Appearances matter. Sure, that might not be the most agreeable thing to say, but a person’s eyes decide whether the object in question deserves to be experienced by the remaining senses. This is particularly true when it comes to society’s forms of entertainment! After all, there is a reason most decades or studios favor a specific art style, as audiences will automatically be attracted towards something that feels familiar but fresh.
Putting aside 3D and CGI, Disney’s art has not significantly changed since 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Certainly, technological advancements led to improvements in the production process, but the company has largely stuck to a distinct aesthetic for its characters and worlds. Despite being separated by decades and living in completely different environments, Ariel and Cinderella could pass for sisters. In order to dodge any misunderstandings, this point should not be taken as a criticism, but it would be cool to revisit certain cartoons with a fresh pair of eyes.
Scooby-Doo and Tom & Jerry have spawned numerous reboots and spin-offs, but how many have actually succeeded in improving upon the original? While the majority opt to stick relatively close to the cast’s most recognizable core designs, a couple series have attempted to shake things up with an alien coat of paint. We appreciate the effort, but the internet can do better!
Freed from expectations that come with having to please millions of nostalgic viewers who yearn for a return to the good old days of stiff animation and hourglass figures, here are 30 classic cartoon character redesigns better than what we got!
28 A Second Past Midnight
Yes! The internet was founded solely to birth these type of redesigns! Thirty years ago, jeftoon01’s gloriously creepy Cinderella would have been restricted to a notebook stored in an attic or, perhaps, a niche magazine only stocked by a handful of convenience stores across the world. Be it the pumpkin or the cracked slippers, everything about this painting is flawless. With Halloween gradually approaching, what better place to seek inspiration for a costume than Deviant Art? Whatever you do, remember to set the alarm to midnight!
27 Prehistoric Greymon
On a particularly slow day, one’s mind cannot help but ponder life’s trivial matters. Is YouTube going to be around forever? Why did critics hate Hook? Could Digimon work as a live-action series? Obviously, the latter is by far the most important, and arvalis’ Greymon serves as an example of what could happen if everyone simply believed! Digimon Adventure tri. modernized the franchise for a more mature audience, but the series is still very much an anime. Taking into account the lackluster track record of live-action anime adaptations, maybe it is better to leave certain questions unanswered.
26 Gold For Peanuts
Thanks to a couple of beloved holiday specials, Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts comic is firmly engrained into pop culture. Unless soundtracked by Charli Brown’s sorrowful lamentations, it just does not feel like Christmas. Slightly more uplifting and subjected to a 3D facelift, 2015’s The Peanuts Movie works as an adequate nostalgic trip through memory lane. CGI suits Snoopy and Charlie Brown, but TovioRogers’s “cool” alternative is exactly the type of adaptation that would have been generated during the ’90s. We are not sure whether that is a positive or negative…
25 Queen Elsa
LordandGod’s Elsa is fit for the throne! Recently, Frozen has experienced some backlash, but this shift can mostly be chalked down to overexposure and a poorly thought out short. Building on Tangled’s success, Frozen broke box office records and spawned enough toys to amuse children for the next couple of centuries. Not to take anything away from Princess Anna, but her older sister is undeniably the star of the show. A Disney princess who nearly turns evil, Elsa’s arc is a delight to watch unfold, even if the third act feels somewhat rushed.
24 Spring Comes To Bedrock
Talk about a match made in heaven! In the field of animated sitcoms, The Flinstones’ influence cannot be dismissed. Regardless of one’s personal opinion on the show’s quality, The Simpsons and Family Guy might not exist if Hanna-Barbera’s cartoon failed to be a hit. Nowadays, the former is the defacto representative of this particular subgenre, but erykh’s creation honors both series. Sooner or later, most works of art designed to be consumed by the masses will experience irrelevance, but their impact can be seen in the next generation.
23 A Mecha Transformation
Inaugurated in 1984’s The Transformers, Hasbro’s toyline has sampled a wide-buffet of art styles. Be it Beast Wars’ dated CGI or Robots in Disguise’s anime aesthetic, Optimus Prime and Megatron have changed looks more times than Barbie and Ken combined. Even after all these years, Generation 1 holds up shockingly well, primarily due to the fantastic character designs and smart writing. Once you move past the CGI, Beast Wars is also nothing short of brilliant. If nothing else, Transformers has proven to be an adaptable creative force and ai-eye’s version might eventually become a reality.
22 Anime-Doo
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated seemed influenced by Japanese animation, but Warner Bros.’s cartoon remained firmly planted in the West. Solving mysteries since 1969, Hanna-Barbera’s series has experienced quite a few ups and downs. Occasionally, Scooby-Doo throws caution to the wind and agrees to do a crossover with Supernatural, but this is not a property known for taking risks. With the exception of a handful of movies and a select few series, Scooby-Doo’s animation tends to be rather dull and flat. People watch for the Scooby gang, but nakanoart’s artistic flair outshines the popular dog.
21 The Future Is Now!
Besides The Simpsons, Matt Groening’s other huge series centers around a cyclops, a chain-smoking robot, and a pizza delivery boy. Futurama only lasted seven seasons, but some of Groening’s best work can be found in Fox’s cartoon. Sadly, Fry’s misadventures never quite struck a chord with as wide of an audience as The Simpsons, but Futurama still left a lasting impression on pop culture. Converting the cast into comic book characters ripped right out of the 1970s, ZZoMBiEXIII’s Planet Express crew are better suited for a mecha anime than an animated sitcom.
20 April
Over the last couple of decades, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been subjected to some questionable redesigns. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles launched to quite a turbulent reception, and the team’s new look probably did not help matters. Following 2012’s beloved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was always going to be an arduous task, so fans might require some time to become accustomed to Nickelodeon’s reimagining. In the meantime, here is luleiya’s April and Donnie to ease the transition.
