Calvin and Hobbes Sledding in the Streets

One of the most famous images of the popular comic duo, Calvin and Hobbes, is the picture of the friends tobogganing. This clever graffiti gives the image a new setting, allowing Calvin and Hobbes to sled in the streets.

source:artrick-playground

No Smoking in the Streets

This clever graffiti art work is both a visual pun and a statement of the artist’s view on smoking. This graffiti piece cleverly incorporates existing objects into the design.

source:sugarandlux

Giant Graffiti People

This graffiti design shows an image of two giant girls, crammed into a tiny building. The piece creates a spacial deception that is more effective when standing in front of the street art.

source:boingboing

Hang Man Graffiti

Like the street ashtray graffiti above, this piece uses an existing object to create the desired effect; the character appears to be pinned to the wall by the peg.

source:buzzhunt

Street Puddle Olympics

These Tim Burton styled cartoon characters have been graffitied beside a street puddle, acting out a parody of an Olympic diving event.

source:omundotemsolucao

Tattoos of Alice in Wonderland

The story is centered on a pre-Victorian era girl, Alice. One day she walks out, and finds herself in a marvellous adventure, as told in the book. It is said that Lewis Carroll based the character on Alice Liddell, a child friend of his. Shown below are Alice tattoo designs, from John  Tenniel, Scott Olive and Walt Disney Studios.

source:tattooinspiration,tattoolit,anulesia

Tattoos Through the Rabbit Hole

Alice begins her adventure by following a white rabbit, which leads her to fall down a rabbit hole. The white rabbit has been depicted in song, in film and in illustration. A fruitless search for something is now referred to as “chasing the white rabbit”.

source:merchantcircle,misterroadtripper

The Cheshire Cat in Ink

The Cheshire Cat is a popular tattoo design, symbolizing a fun-loving nature and an enjoyment of all things silly and bizarre. With his toothy grin, colorful fur and recognizable silhouette, the Cheshire Cat makes an attractive tattoo design.

source:galleryoftattoosnow,tattoodonkey

The Hookah Smoking Caterpillar

One of the most famous Alice in Wonderland characters is the Hookah Smoking Caterpillar. He sits atop a magic mushroom, smoking his hookah and puffing riddles at passersby. This character has proven to be a very versatile tattoo design, as he is recognizable no matter what illustration style he is rendered in. (See more Magic Mushroom Tattoo Designs)

source:inkarttattoo,inkedplus

Tattoos of Alice in Wonderland Characters

The story of Alice in Wonderland is acted out by a host of funny and silly characters. These too, are popular tattoo designs. Shown below are tattoos of the Alice in Wonderland characters; The Walrus and The Carpenter, a Horsefly, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.

source:painfullyhip,weheartit,gurlgonegeek

source:wikipedia

Beavis is God

MTV’s popular animated TV series, Beavis and Butthead, produced two teenage American characters that have entertained and repulsed the world for over a decade. It’s likely that in this setting, Beavis would be saying to Butthead, “Pull my finger!”

source:wrkhrp

Eat My Shorts

Bart Simpson’s shorts appear to have already been eaten. All of the other figures in this humorous Sistine Chapel knock off have been styled to resemble characters from the popular TV show The Simpsons.

source:blawgletter

The Creation of Al Dente

“The Flying Spaghetti Monster is the deity of the parody religion the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster or Pastafarianism” – Wikipedia. The Spaghetti Monster was created by Bobby Henderson in 2005, in protest of the American government’s decision to teach intelligent design as an alternative to evolution.

source:nous

Miyamoto’s Creation of Mario

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of video games franchises like The Mario Brothers and The Legend of Zelda, is shown here in place of the original Christian God. Miyamoto is surrounded by other Nintendo video game characters, and reaches towards Mario on the left of the image, in a parody of God creating Adam in The Creation of Adam.

source:geekologie

The Creation of Kermit the Frog

Jim Henson is shown below with the most famous Muppet, Kermit the Frog. Henson, the creator of the Muppets, has been placed so that like Miyamoto, above, he is portrayed as God, giving Kermit the touch of life.

