# Celebrity Apparition Artistry MetaMephisto Depicts Pop Culture Figures as Ghoulish Ghosts By Jason Soy | Published 2012-04-06 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/metamephisto References: [blog.thaeger](http://blog.thaeger.com/2012/04/05/famous-ghosts/) & [metamephisto.deviantart](http://metamephisto.deviantart.com/) If Marilyn Monroe actually looked anything like this MetaMephisto illustration, she would have populated people’s nightmares rather than be the subject of men’s dreams. But that’s what makes MetaMephisto’s work so cool; he takes pop culture figures and re-imagines them with [ghoulish cartoon faces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/monster-high-skullector-elvira). The results are simultaneously bizarre, hilarious and impressive as MetaMephisto has developed a visual style that’s distinct to him and him alone. MetaMephisto resides in Heidelberg, Germany and his personal philosophy for art is “malice, kitsch and gloom.” He renders his images digitally, though his [street art-style pen and brush strokes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/just-like-heaven-art-exhibition) are ever present in his final products. Some of the other famous faces he’s given the ghost treatment to are Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, [Hello Kitty](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skullpanda-x-sanrio) and even the Ghostbusters logo. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.6/10 - Popularity: 74% | Activity: 57% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Celebs](https://www.trendhunter.com/celebs) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Pop-culture Depiction:** Incorporating supernatural/ macabre elements in typical pop-culture art can be a new form of artistic expression. - **Digital Artistry:** Incorporating street art-style pen and brush strokes in digital art form provides new innovative options for artists. - **Humorous Depictions:** Using humor in art to create a contrast can be an innovative technique for artists to explore. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Art and Design:** Exploring supernatural elements in pop-culture depictions through digital means can have a disruptive impact on the art and design industry. - **Entertainment:** Incorporating humorous and macabre elements in pop-culture depictions can create new avenues of entertainment and disruption for the industry. - **Advertising and Marketing:** Using humorous and macabre elements in digital art pieces can be used by companies as a way to disrupt traditional advertising techniques and to attract new audiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Eerie Film-Inspired Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/afterlife-generator.md) - [Pop Art Legend-Honoring Dolls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/keiichi-tanaami-1.md) - [Digital Archetype Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christian-rex-van-minnen-1.md) - [Collectible Historical Figurines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/thrilljoy-pix.md) - [Monochromatic Ghost Character Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/monochromatic-ghost-character-sculptures.md) - [Glamorous Artful Bronze Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sweet-jane.md) - [Apocalypse Post Pandemic Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contemporary-urban-art.md) - [Character Crossover Figures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skullpanda-x-sanrio.md) - [Comedic Horror Cosmetics](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nyx-x-beetlejuice.md)