This section is for interviews, FAQ and OTHER NONSENSE.​

For the NEWS section, click here (no one reads this except for my mum).

Fast 5ive Interview with Josie Jett published in FAST 5IVE ZINE #7 – Erol Zendis
 

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and when you started creating artwork?
 

Hello. My name is EROL ZENDIS (well… not really. That's my pseudonym).

I use a pseudonym because my day job is teaching full-time at a Catholic school (that's how I make an actual living). There's nothing particularly controversial about my artwork but considering some of the art I create and some of the bands I've worked with—especially the brutal death metal stuff—I prefer to keep those two worlds separate.

What started as a way of separating my teaching life from my artwork has gradually become a world of its own.

I don't really want parents asking:

"Why does my kid's teacher draw decomposing mutant sea creatures?"

"Are those zombie babies?"

"…Is that zombie baby eating another zombie baby?"

Sometimes people see a decomposing mutant sea creature and don't immediately appreciate the deeper artistic significance behind the decomposing mutant sea creature.

I've been drawing and doodling for as long as I can remember. I was one of those kids who was always drawing. Occasionally the other kids would ask me to draw something for them… so naturally I'd draw something deliberately terrible and laugh.

Thirty-odd years later, not much has changed. I still spend most of my spare time with a black pen in my hand, trying to release strange little creatures from the Zendian Cosmic Prison.

2. What do you think it is that compels/inspires your artwork and how would you describe your style?
 

I've always been drawn to it (lame pun intended). Much like a bee does whatever bees do without really thinking about it… or how Cristiano Ronaldo is naturally drawn towards mirrors… drawing has always just felt like the thing I'm supposed to do.

I've never really been interested in drawing things as they are. I'd much rather invent something that probably shouldn't exist. I still like to think I'm releasing the Zendians from their cosmic prison of non-existence. Someone has to do it.

Inspiration comes from all over the place—90s cartoons, the cartoons that inspired those cartoons, skate graphics, punk, thrash/death metal, psychedelic rock, old horror/sci-fi comics, movie poster art, Japanese folklore and yokai (especially Shigeru Mizuki), and artists ranging from underground illustrators to the "proper art world", including Hieronymus Bosch, Dalí, Ernst, Magritte and Kahlo.

Being a child of the '90s, I was obsessed with what I'd call the cartoon renaissance. Shows like Ren & Stimpy and Rocko's Modern Life were visually absurd and surreal. They were heavily influenced by the animation of the 1940s and 1950s, and that mixture of chaos, humour and incredible artwork has always stuck with me.

South Park was probably my favourite show growing up (and still is), so thank you Mum and Dad for letting your eight-year-old son watch it. I remain eternally grateful. In a weird way, I think that has been an influence too.

I also grew up loving Andy Hook's Oddbodz, so being able to collaborate with Andy years later was a genuine full-circle moment. He's an incredibly talented artist and a great person as well.
 

As for my style… I'd probably still describe it the same way I did years ago:

Cartoon-infused surrealism in big doodle form.

If it's for a metal band… I think the kids call it “ZIMA”: Zendian-Influenced Metal Artwork.

3. What mediums do you work in and what tools do you use to create your artwork?
 

Almost everything starts the same way: pencil and black ink on paper.

Sometimes, if a meeting is particularly… boring… I'll quietly hide at the back and fill another page with drawings.

(If my boss is reading this, I promise I can draw and listen at the same time. That being said, I don't think he reads, so I should be safe.)

Once the drawing is finished, I'll often scan it and colour it digitally in Photoshop, especially if it's for an album cover, skateboard deck or merchandise. Photoshop… not AI pretending to be Photoshop.

4. You've done a lot of artwork for bands—including Dr Colossus—how did that come about and what do you like about creating artwork for bands?
 

Like most good things, it happened pretty organically.

Dr Colossus was a particularly fun one because I'm a huge fan of classic Simpsons. I discovered the band, thought "this is awesome," reached out to them, and the rest is history. Jono Colliver is a great guy.

