Casters,
Welcome back to the Community Spotlight series, where MetaZoo News shines a light on the incredible people who make the world of MetaZoo come alive! From passionate community members, to dedicated staff, artists and beyond, this series is your chance to meet the individuals who keep the magic flowing and the community thriving.
Today we are honored to feature the incredibly talented and immensely popular MetaZoo artist, Kelsey Jachino! A gifted illustrator, Kelsey's work has helped shape the world of MetaZoo, bringing cryptids to life with her amazing art style. Whether it's through bold character designs or intricate details that draw you in, her contributions have left a lasting mark on the game's visual identity.
You won't want to miss Kelsey's message to YOU at the end of the interview! Now, lets explore the creative journey of Kelsey Jachino and her role in shaping the MetaZoo universe and beyond!
MetaZoo News (MZN): Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got started as an artist?
Kelsey Jachino (Kelsey): So I’ve been drawing since I was a little kid, but I think I really started to get into it in late high school and really focused in in college. I didn’t go to school for art, my formal education is in Biology, but I would do anatomical sketches for the professor I worked for and for a while did a draw a Pokemon daily thing. I think all that practice really helped me out. It wasn’t until my Junior year that MetaZoo reached out and I started to work as an artist professionally. I still do my biology stuff, I’m a Clinical Microbiologist at a hospital nearby, but the art is my fun side hustle and a cool way for me to interact with folks online!
MZN: Your art style has a really unique and recognizable touch. How would you describe it, and what influences helped shape it?
Kelsey: I think like most artists I just kind of stole little things I liked from other artists along the way. I really liked Junji Ito’s stuff so I got really into inks, and I picked watercolors because of Pokemon art. I think part of my personal style is likely influenced by my background in biology and all those anatomical sketches I did, but its hard to really say what factors all came together to make my style overall. I like to think my coloring style is vibrant and fluid, like the motion of putting it on the paper is still there, my inking can be detailed and a bit messy, but I think it all comes together well. I’ve recently been pretty inspired by artists like Komiya and Sowsow from the pokemon TCG, so I’m sure some of that has been leaking in as well haha.
MZN: Before MetaZoo, what kind of projects were you working on? Did you have experience in TCG artwork or was this a new space for you?
Kelsey: Completely new for me! I never did art on a professional level, and hadn’t even done formal art classes since high school when MZ reached out. To this day I’m genuinely not sure how Mike even found out I existed, I had maybe 200 followers on instagram and most were people I knew personally. Other than personal art/designs, some fanart, and biology related art I didn’t really have experience as an artist in general. Going into MetaZoo was a leap of faith, and I imagine I’m a bit behind most TCG artists in terms of skill and experience, but I think I’m doing okay in the card game sphere and hope to stay for as long as folks will have me!
MZN: When you first got involved with MetaZoo, what drew you to the project? Did you have any personal connection to cryptids or folklore beforehand?
Kelsey: I didn’t have direct connections with cryptids before really, but I did really love monster and character design, and had been making original characters with lore for a while. Because of this, being asked by someone to design monsters that had cool stories was honestly enough for me to be interested in being a part of the project! I will say that growing up I had a cryptid book aimed at kids with guys like Jersey Devil and Hopskinville Goblin in it, and I remember being pretty into it, but I think I fell out of cryptids for a while before MZ brought me back in. I haven’t seen that book in forever, but I imagine somewhere in the back of my head it helped push me towards joining MZ at least a little.
MZN: Your work has been a huge part of MetaZoo’s visual identity. What were some of your favorite cards or illustrations you’ve created for the game?
Kelsey: I think most MZ fans know I’m pretty attached to my lightning guys. Quetzacoatlus and Snipe are pretty high up there in terms of guys I think I did a solid job on designing and Illustrating. I really didn’t think Mothman would be as popular as he ended up, but I like his design and card as well! Really any of my flying beasties tend to be high up in my tier-list. Exceptions like Frogman and Hodag do exist though, I just really think frogs are cute, and Hodag was my first guy I ever did so he’s gotta be special!
MZN: How much creative freedom did you have when designing artwork for MetaZoo? Did the original company give strict guidelines, or were you able to bring your own vision to life?
Kelsey: It kind of varied? Style wise I was given pretty set instructions for what kind of art was wanted, and it wasn’t exactly my natural style but was something I could emulate. Design wise though for the longest time I was just given a name and some lore and told to go nuts haha. Maybe some descriptors like “scary” or “cool” were given, but that was really it. As time went on we got more guidance though, which honestly was helpful.
I did always felt a bit constricted by the style requirement. I know folks really connected with the Sugimori inspired look, but it really was restrictive at times. Thankfully with the reboot I've felt much more freedom in what I can do and how I can express my ideas stylistically. I still retain some of that original MZ look, but its much more loose and natural. That along with less tense deadlines, has really helped me feel like I can produce better works overall.
