Illustration Series

Secrets of Space 2017 | View Work

Make it a series

Various mediums, various levels of fidelity, all fun!

On my nights and weekends I pursue a variety of passion projects that are usually month long illustration series. You can see work that is both vector, hand drawn with pen and ink, and created digitally.

Get daily updates at Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, or Dribbble!

Break out the cake!

Happy Birthday Designs

Make your bday a special day with one of my birthday themed designs!

A shark emerges from the water with a half eaten cupcake, frosting on its face, and presents in the background.

Created: July, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

Fact: Sharks love birthdays more than you could ever know and are always hungry for some sweet birthday cake!

A shark enjoying a birthday party in the water.

Created: April 24th, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

Fact: Sharks love birthdays.

A lady shark is surrounded by presents and birthday cake.

Created: April 23rd, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

Fact: Lady sharks love birthday parties.

Love is in the air

Valentines Day Designs

Just some sweet, love-filled designs for all the couples out there!

A shark dressed as a cherb peeks out of the water to spread some lovin.

Created: February, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

FACT: Cupid Sharks are just here to spread some loving for Valentines Day to all the hopeless romantics! (And also probably eat you).

Captain Pancake is dressed like a cherub and is holding a bow and arrow and a box of chocolates in the shape of a heart

Created: February 5th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

Captain Pancake is ready to fill someone's heart with love as Cupid Cakes!

A shark peeks out of the water covered in kisses and wearing an arrow through its head headpiece.

Created: February, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

Fact: Sharks love LOVE, Valentine's Day, chocolates, flower and candy. And also those headbands with the arrows thorugh 'em. The best!

From Ireland with LOVE

St Patrick's Day Designs

Just a few designs filled with the luck of the Irish!

A Chicago Dog is dressed in green for St Patrick's Day.

Created: March 16th, 2021 | Role: Illustrator

A little Chicago, a little dog, a little green.

A shark dressed in festive St Patrick's Day attire enjoys donuts, sweets and festive drinks to celebrate the holiday.

Created: March 29th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator

FACT: Sharks love to live it up, every single day of March for St Patrick's Day and enjoy all the treats, sweets and minty flavored drinks!

Captain Pancake is decked out in St Patricks day gear and is clicking his heels

Created: March 14th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

St. Patrick's Day is here and your lucky pal Captain Pancake is spreading luck and good cheer while head to toe in his green gear!

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Christmas Designs

A selection of my most cheerful and festive designs from my portfolio! Ho ho ho!

Captain Pancake is dressed as Santa Claus carrying a huge bag of presents.

Created: November, 2017 | Role: Illustrator

Captain Pancake is all decked out in his Santa suit to spread some Holiday Cheer!

Santa Claus shows the agony of his six peppermint claws.

Created: August, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

In a horrible experiment in the frigid North, peppermint was grafted to Santa Claus' bones.

A shark dressed like Santa Claus emerges from the water with presents and candy.

Created: September, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

FACT: Santa shark loves gift giving during Christmas and brings presents to all the oceanic creatures!

Midwest Winters are the Worst

Annoyed Birds

Late to migrate birds have zero time for the harsh Midwest Winters.

An annoyed robin perched on a branch while is snows around him, wearing a stocking cap and crewneck

Created: January, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

This robin has had his fill of cold-ass Midwestern Winters.

A crow perched on a brance, wearing a stocking cap and scarf, really annoyed by the snow.

Created: March, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

Crows, the smartest of the birds of the Midwest, made a dumb decision staying behind for the Winter.

An annoyed sparrow perched on a branch in the Midwest, surrounded by snow.

Created: August, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

Dressed for the warmth, this sparrow is still totally over the cold.

No Teddy Bears

Bear Designs

Cuddly Bears, Bears that like coffee, Bears that like to roam. Here for all the Bears.

A grizzly bear with a pine foreset on its back walking.

Created: July, 2012 | Role: Illustrator

A large grizzly bear lumbers though a pine forest.

A bear is annoyed while wearing a hat that is also a bird's nest.

Created: March, 2017 | Role: Illustrator

Mr. Bear isn't too keen on his sweet new hat the local birds provided.

A bear in a stocking cap has a large mustache.

Created: January, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

In November, Bears tend to grow sweet mustaches!

Da Designs

Chicago Designs

All of my Chicago-based designs in one handy spot! Da Bears!

A wiener dog with hockey gear on that is in Chicago colors, with a gray mustache and also a bun with chicago-style hot dog toppings.

Created: January 1st, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

Ready to rumble at the Mad House.

