“I grew up on Saturday morning cartoons and graduated to kaiju” – that’s the DNA of MechanicalPen, the studio of Australian artist Sam Mulhern. Heavy inks, intricate linework, and black-and-white menace collide with pop-culture love. After a career pivot from engineering to full-time art, Sam now reimagines familiar characters with a darker twist, building prints, stickers, and hand-cut dioramas that feel both nostalgic and new.

For Aether’s Black XPA, we wanted a label with attitude – clean structure, shadowy depth, and a little late-night electricity. Sam delivered exactly that: a piece that reads instantly on shelf, then drags you deeper into the details. It’s precision and pulp in equal measure, a perfect mirror for a beer that’s lean, roasty, and quietly dangerous.

'King of the Monsters' - Digital Illustration