Sebastian Skrobol

• born 1987
• born in Jarosław
• he lives and creates his works in Łódź
• he specializes in comics, illustrations and animation

He is a natural artist. He has not completed any art studies. In 2014, he had an exhibition in Wrocław titled “Welcome to my fairytale”. Apart from comics, he also designs and makes original tattoos.

The most important publications: “Quiet Little Melody. A simple fairytale” (story and art), Wydawnictwo Komiksowe, 2014; “Mute: on/off” (story and art), co-writers of the story: B. Sztybor, D. Wojda, Wydawnictwo Komiksowe, 2016.

The most important awards and distinctions: distinctions at the International Festival for Comics and Games in Łódź awarded each year in 2008‒2014, including: the 3rd prize, 2009 (together with B. Sztybor); the 3rd prize, 2010 (together with B. Sztybor); the 2nd prize, 2011 (together with D. Wojda); the 1st prize, 2012 (together with D. Wojda); the 3rd prize, 2014 (together with D. Wojda); prize winner at the 2nd Competition for the Gildia.pl Scholarship, 2013.

Sebarstian Skrobol has developed an easily recognizable style already after two albums. His characteristic intricate and dense strokes sometimes resemble tattoos, which he also creates. Skrobol’s works lie at the borderline between horror and a fairytale for adults full of dread. Their darkness is emphasized with a palette of vivid, even neon colours and characteristic expressive strokes. Such a selection of colours combined with a play with light and shadow and images full of detail perfectly depicts the incredible world of Skrobol’s works. The expression of the illustrations is overwhelming; they attack readers with the sensation of anxiety and indefinite fear. The sources of that suffocating atmosphere of being trapped emanating from panels lie in the works by H. P. Lovercraft, with whom the artist is fascinated, as he confesses. Lovercraft was also the inspiration for Mike Mignola, another author of comics, whose influence is also noticeable in Skrobol’s illustrations.
Skrobol is perfect in using images only, with no adverse effects for the consistency of the story. Most of his comics are silent; however, the absence of words and the occasional presence of onomatopoeias increase the dynamics of the story in a surprising way and involve the readers in observing the story even more.
What is characteristic in this artist’s works is the play with the comics convention by putting pictograms or images used by the characters to communicate in speech balloons, which are customarily reserved for the verbal layer.

Sebastian Skrobol Gallery

More information about the artist: skrobol.com