Creator Spotlight: Zack Carroll (VAMPBYTE)

Each month we’ll be doing a profile on one of the creators from the Creator Advisor database, giving you an introduction to who they are and what they do. We have a fantastic collection of talent in the Creator Advisor database and want to be able to share these talents as widely as possible!

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Tell us about yourself!

My name is Zack (but my alias is VAMPBYTE) and I’m a freelance illustrator and webcomic author. I started freelancing in 2018 after graduating with my Associates for illustration and have been doing comics on and off for a few years before that, though my current webcomic RORY is the longest and most developed one yet. As for art in general, I’ve been  drawing for as long as I’ve been able to hold a pen!

What is your favourite thing about creating?

I love storytelling! A really simple drawing can tell a whole story if you put a lot of love into it.

What one thing do you wish you could go back and tell yourself when you started?

I would tell myself that you are your own best cheerleader – getting validation from other people feels nice, but celebrating your own work and creating out of love for it will help you grow the most!

What tip would you give someone interested in creating?

Don’t be shy about asking for help or guidance! The internet is full of great resources and kind people who will lend you a hand.

Can you share a favourite resource or mentor?

My favorite resource is actually one I’ve been putting together myself, and it’s something I recommend every creator does: make a collection of  all the things that inspire you, and keep it in a folder to look through when you’re brainstorming. I have folders inside folders for a ton of different categories of stuff that interests me and I rarely get art  block because there’s always cool concepts just waiting for me in there! You can also do this with Pinterest boards or on a blog, too.

Shout out someone else whose work you love that we should know about!

Ashley McCammon (@draculing on Twitter) is an amazingly talented webcomic creator and illustrator!

Where can we find you?

Portfolio – Twitter – Instagram – Patreon

and my webcomic RORY can be found on Tapas and Tumblr, with early access and hi-res updates on Patreon!