Captain Pancake is dressed like a Chicago Bears Superfan, and is holding a chicago-style hot dog.

Created: December 9th, 2018 | Role: Illustrator

Captain Pancake is a huge fan of a certain football team from Chicago, by the lake, of the Midway!

A dachshund wearing a Chicago hot dog costume runs by with a lunch pail that has the Chicago skyline.

Created: November, 2017 | Role: Illustrator

Just a loyal Chicago Dog running down Lake Shore Drive to the Bears game, bringing you your lunch!

Crisp air and crisp leaves

Fall Series

Time to cozy up in your warm jackets blankets and pumpkin flavored things!

A log with a mustache walks by.

Created: December, 2013 | Role: Illustrator

Logs often patrol the forest in the Fall showing off their wooden mustaches!

A scarecrow shark pops out of the water to shoo away the crows.

Created: December, 2014 | Role: Illustrator

The best way to scare away crows is the apex predator of the sea!

An isolated shark dressed as a lumberjack holding an axe.

Created: August, 2014 | Role: Illustrator

An isolated version of my 'Lumberjack Shark' design.

A super stack of pancakes

Captain Pancake

The most powerful breakfast buddy!

Captain Pancakes descends down from the air to join you for breakfast.

Created: November, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

Dropping in for breakfast!

Captain Pancake is dressed like a Chicago Bears Superfan, and is holding a chicago-style hot dog.

Created: December 9th, 2018 | Role: Illustrator

Captain Pancake is a huge fan of a certain football team from Chicago, by the lake, of the Midway!

Captain Pancake is celebrating your birthday while holding a present and surrounded by confetti falling down.

Created: November 26th, 2018 | Role: Illustrator

Guess which Captain Pancake loves birthday? The Captain BIRTHDAY Pancake loves birthdays! Happy birthday to one and all! Treat yourself!

Breaking the water surface to say hey

Sharks in Water

You didn't know this, but sharks love a lot of widely celebrated holidays and things. Check em out in this series below.

A great white shark peeks out of the water in Lake Michigan with a mustache, hat, and sunglasses.

Created: September, 2014 | Role: Illustrator

Fact: Great White Sharks love to swim up into Lake Michigan and watch Bears games.

A shark eats gingerbread houses and men.

Created: December 7th, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

Fact: Sharks have a hankering for all things gingerbread, best not get in their way.

A shark is beat up and missing teeth after a hockey game.

Created: December 10th, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

Fact: Goon sharks aren't afraid to lose some teeth (they grow back anyway).

It's time to learn!

Back to School

Some cute, some total punkasses, it's a collection of characters that know it's time to go back to school and learn!

A small smiling lunch box, with glasses and braces, walks to class.

Created: August, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

Just an awkward but happy little lunch pail heading to school!

Captain Pancake smiles at the viewer as a younger version of himself, with braces a book bag and holding his books with his lunch on the ground at his side.

Created: September 27th, 2021 | Role: Illustrator

Captain Pancake was once an awkward little dude too! Here he is with braces and book bag, ready to go back to school just like you!

A shark peeks out of the water wearing a spinning helicopter hat with all of his books and school supplies in disarray floating in the water.

Created: September 29th, 2021 | Role: Illustrator

FACT: Sharks are not real nuts about going back to school, but they do love taking a bite out of their school supplies!

Beaches, ice cream and sharks?

Summer Series

Summertime is here and gotta get out and enjoy that sunshine, but also stay cool!

A friendly octopus with a mustache helps some young kids in rain coats wash a red car

Created: July 29th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

Car washes are best when a friendly octopus helps!

A shark emerges from the water a bit too far inland

Created: February 21st, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

This shark may have broken the surface a BIT too far inland. Just a bit.

A merman is drinking a tropical drink, wearing wingies and a Hawaiin shirt.

Created: April 9th, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

While all the vacationers are in quarantine, the mermen are free to invade the nation's pools and party their asses off.

Beep bop boop.

Robot Series

Robots of all types, useful, useless, wildly questionable, cute, totally epic and sometimes scary.

A robot wrapped in a giant pair of white briefs.

Created: September 8th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

No one expects the Uber UnderwearBot!

A wooden robot regrows it's leaves and roots as it hosts a family of small song birds.

Created: April 7th, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

A wooden robot gets a second wind and returns to his roots and blooms!

A robot toaster is ejecting two toasted robots.

Created: January, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

The Toasterbot is ready for breakfast!

Plucked right from the blue sky1

Cloud Designs

Fluffy and thunderous cloud designs!

