Meet the Artist: Zachary Cantrell
Some people come into a project through the side door and end up building part of the house.
That’s Zachary Cantrell.
He first joined Shadows of the Old World as a voice actor, giving life to Victor Reeves—a refugee at the Hub whose calm delivery hides a complicated past. Then one day, in the middle of server chatter, I mentioned an idea I wanted to explore: a cover image that captured the tone of the mod. Before I’d even finished typing, Zachary said, “I could try something.”
He didn’t just try. He delivered the image that now defines the project.
That striking cover art—the one that is on our shirts, and across our socials—was his creation. I told him I wanted ghouls on the left, some Underground goons on the right. And he nailed it. Each one has all the personality that runs through the world of Shadows: Anger, strength, warmth, cruelty. The waving mayor that perfectly captures the character that lives in my head still cracks me up. He also did images of our crew, and posters for the Underground.
What stands out most about Zachary isn’t just the talent—it’s the humility that comes with it. He never leads with, “Look what I made.” He just asks, “Does this fit what you’re seeing?” He’s completely open to direction, just as he is in his voice work, and always approaches feedback like it’s another brushstroke in the process.
He’s patient, deliberate, and never defensive. Qualities that make collaboration easy and rare. You can tell he wants to get it right, not just for himself, but for the project.
And the best part? He’s not done. You’ll have to play Shadows of the Old World when it releases next year to see his work scattered through the Underground. Original posters and artwork that make the world feel lived in, familiar, and human.
That Meet the Crew art he did (above)actually look like the images the crew provided, but… somehow even more special. You can see them up close in our Meet the Crew post. I loved his work so much, I commissioned art for a t-shirt I had in my head. I’ll be wearing it to the Fallout Fan Celebration this year.
When asked what drives him, Zachary said art has been with him since childhood.
“The thing that keeps me coming back is figuring out a challenging technique after weeks and weeks—and sometimes decades—of not sleeping over it.”
He laughs about his “muted color problem,” swearing he must be color-blind because his palettes always lean desaturated. Maybe so—but those tones fit the world we’re building. The Underground doesn’t shine; it glows through grit.
Zachary’s dream job? Director or animator. After seeing the emotion and movement in his still images, that checks out. He’s one of those creators who sees motion even when nothing’s moving.
And honestly? He’s just a good guy. The kind you want in your server chat, who’ll drop in to say something funny and warm.
We’re lucky to have him on the Shadows team.
You can find Zachary on Discord (@zacharykc) or on Bluesky at voicehead.bsky.social.
He’s accepting commissions and voice acting work.
