# Unmasked Character Illustrations Alex Solis Illustrated a Collection of Costumed Cultural Icons By David Ingram | Published 2015-09-23 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cultural-icons References: [designtaxi](http://designtaxi.com/news/380059/Witty-Illustrations-Reveal-What-Lies-Under-The-Masks-Of-Pop-Culture-Characters/) & [cargocollective](http://cargocollective.com/oddworx/Icons-Unmasked) Chicago-based artist and illustrator Alex Solis presents this humorous collection revealing what lies underneath the facades of several different cultural icons. In his latest series 'Icons Unmasked,' Solis presents a selection of [fictional characters taking off "masks"](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pop-mart-1) to reveal another character who is closely related to themselves underneath. Excellently illustrated, each example often brilliantly mashes together [two different cultural icons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hello-kitty-tmnt) for a comedic effect. Sometimes the drawings are simply playing on a character's name, such as 'Batman' and 'Robin' costumes being worn by an [anthropomorphic bat and robin](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-monsters). Other examples by the artist are just a play on words like 'Barney Rubble' wearing a 'Barney the Dinosaur' costume. Perhaps most interesting however are characters closely inspired from one another with 'Homer Simpson' in costume and likely inspiring 'Peter Griffin' as the standout example. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 6.4/10 - Popularity: 96% | Activity: 88% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Character Unmasking:** Artists in different fields can apply the concept of 'Unmasking', in order to reveal hidden identities or attributes in fiction, culture or relationships. - **Mashup Culture:** By combining two distinct cultural icons and making them into one image, a new niche in the art and design market is created. - **Comical Illustration:** This niche market of character unmasking can gain popularity through humor and satire of different cultural figures. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Comic Book Industry:** Comic book publishers can use the trend of unmasking to come up with fresh superhero designs. - **Movie Industry:** Movie industry can make use of the concept of mashup culture to create hybrid characters for either an animated or live action film. - **Graphic Design Industry:** Graphic Designers can use the character unmasking to create visually appealing and clever design projects for brands and businesses. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Character Crossover Figures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skullpanda-x-sanrio.md) - [Reimagined Beloved Character Comics](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/marvel-and-disney.md) - [Block Puzzle Carnival Masks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/masquerade-mask-1.md) - [Collectible Character Sets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/arr-x-kaws-sesame-street.md) - [Playful Character Graphic Apparel](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/monsters-collection.md) - [Animated Streetwear Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-simpsons-x-family-mart.md) - [Artistic Game-Inspired Figures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/louis-de-guzman-1.md) - [Playful Cartoon Apparel](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kenny-scharf-and-axel.md) - [Artful Cartoon-Inspired Apparel](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/doraemon-meets-the-louvre.md)