I don't really use social media. Partly that's because I'm a teacher and I like keeping my professional and artistic lives separate, but it's also a conscious choice. I'm always grateful when people share my artwork, but I'd rather spend my limited spare time drawing than trying to outsmart an algorithm.

A lot of opportunities have come from simply reaching out to bands whose music I genuinely love. Sometimes that has led somewhere, sometimes it hasn't, but it's always been about connecting with people whose work I respect. Other opportunities have come through word of mouth, my website, or people discovering previous projects.

I've been fortunate enough to create artwork connected with some amazing bands, including Dr Colossus, King Parrot, OSEES, Hellripper, Sadus, Entrails, Morbid Saint, Skelethal, Slift, Malignancy, Poison the Preacher, Grave Flowers Bongo Band, Sunflowers, Cosmic Reef Temple and a few others that won’t be offended by being left out of this list.

I love working with bands. I feel more at home in the music world than the art world. Musicians generally understand artists (because they are artists too)—they'll often provide an idea or feeling they want captured, then let you disappear into your own strange little world and create something with an Erol Zendis twist.

I get more satisfaction seeing my artwork on an official piece of merchandise—a shirt, patch or skateboard deck—than seeing it hanging on a gallery wall.

5. What's coming up next for you—tell us everything!
 

Probably too many things… and not enough time. I need a time transplant.

I'm continuing to work with bands whenever the opportunity comes along, including a project I'm incredibly excited about: official artwork for Death (the band… not the actual angel of death).

Considering Death is one of my favourite bands of all time—along with the mighty Slayer—that's a pretty incredible thing to be involved with.

Obviously Chuck is no longer with us, but his influence continues to inspire musicians and artists around the world. I did have a dream where Chuck appeared (most Death fans probably have some variation of this dream once a month or so) and seemed pretty happy with the artwork, so naturally I have chosen to interpret that as official approval.

Whether that was actually Chuck, my subconscious, or just the Zendians messing with me again… I'll never know.

I'm continuing to collaborate with Pull the Plug Patches, with some potential projects coming up involving some of my favourite bands (including the Death project mentioned above).

I'm also excited to be featured in an upcoming interview with And Justice for Art, which explores the connection between heavy music and visual art. Ramón "Oscuro" Martos has created something really special with the And Justice for Art books… they're genuinely worth checking out for anyone interested in the visual side of heavy music.

Speaking of books, there's also an illustrated book in development with a publisher, but unfortunately, I can't say too much about that just yet!

Over the last few years, I've also been lucky enough to exhibit work in Los Angeles at Hive Gallery (as a headlining feature artist) and in Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka. Hive Gallery has been incredibly supportive, and Nathan Cartwright (the owner and an amazing artist himself) has created a really unique space that celebrates weird, imaginative and alternative artwork. His own work is fantastic as well.

Japan has become a huge source of inspiration for me, both artistically and personally. I have, admittedly, become a bit of a weeb, so I'd love to do something in that space again at some point.

Mostly though, I just want to keep drawing.

Sitting down with a blank piece of paper is probably the closest thing I have to meditation. I still get excited every time a strange new creature starts appearing on the page, and I hope I never lose that feeling.

The Zendians aren't going to release themselves. See the two page spread here: https://www.erolzendis.com/holyspirits

Although social media has its benefits when used correctly and ethically, it is predominantly an ignominious cesspool of toxicity. The fact that I’m a teacher also has influenced this decision and unlike artists that actually make a living from art, I don’t need to “sell myself” in any way, so it’s better to stay away from the shadowy abyss! As mentioned, social media has its benefits and (perhaps hypocritically) I’m always grateful when my artwork is shared by those who appreciate it. Social media can be incredibly powerful when used properly. As a fulltime teacher, I just don’t have that much time to do anything meaningful with it at the moment. Also, Mark Zuckerberg is a penis.
 

Addendum: The Reddit Experiment (2026)

In early 2026, a limited and closely monitored exception was introduced.

Erol began selectively posting work on Reddit—a platform that, while not exempt from the broader attention economy, still allows for relatively decentralised discussion, longer-form exchange, and the occasional appearance of genuine human curiosity.

