Illustrators seem to love taking Disney characters out of their childish context and making it more adult-friendly, and Alejandro Giraldo is one of those illustrators. Stripping characters like Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse of their flesh, Giraldo depicts skeletal versions of the beloved cartoon personalities. Giraldo titles the pictures ‘Mickey Bones’ and ‘Donald Death’ respectively, and they look as though they should be tattooed onto someone's arm rather than appear on the Disney channel.
Looking through Alejandro Giraldo’s eclectic portfolio, the up-and-coming graphic designer has a fascination with making cutesy cartoons geared towards hipster 20-something-year-old crowds. From a trippy group of personified animals having a tea party to portraits of Bill Murray, Giraldo’s images are the definition of cool, which is probably why companies like Nike, Snickers and Threadless have already commissioned him for illustrations.
Skeletal Disney Drawings
Alejandro Giraldo Illustrates Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Without Flesh
Trend Themes
1. Adult-friendly Disney Characters - Creating illustrations of Disney characters in a more mature and edgy style opens up opportunities for merchandise and collaborations with alternative brands.
2. Skeletal Character Art - Depicting beloved characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck in skeletal form offers opportunities for unique and unconventional artwork, tattoos, and fashion designs.
3. Hipster Cartoon Culture - The growing interest in cartoon art that appeals to the hipster 20-something crowd creates a market for illustrators to create trendy and unique interpretations of popular characters.
Industry Implications
1. Merchandise and Licensing - Companies in the merchandise and licensing industry can explore collaborations with artists like Alejandro Giraldo to create edgy and alternative products featuring adult-friendly Disney characters.
2. Art and Tattoo Industry - Skeletal character art provides opportunities for tattoo artists and illustrators to create unique tattoo designs and artwork for the art and tattoo industry.
3. Fashion and Apparel - The hipster cartoon culture creates a demand for fashionable apparel featuring alternative and cool interpretations of popular cartoon characters, offering opportunities for designers and clothing brands to tap into this market.