An interview by Crisi di Neko ᓚ₍ ^. ̫ .^₎

Zooka is a Mexican artist, and saying that he only works with ero guro would be an understatement of his abilities. He works with illustration, painting, photography… in short, he is a multifaceted artist who describes himself as “an unconventional artist with many interests and sources of inspiration.” If he feels an idea is worth bringing to life, he makes it happen. Otherwise, he reflects on it until he can convince himself. His art is mainly inspired by online culture and his personal experiences.
Last summer, we collaborated on a piece and I thought that having the perspective of an artist who creates ero guro could provide a better key to understanding the articles for those unfamiliar with the genre. That’s how the idea of interviewing him came about. The encounter was anything but predictable.
Here’s what we talked about:

How did you get to be an artist?

I've been an artist since I was a child. I used to doodle and chicken scratch, like many kids do, but unlike many, I just never stopped. At first, it wasn't about improving my artistic skills; it was more something like “I have this cool idea, I want to make it”. At the time, I wasn't very active online and didn’t know much about navigating the internet, so creating art became my way of exploring those ideas and bringing them to life. Another important aspect of my art is texture: drawing the repetitive patterns with the pen is extremely soothing. Drawing is almost a form of therapy. So, really, it was a combination of creative expression and emotional release that got and kept me into art.

Who or what inspires your art?

Looking at other artists for inspiration came later for me. When I was a kid, my drawings were more about recreating characters from cartoons and video games I liked. I wanted to bring them to life so I could make them do whatever I wanted. It was less about technique and more about creating something I wanted to see in a physical form. As I got older and started to view myself as an artist, I began studying how other artists work, how they draw certain features or approach different aspects of a piece. That’s when I started intentionally incorporating techniques I admired into my own art.
There's a lot of negativity around tracing in art communities, but I see it more as a learning tool. When I find art I really like, I sometimes trace it to understand how it was made. Then I try to redraw it on my own and figure out what I like about it and bring elements of that into my original work. It becomes a sort of mix-and-match process. In terms of overall inspiration, it’s everything I enjoy: video games, movies, comics. But when it comes to refining my style, the influences become more specific. One artist I really admire is someone on Instagram who goes by CabinetofCuriosities. He creates beautiful pin-up illustrations of women in the classic Archie comics style. He recreates that vintage aesthetic so well but also adds his own unique details and softness to it. That’s especially inspiring to me, since I tend to color things in a way that feels too harsh. I’d love to bring more of that softness into my own work.
As for gore artists, there are quite a few, but one that stands out is HellHoundArt. I love how they manage to capture realistic human anatomy while keeping that exaggerated horror style.

What is your process for creating art works?

I collect figures and such, because I rely heavily on references. I can draw from imagination, but I prefer having a reference to ground the piece. Even if I end up straying from it, a reference helps me check if something looks off or doesn't align with what I intended. That’s why I like using articulated figures. They are basically 3D models I can manipulate. If I need a specific angle or dramatic pose, I can just move the figure and exaggerate certain aspects to fit what I’m going for.
When I’m sketching, I always start with a pencil. I begin with a rough silhouette, then go back to define the anatomy and muscles. Recently, I’ve been focusing more on color. My usual style involves shading with soft, circular strokes using a pen, but I’m trying to move away from that and incorporate more color work. It’s a bit of a back-and-forth process: constantly checking the reference and adjusting as I go. But I don't try to stick too close to the reference. Sometimes deviating from it actually creates a better result, especially when you're trying to emphasize something specific.
If you look at my work, especially the way I draw faces, you'll notice the mouths are often exaggerated because I like to accentuate how aggressive they are. And I like drawing teeth as well. So I think drawing attention to that area makes the art more grotesque in a way, in a good way, well for me, at least. The mouth, along with the eyes, is one of the most expressive parts of the face, so I try to put extra focus there. It adds a grotesque quality to the art, so I try to give extra focus to those.

What kind of tools and painting materials do you use for drawing?

