Prepare to have another piece of your childhood steamrolled, as one artist reimagines your favorite Disney characters for 2017. From animal cruelty to texting, gay pride to selfie sticks, prepare to see the Dinsey princes and princesses like you’ve never seen them before.
Watching Disney films should be a part of everyone’s childhood, sugar-coating the grim reality of fairytales and neatly packaging them in a VHS box for us all to enjoy. Long before Emma Watson inspired us as Belle or we had a CGI Bill Murray as Baloo the Bear, the Disney powerhouse was a master of churning out colorful family-friendly movies. Now, UK artist and designer Tom Ward has updated all our favorites with a (in some cases, harsh) dose of 2017.
We have seen many Disney reimaginings over the years, but none are quite as tongue-in-cheek as Ward’s series, dubbed “Alt Disney.” It is refreshing to see someone unafraid to take on the formidable might of Disney and poke fun at their clean-cut view of the world. From Bambi’s mother losing her life to Mufasa’s fall from grace, Disney does have its dark moments - Ward just highlights a “what if?” for things getting worse. You can check out some of the work below:
Peter Pan (1953)
Alt Disney pic.twitter.com/nvAiv540QY— Tom Ward Studio (@TomWardStudio) July 9, 2017
Sneaking into children’s bedrooms late at night looks a little more suspicious when you are an ageless boy in 2017. Expect the Darling Family to have upped their security since 1953 and the first time the boy in tights took flight.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Alt Disney pic.twitter.com/Gw7AnSveM4— Tom Ward Studio (@TomWardStudio) July 9, 2017
Forget Finding Nemo and unhappy clownfish, it looks like dumping rubbish in the ocean is a major problem for our flippered-friend Ariel. Finding herself awash in a sea of pollution, it looks like two tails are better than one here!
Pinocchio (1940)
Alt Disney pic.twitter.com/cG2z4SEPOY— Tom Ward Studio (@TomWardStudio) July 11, 2017
Things are slightly more cheerful for Pinnochio and his father Gepetto. We always knew that nose would come in handy somehow, and we see the duo embracing 2017’s culture with the use of the selfie stick,
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Alt Disney pic.twitter.com/6LH5jtKPr6— Tom Ward Studio (@TomWardStudio) July 10, 2017
Finally, Ward also makes a none-too-subtle jibe at Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast and the now infamous gay “cheating” debacle. It is great to see that LeFous has managed to express his sexuality, unlike the live-action version.
You can also see Prince Charming being not so charming, Simba held in captivity, and Robin Hood serving a reverse case of fox hunting, over at Ward’s Twitter account. There is something rather ironic about the imagery of Ward’s artwork, and it wouldn’t look out of place hanging in a gallery next to Banksy’s unique take on modern life. As Disney rumbles forward with its upcoming slate of live-action films, including Mulan and Dumbo, as well as a more modern take on our favorite nanny with Mary Poppins Returns, sadly, don’t expect any of Ward’s work to be influencing the script. It’s doubtful we will see Cruella de Vil heading out on 101 Tinder dates, but who knows?
Source: Tom Ward