MZN: Were there any particular challenging cryptids or card illustrations that pushed you outside of your comfort zone?
Kelsey: Probably any of my Aura or Terra cards. I’m not really a landscape artist, so doing things that don’t have any kind of beastie design to them is really tough for me. I think the Salem promo was probably one of the hardest to do because there was a lot of detail to add in and I hadn’t really done a town or city art like that prior. Was a great learning experience though! I’ve since become a bit more comfy with Aura and Terra cards thankfully.
MZN: Looking back at your work with the original MetaZoo company, do you feel like there was a moment where things started going downhill? What was your personal experience like as the company struggled?
Kelsey: Honestly its really hard to pinpoint where stuff changed. I think maybe after Native? Pace slowed down a lot, and the vibes were overall just different. I definitely didn’t think it was going under though, I wouldn’t have stayed if I thought it was going to go bankrupt. Definitely not a great feeling though, it was a stressful year and tough financially. I tried to be hopeful though as it was my full time job at that point, no Micro in the background like I do now, so I had to keep chugging and doing the best I could!
MZN: Many artists were left unpaid in the final days of the old MetaZoo. How did that situation unfold for you, and how did it impact your perspective on the game and community?
Kelsey: Well, I am definitely missing income from my final days which sucks, but overall even with the financial stress I don’t regret what I did. I love the designs I did, I got to grow as an artist, and despite rough times at the end it ended with me being able to finally try working full time as an artist. Obviously I wish it had gone differently, I wish there would’ve been more transparency in the financial situation, but it is what it is. I got to meet so many awesome people because of MetaZoo. Amazing art homies and passionate community members, the wonderful people behind it all make it pretty hard to be upset at the game even with all the flaws of the old setup. I hope that Charlie and the new team do something fantastic with it all, and I hope the community can find its magic again.
MZN: When GameQbator Labs approached you toreturn as an artist, what were your initial thoughts? Was there any hesitation given the past issues?
Kelsey: I’ll admit, I definitely was a bit anxious going back in, but I wanted to give the new team the benefit of the doubt and I’m honestly glad I did. Initially I thought it may end up the same, but when the first assignment came through I could immediately tell this was not the same creature I’d dealt with before. Communication was much better, and overall felt more professional.
MZN: Did the new team offer any reassurances that made you feel confident about coming back to work on the relaunch?
Kelsey: Charlie and I actually did a discord call to sort of break the ice, and it helped so much. We talked for nearly three hours I think? He was really genuine about his passion for the project, his plans, and the expectations set for us artists. He also seemed very intent on making sure that those of us who were wronged in the past were comfortable and felt appreciated. We talked a lot about what MZ2 can do to help us artists feel heard and compensated properly for the efforts we put in to MetaZoo as an IP. So far every GameQBator team member I’ve worked with has been equally inviting and helpful. There seems to be a good initiative to make sure that us artists are heard and seen.
MZN: Without revealing too much, can you give us a little insight into what kind of cryptids or designs you’re most excited to be working on for thenew MetaZoo sets?
Kelsey: Welllllll I can’t really share a whole lot to be honest, but I will say there’s one card I did that I spent more time on than any other I’ve done before. I’m very excited to see what people think of it when it comes out!
MZN: What do you hope longtime fans and new players take away from the visual world of MetaZoo as it relaunches?
Kelsey: I haven’t seen all the cards, so its hard to speak for the visual image overall, but I hope that at least through the arts I’ve done and those I have seen that people still feel that itch to uncover the lore and magic behind these creatures. The style may be different, but at the core of it all there’s story and culture and depth to every single one of these cryptids. Its that storytelling that connects all of us together in the end, that feeling that there’s a secret magic to our world to be discovered still.
MZN: Is there anything you’d like to say to the MetaZoo community and your fans who have followed your work over the years?
Kelsey: I don’t really know how much people are aware, but I have so much doubt about my status as an artist sometimes. I’ve always been an anxious type of person, and professional art was so new to me for so long. I wondered if I was good enough or if I deserved to be here with my little paints and pens at all. I just want to say that it is you all that keep me from giving up on this dream of being an artist. Every comment, every smile, every shared moment of love for these creatures and worlds over the past few years reassured me that what I do is worthwhile. That the art I make has meaning to someone.
For that, from the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you. I hope to spend many more years with this community, and hope that I can continue to bring you all painted little glimpses into the world of Metazoo and more.
MZN: Finally, where can the fans find you and your work?
Kelsey: I'm most active on my Instagram @_Visiron_and will soon have my website linked in the bio of that account!