I’m mostly a traditional artist, which means I work primarily with pen and paper. Nothing fancy: I usually just use regular office pens. I also have a few alcohol-based markers. They're not Copics, but they’re highly pigmented and very saturated, which I like, but they are tricky to use. They don’t blend much, so I use them for cell shading or pieces where I want strong, defined contrasts. I also use some paints for paper-based work. One of my favorites mimics the look of blood. You’ll see it in some of my gorier pieces. It stands out because it dries with a wet effect, which draws the viewer’s eye. It gives the artwork more dimension and impact. I wouldn’t call it realistic, my style isn’t focused on realism, but it adds an exaggerated effect that I really enjoy.
I draw in small notebooks rather than proper sketchbooks. They have lined pages, but I like their compact size because I can take them anywhere. Honestly, you don’t need expensive tools to make art. I don’t use anything fancy myself.
I like to switch media:I paint miniatures and I do some digital editing to pictures. So I guess those count as part of my artistic practice too. Still, my main medium is traditional ink and paper. Sometimes, I’ll edit my traditional drawings digitally: adjusting the saturation or playing with shadows to bring them closer to how I see them. Natural lighting and photography can be limiting, so digital tweaks help the final image better match what I imagined.

You have so many art works, all very detailed. How long do you take to create one piece?

This is a hard question, because not every piece had the same love, or to say it bluntly, the same effort put into it. Some works are quick studies or practice sketches, like when I’m drawing a bunch of mouths just to experiment with shape and expression. Those might take less than a minute. But for more developed pieces, with full coloring and digital editing, I can usually complete one in about two to three hours, assuming I have uninterrupted time to focus. If it’s a black-and-white piece, it often takes around an hour and a half, depending on how much texture I include. I’d say I’m a relatively fast artist overall. When a piece takes longer, it’s usually because life gets in the way, which is sadly, very common so far. I’m not actively working on it, rather than it being a slow process. Ideally, I try to finish most pieces within a day, and three hours is typically the maximum, even when digital editing is involved.
I know this might sound a bit odd, but I tend to focus more on quantity over quality. That’s not to say I don’t care about the quality of my work, but I value having a large body of work to look back on. It helps me track my progress more clearly. I often revisit and remake older drawings. For example, I’ll take a sketch from a year ago and recreate it using what I’ve learned since then. That kind of one-to-one comparison gives me a more tangible sense of how far I’ve come and what I still need to improve. So, on average, a piece takes me around two to three hours max, especially if I’m in a good flow.

You often wear a mask. Is there a point to it?

I wouldn’t say it’s about creating a character, and I’m definitely not trying to hide out of shame. I'm not actively trying to conceal my face.
I just don’t really post it publicly unless it’s shared in private with close friends. People have drawn me before, including you, and they’ve used my real face. That’s never really bothered me. I’m not overly concerned about being recognized or anything like that. At the end of the day, this is just art. I’m not making anything that I believe deserves a strong, moral panic-type reaction.
It’s not exploitative. It’s not illegal. It’s just... some guy drawing anime girls getting disemboweled. Sure, it’s graphic,but I don’t think it’s harmful in a way that warrants me hiding my identity like I’m doing something dangerous.
The mask, for me, is more of a visual element tied to my love of horror. A lot of iconic horror figures, especially in slashers, wear masks. When I saw them for the first time I was afraid, but over time, they became something more. I wouldn’t say they’re idols, but there’s definitely an appeal to that kind of imagery. I’ve always enjoyed dressing up, and wearing a mask feels like stepping into another form of self-expression. In fact, I’ve done some photography using the mask, and I’d consider it another creative outlet, like an extension of my art. I made the mask myself, and to me, that makes it even more meaningful.
So no,it's not about hiding. It’s another layer of how I express who I am and what my art represents. I also think it gives my account a stronger visual identity. I might just be a regular person drawing messed-up stuff, but people are drawn to recognizable visual characters, aesthetics, motifs.
Having that kind of recurring image adds to the uniqueness of my work and presence online.

Why do you draw gore? How did you get into it?