A happy white cloud cruises by on a skateboard while showing a peace sign gesture

Created: January 24th 2019 | Role: Illustrator

The Cloud Skater is skating on his trusty skateboard, cruizing right to Summertime fun!

A fluffy white cloud chugs a mug filled to the brim with sunshine.

Created: June 2nd, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

This white and fluffy cloud needs hearty, filled to the brim, cup of sunshine to start his day!

A gray storm cloud chews on lighning bolts.

Created: June 3rd, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

This grumpy little storm cloud in some sweet sneakers is chomping on lightning bolts and getting all charged up for a stormy night!

Getting decked out

Skater Designs

Totaly cool sporty fruits, ghosts, pumpkins and more shredding on their skateboards!

A cool banana skates on a skateboard while showing a peace gesture.

Created: January 28th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

The Banana Skater is the chillest banana on a skateboard you'll ever see!

An orange with green sunglasses skates on a skateboard while waving

Created: February 19th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

Orange you glad this skating fruit stopped by to say hi?

A pear shows off a trick on a skateboard

Created: February 10th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

A skating fruit that ap-PEAR-ently does the juiciest tricks!

A lumberjack's dream

Logs

The Log series started with my "Bad Day Log" piece which then turned into sequels, an October Inks run, and happy logs.

A log resting on a log covered in flames, clearly not having a good day.

Created: May, 2014 | Role: Illustrator

Sometimes Logs have REALLY crummy days.

A log getting rained on, while on fair, under a thunderstorm cloud, clearly not having a good day.

Created: May, 2014 | Role: Illustrator

Can't rain all the time...except on this log...and also thunderstorm.

A log carved as a pumpkin is holding a pumpkin in his hand.

Created: December, 2014 | Role: Illustrator

October Ink of a scary Jack O'Lantern log!

Hip Hop Hooray

Easter Designs

Some Spring themed designs featuring a certain fluffy bunny!

Captain Pancake is dressed as an Easter Bunny and making a run for it!

Created: April 14th, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

Captain Pancake donned a bunny costume and is making a break for it with some tasty carrots!

A shark floating freely in a forest scene in Springtime, eating a chocolate bunny, face covered in chocolate, while toting a Easter basket.

Created: April, 2017 | Role: Illustrator

Please, everyone, anytime during the Spring, please save us from the threat of invading bunnysuit sharks with a hankering for Easter treats!

A shark dressed as a pink costumed Easter Bunny pops out of the water with an Easter basket of candy, with the candy in the basket and floating in the water.

Created: August, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

Fact: Sharks love celebrating Easter weekend festivities, stealing Easter candy and Easter eggs, and of course, dressing as an imposter Easter Bunny.

Flowers birds and stuff!

Spring Designs

Ring in Spring with some Singing Birds, Green Grass and Storms!

A collection of birds sing songs of Spring, a couple birds sing heavier

Created: July 11th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

Spring Birds are okay and let you know Winter is ending, but Summer Birds know how to rock and are the coolest.

A donut in Spring with daisy toppings!

Created: September, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

Just an all natural Donut!

An elongated and winding weiner dog winds along the green grass to its bowl and bone.

Created: December, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

Happy Spring! Happy Summer! The grass is green! Why not have a great day like this EXTRA LONG dachshund living his best life on a journey to get its bone?

Tasty round pastries

Donut Designs

Great with coffee, donuts rule.

Maple donuts always keep warm with toasty bacon print scarves!

Created: August, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

Maple donuts always keep warm with toasty bacon print scarves!

A donut with aviator sunglasses, a mustache and a Chicago city flag.

Created: April, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

Who has the best donuts? Chicago! This pastry guy hails from the city of broad shoulders, the windy city, Chicago, Illinois.

A donut in Spring with daisy toppings!

Created: September, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

Just an all natural Donut!

Sprinkles and Frosting

March of the Donuts

A series of some delicious looking donuts, created in vector graphics, pen and ink and digitally during the month of March!

A sprinkle donut with hat, gloves and boots is frozen solid.

Created: March, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

A yawning sprinkle donut yawns while holding coffee during a sunny morning.

Created: March, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

A melting donut has turned green and into a zombie.

Created: March, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

For all my dogs

Dogs

Just a few homages to man's best friend.

A dachshund wearing a Chicago hot dog costume runs by with a lunch pail that has the Chicago skyline.

Created: November, 2017 | Role: Illustrator

Just a loyal Chicago Dog running down Lake Shore Drive to the Bears game, bringing you your lunch!

A wiener dog with hockey gear on that is in Chicago colors, with a gray mustache and also a bun with chicago-style hot dog toppings.

