I made this image 100% with vectors, specifically with Affinity Designer, which is a good compromise to Adobe Illustrator.
I'm not quite sure if I got the explosion, or the smoke to look right, but this was the first time I've ever painted/drawn an explosion, and vectors are fairly new to me.
If you'd like to see me draw out the Mascot, and learning more about what I think of Affinity Designer the video is here:
https://youtu.be/MUkcpT-ii3w
You are free to copy, distribute and transmit this work under the following conditions: