Devin Weech

Artist Statement

I am a digital artist and comic illustrator working under the name Hitoroki. My work lives at the intersection of fantasy and cyberpunk, drawing on the visual language I grew up with: the sweeping worlds of JRPGs, the bold character design of fighting games, and the saturated color and attitude of 90s games, comics, and animation. Those influences shaped how I think about character, motion, and atmosphere, and they remain the foundation I build on today.

At the heart of my practice is storytelling. I am especially drawn to narratives that trust the image to do the work. In my current project, a wordless fantasy graphic novel, every clue and emotional beat lives in the panels themselves: in recurring objects, background details, and quiet visual echoes rather than dialogue. I design my stories to feel complete on a first read and to reward a second one, so that readers who look closely discover a deeper layer that was there all along.

I am committed to telling stories with LGBTQ+ characters at their center. Romance, rivalry, loyalty, and betrayal are timeless themes, and I want more people to see themselves reflected in the fantasy worlds that meant so much to me. I enjoy taking familiar genre conventions and turning them on their side, finding tenderness where readers expect conflict and letting mysteries unfold in unexpected order.

Alongside my illustration work, I write poetry, and that practice informs how I approach visual composition. Both ask for compression, deliberate choices, and imagery that commits fully to its idea. I treat each page the same way, giving careful attention to structure and to how every element serves the story as a whole.

Through Hitoroki Art, I bring my work directly to audiences as prints, stickers, and acrylic pins, both online and at conventions throughout the Midwest. Meeting people face to face at my table, hearing which characters resonate with them, and watching someone connect with a piece in person is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.

My goal is to keep building worlds that feel vivid, layered, and welcoming, and to create art that invites people to linger, look again, and find something new each time.