white linework on the black surface speak for itself for a change. I typically use vivid watercolor paint, so I’m excited to explore more of the black and white style in the future!
Scent can really evoke memories or emotions. Do you have a specific memory or experience that inspired the scent of any of your autumn candles?
GJ: Fall scents are near and dear to my heart in general since it is my most favorite season, naturally. My autumn candle collection this year is very nostalgic and pulls from all my favorite memories of spooky season. “Ash + Embers” and “Toasted Marshmallow” both bring me back to sitting by the fire pit on chilly fall nights. “Autumn Walk” is one of my favorites because it reminds me of walking a trail surrounded by fallen leaves with subtle notes of cedar and pecan. “Candied Apple” speaks for itself as the iconic Halloweentime treat from my childhood. Being able to transport to a certain vibe or memory through scent is one of the main reasons I love candle making.
You’ve participated in the Irvington Oddities Market in Indianapolis, which seems like the perfect fit for your aesthetic. What’s it like connecting with fans of your work in person at these events?
GJ: It is such a surreal experience for me, as someone who can be quite hard on myself and my work. I’m completely flattered when people find joy in my work or feel compelled enough to own it. It is always so nice when I’m able to connect with kindred spooky souls out there—because if you’re a fellow weirdo, then you know it can be hard out here sometimes! I am currently looking forward to another upcoming Irvington Oddities Market this month on October 12th.
If you could design your own haunted house, what would be the theme and the creepiest room inside?
GJ: Okay, so off the top of my head I am immediately thinking of a totally overgrown, ivy-covered, isolated, and abandoned old Victorian manor in the middle of a dark, gnarled forest. Is that a theme? In my mind, the forest would actually be the most terrifying part, with the house acting as a decoy for the horrors lurking about in the surrounding nature. I am now afraid I may have gone too literal with this, and maybe I was supposed to think more of a haunted attraction type of thing? Oops!
Muralist, comic artist, and printmaker, Hink creates works that explore personal themes through a surreal and absurd lens. Their spooky art is vivid, thought-provoking, and aims to leave you with more questions than answers.
You’ve worked in so many mediums—muralist, comic artist, printmaker. Do you have a favorite medium to work with? Does your creative process change depending on the medium?
Hink: The urge to tell stories was what drove me to draw, so I think comics are always going to be my favorite medium to work in. But I really love learning new things and seeing how my style and narrative voice can extend into different mediums. While a mural might not necessarily be a multi-paged story, I always want there to be a story I’m trying to tell, even if it is a stand alone image.
Also, I just love playing around in any medium that allows me to be big, exaggerate, and have fun. This may not make sense but no matter the medium I want my work to feel like the Impact font, kind of campy but also classic…
In your comic, Lora, you dive into a world of monsters and psychedelia. What inspired the creation of Lora and Sara’s story?
H: I would say my comics are a reflection of my own experiences, but then I’ll twist them into being super stylized, surreal, with creatures thrown in. While writing and drawing Lora, I was reflecting upon my childhood friendships, naivety, and what it means to grow up, and if that’s something you can even consciously pursue. I actually wrote a version of Lora years ago when I was in high school, but it was cool to revisit it a few years later and reimagine the story in a different light.
Making comics is always super grounding for me (also torturous, I love some good duality), and I’ve been working on a new comic project for a year or so now that I’m excited to start the whole process over again with (months and months of inking).
Your work often explores mental illness, interpersonal relationships, and social issues. How do you balance creating something visually engaging with tackling such heavy themes?
H: Whatever I’m currently feeling or thinking naturally finds its way into my art, and I get a bit uncomfortable being “too serious” at times, so that’s where my humor, absurdity, and stylization comes in. I always want to try and find a way to marry my truth with the absurd, since it gives me the courage to actually use my voice.
Your Body Language exhibition plays with the idea of body horror and autonomy. How did this concept evolve for you, and how does it relate to your personal experiences or observations?
H: I used to work in Columbia College Chicago’s DEPS department, which was the department of exhibitions, performance, and student spaces. Near the end of my time there I got the opportunity to pitch a solo exhibition, and it was around the time that Roe V. Wade was overturned in 2022.
As a genderqueer person, it had me reflecting on autonomy and consent, but not only on a personal level, but also the intersectional impact and ripple effect of a decision such as this. The exhibition was a response to these feelings, as I wanted to create a confrontational mock fly posting campaign with the intent of inserting my voice on the matter into the public, and not waiting for permission to do so, just as legislations such as this don’t ask for permission from those they impact either.
You have an upcoming mural at Soho House Chicago, set to be displayed throughout October. When creating large-scale public art like this, what’s your main goal? Are there any feelings or reactions you hope to evoke?
H: When I’m creating something for the public, I try and think objectively as possible, and almost remove myself from the process. I try to imagine stumbling upon my own work, as if I wasn’t the one who made it, and what would be visually exciting enough to make me stop and stare. The goal is to make a stranger wonder more about the universe it takes place in, and what the art is trying to say (even if there’s no words present). As a big lore lover, I always want my work to feel like there’s more to uncover.
You’ve got a bit of a spooky, almost Tim Burton-esque vibe to a lot of your work. If you could live in any spooky universe, whether it’s a movie, book, or comic, which would it be and why?
