Welcome to Our Newest Edition of Creator Spotlight!
Our recurring feature that shines a light on comic creators selling original art on the Raremarq marketplace, offering fans an inside look at their journeys and contributions to the industry.
Today, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on Zu Orzu, a phenominal artist whose work spans major publishers including DC, Marvel, Valiant, Image, BOOM! and more. Zu’s artwork is truly one of a kind, defined by breathtaking visuals, expressive contrasts, and a distinct style that seamlessly blends expressionism with the comic characters we know and love.
Tell us about yourself and what got you interested in drawing
Hello everyone! My name is Zu Orzu and I am from Singapore, currently based out of Germany. I have worked in the comics industry mostly as a cover artist, with published titles from Marvel, DC, BOOM!, Image, and more. My first passion was (is) actually writing, but I have always been rather shy about sharing my words, so I started to 'hide' them behind drawings and paintings, which allows me to still express myself comfortably using the language of images. Like most artists, I enjoyed drawing as a child and generally making a mess. I am sure this is a common tale, but I too got into trouble for scribbling on the walls and every other possible scribble-able surface at home.
I have always been creative and loved making things but I only started considering art as a serious pursuit when I was in my older teen years, which wasn't a popular path to take on as my home country is not the best place to be an artist. When I was 17, I quit junior college (I was following a regular academic route, as paved by the society I was in), worked at a bar to fund for myself, and went to a fine arts school, where I learnt oil painting and fell in love with darkroom photography. Following this, I was accepted into university and impulsively chose to major in animation even though I picked the institution to initially get a degree in photography. I have no regrets in my choices, as I feel that I have gained so much from learning and trying a variety of different things. Being an animation student actually helped me a lot in building up my basic fundamentals of drawing (a professor told me blankly I was bad at it haha) and it also taught me about being disciplined and consistent about practice. It has been quite a mixed and wild ride, and I still feel like there's more for me out there.
Who were some of your early inspirations?
I discovered Artemisia Gentileschi, Käthe Kollwitz and Gustav Klimt as a young arts student and I find them all to still be very inspirational; in fact I am on a lifelong journey to see as many of their works in person as possible. Of course, if we are talking about something more comics-adjacent I think it's no surprise that I admire the works of Bill Sienkiewicz, Tula Lotay, Dave McKean, Sergio Toppi, and Yoshitaka Amano. Honestly, I have so many other names I could list, as I am an obsessive consumer of art and find joy in seeing what others create.
What are some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on?
In terms of comic covers, I have to say I had such an immense pleasure working on all five variant covers for The Me You Love in the Dark series, created by the incredible Skottie Young and wonderful artist Jorge Corona. I also loved working on the cover to one of my contemporary inspirations Guillem March's Karmen. I think it's always extra special when I can work on other creators' projects, especially those that are creator-owned, and I am grateful to be able to step into their playground and contribute to their stories.
Favorite character(s) to draw?
Definitely Storm! She is my favourite from the X-Men, and there are so many variations of her character and design that I enjoy interpreting. I usually gravitate towards female characters and other comfort favourites include Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Black Cat, Silk and Elektra.
What are you currently working on?
I am working on something very interesting and different for DC (which is not going to be a cover); I can't say too much about it for now but I look forward to sharing it when the project is officially announced, hopefully sometime soon this year. On personal projects, I am currently creating my own graphic novel! I teased some pages of it on my IG page recently and I am having a lot of fun with it. I am writing and editing and publishing it all on my own, so it is quite an undertaking but I am learning so much during this process.
What inspired you to start using Raremarq and what are you auctioning?
I have been aware of Raremarq for quite some time now, and last year a patron-turned-friend of mine suggested that I check out the platform more seriously as they have been using it and thought it could be a good option for me. I deliberated over it for months until one day I started a conversation with someone on the Raremarq team (hi Jon!) and they have been so helpful and kind from the start, answering all my questions and assuaging any doubts I have. The vibe and community on Raremarq have seemed very positive to me, and I figured it would not hurt to try, so here I am!
For my very first listing I have a Black Cat mixed media drawing on offer, and I hope to add on more characters regularly.
Where can fans find you?
My main social media platform is Instagram and you can find me @zuorzu; I also have a Bluesky account under the same username. My website is www.zuorzu.com, and there you can also sign up to my newsletter (the link is on my webpage), where I am posting exclusive updates (and occasional digital goodies) for subscribers.
Thank you for this opportunity Raremarq, and thank you everyone for the support. I hope to serve the community with my art!
Be sure to check out Zu's current Black Cat original art up for auction!
If you'd like to follow Zu on Raremarq, you can visit her profile here.
If you're interested in selling on Raremarq, visit www.raremarq.com/seller
