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Buzz Lightyear, Homer Simpson, and more get makeovers as artist Mohamed Halawany's Real Toons
Who needs cosplay when fans' favorite characters can be translated into human beings through the near-magical application of digital rendering? A viral series of images — titled Real Toons — has been circulating, showcasing beloved characters from the world of animation as lovingly rendered humans in various model-esque poses and fashions. Homer Simpson losing the beer gut and started pumping iron is just one of the creative ideas the series puts forth — all of which involve recognizable cartoon heads on human bodies.
Artist Mohamed Halawany kicked off the series in mid-May, posting Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story franchise dressed to the nines in a color-coordinated suit:
Speaking to SYFY WIRE, Halawany explained that the Tim Allen-voiced space figure was the spark behind the entire project.
"I'm creating 3D daily art on my free time since 2017 so I'm trying to find a new idea everyday and 'Buzz' was one of them," the Cairo-based artist wrote by email. The response was immediate. The post earned over 17,000 likes on Instagram and led to a follow-up (Donald Duck looking dapper) on May 21. "The good feed back I got from it encourages me to make more," Halawany told SYFY WIRE, "so that ends up creating 'reel toons' project."
A cascade of characters followed, including Sonic the Hedgehog's titular hero and friend Amy, Minnie Mouse, Dexter's Laboratory's Dexter and Dee Dee, Woody, Aladdin's Genie, Frozen's Elsa, Rick and Morty's Rick, and the pizza-loving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Michelangelo. Basically, if a cartoon character was an iconic part of someone's childhood, Halawany has done some CG art involving them.
Donald even graced the cover of Vogue, thanks to Halawany's creative rendering:
Fans can see even more of Halawany's impressive 3-D artwork on his Instagram. Who should he tackle next?