The decision was framed as an experiment rather than a shift in principle: a temporary engagement to observe how work circulates when removed from follower counts, branding imperatives, and algorithmic self-promotion.

The response was, unexpectedly, positive. Viewers engaged with the work on its own terms, discussions emerged organically, and appreciation appeared to precede monetisation—an increasingly rare sequence.

The experiment remains ongoing. No conclusions have been reached.

Withdrawal is still an option.

Can you tell us about the Erol Zendis Band Series Range on BoardPusher?
 

Yes — all designs in the Erol Zendis Band Series Range are fully band-approved, using official logos and names. It’s not like I can just create a Metallica deck with a Metallica logo… Lars Ulrich wouldn’t be too happy about that. I feel genuinely honoured that so many incredible bands — including Morbid Saint, Osees (also known as Thee Oh Sees / Oh Sees), Slift, King Parrot, Dr Colossus, Sunflowers, Cosmic Reef Temple, Malignancy, Sadus, Entrails, Hellripper, Skelethal, Poison the Preacher, and Grave Flowers Bongo Band — are part of the series.

I’m a fan of every band involved — they’re all genuinely talented, and it feels incredibly special to be trusted to interpret their music visually. If you’re unfamiliar with any of them, I strongly recommend checking them out.

For many years, every Erol Zendis deck sold contributed $10 (or more, depending on the design) towards funding research into a cure for PBFD (Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease). That research has since progressed, and the focus has now shifted toward helping ensure the cure is distributed as widely as possible. Alongside this, we’re also proud to support additional charities, extending the project’s commitment to making a positive impact beyond PBFD.

Dr. Reza Khosravi, Cultural Correspondent for the Transregional Review of Art, Trade & Public Ethics, poses a question to Erol at the opening of VINO – CERVEZA – HOLY SPIRITS, an exhibition concerned with alcohol, branding, and the redistribution of meaning under market conditions.

Q:
Mr Zendis—your “Zendian” work has been discussed by established artists, circulated through independent galleries, featured in specialist publications, and used officially by internationally recognised bands. Your skateboard artwork was also referenced in China’s 动物伦理评论 (Journal of Animal Ethics & Cultural Practice) as a notable example of contemporary animal-rights visual culture.
You are now producing beer and wine labels for affluent Persian markets.
How do you explain this apparent momentum?

A:
The premise assumes coherence where there is largely contingency.

Cultural production does not advance according to merit or intention. It drifts toward structures willing to absorb it, often temporarily. In this instance, those structures include craft beer and independent wine—industries that depend on symbolic distinction while remaining safely embedded within existing economic systems.

Alcohol occupies a well-established role in social and cultural life, and working within that environment required little conceptual adjustment. Designing labels is a comparatively benign activity when measured against the broader social and environmental harms already normalised elsewhere.

As for popularity, the term is imprecise. Visibility fluctuates. Institutions notice briefly. Markets respond selectively. Then attention moves on.

FYI - The 'HOLY SPIRITS section of my website documents peripheral output: lower-effort digital work, pop-cultural residue, parody, and tribute pieces. Some of it currently circulates within speculative NFT markets at values detached from material reality.

A portion of it is nonsense.
A portion of it leads to legitimate collaborations with actual breweries.

The distinction is neither stable nor particularly important.

​

By day, Erol works within a tightly structured institutional system, teaching at a Catholic secondary school whose function is the transmission of approved knowledge and social norms. By night, operating outside those constraints, he produces work that resists categorisation, coherence, and comfort—drawing grotesque, humorous, and often unsettling figures that seem to question the very idea of order they emerge from.

This double existence is not especially unusual. Like many people who function inside regulated systems, Erol uses creative labour as a means of reclaiming agency. His drawings—rooted in childhood habits and informed by a wide range of cultural debris—do not aim for refinement or consensus. Instead, they accumulate influences, contradictions, and visual noise, producing characters that feel closer to cultural by-products than to “designed” images.

