Today’s post is a fortuitous confluence of two topics I’ve been writing about recently: comics as TTRPG inspiration and talented Puerto Rican creators.
Gambit is a friend. I don’t recall exactly when we met, but I suspect it was while I worked at Metro Comics back in the 90s. We were both part of the Puerto Rico TTRPG community and have many friends in common. In fact, he created a local comic book with our mutual friend AJ, with whom we’ve both played TTRPGs. I’ll also never forget that Gambit invited me onto his streaming radio show years ago to talk about tabletop gaming.
We don’t see each other often enough now that he lives in Florida, but we stay in touch via social media. We did get to catch up in 2025 at the Puerto Rico Comic Con, where I picked up an incredible Red Sonja print from him. My son met him there and still always asks me about my “friend with the horns!” (See the picture below for context!)
He was also the cover artist and did interior illustrations for the Dungeon Crawl Classics Purple Planet adventure/supplement, Random Acts of Violet. I proudly own a copy; you can see the pictures I took of it below.
All of this preamble is to say that Gambit is a very cool artist with a deep TTRPG background, working across games and comics. He is also the co-creator of a new comic currently being funded on Kickstarter. I wanted to interview him so you can all get to know him better, learn about this exciting new project, and, if you can, support him in his creative endeavors. He graciously agreed to sit down with me, and here are the results!
Introduction & Art
Introduce yourself! We know you as Elias “Gambit” Meléndez, the creative force behind Gambit’s Ink, but for our readers here at Stargazer’s World, who are you, and what kind of worlds do you create?
Hello! I’m Elias “Gambit” Meléndez. I go by Gambit, and I’m a tattoo artist, a comic book artist, and sometimes a musician. I’m from Puerto Rico and currently reside in FL. I like creating dark fantasy and superhero worlds.
How would you describe your art? You work across several mediums—from sequential art and sketch covers to tattoos and custom prints. How does your creative process shift when jumping between these different styles?
I honestly have trouble describing my art. As you mentioned, I work across different media, and with each, I try a different technique or style. Lately, I’ve been making my personal comic work look retro, using coloring techniques similar to those from the golden age of comics.
I work on various projects at the same time, so I constantly and seamlessly shift from one to the other. The creative process changes depending on what I’m working on. For example, if I’m working on a comic page, I follow a script, and that gives me the direction I need. If I’m working on a cover, I think of it as a scene—I think of the before and after of that moment I’m working on. So even though I’m not making a sequential comic page, I’m still thinking of it as one. I even apply that to some of the tattoos I do.
Tabletop Gaming
How did you discover TTRPGs? We are all about tabletop gaming here, so we have to ask about your origin story! What was your introduction to the hobby?
I was 14, I think, around 14 to 16, and two friends came home one day with a Dungeons & Dragons box and said, “Let’s create you a character.” They helped me create a thief and gave me the basics to start playing. We played a short session and were immediately hooked!
Ah, I remember now, I was 14! I was so fascinated by the game that I wanted to play it again. When I learned a year later that I could buy the same box at Toys ‘R’ Us, I got some friends together, drove to the store, and got us a box. For the next few years, I played for hours every weekend! As an adult, I took a break for a few years, but I couldn’t stay away for long, lol.
Do you actively play TTRPGs right now? If so, what games, systems, or campaigns are keeping you busy at the table?
I am not playing anything at the moment, but I still buy games that interest me. “Recently,” I read Hellguard: Curse of Caina. It’s a miniature roleplaying game designed for one-session adventures, perfect for game groups that can’t play long campaigns. I am also currently waiting for the new edition of Mutants & Masterminds. Writing this, I realized that my taste in games is similar to my work: Hellguard is dark fantasy, and M&M is superheroes!
What do you want to play next? Is there a specific game, setting, or class on your bucket list that you are just dying to try out?
I’m excited for the new M&M edition. I don’t really have a bucket list, honestly. Usually, I decide what I’m playing based on what the party needs or on something specific that sparks creativity.
Summit Comics & The Cobalt Cricket
Tell us about Summit Comics and your new project! You are currently part of the Kickstarter for The Cobalt Cricket #1. For those who haven’t seen the campaign yet, what is the story of Glenn Fielding, Karl’s Bay, and your role in bringing this corner of the Summit Comics universe to life?
Summit Comics is a new superhero shared-universe comic publisher that emerged when a few friends and collaborators wanted to make comics together. Cobalt Cricket is just one of the many comics planned to be released this year.
Our hero, Glenn Fielding, is a messenger in Karl’s Bay, FL, and he is involved in an accident that exposes him to radioactive goop and crickets. Next thing you know, cricket powers! With his friend’s help, he becomes The Cobalt Cricket. Sebastian, the co-creator, messaged me to ask if I could help him design a character, and I said yes. He gave me the concept and his idea, I made a few sketches for him, and he loved them so much that he made me a co-creator.
I understood his concept and his idea for a fun book, and I was there when he called. Since then, we’ve bounced ideas for the book and discussed its direction and tone. This book is a love letter to characters like Blue Beetle and Spider-Man. We are making a fun, colorful comic, with over-the-top “science” and heroics. Glenn knows he is not Wolverine or Batman, lol. My role is to give Sebastian’s ideas and concepts a visual style. I know Seb very well now, and I can visualize his thoughts pretty well.
What superhero game would you use to create The Cobalt Cricket? If we wanted to bring Glenn and his insect-proportional abilities to the gaming table, how would you build him and his rogues’ gallery?
As I mentioned before, Mutants & Masterminds by Green Ronin Publishing is one of my favorite RPGs, so I would definitely use that system. In fact, as I was answering these questions, I was talking with one of my friends about creating CC and his rogues’ gallery for the new edition. I’m now planning to do that and make them available for fans and players to use!
(Roberto’s note: I’m incredibly excited about this idea. Imagine a Summit Universe Mutants & Masterminds supplement! A GM can dream…)
Do you have a personal preference for a particular superhero system? When it comes to capturing that classic 60s, 70s, and 80s comic book feel, which TTRPG system does it best for you?
I think M&M is versatile enough to capture the feel of any era of comics and any genre.
How can people support you? Where is the best place for the Stargazer’s World community to back The Cobalt Cricket Kickstarter, and where can they find your original art and projects over at Gambit’s Ink?
You can get The Cobalt Cricket #1 via our Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/948324172/the-cobalt-cricket-1-summit-comics
And if you want to support me directly, you can do so through my Ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/gambitsink
Or my Redbubble page for merch like t-shirts, hats, and other products: https://www.redbubble.com/people/gambitsink/shop
Any closing thoughts? Any final advice for aspiring artists or gamers out there looking to jump into the creative space?
To anyone who is itching to create but is afraid to do so, or thinks they don’t know how, or is waiting for the right moment: That moment is now. All you have to do is create. Don’t think about putting it out for the world to see; you’ll know when to do that. Just do, create, write a short story if you have the idea, draw it if that’s what you do. There is no perfect moment, and there is no shortcut; you have to do it. Write, draw, compose, whatever you love to do or want to do, do it. It’s a rough life sometimes, but the rewards of creating compensate for the bad days.
I have a closing thought to add to that closing thought! I want to mention that Gambit actually designed my absolute favorite TTRPG t-shirt. I got it off his Redbubble page—it’s his “Tira iniciativa’ pa” shirt, and you can see me modeling it below!
Thank you, Gambit, for taking the time to do this interview.
Everyone, please don’t forget to check out The Cobalt Cricket Kickstarter before it ends: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/948324172/the-cobalt-cricket-1-summit-comics
The project is funded. I’m a backer!
