Jed Henry takes popular characters from the Nintendo universe and creates stunning Japanese-inspired artwork. The pictures all look incredibly authentic, almost as if ancient Japanese history involved the likes of Mario, Pikachu and Link.
The extent to which Jed Henry can incorporate elements from the Nintendo mythos while still staying true to his feudalistic style of art is nothing short of astonishing. A fighting ring with Pikachu fighting Meowth has the two Pokemons look less like anime characters and more like realistic animals as Charmander and Squirtle stand idly by at the sides of the ring encased in their straw basket Pokeballs.
Other renditions include a Samurai looking Mario, a Japanese dragon Bowser and the cast from Star Fox depicted as Japanese gods atop of floating clouds.
What's Driving This Trend
- Japanese-inspired Fan Art
- Opportunity to create a platform for artists to showcase their own take on popular franchises using traditional Japanese art styles.
- Reimagining Pop Culture Icons
- Opportunity to tap into the nostalgia of popular franchises to create new, visually stunning iterations of recognizable characters.
- New Platforms for Fan Art
- Opportunity to create new ways for fan artists to monetize their work, such as through NFTs or online galleries.
Who This Affects Most
- Art and Design
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop new tools and resources for artists to create Japanese-inspired art and offer new channels for more exposure.
- Gaming
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Collaborate with artists like Jed Henry to create new in-game skins, worlds, and characters that cater to fans of traditional Japanese art.
- Cryptocurrency
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Build unique marketplaces for NFTs that cater to fan art collectors and creators, giving artists a new way to monetize their work.