Alongside this personal work, Erol applies the same visual language to commercial and collaborative contexts: album artwork, merchandise, gig posters, labels, and skateboards. These objects circulate within familiar cultural industries—music, art, branding—but they are not value-neutral. A portion of the income generated through this system has been redirected toward funding research into Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD), and more recently toward the problem of access: ensuring that a cure, once developed, is not restricted by cost, geography, or institutional inertia.

Recognition followed once the work entered established art circuits. Erol’s drawings have appeared in publications and exhibitions, including a headlining role at the Hive Gallery in Los Angeles in 2024. In 2025, his work expanded into Japan, where the ULTRAHIVE EXHIBITION was presented in Osaka and Tokyo—spaces that, like all galleries, simultaneously enable dissent while containing it.

Taken together, the practice reflects a familiar tension: creative expression emerging from within systems that both rely on and limit it, producing work that entertains, unsettles, and occasionally redirects resources toward outcomes institutions themselves are slow to prioritise.

‘Debut’ Erol Zendis Interview with Jesse Gussow of Chaotic Utopian Magazine - September 12th, 2018

CHAOTIC UTOPIAN MAGAZINE INTERVIEWS EROL ZENDIS 

The artwork by Erol Zendis is akin to a Magic Eye piece from the 1990s mashed up with a Where’s Waldo. His pieces pull you in with how busy they are and keep you looking at them for hours examining all the different characters that make up the piece. His attention to details is phenomenal! His work is reminiscent of a bored student doodling on the side of a paper, only Erol has filled up the whole page and it’s absolutely fantastic!

Where are you from?

I come from a land down under, where beer does flow and men chunder.

How did you get interested in art?

Reoccurring dreams. At the age of six, El Gato Félix appeared to me in Dalíesque dream… Like Virgil, he guided me through Hieronymus Bosch’s version of hell. He told me I that I needed to release the Zendians from their prison. Ten years later, I had the same dream except this time Félix was wearing a Slayer T-shirt.

What inspires your work?

The desire to release the Zendians from their prison of non-existence… They are trapped in Zendian-Grømblegefängnis and I must liberate them.

How would you describe your style?

Cartoon-infused surrealism in big doodle form.

What does your work say about you?

An artist I respect recently described my work as ‘generating its own energy’, ‘unique’, ‘powerful’, ‘funny’, and ‘scary’… So, I’ll go with all of those, but I’d also add handsome (for the ‘about me’ part).

What is your preferred medium to work with?

A black pen of some description and paper. Preferably a good pen and good paper.

How have you grown as an artist?

It is like collecting Pokémon; each creation is like a new ‘catch’, sometimes it’s something useless like a Weedle but that Weedle can evolve into something a bit better and every now and then the creation is more like a level 77 Gengar or a level 89 Rhydon, occasionally even a Charizard. I’m fairly new to the art world… I’d say in Pokémon terms, I’ve got approximately 18 Pokémon and I’ve just beaten the first gym leader. My journey has just started… but my plan is to be the very best…like no one ever was.

What is your process for completing a piece from start to finish?

It usually begins with me drawing something on a piece of paper, then unfortunately, (predominantly due to my obligations in the real world) it stays like that for a while… Whilst the process is very ‘automatic’, it is also sporadic because time is always the main issue, so I just incrementally add to drawings whenever I can.

Time... I need more time… I need a time transplant. 

Do you know exactly what you’re going to make or do you change, add or subtract things while you are working on it?

​

This is a difficult question to answer, as it is both ‘yes’ and ‘no’. That being said, I try to keep the work as ‘automatic’ as possible.

André Breton defined surrealism as “pure psychic automatism". Even though Automatism was developed as a means of expressing the subconscious, my work (like most surrealism) is not about accidental mark making where the hand moves 'randomly' across the paper. Even though my doodles are largely freed of rational thought (i.e. I don’t really overthink it), there is an obvious aesthetic to it… If I’m drawing a 90’s cartoon inspired psychotic walrus with hairy nipples, then my end product is going to look like a psychotic cartoon walrus with hairy nipples.

