Digital Art

There’s something magnetic about retro illustration — the bold lines, the halftone textures, the saturated colors that practically shout off the page. At Disko Print Co, we’re obsessed with the art of yesteryear, especially the explosive visual language of pulp comics — and we bring that obsession into the digital realm every day.

Whether it’s a flaming rocket tearing across a star-studded sky, a brooding detective in a fedora, or a monster with too many eyes, pulp illustration has a certain grit and dynamism that is instantly arresting. But here’s the twist: we recreate that vintage look using cutting-edge tools like Procreate and Photoshop, while staying rooted in the analog-first creative process.

Step One: The Power of Pencil and Paper

Before our styluses ever hit a screen, every piece starts with rough sketches on paper. It’s a tactile, unfiltered way to plan out composition, energy, and character. The looseness of graphite helps us explore exaggerated gestures and punchy silhouettes that give pulp art its drama.

These sketches are typically messy — and that’s the point. In the chaos, we find gold. We’ll often thumbnail a dozen variations of a scene, always asking ourselves: What would this look like on a 1950s paperback cover?

Step Two: Refining Digitally

Once a sketch hits the sweet spot, it’s time to scan it and bring it into Procreate for refinement. Here, the magic happens. We ink with confident, bold lines — inspired by legends like Wally Wood and Jack Kirby — and layer in color with carefully selected palettes that nod to mid-century print limitations: think faded reds, teal greens, mustard yellows.

We also make heavy use of halftone brushes, paper texture overlays, and selective distressing to give digital pieces that warm, worn-in, tactile feel of old comic pages.

True Grit Texture Supply have some incredible digital resources for recreating the physical feel of old inks and halftone effects. We highly recommend their 'Rusty Nib' brush set. We use at least some of those brushes on almost every retro design we create.

Why Retro Works — Even Today

Retro, pulp-style illustration doesn’t just look cool — it tells a story. It immediately signals nostalgia, drama, and character. In a world where so much design feels clean and sterile, this gritty aesthetic grabs your attention and drags you into another world.

That’s why clients come to Disko Print Co. for album covers, posters, zines, and merch that feel alive. There’s a timelessness to retro-inspired digital art — a way of marrying the past and future in a style that feels both familiar and fresh.

Bringing It All Together

At Disko Print Co, we don’t just imitate the past — we reimagine it. Every pulp-style piece is a love letter to the golden age of illustration, created with the freedom and flexibility of modern digital tools. So whether you’re looking to commission a piece, collaborate, or just dive deeper into the world of retro digital illustration, we’re always sketching, inking, and printing something new — and unapologetically pulp.

Want to see our latest retro-styled creations? Follow @DiskoPrintCo on Instagram and drop us a line for custom commissions or collabs!

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