Simon Underwood
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lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Simon Underwood
@lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
1.5K followers 110 following 180 posts
Portland illustrator and comic book crafter. Swords, sorcery, trees, skulls, doom.

For commissions, merch, and my graphic novel GARGANTUAN, check out www.lizardbrainart.com
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lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Simon Underwood @lizardbrain-art.bsky.social · Jan 14
#PortfolioDay ! I'm a traditional illustrator who's worked for a number of small press fantasy publications and TTRPG projects. I recently self-published a graphic novel featuring a kaiju in a sword-and-sorcery setting.
A necromancer armed with a sword and a spell descends the steps of a castle, surrounded by her skeleton guards. A four-armed giant stands waist-deep in the ocean, face obscured by a green hooded cloak, holding a staff covered in bones and pulling a star out of the night sky. Two adventurers, an elf and a dwarf, traverse the ruins of an ancient underground city while a shoggoth lurks on the cavern roof above. Cover of the graphic novel GARGANTUAN, displaying the title and the protagonist, Queen Pharseia, standing amidst scattered, abandoned armaments and looking up defiantly as the shadow of a huge monster looms over her.
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
More is coming! Still a few years off yet, but I have some things cooking up in the ol' bronze cauldron
forgeofice.bsky.social Alex in Alaska / Forge of Ice @forgeofice.bsky.social · 3d
Reading @lizardbrain-art.bsky.social ‘s excellent Bronze Age fantasy Kaiju story, “Gargantuan”.

I’d LOVE to see more stories set in this fascinating world!
November 24, 2025 at 12:55 AM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Love that swirly linework!
November 24, 2025 at 12:53 AM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
All I want out of life is to be a humble skeleton farmer
November 18, 2025 at 6:03 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Working (slowly but steadily) on a big personal piece. Trying to remember how to make art that isn't "for" something.
Closeup of a work-in-progress ink drawing of a pine forest at night, lit from below by an unseen source. The shapes of large creatures can be seen among the trees.
November 18, 2025 at 1:15 AM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Everyone's talking about how Del Toro's Frankenstein is about daddy issues but the main daddy issue is that Lars Mikkelsen's character looks EXACTLY like my dad to the point where I did multiple double takes to confirm it was not my actual father on screen
Lars Mikkelsen as Captain Anderson in Frankenstein (2025), a character who looks exactly like my dad. No comparison photo of my dad is necessary because you wouldn't be able to tell them apart.
November 18, 2025 at 1:08 AM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Most of the audience seemed to think it was fine at best. When we left the theater, they were handing out tablets where you could take a survey about whether you and your demographic would see a sequel to this movie (I said probably not) (3)
November 7, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Reposted by Simon Underwood
jeffvandermeer.bsky.social
The mist-shrouded morning at Point Reyes National Seashore, hiking with @sallyfisherprice.bsky.social, felt not just haunted or ethereal, but otherworldly. The zenith of that sensation came when a huge bull elk appeared out of the landscape as if a ghost from another land entirely.
slope of darkness with mist over the ocean cliffs huge antlers over low bushes, in the mist the bull elk slowing appearing out of the mist bull elk framed by mist, suddenly come clear to us, casually eating a plant, with plant stalks draped over part of his rack.
October 17, 2025 at 4:15 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Caught sight of a bull elk through tunnel of trees not far from Astoria a few weeks ago. We probably watched each other for five minutes before he very calmly stalked off into the woods. Running into the coastal herds always feels like meeting the fey folk
October 17, 2025 at 8:06 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Man I love drawing dead guys
Work-in-progress photo of a comic panel featuring a richly dressed, crowned corpse turning its head to ward the viewer. The clothing and jewelry suggest an ancient, mummified king or sorcerer. At the top of the panel, a shadowy form can be glimpsed clinging to the top of the corpse's crown.
October 16, 2025 at 7:05 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
One of the classics! Love his work, I'm honored to be compared to him
October 11, 2025 at 3:04 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
I can finally show off probably my favorite piece I've done this year--the Halloween merch design for @moviemadness.org. Beyond stoked to do more work for the best movie rental/theater/museum/temple in the world. And those practical effects are sooo satisfying to replicate in ink
A green illustration on a black background, featuring the words "MOVIE MADNESS" in a font that suggests bad VHS tracking. In the center of the image, four monsters burst out of a vintage TV set--the werewolf from An American Werewolf in London, the creature from The Thing, half-human and half nightmarish alien, the dripping Tarman zombie from Return of the Living Dead, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon reaching toward the viewer.
October 11, 2025 at 6:29 AM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Thank you! Happy to help!
October 11, 2025 at 12:29 AM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
"The apparitions are getting worse. The air in the vaults feels like a thin curtain that could be ripped away at any moment. I do not know what door I opened in search of the afterlife, but I pray to all the gods it isn't the one our souls go to in the end."

