Welcome back to our Artist Profiles series! This time, we sat down with our very own Stoopid Penguin to learn how she's made some of the most iconic Vibes cards.

1) Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into art. Where are you based, how long have you been making art, and who or what shaped your style?

I’m an illustrator based in Germany, and my art journey actually started by total accident back in 2021. I was studying computer science when I stumbled into the Web3 space. To force myself to learn how to draw, I started jumping into art competitions hosted by different NFT projects. A year later, I sold my first digital piece in an auction.

In 2022, I joined the Pudgy Penguins community and began churning out penguin memes and comic strips. That led to a steady stream of commissions: event posters, profile picture edits, and community art, until the Vibes team reached out to have me draw the Set 1 promo card for the Beezie presale.

I graduated in 2024 and immediately dove into working full-time as a full-stack developer while freelancing as an illustrator. Fast forward a year, I joined OCG full-time, and now I’m a full-on double agent: dev by day, artist by night 😎✨

Enter the Huddle, Blossoming Penguin Promo

2) How would you describe your art style in your own words?

I’d describe it as Pop Urban Comic Art, vibrant, high energy, and packed with humor. Think bold lines, sometimes dramatic perspectives, punchy colors, and meme culture designed to pop right off the art.

3) What's your process like? Walk us through how a piece goes from idea to finished art.

Ideas usually come from random moments in my daily routine, I just try to find the comedic spin in everyday life.

My process is pretty unconventional:

I don’t actually sketch! I cook the ideas in my head and jump straight into Affinity Designer on my iPad. I build vector shapes and refine the composition directly on iPad as I go, tweaking the story live until it feels just right.

4) Which Vibes card(s) did you work on, and do you have a favorite? What made it fun or challenging?

I’ve worked on the Set 1 and Set 2 promo cards, as well as cards across Set 3 and Set 4.

My absolute favorites are the meme and superhero comic style cards.

My main goal is always to make people laugh the second they look at a card.

Since I’m self-taught, every new piece feels like a fun challenge. Having the team and community trust me with their IPs is super motivating, so I pour everything into making each piece better than the last.

Identity Crisis and Buffering Birb, from Birb & Pengu

5) What was it like designing within the Vibes world? How did you approach the penguin/character aesthetic?

Before starting a new set, I always study the previous releases. I sort past cards into two piles: color palettes I love and palettes I want to avoid.

Filtering out what doesn't work helps me narrow down color combos that make the characters feel fresh.

6) What's something you want players to notice or appreciate when they see your art on a card?

I love it when players catch the sneaky easter eggs.

There’s almost always a subtle pop culture callback, movie reference, cover album reference or classic meme hidden in the artwork.

If you spot the reference and chuckle, I’ve done my job.

Bottle Penguin Jarritos Promo, and Statue of Liberty CGC Promo

7) Where can people find more of your work?

You can follow my latest work on Instagram @stoopidpenguin_ (yes ends with underscore) , and keep an eye out for what's coming next over at stoopid.world 😎✨✨

Thank you so much to Stoopid Penguin for taking the time to sit down with us. Be sure to also follow her on X, and stay tuned for more Artist Profiles.