He was heavily inspired by classic horror films, comics, fine art, and writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Edward Gorey, and H. P. Lovecraft. Grimly credits Jon J Muth as the sole reason he took up watercolor. "When I was young, I saw a copy of Moonshadow and wanted to do art like that.
Grimly's creative endeavors are shaped by classic horror films, comics, fine art, and writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Edward Gorey, and H. P. Lovecraft. He attributes Jon J Muth with sparking his interest in watercolor. His early exposure to Moonshadow sparked a desire to create artwork reminiscent of that.