{"id":2025637,"date":"2026-06-29T14:58:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T11:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2025637"},"modified":"2026-06-29T14:58:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T11:58:28","slug":"meet-beachghost-the-internets-favorite-pop-mythologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2025637","title":{"rendered":"Meet Beachghost, The Internet’s Favorite Pop Mythologist"},"content":{"rendered":"
Meet Beachghost, the Internet\u2019s Favorite Pop Mythologist<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The Australian illustrator discusses his Pok\u00e9mon series, body horror, and breaking out of the \u201cfan artist\u201d box in a new Pen & Paper.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
WORDS BY ERIN IKEUCHI \nARTWORK BY BEACHGHOST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Enchanted and unnerved is what Beachghost wants you to be. A rainbow-spewing Pikachu melting away from its skeleton. Sailor Moon stares hard, pins in face \u00e0 la Hellraiser<\/em>. The chestburster from Alien<\/em> donning a schoolgirl uniform, cheekily dubbed \u201cAlien-chan.\u201d For the Australian illustrator, it\u2019s all an exercise in reclaiming childhood fears and turning them into something beautiful.<\/p>\n
\u201cFan art\u201d and \u201cart\u201d are no different, says the artist, born Jackson Howell. Though heavily inspired by the anime, manga, video games, and films from his youth, often incorporating these characters into his compositions, still nothing feels too borrowed. Like modern-day folklore, he reworks these figures and passes them on anew, creating a bridge between his world and tales of the greats.<\/p>\n
Howell\u2019s style is dreamy or nightmarish, depending on who you ask. In some pieces, creatures metamorphose and break open, spilling luminous beams or candy-hued guts. Others see cute Pok\u00e9mon rendered with a more serene, Botticelli-like grace. Whether it\u2019s him putting his own spin on beloved icons or conjuring up a cast of cyborg angels from his own artistic world, every work begs a few minutes of attention to really marvel and take in each devotional detail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
As Beachghost continues to amass a following online, Jackson Howell, the artist, keeps it low-profile. The moniker, which references Howell\u2019s upbringing on the Victorian coast and penchant for the macabre, was adopted early on as a way for him to stay somewhat elusive and let the work speak for itself. \u201cI had trouble figuring out how I wanted my artwork to look and how I wanted it to make people feel,\u201d he told Hypebeast. \u201c[It] just popped into my head one day and it seemed to get across the vibe I was going for.\u201d<\/p>\n
From early anime idols to that one monster scene you could never quite shake when the lights turned off, our personal mythologies are built on media just as much as memory. And through his work, Howell harnesses that nostalgia as if passing it through a chrysalis. What emerges is transformed, something that belongs to him and us, and to neither entirely.<\/p>\n
For this latest Pen & Paper<\/em>, we spoke to the illustrator about his Pok\u00e9mon<\/em> series, letting your audience rewrite your stories, his incredibly detailed process, and what it\u2019s like breaking out of the \u201cfan artist\u201d box.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Hypebeast: How did you first break into illustration?<\/strong><\/p>\n
Howell: Like most kids, I started drawing for fun very early. I didn\u2019t have any obvious talent, I simply never stopped. My twin brother and I would spend most of our time drawing monsters or silly little characters, and, gradually, it became integral to my life. It took time and dedication to transition my practice from a hobby to something all-encompassing.<\/p>\n
Describe your illustrative style. What draws you into this psychedelic, sci-fi aesthetic? <\/strong> \nThe psychedelic aspect is incidental. I\u2019d describe what I do as some form of symbolism: I like to play with visual metaphor and symbolism, and it often involves surreal imagery, representing familiar concepts in a non-literal way. My way of depicting these ideas just happens to involve a lot of color and detail.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m also drawn to colorful imagery out of instinct. I was exposed to a lot of gaudy design growing up in the \u201890s and \u201800s, and I\u2019m attracted to images that evoke that same garish, overstimulating visual language. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
How did you break into fan art, and why is it important for artists, and fans, like yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n
I don\u2019t see fan art as separable from work that isn\u2019t, the only real difference being that the characters aren\u2019t my own creations. I want to express what other people\u2019s art means to me, or allow others to reconsider what it means to them. The stories of fan-favorite characters take on very special meaning within their respective communities, and reinterpreting these myths is akin to the way artists historically have treated folklore and mythology. It\u2019s a way for us to add our voice to a cultural conversation and express how we interpret these stories.<\/p>\n