H: I would honestly love to live in the movie Mandy (2018), but like not because I want to be a part of a cult or anything, I just love the designs of the Black Skulls biker gang and I would love to be a suited up motorcycle demon with knives sticking out of my head. I think that would be cool.
Devin Forst is an illustrator who draws from folklore, myth, and the mysterious. With a love for monsters and all things supernatural, his spooky art encourages viewers to explore the darker, hidden corners of their imaginations.
Your work encourages viewers to “delve a bit deeper into the dark.” What do you find most alluring about exploring the more mysterious and unsettling aspects of life through art?
Devin Forst: I wish I could pinpoint exactly what it is about darker subjects that I find so alluring and beautiful, but it’s kind of a hard question to answer. There’s just something about dark or villainous things that seem more interesting to me than lighter, happier subjects. Which is strange, because I’m a generally happy and friendly person! But I feel like these things have such an inherent confidence in their creepy-weirdness and I wanted to embody that in myself. So by drawing and painting them, it’s like making a little talisman reminding me to keep it weird, with confidence.
How do you think your upbringing—running through the woods looking for monsters—shapes your art today?
DF: I think it was instrumental! I may be grown, but I still look for monsters in the woods. And now that I’m older I have the skill to be able to actually draw what I see in my mind’s eye, which is so fun. I’m a firm believer in keeping the old sense of wonder and magic from childhood alive in your adult life, especially as an artist. We can get so caught up in the drudgery of it all that we lose that spark of curiosity that fueled us when we were younger. Living with a sense of oddity and openness to strange ideas helps to fuel the creative brain in really cool ways.
Your oracle deck, Witches Through History: Grimoire & Oracle Deck, brings together art and storytelling. What inspired you to create this deck, and do you have any favorite cards from the collection?
DF: I was actually posting doodles of historic witches on Instagram for a short time in 2018, which became the spark that ignited the whole project years later. So when I got the opportunity to pitch a book and oracle deck idea, I knew immediately that it had to be about witches, because I’ve been obsessed and enamored with them since I was a child. That corner of history is rife with so much folklore, mystery, magic, and also tragedy, and I wanted to explore that in a way that would be engaging and easy to understand for others who might be interested. So “Witches Through History” became a really fun combo of a mini history book on witches and the craft, accompanied by an oracle deck that draws on themes from the lore and stories in the book.
As for which card is my favorite, I feel like it would have to be The Owl. It’s one that I pull often, and it’s also one of the first images I made when I was deciding what the vibe of the project would be…plus it’s a little more eerie than the usual owl, which I love ;)
How do you go about bringing old myths, folklore, and creatures to life in your own style? Do you take liberties in reimagining them, or do you aim for historical accuracy?
DF: I’d say it’s a good mix of both. Most things I draw tend to pass through my inner “dark fantasy-gothic filter” before I make them, so I like to think that most of my artwork exists in the same spooky world in my head. I do think I have a tendency to make some things just a little more horror-esque than usual. But I’m also notoriously indecisive when it comes to actual art styles, so things can sometimes change depending on how I think they should be depicted at the time.
That’s part of the fun though, the myths and folklore that inspire me are often changing and shape-shifting depending on the source, so I guess my art matches that in a way. I may draw the same subject in two or three different ways a few months apart, and it’s interesting to see what things change and what remains the same.
As someone who works a lot with the themes of darkness and the supernatural, do you have a favorite gothic or horror story that never fails to inspire you?
DF: I’m not sure if I have one specific story to pull from. But apart from witches, if I’m being honest, I think stories about faeries inspire me a lot…which to the layperson will probably sound weird and garner a few suspicious looks. BUT, for anyone who is a mythology and folklore freak like me, you come to realize that the true older tales of faeries were far more scary and sinister than we usually imagine them today. It’s definitely not Tinkerbell with glitter and rainbows. These things could be far more grotesque, change shape, attack people, steal children, and they were truly feared and respected centuries ago. And I think that’s actually a good way to describe my art-making at times…a mix of fear and respect. (Also, since a lot of my ancestry is Irish/Germanic, maybe a healthy fear of the Fey folk is just in my blood haha.)
If you could magically transport yourself to any time period known for its dark folklore and legends, where and when would you go?
DF: That’s a tough one, because I often joke that if I went back in time centuries ago, I’d probably end up burnt at the stake haha. But true to form, I’m going to be indecisive and vague and say I’d like to go back somewhere in either medieval/early modern Europe (which is a wide span of dates, I know) or Ancient Greece. Particularly because I would love to be able to interact with people who still actively believe in the old lore, set out offerings for spirits, put up charms to ward off wicked things, worship at the old temples of gods, etc. I think it would be really eye opening to see firsthand how these things—that we usually just pass off as “superstition” today—impacted the everyday lives of people and the deep respect, fear, and connection they would’ve had to the supernatural.
These artists are proof that there’s more to spooky art than scares—it’s about celebrating the darkness, embracing the weird, and finding magic in the mysterious. Want more art that’ll give you chills (the good kind)? Head over to Threadless and discover even more artists who live on the darker side of creativity.