Created: January 1st, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

Ready to rumble at the Mad House.

A collections of dogs living in a grand dog house.

Created: May 10th, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

With Brutus the bulldog on guard, these dogs are occupants of quite the inclusive and active dog house community! Puppies are having a blast too!

Bawk B'gaw!

Chickens

Flightless Midwest poultry having a really weird day.

A chicken and turtle have merged to the new creature The Churtle.

Created: June 27th, 2020 | Role: Illustrator

The Churtle is here to ruin your day.

A stout, slightly misshapen chicken standing in its space, and it's quite large

Created: April 19th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator

Just an absolute unit of a bird. I mean look at this thing. That right there is a freakin chicken. Just a total unit.

The small head of a chicken pops out of a very large business suit and tie with the text 'business' on the bottom.

Created: April 21st, 2022 | Role: Illustrator

Business. All business all the time. So much business. Lots and lots of business. Don't talk to me, I'm so busy with business. BUSINESS.

Getting real spooky up in here

Halloween Designs

A selection of my most frightful designs from over the years. Pen, ink and a little bit of spooky!

A jar of jam dressed in the theme of Halloween with candy corn contents and a jack o'lantern face.

Created: October, 2018 | Role: Illustrator

The best jam for your buck this Halloween!

Captain Pancake is dressed as a vampire!

Created: September, 2018 | Role: Illustrator

Captain Pancake is in the Halloween spirit!

A donut made up of pieces of other donuts that resembles Frankensteins monster

Created: October 13th, 2018 | Role: Illustrator

Pieces of various delicious pastries brought back to life!

It's me!

Self Portraits

It's me, in the cartoon styles of my youth! Mainly homages to the greatest game ever: Super Mario 3, but probably some other homages sneaking in here as well.

A self potrait of Nick Volkert flying in the sky as Super Mario, against a yellow background.

Created: March 10th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator

Up in the sky! It's Super Mario Nick!

A self portrait of Nick Volkert in a Huskie Suit ala the Tanooki Suit in Super Mario 3.

Created: March 10th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator

Saving NIU from the toadstools!

A self portrait of Nick Volkert in a Banana Suit as an homage to Super Mario 3 and the Peanut Butter Jelly Time meme.

Created: March 10th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator

What time is it? That's right. It's PBJ time.

Everyone's favorite tighty whities

Socks and Undies

Yes, you read that right, a series of works on socks and undies. It's tighty whitie time.

A collection of single socks partying under a mirror ball

Created: March 12th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

At last, lone socks find new friends and a place to celebrate!

A single sock is skating on a skateboard and smiling and giving a peace symbol gesture

Created: March 5th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

That sock you lost is making a break for it!

A robot wrapped in a giant pair of white briefs.

Created: September 8th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator

No one expects the Uber UnderwearBot!

Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Cheeseburger

Burger Designs

Just a few tasty burger illustrations

A large robot travels with ketchup, mustard, and burger condiment pals.

Created: August, 2013 | Role: Illustrator

Quite the robotic burger stack coming your way!

An astronaut burger is falling apart in outerspace.

Created: May, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

Burgers make horrible astronauts.

A burger and fries are excited for the weekend!

Created: September, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

It's the weekend! Treat yourself!

The '10s are OVER

Best of the 2010 Decade

The top designs from a decade of work! Thank you so much for your support!

A watermelon wearing sunglasses rides a skateboard while giving the 'peace' sign.

Created: November, 2016 | Role: Illustrator

You might be cool, but are you a skating watermelon with sunglasses cool?

A wiener dog with cool Blues Brothers sunglasses, a chicago themed stocking cap, a mustache, and a suit that looks like a chicago-style hot dog.

Created: August 27th, 2010 | Role: Illustrator

No ketchup, ingredients like it was dragged through a garden, aviator sunglasses, mustache, stocking cap, it's just a little Chicago Dog!

The superhero Captain Pancake stands proud with his blue cape waving behind him.

Created: May, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

NEED PANCAKES? CAPTAIN PANCAKE IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!

Is that..nah, no way

Sharks in the Wild

Sharks sometimes leave their waters and join humanity in disguise. This is a gallery of spotting of these sharks in the wild!

A shark dressed as a lumberjack with a warm hat and axe strikes a pose in a woodland setting.

Created: January 2013 | Role: Illustrator

Save our forests from the destruction of the Lumberjack Shark!

A shark is dressed as a clown at a kid's birthday party complete with balloon animals, but appears to have eaten some of the cake and presents.

