Growing up, every boy wanted to be either a ninja or a superhero, but AJ Salazar demonstrates that you don’t have to choose between the two with his rad illustrations of ninjafied superheroes. In addition to their superpowers, Captain America, Thor and Iron Man now have the added advantage of stealth assassin skills. There’s simply too much awesomeness in these cartoons!
AJ Salazar drew these cute creations as part of his KIDNINJA lifestyle brand, which fuses urban street culture with geeky interests and Japanese anime-influenced artistry. The Philippines-based graphic designer has given a similar illustrative treatment to basketball players, rappers, UFC fighters and even the guys from Epic Meal Time.
If you feel you’re severely lacking in ninja-related content as of late, be sure to check out everything KIDNINJA has to offer.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Ninjafication of Pop Culture
- Opportunities for graphic designers and artists to creatively reimagine popular culture icons with a ninja twist.
- Cross-cultural Branding
- Opportunities to blend cultural elements from different countries and subcultures to create unique lifestyle brands.
- Geek Culture Influences
- Tapping into the growing demand for merchandise and media with themes related to anime, comics, and gaming.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Graphic Design
- Incorporating ninja aesthetics and design elements to superhero and pop culture designs.
- Lifestyle Branding
- Leveraging cross-cultural influences to create brand identities that appeal to specific subcultures.
- Entertainment Merchandising
- Creating merchandise based on geek culture phenomenons and concepts that have potential to attract a cult following.
