August 18, 2025

Meet The Artist: Steven Rhodes

If you’ve ever stumbled across a retro looking print that looked like it had taken a turn into the occult, chances are you’ve already met the wickedly clever world of Steven Rhodes!

Retro collage featuring Steven Rhodes artwork, including black cats, skeletons, gnomes, and mystical children’s book–style illustrations, with a vintage TV in the centre showing a man’s face. Colourful, spooky, and kitschy in Steven’s iconic 70s-inspired style.

Based in Brisbane, Australia, Steven is a graphic artist and illustrator whose work takes the quirky nostalgia of the 70s and 80s and gives it a dark yet humorous twist.

Steven Rhodes artwork titled “Just Say No to Licking Toads,” showing a child licking a toad while a demonic vision appears. Bright neon colours with a parody public service announcement vibe.

His Sinister Seventies collection, featuring iconic designs like Let’s Summon Demons and Pyrokinesis For Beginners, has become instantly recognisable in alternative fashion and pop culture.

A black cotton tote bag featuring a retro-style Steven Rhodes design titled “Let’s Talk to Ghosts.” The illustration shows two children playing with a spirit board, with a skeleton ghost in the background. The vibrant design includes bold colours like red, yellow, and blue, paired with humorous text in a nostalgic comic-book style.

Let's Talk To Ghosts Steven Rhodes Black Tote Bag

What looks like wholesome childhood innocence at first glance quickly reveals itself as something much stranger, funnier, and perfectly twisted!

Steven Rhodes illustration of a child in a wooden go-kart waving goodbye to their family with the caption “Have a nice life dickheads!” A parody of wholesome children’s activity books with a cheeky rebellious twist.

Steven blends his love of both retro nostalgia and dark humour into designs that always catch eyes! His work perfectly bridges the gap between the kitschy and the creepy, which makes it such a hit with creatives, goths, weirdos, dopamine dressers, and anyone who likes their art with a little bite.

Sell Your Soul!
Humorous greeting card featuring children queuing at a stall with a sign that reads, “Sell Your Soul! Economics for Children.” The stall has a pentagram, and the seller holds a contract. The background includes a white picket fence and trees.

Sell Your Soul A6 Greeting Card

Steven’s designs have even gone global, you can find his licensed collections stocked at Hot Topic, Spencer’s, and HMV, as well as collaborations with cult brands like Threadless, Killstar, and Cavity Colors. He’s also worked with some of horror’s most beloved franchises, including Halloween, Chucky, Ghost Face and Terrifier.

Illustration by Steven Rhodes showing a skeleton surrounded by flowers, mushrooms, and a rainbow under the title “Learn About Recycling.” Retro children’s book style with a darkly humorous twist.

When he’s not creating his macabre masterpieces, Steven keeps things quiet at home. He spends his free time trawling through vintage stores (always on the hunt for inspiration) and, as he cheekily notes, “not speaking to strangers.”

A black tote bag featuring Steven Rhodes’ “Personal Growth” design, showcasing a retro-inspired self-development illustration with vibrant neon colours and a humorous theme. The tote includes long handles for easy carrying and is labelled as officially licensed merchandise. Perfect for shopping, work, or travel.

Personal Growth Steven Rhodes Black Tote Bag

Here at Rebel Romance, we stock a hand picked selection of his brilliantly bizarre designs in tote bags and greetings cards, perfect for gifting to your favourite weirdo or keeping all to yourself!