Created: July, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

Beware: Sharks are infiltrating children's birthday parties dressed as clowns making balloon animals to everyone's delight!

A shark is dressed as a leprechan by a pot of gold.

Created: May, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

Beware: Sharks have found the end of the rainbow, are dressed like leprechauns or something, and are guarding the pots of gold.

Join the Danger Huskie Danger Team

Danger Huskie

Vector works that a fun, cute, scary, and a bit dangerous!

A giant set of pointy and menacing vampire fangs attached to a small body, wearing a cool cape, lunges at the viewer.

Created: April 14th, 2024 | Role: Illustrator

Oh no! The horror! These pointy vampire fangs have arisen from their slumber and are on the hunt for fresh victims! And fresh blood!

A little weiener dog dressed as a Chicago-style hot dog waves an oversized flag of Ireland for St. Patrick's Day!

Created: March 23rd, 2024 | Role: Illustrator

It's a big Irish flag for St. Patrick's Day! This Chicago-style weiner dog is showing his Irish and Chicago pride for a day hopefully filled with luck!

A friendly dachsund decked out as a chicago-style hot dog wears a festive St. Patrick's Day themed top hat and presents a luck four leaf clover!

Created: March 16th, 2024 | Role: Illustrator

Happy St. Patrick's Day! What's luckier than a festive dachshund in a chicago-style hot dog costume that is giving you a four leaf clover? I can't think of anything!

No corners were cut

Epic Designs

Pulled no punches, these designs are EPIC.

An evil circus robot travels with its dark companions.

Created: January, 2013 | Role: Illustrator

The Dark Circusbot travels the land with a show that displays the darkness of the creatures of the night.

A robot builds a star with its hands in the depths of space.

Created: May, 2013 | Role: Illustrator

Deep in the dark vacuum of space, epic, awe-inspiring, god-like robots construct brand new stars with their bare hands hands from the fruits of the cosmos!

A female astronaut floats in space and gives the view the 'hush' gesture.

Created: February, 2017 | Role: Illustrator

If you're patient, they will be revealed.

Twinkle twinkle little stars

Outer Space

In the deep starry darkness of space, these designs dwell!

An astronaught holding a particle that is exploding with light.

Created: July, 2012 | Role: Illustrator

Entry into the Society6 Whiteout Challenge.

An astronaut with chainsaws for arms steps over a large pile of skulls.

Created: August, 2012 | Role: Illustrator

First Threadless print! The Texas Chainsaw Astronaut steps over a moon of death.

A female astronaut floats in space and gives the view the 'hush' gesture.

Created: February, 2017 | Role: Illustrator

If you're patient, they will be revealed.

Jars full of sweet things

Sweet Jams

A few sweet jams for your entertainment!

A jar that looks like a witch flies by with her cat on her broom.

Created: October, 2017 | Role: Illustrator

The Witch Jam takes flight to cast potions and spread fright!

A jar of jam rides a comet with

Created: September, 2017 | Role: Illustrator

FACT: The universe began when the jar that contained it decided to joy ride on a comet, and the cosmic contents leaked out.

A jar dressed as a scarecrow carries around a bunch of fallen leaves.

Created: September, 2017 | Role: Illustrator

Fall Jam: Best enjoyed during brisk weather!

For the Dads!

Father's Day

A series of art prints for the Dads!

A dad hamburger looks on as his slider children pick on each other.

Created: July, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

The Dad Burger, just reclining in his chair reading the news, has something to say, and it's: HEY! Settle down.

A dad shark pops out of the water with a pipe and a glass of whiskey.

Created: July, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

Dad shark just wants to read the paper and be left the hell alone.

A bronchosaurus dad just louncing in his chair, reading the prehistoric paper.

Created: August, 2015 | Role: Illustrator

A bronchosaurus dad just louncing in his chair, reading the prehistoric paper.

So many monsters, so wow

Original Monsters

A few monster designs as a part of a contest on Threadless!

A three color popsicle monster with arms and a face meleting in front of the viewer.

Created: February, 2013 | Role: Illustrator

Orignal Monster Mr Melty should probably get back in the freezer!

A smiling monster wearing glasses and sporting a large grin.

Created: February, 2013 | Role: Illustrator

Orignal Monster Mr Grin is in a good mood even though his eyesight isn't the best!

A monster is wide eyed after drinking too much caffeine in the Winter.

Created: February, 2013 | Role: Illustrator

This fuzzy, antler and stocking cap wearing original Monster Mr Caffeine might've over-revved on the 'joe trying to keep warm! So jittery!