It also depends on the specific piece. For example, I’m currently working with a few bands. If they would like a human skull with the brain still inside, with flamingos eating the brains… Then that is what they will get (albeit with an Erol Zendis touch).

Do you only work on one piece at a time?

I try to, but time, wherever I’m located, and the size of certain pieces means that I usually work on a few different pieces whenever possible. As a result, I’ll usually work on two or three things at once.

What do you teach?

I’d rather not say because ‘Erol Zendis’ is not my real name…

I don’t really want parents calling the school asking: ‘why do you employ a teacher that draws psychotic cartoon walruses with hairy nipples?’

How has teaching impacted your artwork?

Negatively. I like my workplace and my job, but it is time consuming and as mentioned above… I need more time.

What are your hopes for the future?

It might sound narcissistic, but I’d simply like to open a book in a few years’ time and see some Erol Zendis artwork.

I recall flipping through a Surrealism book and of course, all the usual names were in there, Dalí, Ernst, Magritte etc… Then I noticed a piece by Conroy Maddox, I was not familiar with the artist or the artwork, but I was intrigued. What was this sharply dressed bovine-human hybrid doing and why was it sitting next to a well-dressed trash can-human hybrid (I think it’s a trash can)? What was their story? Then you look at the other characters in the piece and again, you think… What is their story? This is not a well-known piece but it’s awesome.

That’s all I want… Someone’s imagination to be ignited by my work akin to the manner in which my mind was captivated by the weird cow thing. Except sharply dressed bovine-human hybrid, will probably be replaced with something like pterodactyl-merman with hairy nipples and sock puppets.

Do you prefer Oreo or Fudgee-O cookies?

Sorry, but I cannot provide you with an educated response to this question.

I don’t know what a Fudgee-O cookie is…. Sorry. Please feel free to send me some :)

---

That was my interview with Jesse of Chaotic Utopian Magazine. She’s an awesome person and like many other lovers of weirdo art, I’m sad to see the end of the magazine… Jesse, thanks or all the support, I have always really appreciated it and I wish you all the best with your future endeavors!!! Although the official website is now gone, most of the interviews have been archived here: https://web.archive.org/web/20181104212445/http://www.chaoticutopian.com/erol-zendis

​

​

Yes and yes! That being said, teaching has become an endless series of admin tasks related to some demented form of accountability. Instead of focusing on the fundamentals of teaching (you know... planning, delivering, assessment, feedback - things that are actually important), we frequently find ourselves doing nonsensical tasks that some business/industry moron decided was a good idea, in order to justify their unnecessary position. Apart from that I enjoy the actual teaching part of my job.

INTERVIEW: THE INSTITUTE vs ZENDIS SENSEI
August 2021

Interviewer: Dr. Malcolm Fairweather
Senior Liaison, The Meridian Institute for Cultural Alignment & Public Discourse

(Dr. Fairweather specialises in stakeholder reassurance, narrative moderation, and the ethical containment of controversial ideas.)

Ahead of his latest exhibition at The Panopticon Annex for Counter-Hegemonic Aesthetics, Erol Zendis agreed to a brief, structured conversation with a representative from the Meridian Institute. The stated aim was contextual clarity. The outcome was less cooperative.

THE INSTITUTE vs SENSEI: EROL ZENDIS

Dr. Fairweather:
Your work has been gaining significant attention. How do you account for this growing visibility?

Zendis:
Visibility is not the same as relevance, and relevance is not the same as approval.

Attention is distributed by systems that reward predictability and punish ambiguity. If the work is circulating, it is because it can still be tolerated—perhaps even briefly misunderstood as harmless.

That window tends to close quickly.

Dr. Fairweather:
For the record, how would you describe the focus of this exhibition?

Zendis:
The exhibition examines how power survives by disguising itself as neutrality.

It interrogates the aesthetic laundering of dissent under late capitalism—how rebellion is rendered legible, saleable, and ultimately inert through design, novelty, and lifestyle branding.

The works operate as evidence, not decoration. They ask whether critique can exist inside systems that profit from its appearance while resisting its implications.