A quick one for the spookiest of seasons
Pen and ink illustration depicting a darkened doorway in a stone wall. A robed scholar scrambles away from the doorway in a panic, having dropped his writing implements, as a monstrous, glowing apparition manifests in the darkness beyond. At first glance, it appears vaguely humanoid, but has the suggestion of three heads, many mouths, and an indeterminate number of limbs.
October 10, 2025 at 10:22 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Made a little block print. It's hard to find inspiration for personal work in these fucked up times, but a new medium always helps me.

Spend time with the people, places and experiences that make life worth living, and return ready to take the heads of those who would steal those things from us.
Block-printed image in green ink depicting an arm holding a short sword bursting from the undergrowth on a forest floor. Above it are the words "FIGHT FOR LIFE"
September 15, 2025 at 7:34 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Time to snap these nerds' glasses like an 80s movie bully
September 15, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Simon Underwood
newedgeswordmag.bsky.social
🖌️ ARTIST SPOTLIGHT🎨
Linnea Sterte, aka @decassette.bsky.social, made this beautiful interior illustration for WASTE FLOWERS by Bryn Hammond, and is returning to create a new full page illustration for WHAT ROUGH BEAST?

Learn more here 👉 www.backerkit.com/c/projects/b...
A black and white illustration by Linnea Sterte showing two Mongol women from the times of Genghis Khan. The taller is a bandit with short hair, dressed in a stolen coat with badges of authority visible. The shorter has a side buzz, otherwise longer hair, and is leaning into the shoulder of the taller one.
September 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Thanks Trevor!
September 12, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Reposted by Simon Underwood
moviemadness.org
Our Movie Madness Presents Creature Features risograph print featuring artwork from Portland illustrator, Simon Underwood (@lizardbrain-art.bsky.social) is now available in the shop! Come on in and check it out!
September 12, 2025 at 7:35 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Thanks for having me!
September 12, 2025 at 9:21 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Thank you! I actually haven't gotten to see the printed posters yet; I'm glad they turned out.
September 11, 2025 at 9:43 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Poster I did for Movie Madness here in Portland for their Creature Features block. One of the largest ink pieces I've ever done!
Pen-and-ink poster illustration. A number of monstrous limbs reach out from behind a steel door, chained and padlocked. The words "CREATURE FEATURES" are drippily painted on the door. A creature that resembles a spidery crustacean with a human woman's head scuttles across the door, approaching the padlock with a key in one claw and a mischievous expression on her face. Pen-and-ink poster illustration with digital color. The words "MOVIE MADNESS PRESENTS" cover the top portion of the image. A number of monstrous limbs reach out from behind a steel door, chained and padlocked. The words "CREATURE FEATURES" are drippily painted on the door. A creature that resembles a spidery crustacean with a human woman's head scuttles across the door, approaching the padlock with a key in one claw and a mischievous expression on her face.
September 11, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Reposted by Simon Underwood
mentat0209.bsky.social
Inktober 52 - Virgo

A witch. Pens and white ink.

I'm open for commissions!

#art #inktober #inktober2025 #inktober52 #inktober52virgo #fantasy
Ink drawing of a druid woman with tattoos, cloak, raven, and basket, in retro TTRPG manual style with detailed cross-hatching.
September 1, 2025 at 12:27 AM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Thank you! High praise indeed. I do have some more stuff inspired by his work coming down the pipe...
August 22, 2025 at 11:25 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
As an aside, the Seven Geases is probably my favorite CAS story and I want to adapt it into a short comic someday
August 22, 2025 at 11:21 PM
lizardbrain-art.bsky.social
Thanks! Was the creature in the basin supposed to be Abhoth? Getting my primordial ooze entities mixed up here
August 22, 2025 at 11:21 PM