19 Cat In The Bag
Published in the late ’80s and lasting for three seasons, Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers has aged surprisingly well for a cartoon created during an era when children’s entertainment was conceived specifically to sell toys. Predating the obnoxious ’90s extreme movement by a number of years, Disney’s cute detective series boasts more than enough laughs and action to distract any toddler. Real-SonkeS’ tribute feels like it is set in Who Framed Roger Rabbit’s world, and that is a-okay in this writer’s book!
18 Super Saiyan Simpsons
While scouring the world wide web’s fanart archives, The Simpsons kept on popping up with fascinating (or creepy) novel designs. Some bear practically no relation to Groening’s cartoon, but the most eye-catching examples toe the line between authenticity and experimentation. At the end of the day, Bart is defined by his personality and not appearance, so DrZime’s de-yellowfied drawing manages to be both unique and ordinary. Regardless of the siblings’ skin color, this is The Simpsons we know and love.
17 Spinach Defeats Gravel
A blast from the past, CoranKizerStone succeeded in bringing to life Elzie Crisler Segar’s legendary fist-pumping sailor. Debuting in a 1929 comic strip, Popeye has been subjected to five animated TV series, a live-action film starring Robin Williams, and more than a hundred theatrical shorts. Apparently, spinach really does wonders for a cartoon’s vitality, although eating vegetables out of a can is probably not recommended by most modern health experts. This version of Popeye deserves to star in his own shounen anime.
16 Screaming Jinkies!
Speaking of the Great Dane with the voice of a 90-year-old smoker, when it comes to art style, modern Scooby-Doo ranks among the more experimental of the classic cartoons. Released within a decade of each other; Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!, and Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! significantly altered the Scooby gang’s aesthetic to fit the tone of their respective series. Unfortunately, the latter two happen to be rather terrible, but their animation is probably their saving grace. Scooby-Doo is hardly a stranger to crossovers, but godlyDescentUFO’s concept is out of this world!
15 On Even Stranger Tides…
Wait, is jlfletch suggesting The Simpsons has yet to spoof Pirates of the Caribbean? With thirty years on the clock, Matt Groening and company have mined every single available avenue to try and elicit a laugh. The Simpsons has literally done it all. Actually, that is not really true! With the exception of the first season, America’s most beloved dysfunctional family have remained unaffected by the passage of time. There must be something in Springfield’s water, as there is no way Bart is still 10-years-old!
14 The Street Life
DanLuVisiArt is mainly known for his graphic novel Last Man Standing: Killbook of a Bounty Hunter, which was picked up for a film adaptation by Paramount in 2010. Regularly contributing to Deviant Art, DanLuVisiArt’s best work might actually be a series known as The Streets, a collection of Muppets images which acted as a preview for the artist’s Popped Culture Kickstarter. Have you ever wanted to see The Sopranos starring Kermit the Frog? If the answer is yes, and it definitely should be, then DanLuVisiArt is your best bet.
13 A Rabbit On A Hog
LimonTea’s Bugs Bunny is way too cool to lose his way at Albuquerque. Sporting a stylish leather jacket and riding a motorcycle fit for Harley Davidson, this troublesome rabbit will never be outclassed by any duck. Preferring a black-and-white filter over any unnecessary coloring, Bugs recently joined a biker gang with plans to gradually usher out the current head honcho. Oozing charisma and an animal magnetism harboring back to the 1980s’ hair metal scene, it is always rabbit season when this bunny rolls into town.
12 Lisa Grows Up
The Simpsons is the ultimate time capsule. Despite referencing various real-world events and living through multiple presidents, Springfield remains unaffected. It is comforting to know that - regardless of any widespread problems - Lisa and Bart continue to preserve their childhoods. Out of the two, the younger girl tends to be used as a mouthpiece to comment on any ongoing political trends; nevertheless, Lisa is still a child who just wants to be popular and spend time with her family. As Lisa’s future continues to be postponed by Fox and the showrunners, mallaard allowed the girl to age.
11 Royalty
Distributed in 1970, The Aristocats is a second-tier Disney production; in other words, Wolfgang Reitherman’s musical comedy is superior to 99% of animated films out there. Mickey Mouse might not always bring his A-game, but Disney never bats anything less than a 1.0. When Goofy hits a home-run, it is game over! Okay, that is probably enough nonsensical sports reference for one article…
“Realistic” is probably not the most accurate description for Zakeno’s redesign, but these felines would not look too out of place in One Hundred and One Dalmatians, while The Aristocats is closer to something like Tom & Jerry.
10 It’s A Pirate World After All…
While the studio’s most recent projects have attempted to deviate from the norm, Disney’s princesses are cinematic dolls. They might possess different hair-styles and ethnicities, but they generally belong to the same sorority. Disney’s brand permeates its entire filmography, and the sovereigns serve a higher purpose than merely their story. Moana was a nice change of pace, and Pixar tends to do its own thing, but Frozen and Tangled adhered to Disney’s standard formula. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl ended up being better than anyone could have imagined, but Sonala may be overestimating Jack Sparrow’s allure.
9 Cat & Mouse
At the moment, Tom & Jerry’s filmography sports over ten feature films, five animated series, and over 150 theatrical shorts. Considering the basic premise boils down to Tom wanting to eat Jerry, it goes to show there is no idea to simplistic for a cash grab. Even if Gene Deitch and Chuck Jones’ eras feel out of place and the animation suffered from a bit of nosedive, the characters themselves remained consistent. Tom & Jerry’s recent films boast identical art styles, and the series seldom take any risks. We just want something different and shinywoof’s Tom & Jerry fits the bill.