With Pok\u00e9mon 30 this year, your Pok\u00e9mon series has been receiving a lot of love. What initially sparked the series?<\/strong><\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been drawing Pok\u00e9mon since the first games came out. I\u2019m a dirty gen-1er, I\u2019m ashamed to say. Playing the games, watching videos, and making art about them, is a source of great comfort for me. Ken Sugimori\u2019s illustrations are what originally inspired me to try using watercolor after all. <\/p>\n
Painting Pok\u00e9mon became a fun way to experiment with my painting techniques and reimagine familiar characters from my childhood. My favourite Pok\u00e9mon is Gengar. That whole line is so sick. And my favorite piece I\u2019ve done is the shiny Sylveon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Walk us through the process of creating your artworks, from ideation to execution. <\/strong><\/p>\n
My workflow is based first and foremost on my preference for traditional tools. I always start with graphite on paper, sketching small thumbnails to get my ideas down, and once I have a composition that I\u2019m happy with, I\u2019ll create a full-scale sketch with graphite. This is where I solidify the finer details of the piece and make any adjustments to better suit the larger scale. <\/p>\n
Next, I\u2019ll trace this onto watercolor paper using graphite and colored pencil. And now for the inks: using a ballpoint pen, I\u2019ll finalize all the line work, using different line weights to establish a visual hierarchy that will complement the colors. After the inks, I can mask the subject with tape and masking fluid. I\u2019ll paint the background with light washes before adding the darker hues, and now that all the background colors are established, I\u2019m ready to paint the subject.<\/p>\n
What about this palette you\u2019re currently working in?<\/strong><\/p>\n
The palettes are ever-evolving and built from experimentation. I like to go with the flow and leave room for some spontaneity. The early stages of a piece, prior to breaking out the watercolors, are when I\u2019ll imagine what the finished painting might be. I have about 20 colors that I really like working with, and for each piece, I\u2019ll pick and choose ones that best fit the feel I want. Very much a vibes-based approach, no science involved. I have an understanding of color theory, but exciting things happen when I ignore it. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
You\u2019ve also been releasing works from your original Fallen Angels<\/em> series. Tell us more about that.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Honestly, I was burnt out from making Pok\u00e9mon art. I\u2019m very grateful that people show up for it, don\u2019t get me wrong. I just started feeling like I was making Pok\u00e9mon art for everyone else, not for myself.<\/p>\n
I had this urge to paint metal. I did a sketch of a woman with a sword and armor. Something was missing, though, so I added some feathers. That really hit. I developed this idea of a fallen angel \u2014 a magical creature spurned by grace and left to wander the earth, yearning to return to the heavens. I loved developing the character and couldn\u2019t resist making more work set in that world. <\/p>\n
Any other, say horror-related, inspirations for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n
I scared easy as a kid. A lot of the media I grew up with left me frightened or disturbed. I recall being terrified of Sid\u2019s bedroom from Toy Story<\/em>, the opening for Sailor Moon<\/em>, and even finding Missingno in Pok\u00e9mon Red<\/em> for the first time. The love affair with horror has been incubating for a long time. It\u2019s a space with infinite possibility; a scare can come from the most innocuous place. I have a fondness for memories of safe comfort being invaded by the uncanny. It\u2019s a feeling I like to try and instill within my own art. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
What about the process excites you?<\/strong><\/p>\n
It\u2019s all about the story. Spending hours upon hours committing an idea to paper, only to have someone come up with an entirely different story is exciting. It used to frustrate me, my narratives being misunderstood, but that\u2019s the magic of art: we all see ourselves in it. A single painting can mean many things to as many people who look at it.<\/p>\n
Over the years, how have you seen yourself evolve as an artist?<\/strong><\/p>\n
There\u2019s lots of room to grow and explore, and it feels like I\u2019m just getting started. Having agency over what I and how I make, for one, is most important to me. I\u2019m looking forward to really pushing what people expect to see from me. Putting art into the world and letting others decide what it means to them is a feeling that I\u2019m very thankful for, and embracing that was a big revelation for me. As long as I keep experimenting, the stories will keep being told.<\/p>\n
Got a subject or character you haven\u2019t drawn that you would like to work with next?<\/strong><\/p>\n
No spoilers! I love hearing what people would like me to paint, though. I\u2019m hoping a lot more original work, but certainly there\u2019ll be more Pok\u00e9mon. It\u2019s my comfort place. The dream would be to make my mark on the franchise in an official capacity. Time will tell whether that\u2019s on the cards for me (hint, hint, Game Freak).<\/p>\n
For more from Beachghost, follow the artist on Instagram.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n