# Eye-Opening Animated Films 'Where Are They Now' Explores Cartoon Characters in Real Life By Meghan Young | Published 2014-09-12 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cartoon-characters-in-real-life References: [designtaxi](http://designtaxi.com/news/369265/An-Animated-Look-At-The-Lives-Of-Popular-Cartoons-After-Their-Fame/) & [vimeo](http://vimeo.com/105847954) When people think of cartoon characters in real life, they probably think of happy endings with fuzzy warm feelings zipping around in their bodies. Well, one man decided to explore these icons in a depressing animated film that focuses on their lives after fame. Similar to people's obsession with grown up child actors, it is hard to look at and equally hard to look away. Narrated by Jessica Rabbit, who sounds like a gruff guy from East London, the animated short shows just how transient fame can be even for such childhood favorites as Donald Duck, Super Mario, Pikachu, Garfield and more. While some people might want to see cartoon characters in real life, Steve Cutts has decided to give them something they were not expecting. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.5/10 - Popularity: 22% | Activity: 74% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Humor](https://www.trendhunter.com/humor) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Depressing Animated Films:** Opportunity to explore a new genre of content that juxtaposes optimism and innocence with the harsh reality of adulthood. - **Iconic Characters Post-fame:** Opportunity to tell untold stories of beloved characters and explore their difficulties in adjusting to life after fame. - **Childhood Nostalgia Reimagined:** Opportunity to create new content that taps into adult longing for a simple and innocent past, with a mature twist. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Animation:** Opportunity for studios to create new content that shifts away from traditional child-friendly themes and diversifies their portfolio. - **Entertainment:** Opportunity for producers and creators to tap into adult longing for nostalgia by creating content that disrupts traditional themes and stereotypes. - **Marketing and Advertising:** Opportunity for marketers to tap into nostalgia as a marketing tool for adults and create content that reimagines iconic childhood characters in a more mature setting. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Cartoon Eating Challenges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hot-ones-episodes.md) - [Life Lesson Animated Cartoons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/veefriends-cartoons.md) - [Hand-Drawn Animation Shorts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zen-grogu-and-dust-bunnies.md) - [Animated Pop Revival Shows](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/paris-pups.md) - [Cartoon Trivia Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cartoon-quiz.md) - [Adult Animated Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/animated-comedy.md) - [Reimagined Film Brick-Form Shows](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bricktoons.md) - [Animated Short Film Trailers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/carls-date.md) - [Income-Centric Animated Comedies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/universal-basic-guys.md)