I’ll start by saying I’m not going to “trauma dump,” as people say, but yes, there are personal elements behind it.
From a young age, I was always drawn to horror,especially older horror films from the '80s and '90s. I was fascinated by the practical effects. They were violent, sure, but also imaginative. They recreated real physical harm in a way that was clearly fake, yet still impactful. I liked how they could show brutality while still being artistic and stylized. As I got older, I had a lot of unsupervised access to the internet. And growing up in Mexico, where certain kinds of content were easier to stumble upon, I eventually came across real-life graphic violence: videos and materials that I didn’t seek out intentionally at first, but that I ended up seeing. I want to be clear: I don’t condone seeking out that kind of content, especially for entertainment.
At first, I was shocked and disgusted, like anyone would be. But after repeated exposure, I became somewhat desensitized. That desensitization gave me a strange perspective. Since I already enjoyed fictional violence in horror media, seeing the real thing changed how I understood the body, trauma, and how things look when they go wrong.
I started to see how this knowledge could feed back into my art, not in a way that glorifies real violence, but in a way that brings a deeper level of anatomical realism and emotional weight to the horror I was already creating. That included not just violent videos, but also graphic medical footage, surgical procedures, anatomical references, forensic photography. It helped me understand how bodies are structured, how they break, and how they heal.
Then, as a teenager, I was deep into anime, especially horror anime. The violence in those shows wasn’t realistic, and I could tell, because by then I knew what real violence looked like. But I appreciated how stylized it was. That’s where I found eroguro and realized it aligned with a lot of my existing interests. So, it all kind of collided: horror, anime, anatomy, real-life exposure, internet culture. Gore art became a natural extension of everything I was already into. It’s definitely not the only thing I draw, but it’s a big part of my artistic identity.
I think, as disturbing as some of this subject matter is, it reflects parts of my lived experience. And part of what art is is a reflection of what you’ve been through and how you process it. Ideally, I want people to see my work and feel something. Whether they think it’s good or bad is up to them, but I want it to stay with them. That’s the power of art, especially when it deals with uncomfortable subjects.

Do you see your work being part of the eroguro culture?

Yes, I do see my work, and work like yours, as a form of counterculture, especially in the context of resisting censorship. By nature, the kind of art we make often depicts grotesque or disturbing subjects. And while these elements may be exaggerated, they’re frequently rooted in real issues: violence, sexual assault, suffering…things that genuinely happen in the world. To me, this kind of art serves as a form of expression that pushes back against the current trend of sanitizing everything for mass consumption. There's a growing discomfort with how much needs to be made palatable for wide audiences. Especially now, with the political climate (which I won’t go too deep into), people are increasingly frustrated with how restricted creative expression can feel.
I definitely believe there’s value in creating art that challenges censorship and dares to show the darkest parts of human experience. But at the same time, I think there needs to be balance. If you’re not careful, the message can get lost and the work may come across as hollow; just shock for shock’s sake.
Shock value alone isn’t enough. It provokes a reaction, sure, but often a fleeting one. It doesn't always leave a lasting impact. That’s especially true when dealing with subjects like violence, sexual abuse, or famine. People can sense when something’s been created just to disturb them without a deeper intention behind it.
That’s why I think if you’re making work like this, you need to be clear about what you stand for. Not necessarily a strict moral code, but a purpose. Without that, your work risks being grouped with others that exist purely to provoke and offend, rather than communicate something meaningful.
So yes, I believe in the power of art to push against censorship, but it’s a tricky balance. The shock must serve something greater than itself.

Do you have any other projects you are working on at the moment?

Not really. At least not any big, planned out projects. Most of my work is spontaneous. I’ll get a cool idea, do a quick sketch so I don’t forget it, and then flesh it out later. My process isn’t usually weeks in the making, it’s instinctive.
But talking about big projects I want to do. I want to try writing. I recently got into Splatterpunk books. A lot of them are just shock value, but I’ve been inspired to try writing something myself. Even if it turns out bad, at least I can say I tried. I don't like constricting myself to one type of art. I like doing multiple things, so I may start trying to write. I’ve also been thinking about doing a short comic to go along with it.
Another idea I’ve had is revisiting stop motion. I used to do a lot of stop motion as a kid, and now that I’ve grown artistically, I think I could create something I could be proud of. None of these projects are happening right away, and I’m not promising anything. But if I do finish them, you'll definitely be one of the first people I share them with.

Anything else that you'd like to add?

To any artist who wants to explore more controversial, unconventional, or daring ideas in their work, my advice is: “just do it”. Even if what you make comes out really insensitive. You don’t have to share everything you create. Not every piece needs to be public. Everything you make is part of your journey,to find who you are and who you want to be, and how you want to express that. Even if a thought crosses your mind like, “This idea is awful, everyone will hate me for it,” remember: you don’t owe your audience anything you’re not ready to share.
The most important thing is staying true to yourself. And if, during the process, something starts to feel like too much, it’s okay to pause. It’s okay to not finish it.
I think a lot of artists fear they need to tone themselves down in order to have a better career, or, more recognition or whatever. But in the end, the product is gonna be hollow in comparison to what they truly wanted to do.
Nowadays, with social media, it’s easy to feel the need to post everything we create and personal art, made for our eyes only, has lost its value. Art, in the end, is for the one that's making it, everyone else that decides to interact with it or has a meaning for it is secondary. n We all want recognition. But I think people should want to be recognized for who they truly are.