source:poppedculture

Luke, I am your Father

Luke Skywalker, from the cult movies Star Wars, is shown with his father, Darth Vader. True to form, Vader is trying to kill Luke.

source:nerdnirvana

Ceiling Cat Creates You

One of the most lovable LOLcats titles is that of Ceiling Cat, bestowed upon dozens, possibly hundreds of shy cats that have taken to living in peoples’ ceilings. This parody of Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam is also a pun on the LOLcats title Ceiling Cat.

source:shewhoseeks

Charles Darwin’s Monkey Business

Charles Darwin, an English Biologist, proposed the idea of evolution; that all creatures on Earth have transformed over time through a process of natural selection. Darwin’s theory seemed ridiculous to many religious folk, especially since Darwin suggested that man evolved from apes.

source:darwin-legend

A Merry Christmas May You Have

The lovable character from the popular Star Wars movies, Yoda, is shown in this tattoo; either as a replacement for Santa Claus or as one of Santa’s little helpers.

source:geekytattoos

Kiss Me under the Mistletoe

This funny Christmas tattoo falls under the label of adult humor, as the mistletoe design is tattooed just above this guy’s belt line. In western culture, it is traditional to hang mistletoe in a doorway. If someone stands beneath the mistletoe, it is an invitation for a kiss…

source:ratemyink

A Nightmare Before Christmas Tattoo

Jack Skellington, the main character from Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas, is a humorous contrast to the traditional Christmas character, Santa Claus, with his jolly jowls and bulging belly. The Jack Skellington Christmas tattoo below shows how this character’s evil looks stand in contrast to the innocent-looking characters that are usually associated with Christmas hats.

source:offbeatink

Jesus, a Bunny and a Jolly Fat Man

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In Christianity, Easter is a celebration of Jesus ascending to heaven, a ‘rebirth’ of sorts. The most recognizable Christmas character is Santa Claus, a jolly fat man in a red suit. Easter is often represented by a rabbit, called the Easter Bunny. In this funny tattoo, Jesus is shown with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

source:lonsdaletattoo

A Calvin and Hobbes Christmas Tattoo

Bill Watterson’s famous comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, has inspired a wealth of fan art tattoos. Most Calvin and Hobbes tattoos depict the main characters; the boy Calvin and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, but other characters from the comic have also stolen the hearts of the public, such as the philosophical snowman, shown below.

source:fanpop

Zombie Jesus Christmas Tattoo

This tattoo takes a little deciphering to fully understand its meaning. As far as this author can tell, this is a depiction of Jesus as a zombie (he did, in a way, rise from the dead at Easter). The zombie doll character has its arms outspread in a similar pose to that of Jesus on the cross, and through the palms of its hands are nails, in a parody of the crucifixion of Christ. The lightbulb is, uh, well, it probably seemed like a good idea at the time.

source:simplytattoo

Funny Will Ferrell’s Inky Elf

This tattoo shows funny man Will Ferrell as the character that he played in the Christmas themed movie, elf.

source:tattoofashion

Rudolph’s Predecessor, Immortal in Ink

This Christmas tattoo is a portrait of Randy the Reindeer, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’s predecessor. For years, Randy led Santa’s sleigh on Christmas eve, delivering Christmas presents to good little children, sometimes, even, to deliver Christmas gifts to naughty children. Then one snowy night, Rudolph that dastardly Red Nosed Reindeer usurped Randy’s position as lead reindeer, dooming Randy to eternal obscurity. RIP Randy.

source:themusicink

We Wish You a Manga Christmas

This Christmas tattoo design uses the popular Japanese comic book style, manga, to portray Western symbols of Christmas. In this manga tattoo design, the Christmas fairy is shown wearing a Christmas outfit, holding the Star of Bethlehem and accompanied by other Christmas symbols, mistletoe and a candy cane.

source:tattootestdb

The Grinch Stole a Christmas Tattoo

The famous children’s book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss, features a Who whose heart is three times too small. The Grinch is angry at the other Whos, who, every year, enjoy the Christmas cheer. The Grinch decides to stop Christmas from coming by stealing the Whos’ Christmas presents, who-ham and Christmas decorations.

source:about

Ancient Japanese Design

Japanese art focuses on the quality of each line that is painted or drawn. This may be attributed to the traditional writing method in Japan, in which the text characters are painted with a brush and ink. This writing technique inspires artists to appreciate line quality. Japanese calligraphic influences can be found in the majority of famous Japanese paintings, woodcuts and sketches.