Dr. Fairweather:
Why present this work at the Panopticon Annex rather than a more recognised typcial gallery space?

Zendis:
Recognised by whom?

The Panopticon Annex exists at a point of ideological friction—adjacent to leisure, subculture, and casual consumption. It is precisely the type of space where critique is least expected and most easily neutralised.

That tension is not accidental. It is the subject.

Dr. Fairweather:
You do not exhibit frequently. Why engage now?

Zendis:
Because urgency is manufactured, but complicity is voluntary.

Most exhibition cycles exist to sustain institutions, not ideas. Participation often requires quiet concessions—softened language, aesthetic restraint, strategic ambiguity.

This project exists because those conditions were not imposed.

Also, I teach full time. The labour economy does not pause for art.

Dr. Fairweather:
You have collaborated with high-profile figures. Does that visibility influence your work?

Zendis:
High-profile figures function as distractions. They individualise labour and redirect attention away from systems toward personalities.

When such figures appear in the work, they do so as symbols—not endorsements. They are semiotic devices through which spectacle, authority, and absurdity can be examined without naming the institutions that actually require scrutiny.

Dr. Fairweather:
Your work avoids explicit political messaging. Is that intentional?

Zendis:
Explicit politics are quickly absorbed.

The clearer the slogan, the faster it is rebranded. What remains is merchandise masquerading as conviction.

The work instead operates through dislocation—through invented languages, displaced figures, and unresolved narratives. These are not evasions. They are refusals to simplify.

Dr. Fairweather:
You are notably absent from social media platforms. Could this be seen as disengagement?

Zendis:
No. It is refusal.

Social media platforms are extraction systems. They convert expression into data, dissent into engagement, and identity into commodity.

Participating would require endorsing an economy that rewards performative outrage while eroding collective action. As an educator, that contradiction is untenable.

Dr. Fairweather:
Do you consider yourself primarily an artist or an educator?

Zendis:
Education produces tools. Art produces symbols.

Symbols matter—but tools endure.

Teaching intervenes materially in how people think, question, and resist. Art, at best, assists. At worst, it decorates power.

Dr. Fairweather:
Has working within an educational institution constrained your practice?

Zendis:
All institutions constrain.

The question is whether those constraints are acknowledged or disguised. Teaching provides a degree of economic independence that allows intellectual disobedience elsewhere.

There are limits, of course. Certain forms of violence are considered unacceptable—unless abstracted, metaphorical, or profitable.

Dr. Fairweather:
Some works include an invented language. What is its function?

Zendis:
Language is a regulatory system.

Invented language exposes that fact. It destabilises authority by reminding the viewer that meaning is constructed, enforced, and defended—not natural.

Also, it resists immediate consumption. That alone is disruptive.

Dr. Fairweather:
What can audiences expect next from your practice?

Zendis:
Reduced output. Increased clarity.

Acceleration benefits the system, not the work.

Dr. Fairweather:
And your long-term aspirations?

Zendis:
Functional tools.
Minimal noise.
A manual lawn mower.

Structural change would be welcome—but I remain cautious.

Doodles en Musica - MUSIC RELATED ARTWORK

Cartoon-infused surrealism, psychedelic monstrosities and horned beasts of the netherworld. LP/EP covers, merch, gig flyers AND OFFICIAL 'BAND SERIES' SKATEBOARDS @ boardpusher.com/erolzendis

$10 (or more depending on the deck) for every Erol Zendis deck sold goes towards finding a cure for PBFD.

Creatures of the Mega Doodles

​

Armed with a felt-tipped pen, his warped imagination, an admiration for the cartoon renaissance of the 90s, and early 20th century French weirdos, Erol’s detailed scenes draw you into looking at them for a long time, trying to unravel all the different aspects.

​

To those unfamiliar with El Mond dü Zendian-Grømbleschprek, some drawings may appear to be meaningless, but the strange little creatures you see before you are rich with allegorical symbolism, sagacious metaphors, voschmart sarcasm and ingenious stories of the Zendian-Grømbleschprek.