If you’ve ever felt weird for developing a crush on a purely two-dimensional cartoon character, your worries are over, and pretty much justified, as far as Finnish artist Jirka Väätäinen is concerned.
With a new set of ethereal photos of Disney characters reimagined as, well, real-life Disney characters, Väätäinen has taken beloved figures like Aladdin, Hercules, and even Prince Eric, off the screen and imagineered them IRL. Or at the very least he’s somehow managed to find people who bear uncanny resemblance to fictional cartoon characters. How do you cast for photos like these? Just put an ad out on Craigslist? Tirelessly troll the streets of Disneyland and/or World?
Either way, Väätäinen’s series started with an impressive set of reimagined female characters, including Belle, Pocahontas, and Ursula, below.
Väätäinen
Väätäinen
Väätäinen
This week, the artist unveiled his latest addition to the series, which includes Disney princes like Aladdin, Prince Phillip, and Beast, to name only a few. The entirety of the series, which takes fandom to a whole new level, can be seen at the artist’s page.
Väätäinen
Väätäinen
Väätäinen
Väätäinen
Väätäinen
The graphic design artist, based out of Melbourne, Australia, uses his illustration, photo manipulation, and art direction skills to breathe new life into Disney’s beloved cast of characters. Though his work has no direct affiliation with Disney, one thing’s for sure—this project makes all the existing Disney fanfiction out there a whole lot more, uh, imaginable.
H/T Inside the Magic | Photo via Väätäinen