Below left is an image of Hokusai’s The Great Wave, followed by the famous Japanese paintings; White Phoenix on Old Pine from the Colourful Realm of Living Beings by Ito Jakuchu, Barbarians from the South by Kano Naizen and Wind God by Ogata Korin.

source:wikipedia-greatwave,whitephoenix,barbarians,windgod

Ancient Art in Modern Japanese Design

The quality of each line is still an important aspect of Japanese art, and the tradition of outlining areas of color persists in modern art works. Note in the pictures below how similar shapes and lines are repeated, creating subtle patterns in the piece. This creates a sense of movement and animation in the painting, and is a technique that can be seen in the famous Japanese paintings above.

Some modern Japanese artworks combine ancient and modern design techniques, along with ancient and modern characters. One popular form of modern art in Japan is anime, a style of animated cartoon unique to the small island.

source:indecentbazaar,sandervanliempt,all-art,superpunch,plastolux

Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the snowman knew
the sun was hot that day
So he said, ”Let’s run and
we’ll have some fun
now before I melt away.” – Frosty the Snowman by Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson, 1950

source:forwardeverforward

Run Down Reindeer

Grandma got run over by a reindeer,
Walkin’ home from our house, Christmas eve. – Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer by Randy Brooks, 1979

source:dudesondiapers

You’d Better be Good

He’s making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town – Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Coots and Gillespie, 1934

What gifts do naughty children get for Christmas?

source:crazy-frankenstein

Rudolph the Brown Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it,
You could even say it glows. – Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer character byRobert L. May, 1939

See what happened to Rudolph’s predecessor Randy the Reindeer.

source:redbubble

A Seriously Silly Sleigh Ride

Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing
Ring ting tingle-ing too
Come on, it’s lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you – Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson 1948

source:jokesprank

Adult Calvin and Hobbes

Bill Watterson’s lovable comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, is based on the imaginative adventures of a young American boy, Calvin, and his stuffed tiger toy, Hobbes. The comic has inspired a wealth of fan art, from manga drawings and digital paintings to stuffed toys and Calvin and Hobbes tattoos. The images below show the original comic strip characters as youngsters, and an artist’s rendition of the two friends as adults; a man and his imaginary tiger.

source:wikia,ljsummit

Geriatric Marvels; Batman and Robin

Marvel Comics’ Batman and Robin have been firm favorites for decades. Here the two are shown defending Gotham City in their youth, alongside an image of Batman and Robin as old men, by comic artist Donald Soffritti.

source:theargonautsalmanac,toxiferous

Lilo and Stitch; Woman and Beast

Walt Disney’s feature film Lilo and Stitch focused on the friendship that forms between a Hawaiian girl, Lilo, and the nearly indestructible space monster, Stitch. In the kids’ movie, Stitch is portrayed as being creepy but cute. In the the second picture below, he is shown as an adult monster, not as cute as the original character design. Lilo is shown as a beautiful, exotic young woman.

source:fanpop,theplatform

Aged Charlie Brown and Snoopy

Charlie Brown and his Beagle, Snoopy, from the kids’ cartoon Peanuts, are shown here as adults. Both the characters and the drawing style have matured.

source:squidoo,mediaindesign

College Mutant Ninja Turtles

Based on the popular kids TV series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the fan art below shows the teenage turtles as college kids, still stuffing their face with pizza.

