Most people would agree that the character design for Nintendo’s Mario is cute as a button, but leave it to Heather Hansma to improve on perfection. Seen here are three paintings she’s cooked up with cartoon bunny figures in Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach costumes. If you think that sounds adorable, just wait until you see the real thing.
And though Heather Hansma replaced the retro gaming icons with rabbits, she didn’t simply do so with generic bunny depictions. Hansma’s furry rodents sport stylized ears, eyes and noses that closely resemble other figures found throughout the illustrator’s Tumblr portfolio. The omission of feet are also a signature trait of Hansma’s bunnies.
Those interested in purchasing the 6” x 6” paintings may do so on Yetee Gallery, where they are being sold for $100 apiece.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Cartoon Character Redesign
- Opportunity to create alternative visual representations of popular characters to create fresh merchandise ideas.
- Stylized Animal Art
- Potential for artists to create unique animal designs that deviate from traditional depictions.
- Nostalgic Merchandise
- Demand for merchandise that invokes nostalgia for popular media from previous decades.
Sectors Adopting This
- Art
- Artists can explore unique styles and designs in animal depictions to create novelty merchandise and appeal to niche audiences.
- Gaming
- Game developers can collaborate with artists to create visual redesigns of popular characters for merchandise or special edition games for fans.
- Pop Culture Merchandise
- Merchandise companies can capitalize on nostalgia for popular media by creating products that evoke memories of beloved characters and franchises from the past.
