Cartoonist and animator Derek M. Ballard was born out of animation and has worked as a writer and storyboard artist (Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time and Netflix’s The Midnight Gospel) as well as graphic novels. For more than two decades, Ballard has produced characters with peculiar anatomy immersed in a sci-fi setting, sometimes ruthless, sometimes funny.

 

I’m a tattoo artist and painter from Denver. My paintings have an illustrative style. I use the female figure almost every time I paint. I think I started drawing big-eyed babies when I first saw Precious Moments. I think my mom had some trading cards and I had some coloring books. I have always been attracted to eyes in art. Afterwards I was enchanted by the art of tattooing. My paintings wouldn’t be what they are without the tattoos and vice versa.