source:musicheaven,wildammo

Why Men go Bald

Why do men go bald? Perhaps because there are little people (and goat kids) who cut their hair off each day. If you’re going bald, you might as well accept fate, have a sense of humor and get a funny tattoo.

source:freakyhumor,ugliestattoos,mike2

Awesome Amputee Tattoo Humor

Not only did these people find the courage to survive an amputation; they managed to find some humor in their situation.

source:vision02

Funny Body Part Tattoo Designs

Sometimes a body part just cries out for a humorous tattoo to complete it. The gaping belly button shown below was the perfect choice for a disgusting, mooning belly button tattoo, just as the joined toes were the perfect canvas for a cutting line design. Some tattoo designs take a little bit of planning, and a lot of maintenance, as in the picture of the hairy troll tattoo. The wearer of the tattoo has to shave the hair in that area regularly to create the troll’s hair style.

source:purpleslinky,wackyowl,deekgeek

The modern Santa Claus image was first introduced in 1863 by world-renowned cartoonist and caricaturist, Thomas Nast. His artist’s sketch showed a rosy cheeked old man, puffing on a tobacco pipe while holding an armful of toys. This image became so popular that it was adopted by Christian societies around the world. Shown below is Thomas Nast’s original Santa Claus design, which was published in the Christmas edition of Harper’s Weekly in 1863, alongside a graffiti art version of the original design.

source:magnumarts

Santa Claus Graffiti

Popular media portrays Santa Claus as being a jolly old man with a big white beard, wearing a red suit that is trimmed with white fur. The character design is flexible, as long as the central design elements (listed above) are adhered to. Other items that are sometimes shown with Santa are reading glasses and/or a walking stick.

source:topgraffity,thegenkofgraffitiart,graffitiland,flikie

Evil Santa Claus Graffiti

For every “good” or “cute” character, there is an art movement to create evil versions of the character (see The Dark Side of Hello Kitty for evil versions of Hello Kitty). The Santa Claus doppelgangers shown below explore a dark, evil side of Santa that is not suggested by popular media. This is the kind of evil Santa who might give Creepy Christmas Gifts to naughty children.

source:kingraffiti,phoenixnewtimes

Santa Claus Featuring Famous Faces

Santa Claus is a symbol of peace, joy and generosity. By depicting a celebrity or famous personage as Santa, a powerful statement can be made. An especially powerful contrasting metaphor can be created if the famous character or person is thought of as evil.

Graffiti of Jack Skellington as Santa Claus

An example of an “evil” character portrayed as Santa Claus Jack Skellington, from the movie A Nightmare Before Christmas, was supposedly the personification of all things creepy and deadly. The skeleton is shown below, in the guise of Santa Claus.

source:phoenixnewtimes

Graffiti of Osama bin Laden as Santa Claus

In the image shown below, Osama bin Laden is depicted as Santa Claus. Bin Laden was believed to be a leader of the Al Qaeda terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York in 2001.

source:indiatimes

Graffiti of Banksy’s Rat as Santa Claus

World famous graffiti artist, Banksy, often uses rats as subjects in his graffiti art. Whether or not this piece was sprayed by Banksy or not is uncertain, but the rat character design is certainly reminiscent of Banksy’s graffiti style. Here the rat is shown dressed as Santa Claus. Next to it are the words, “Stop this seasonal madness. Go home and eat chocolate.”

source:fuzzbomb

Hello Kitty Loves You…

…and wants your blood. These evil Hello Kitty doppelgangers are like a feline version of Chucky, the evil doll from the movie Child’s Play.

source:tracismixedbag,cutoutandkeep,undead-art,documentingreality

Hell Kitty

Naughty dogs go to Hello Kitty hell, where Hello Kitty demons and devils reign. Meow meow.

source:thedevilanddanvojir,politikaljunkee,ajgrifdog,toycutter

Emo Kitty

For a creature as cute as Hello Kitty, this little bobcat can sure be emo at times. Add a few design elements such as emo hair and make up, a lot of black and a dash of pink and voila! Emo Kitty is born!

source:shirtoid,morbid,poohbear8014