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Classic Disney Characters Reimagined in the Beautifully Eerie Style of Tim Burton

Artist and animator Andrew Tarusov recently posed a simple question: What if Tim Burton directed all Disney classic movies? The Los Angeles-based creative answered his own query with a series of eerie illustrations that are a mashup of Disney's iconic characters and Burton's signature style. Tarusov's whimsical works show just how drastic this change could be. 

With some simple tweaks, the beloved films go from feeling sweet and optimistic to a darker, less idyllic atmosphere. One of Tarusov's most notable changes is that the character's eyes are now as large as dinner plates, and it seems as though Bambi, Aladdin, Belle, and Dumbo have all witnessed something truly terrifying. In addition, Tarusov has darkened the films' overall color palette, and the stories now look like they're taking place in the middle of the night–a prime time for spooky things to happen.

“I love Tim Burton's style – how it looks vintage, stylish, and cute,” Tarusov told Buzzfeed. “Everything is made as a horror movie, but at the same time it's not horror. It could be any genre.” This unique mashup pays homage not only to Burton, but to the world of Disney as well. Tarusov enjoys incorporating Disney characters into his art, so it seems like it was just a matter of time until this series came to fruition.

Andrew Tarusov: Website | Facebook | Patreon
via [Design TAXI, Buzzfeed]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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