Glowing sorcerers, ancient ruins, dragons mid-roar and flat colors that hit like a black-light poster in a basement rec room. Alexey’s work blends classic comics storytelling with pulp sci-fi energy and the kind of hand-drawn detail you’d expect from a well-worn issue of Heavy Metal magazine.
Born in Yekaterinburg and shaped by Golden Age and Silver Age comics, vintage fantasy illustration and old-school sci-fi paperbacks, Alexey grew up drawing long before becoming a professional comic book artist felt possible. From He-Man afternoons to discovering cult comic magazines, he built a visual language rooted in bold linework, flat color theory and large-format ink drawings on paper.
Today Alexey collaborates with writers on independent comics and graphic storytelling projects, refining his approach to structure, pacing and visual worldbuilding with every new page.
If you’re into classic comics, fantasy illustration, pulp sci-fi aesthetics and artists who treat color like poetry, you’re in the right place. Step inside Alexey Gorboot’s universe
Hi Alexey, thanks for joining us! How are you doing, and what are you working on right now?
Hi! Thank you for your attention to my work and for inviting me to answer a few questions. Right now, I’m drawing a short comics for the second issue of GUTS magazine. And I’m also creating a couple of posters and covers.
Let’s start at the beginning. What were your early years like in Yekaterinburg, how did drawing first become part of your everyday life, and when did it start feeling like something you could build a career around?
This is a good question. I have felt a inclination towards drawing from a very early age. As a child, I was constantly drawing. It was then that I developed a passion for both drawing from life and drawing from imagination. Around the age of 10, I realized that comics and illustration were the areas that I enjoyed the most. At that time, comics were a rare and unpopular genre in the area where I lived. However, this did not deter me, and I gradually began to refine my skills.
Your work shows a deep love for classic comics, especially Golden and Silver Age material, with a bit of an 80s feeling in the mix too. Which artists, books, cartoons or series had the strongest impact on you early on?
There’s a saying: You are what you eat. This applies to creativity as well. I really like classic things, and there’s so much of it that I’m constantly discovering new things. If I had to name one early influence, it would definitely be He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-1985) animated series. I learned about them in the early 1990s. I’ve been a fan ever since. Among the artists, I would mention Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell, as well as Luis Royo. I was very impressed by several issues of Heavy Metal magazine. Those were the comics! I was also a fan of the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. I just devoured his works. There were no illustrations in those books, and my imagination painted pictures of Barsoom and its inhabitants. Much later, I discovered the illustrations of the great Frank Frazetta. As you can imagine, I am a long-time fan of the fantasy genre.
Beyond that classic fantasy-comics energy, one of the most recognizable parts of your work is your vivid, almost psychedelic palette. How did your style evolve over the years, and when did color start feeling like a signature for you?
Color is a powerful tool that can enhance or completely destroy any ink drawing. Color creates mood, contrast, and movement in an illustration. I enjoy experimenting with unusual colors. I draw inspiration from old comic books with flat colors. In fact, I am a big fan of flat colors without digital shadows, halftones, or highlights. The striking colors of black-light posters have also greatly influenced my understanding of color combinations. It turns out that things can be painted in completely unconventional color schemes. I can say that color is a philosophy and a poetry.
When you begin a new comic or illustration, what usually comes first for you: a story idea, a visual concept, or the act of drawing itself?
I like to look for structure and construction in everything. Whether it’s a story or a drawing. Most of the time, I work in collaboration with writers on comic books. Therefore, most of my work comes down to illustrating and developing visual storytelling. This is an important point in comic books. Sometimes I get a chance to do something completely my own. In this case, the first thing I start with is an idea. Then I make sketches and then the final large-format art. Yes, I draw on paper.
What’s the hardest part of your process right now, and what helps you get unstuck?
It’s very important to meet the deadline. In this case, self-discipline is the key. As for drawing, I constantly try to improve my skills and learn. It’s probably an endless process.
What do you never get tired of drawing: a type of character, creature, or setting, and why?
Over time, I realized that I like drawing rocks. Yes, old ruins of ancient buildings, trees, dungeons, and various mysterious fantasy things. As for the characters, they are definitely wizards, beautiful warriors, barbarians, dragons, giants, elves, and tree people. I could go on for a long time.
You’ve collaborated closely with writers over the years. How do those collaborations shape your storytelling compared to when you’re working entirely on your own?
Working in a team with a writer means that you need to make a story that has already been written. In this case, you need to stick to the plot and the dialogues. You can’t just jump in and say, “Let’s change the ending” or “Why are these dialogues here?” Therefore, when working with a writer, you can follow the flow of the story and focus on the tasks of illustration. When the work is completely in my hands, I have more freedom, but also more responsibility. At the same time, I have the opportunity to express my own opinions.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a cartoonist, whether creatively, professionally, or within the publishing world?
I would include here a constant desire for development and knowledge. Since this is an ongoing process, there is an understanding of what can be done even better and where to strive. This is a huge challenge and a vector.
If you could time-travel and draw one official cover for a classic fantasy paperback or comic series, what would you choose, and what little detail would you hide in the corner for the nerds?
Perhaps it would have been a cover for Planet Comics or some kind of horror anthology from the pre-Code era of the 1950s, like Chamber of Chills or Tales from the Crypt.
Looking ahead, are there stories, genres, or formats you feel especially excited to explore next?
I like fantasy and science fiction. It might be fun to mix these genres together and add elements of horror, comedy, and adventure. Plus a touch of romance.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give to young artists who are just starting out?
Keep drawing if you can’t live without it!
Discover the work of Alexey Gorboot and step into his neon-lit fantasy universe.
Indieground Interviews is our ongoing series dedicated to the most interesting artists out there: the ones building distinct worlds, refining their craft, and inspiring people across disciplines with their vision. No matter the medium, if the work hits, we’re in.
We had a great time talking with Alexey, and if glowing sorcerers, ancient ruins, dragons mid-roar and fearless, flat color are your thing, you’ll want to see more. Head over to his Instagram profile and explore the full range of his creations from large-format ink drawings to story-driven pieces that feel like they’ve time-traveled from a lost ’80s fantasy shelf.
If you’d like to read more stories about artists shaping today’s creative scene in their own way, have a look at a few more episodes of our Indieground Interviews series.
Here are some great ones to start with:
