Becca Whitaker Artist Spotlight: Pin-Up Art, Horror, Pop Culture & Retro Nostalgia

By Serpentor’s Lair

There are artists whose work can be recognized before you ever see the signature. A particular use of color, a distinctive approach to character design, or an unmistakable sense of humor becomes a calling card. Becca Whitaker is one of those artists.

Working from DeKalb, Illinois—an “island in a sea of corn near Chicago,” as she affectionately describes it—Whitaker has developed a vibrant artistic identity built around pin-up illustration, pop culture, horror, science fiction, nostalgia, and an unabashed love of bright color.

Her illustrations can move effortlessly from sweet to strange, glamorous to grotesque, and nostalgic to wonderfully unexpected. Classic pin-up influences coexist with cartoons, cult movies, monsters, retro advertising, toys, television, and an enormous assortment of pop-culture references. Yet no matter the subject, the finished artwork remains distinctly hers.

Whitaker’s path to becoming a full-time freelance artist was not a direct one. After drawing constantly as a child and developing a fascination with pin-up imagery as a teenager, she was discouraged from pursuing art professionally while in college. She stepped away from that dream and spent roughly 15 years working in retail before eventually deciding to give art another chance.

Years of practice, determination, and sharing her work online ultimately allowed her to build the career she had once been told might not be possible.

Today, Whitaker is also a cartoonist for Bachelor Pad Magazine, has created artwork for the Svengoolie 2026 Artist Series, released her first sketchbook, and is developing a much-requested coloring book.

For this edition of Serpentor’s Lair Artist Spotlight, we spoke with Becca about discovering Bettie Page, finding her artistic voice, blending cute imagery with horror, growing up surrounded by 1980s and 1990s pop culture, the tools behind her traditional artwork, and what it meant to create art for Svengoolie.

1. Every artist has an origin story. What first inspired you to begin creating art, and when did you realize that illustration was something you wanted to pursue seriously?

Becca Whitaker: I don’t think I can remember a time when I wasn’t drawing, always lugging a sketchbook and a pencil with me wherever I went. As a teenager, I discovered pin-up art and photography and instantly fell in love with it, especially Bettie Page.

I quickly became determined to find anything and everything pin-up-related, but in the practically pre-internet early 1990s, that was sort of a Herculean task, so I started drawing my own. Sometimes I would copy the few photographs I could find, and other times I would draw my own art inspired by them.

It was early on in college that one of my well-respected instructors told me she didn’t think I had what it took to have a career in art. If anyone would know, she would know, right? At least that’s what I figured, so I dropped out and resigned myself to a career in retail.

Retail will drive you crazy whether you want it to or not, and after about 15 years, I had a bit of a mental breakdown. I needed a change, and that’s when I decided to try my hand at art again.

Over the next few years, I steadily worked to build up my skills while, at the same time, sharing my art anywhere and everywhere, especially online. It was a lot of hard work, but after a few years, thankfully and gratefully, I was able to leave retail and work as a full-time freelance artist.

2. Your work has a very recognizable personality, particularly in the way you combine pin-up imagery with bright colors, humor, horror, science fiction, and pop-culture influences. How did that visual style develop, and what were some of the biggest artistic influences that helped shape it?

Becca Whitaker: Well, firstly, thank you. A lot of people talk about how my work is instantly recognizable, and that’s an incredible compliment.

I’ve always been a pop-culture-obsessed person: movies, television, cartoons, fashion, music, comics, etc., across all genres, but I especially love horror, fantasy, and weird cult movies.

I have a swarm of mental health disorders, including bipolar depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Making art is not only something I love, but also a way to help combat these uphill struggles. Drawing cute, curvy gals, using bright colors, and inserting elements from my favorite bits of pop culture in creative ways is a satisfying challenge and a ton of fun.

Fun is good. It helps chase away the blues—well, that and a ton of medications, haha.

I think the artists who have had the biggest influence on me are Olivia De Berardinis, who paints beautiful, sometimes edgy pin-ups of women who are sexy but also have an empowered presence.

Dave Stevens, who created The Rocketeer, was a genius. I think he was the best good-girl artist of all time.

Bob Montana, one of the earliest Archie comics artists, drew the best Betty and Veronica, in my opinion.

I’m also a huge fan of Junko Mizuno, a Japanese artist who has a bit of a kawaii/psychedelic style. It’s weird and sometimes bloody, but also very cute.

Finally, I’ll mention comic artist Evan Dorkin, who has this terrific maximalist style, often hiding little unexpected references and characters on the edges of panels.

3. Pin-up art has an incredibly long history, yet your work often feels contemporary rather than simply recreating the aesthetics of an earlier era. What attracts you to the pin-up form, and how do you approach putting your own identity into such an established artistic tradition?

Becca Whitaker: I don’t think any of that is a conscious decision on my part.

In general, my approach to making art is letting the blender that is my brain mix all the things I love together, and then I just sit down with a pencil and see what comes out.

4. Horror and the macabre appear frequently throughout your portfolio, but you often contrast those elements with colorful, playful, or even adorable imagery. What appeals to you about bringing those seemingly opposite worlds together?

Becca Whitaker: I think there is a touch of adorable in everything I draw.

I have a sort of cutesy, colorful, kawaii aesthetic, and I try to translate that perspective into everything I create. Sometimes it’s rainbows and unicorns; other times, it’s heart-shaped splashes of blood and brains.

5. Nostalgia—particularly the characters, movies, imagery, colors, and culture associated with the 1980s and pop culture—appears to play an important role in your work. How much does your own relationship with nostalgia influence what you decide to create?

Becca Whitaker: I was a kid in the ’80s and ’90s, so it’s fun to explore memories of toys, food, commercials, and other pop-culture elements of the time.

I also have a very maximalist design aesthetic, so I have a tendency to throw a bunch of random stuff together on the page. I think it’s the same with most of my modern-feeling art as well.

Although, rather than nostalgia, I think commercials, food, culture, etc., play the most important role.

6. Take us inside your creative process. When you begin a new illustration, does the idea usually start with a character, a pose, a theme, a color palette, or simply an image that appears in your imagination? How does that initial concept evolve into the finished piece?

Becca Whitaker: It really depends.

If it’s a specific character, I start by putting together a long list of relevant details. Then I compose a figure based on what I will need to incorporate. After that, I have fun with it and try to work in as many details as possible.

If it’s a completely original idea, I just go for it. There is no plan. It’s more loose and stream-of-consciousness. I just draw and add whatever little details pop into my brain.

The mechanics of my usual process are to sketch the idea out, then transfer it to heavyweight Bristol paper using a light board.

I ink using Sakura Microns and Stabilo Point 88 pens. I color using a mix of colored pencils—too many brands to name—Copic markers, Gelly Roll gel pens, and Posca or Copic acrylic paint pens.

7. Artists working with recognizable elements of popular culture have the unique challenge of creating something that audiences immediately recognize while still making the artwork unmistakably their own. How do you balance honoring the characters or properties that inspire you with maintaining your own artistic voice?

Becca Whitaker: That’s definitely a fun challenge.

I start by looking for all of the unique details that might be associated with a character or property. I draw the character in my style but put an emphasis on those unique details so they are the first thing you might notice, hopefully making the connection more obvious.

For instance, I drew a Peggy Hill pin-up. She has her usual costume and hair, but I drew her posing on top of a large propane tank, and since she’s a Boggle champion, she is holding a Boggle game box.

People recognized her right away.

8. Through platforms such as Patreon and TeePublic, artists now have opportunities to develop direct relationships with the people who enjoy and support their work. How has building an online audience and creative community affected your career, your artistic choices, and your ability to continue producing new work?

Becca Whitaker: As a freelance artist, I am heavily reliant on social media and other platforms to promote and sell my work.

I’ve formed so many friendships and connections that I never expected from sharing my art online. It’s also nice to get an immediate reaction to the things I create and to get suggestions of things people would love to see me draw.

I keep a list of these suggestions and draw from it when I can.

I also do in-person events like comic conventions and other markets. It’s incredibly rewarding to know people like what I make, and even more rewarding when someone picks something up to hang on their wall or give as a gift to someone.

9. Looking back at your work from the beginning of your artistic journey to what you are creating today, where do you see the greatest evolution in yourself as an artist? Is there something you can accomplish now—technically or creatively—that the earlier Becca Whitaker would have thought was impossible?

Becca Whitaker: I have had to be very budget-conscious over the years and started my career using modestly priced tools and art supplies.

I started with mostly Crayola materials, markers, and pencils—which are much better tools than people give them credit for. In fact, I still use Crayola colored pencils.

In the years since, I have been able to slowly build an amazing arsenal of fantastic art supplies.

It’s like leveling up, and I have discovered so many new methods and techniques for creating art because of these tools.

10. Finally, what is next for Becca Whitaker? Are there particular projects, subjects, characters, original creations, collaborations, or artistic directions you would especially like to explore in the future—and where can readers best follow you and support your work?

Becca Whitaker: I am most excited to talk about some art I did for the Svengoolie 2026 Artist Series.

Fans of cheesy horror and sci-fi flicks might know Svengoolie from his MeTV show. He’s a horror host extraordinaire who has been on the air for over 40 years, and I have been a fan almost since the beginning.

It was a dream come true to be asked to create some art for the show.

You can get shirts, prints, and all sorts of other cool stuff in the MeTV online mall.

You can also get my non-Svengoolie-related art on shirts, stickers, and other goodies through my TeePublic shop.

I am also a cartoonist for Bachelor Pad Magazine. It’s been around since 2007, and anyone who is a fan of the Atomic Age lifestyle, retro culture, pin-ups, and burlesque will love it. Go check them out!

I just released my first sketchbook last year, and I’m working on putting together a much-requested coloring book right now.

Other than that, if you dig my art, I’m always open for commissions, and you can email me for information. Ladygorgon@yahoo.com

An Artistic World Entirely Her Own

What stands out after speaking with Becca Whitaker is that the variety in her work is not the result of chasing trends. It comes from decades of genuinely loving the things that continue to inspire her.

Pin-up illustration, horror movies, cult cinema, cartoons, toys, advertising, comics, retro culture, and memories of growing up during the 1980s and 1990s all find their way into the creative “blender” she describes. The result is artwork that can be nostalgic without becoming trapped in the past and playful without sacrificing artistic craftsmanship.

Her journey also makes the work more meaningful.

Whitaker walked away from art after being told early in life that a professional career might not be in her future. Years later, she made the decision to pick up the pencil again, develop her skills, share her creations with the world, and ultimately build the full-time artistic career she had once abandoned.

Today, she is creating artwork for longtime favorites such as Svengoolie, contributing cartoons to Bachelor Pad Magazine, developing new personal projects, appearing at conventions and markets, taking commissions, and continuing to build a community around her work.

Perhaps that is why her illustrations feel so personal. They are filled with the things she loves, rendered through a visual language that could belong to no one else.

Sometimes colorful. Sometimes creepy. Sometimes nostalgic. Sometimes delightfully weird. And very often, all of those things at once.

Serpentor’s Lair would like to sincerely thank Becca Whitaker for taking the time to share her story, inspirations, creative process, and artwork with us. We encourage our readers to follow her work, support independent artists, and keep an eye out for what Becca creates next.

Follow and Support Becca Whitaker

Want to see more of Becca’s artwork, support her work, or contact her about a commission? You can find her through the following official pages and platforms:

Patreon: Becca Whitaker
Facebook: Becca Whitakers Bombshells
Instagram: @whitaker.becca
TikTok / Becca Whitaker Links: @beccasbombshells
TeePublic: Becca Whitaker
Bachelor Pad Magazine: BachelorPadMagazine.com
Commission Inquiries: Ladygorgon@yahoo.com

Support independent artists, follow Becca’s latest work, and stay tuned to Serpentor’s Lair for more Artist Spotlight interviews with the creators keeping pop culture, retro art, comics, toys, horror, and nostalgia alive.