Hard work and belly laughs
Introduction
My name is Nick Volkert, an artist and creative living in Northwest Chicagoland.
I'm a classically trained illustrator and painter, receiving a BFA in Illustration and an MFA in Painting from Northern Illinois University. I currently illustrate digitally, converting pen and ink illustrations to prints and tee designs.
In my off-hours I like to paint, create comics, attend way too many concerts, play drums, and, in addition I’m a diehard White Sox fan.
I have a lot of comics, illustrations and art to view, hope you find something you like!
Love is in the air
Valentines Day Designs
Just some sweet, love-filled designs for all the couples out there!
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).
Created: February 5th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator
Captain Pancake is ready to fill someone's heart with love as Cupid Cakes!
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!
Created: March 14th, 2019 | Role: Illustrator
Captain Pancake is in his green gear for St Patrick's Day!
Created: May, 2015 | Role: Illustrator
Beware: Sharks are now guarding pots of gold under rainbows.
Created: April 10th, 2020 | Role: Illustrator
St Pat's came and went, but the sharks still celebrated the hell out of it.
Pen, Ink, and Cintiq!
Illustration
I love making personal works that I use as a vehicle to explore to constantly learn the programs I use on my day to day, and push my artistic abilities.
Created: Ocotber 16th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
Skull jam is definitely a pretty grim form of jam, but hey, it's full of calcium!
Created: October 15th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
Corn jam is probably the lesser known of the jams, but still down home and as Midwestern as they come!
Created: September 24th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
Solos, mad steady beats, The Pumpkin Drummer has your back to keep the spooky tunes moving along in perfect time!
Created: September 17th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY. Are you ready for some gritty four-wheel monster truck action then the NEW chicken monster truck is ready and rearing to get down and dirty in the MUD. Who needs a whole seat when you only need the EDGE.
Created: September 9th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
Hey-hey, what do you say? It's a Chicago-style hot dog catching some of that windy-city wind and going for a cruise on it's skateboard to check out the Chicago skyline!
Created: September 1st, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
FACT: Mrs Claus Shark is a mean mean cookie baking machine and a great host in the waters of the North Pole.
Created: August 21st, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
FACT: Shark love to destroy any snowmen that might end up in the ocean and assume their jolly identities!
Created: August 2nd, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
FACT: Sharks love to get dressed up, deliver presents, and eat cookies when it's Christmastime as Jolly St Nick!
"Sunglasses Skater Watermelon"
Created: July 20th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
You're cool, but are you sunglasses watermelon on a skateboard cool? Maybe. I'm not that cool, that's for sure.
Join the Danger Huskie Danger Team
Danger Huskie
Vector works that a fun, cute, scary, and a bit dangerous!
Created: October 9th, 2022 | Role:
Do ghosts wear stocking caps in Chicago because it's so cold most the year? I would argue that yes, yes they do.
Created: October 2nd, 2022 | Role:
A metal fan in life and in DEATH (maybe death metal even). This flying hand with the horns is here to party.
Created: April 28th, 2022 | Role:
Winning ugly is still winning right? This wiener dog knows that and is repping the colors of the south siders while rocking a sweet Chicago-style hot dog costume
I write jokes too
Comics! (Eventually books)
I used to pay the bills as a cartoonist at the Northern Star during my Undergraduate and Graduate studies at Nothern Illinois Univeristy. I’ve always loved comics and was an illustation major to be a comics illustrator (that old cliché). Nonetheless and when the time allows, I love to write and draw works for my friends and social media followers. Big things in the works!
Mondays are the worst
Monday Comic
Just a weekly comic I started celebrating everyone's least favorite day of the week.
Created: February, 2023 | Role: Illustrator
That last cold snap really cashed my hands out to oblivion.
"Retreat to Hoodie Season (Fall Edition)"
Created: September 5th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
Fall update of my retreat to hoodies comic earlier this year. Huzzah!
Created: September 5th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
Oh, you all saw Top Gun this Summer too? Sweet, me too.
Comics about a wonderful future gal pal
Dear Future Girlfriend
Another weekly comic that started as a series of smart-assed Facebook posts and grew into a comic!
Created: October 8th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
Aint no smash dancing like the smashing of pumpkins, smash dancing.
"Chainsaw alarm clock (Repost)"
Created: October 4th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
You'll make sure I'm up for work on time, albeit with an accelerated heartbeat, during cool weather sleepy season.
Created: July 17th, 2022 | Role: Illustrator
If it doesn't work out, we'll at least have this in common, forever.
A helpful little arachnid
Helpful Spider
Always helpful!
Created: February 2023 | Role: Illustrator
Helpful Spider is on the ready in case things get weird, which they probably will, so yeah.
Created: August 2022 | Role: Illustrator
Helpful Spider is can't believe it's August already either! In any case he's manning your back to school list and making sure you have all your supplies!
Created: July 2022 | Role: Illustrator
Repost! Helpful Spider is here to remind you to have a happy and safe 4th of July!
Comics that are usually on Thursdays, also sometimes funny
The Thursday Treat
Ongoing random comics of various amounts of frames, subject manner, humor on Thursdays, and not about a funner day like Friday.
Created: September 28th, 2017 | Role: Illustrator
Can the taco not only be a great delivery vehicle for meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream, but also a wildly un-aerodynamic car? The Thursday Treat definitely knows.
Created: July 6th, 2017 | Role: Illustrator
The Thursday Treat tells the tell of a TRex drummer that has a heavy kickdrum style, but lacks a bit on hi-hat and snare rhythms.
Created: February 5th, 2016 | Role: Illustrator
The Thursday Treat is a well of knowledge and is full of helpful, albeit questionable, tips on keeping yourself warm during a frigid Winter.
Reading, it's for your eyeballs!
Related Blogs
Tips, tricks, work stories, short stories, and random musings.
Created: January 16th, 2021
A few tips for JR UX Designers out there looking to gain more skills and be a more proficient UX Designer
Created: January 2nd, 2021
It's cold, miserable, the roads are dangerous, so it's time to get creative while you're huddled up in your warm home.
"Welcome to the new nickvolkert.com"
Created: October 12th, 2020
A two year effort crafting, JSON, SASS, REACT and CDNs finally live!