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Ever wondered what cartoon characters in real life would look like? Yes, they’re fictional sketches, which means we’ll never know their human looks in our world. But what if cartoon characters were real? 

The subject of cartoon characters IRL is fascinating, so Bored Panda’s pro member Hidreley delved into experimenting with AI-generated cartoon characters. That’s what digital art is about—blurring the lines between fantasy and reality on screen!

Surprisingly, some cartoon characters as humans look even better than the originals. See if your favorite cartoon characters are on this list, and scroll further to witness 23 pictures of real-life cartoon characters!

Note: The original article was written by Hidrėlėy and later edited and updated by the Bored Panda team. 

More info: Instagram

Hidreley did all the work on AI-generated cartoon characters by himself: “I’ve done some similar posts by other authors here on Bored Panda. I wanted to try something out myself, and so I dove into the world of AI. This time, I challenged myself to try to do one on the theme of cartoon characters. For this project, I used Photoshop and three mobile applications, FaceApp, Gradient, and Remini.

The Simpsons were the most challenging when making realistic cartoon characters. “In terms of how they all turned out, I’m more and more pleased with the results with each post I make. I really liked how Moe Szyzlak, Ned Flanders, and Milhouse Van Houten turned out because initially, I thought that the Simpsons drawing style would be very hard to emulate on ‘real life’ terms. Still, they are actually very easy to recognize,” Hidreley explains. 

#4

Moana

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Moana character from the cartoon

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Orange Is Aging
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“I am Moana of Moto’nui. You will board my boat, sail across the sea, and restore the heart of Te’fiti.”

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“This post inadvertently brought back some good memories from my childhood. Like every kid in my generation, I loved watching cartoons. I really loved the Simpsons and Hanna Barbera classics, and I can safely say that they’ve made a huge impact on my life,” adds Hidreley. 

“I’ve been exploring the world of artificial intelligence recently, and I can tell you, it’s a world without limits! With the rise of AI-assisted art generation, there are virtually (no pun intended) no boundaries for digital art; you just have to be creative and know how to guide the blind hand of the machine,” explains Hidreley. 

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#9

Ned Flanders

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Ned Flanders character from the cartoon

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At some point, we’ve all wondered if cartoon characters were real. Were they inspired by celebrities or real-life events? Hidreley explains that he’s also intrigued by this concept: 

“I don't want to tease anything too early, but currently, I’m working hard on a project where I’m trying to show what some prematurely deceased celebrities would have looked like if they were still alive. I hope it will turn out great, and I’ll be able to share this with you soon!”

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#10

Milhouse

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Milhouse character from the cartoon

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Kristina Meyer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He looks like a guy I went to elementary School with (except the haircolor). His Name was Sten.

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#11

Rapunzel

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Rapunzel character from the cartoon

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#15

Olive Oyl

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Olive Oyl character from the cartoon

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Kathleen Ferber
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where are the bits of hair plastered from her head on down to her ears? That is one of Olive Oyl's distinctive traits. This is just a pretty woman.

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Karunya
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That one annoying but nice aunt who feels the dire need to make it your business theirs, and yet doesn't forget to give you biscuits.

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Lorri Adams
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMGosh, looks like the sister of a workmate from a few years back, hey Jenny, how are you? LOL

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Tamiko Andrea
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Olive Oyl will always be Shelley Duval and Popeye will always be Robin Williams

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Sharon Billups
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow!! Surprised you found someone that resembles olive oyl! I guess they are out there lol. 👍

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Seth Mags
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

10/10 would absolutely marry. I'm looking for her RL twin/doppelganger! OMG!!!

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Seth Mags
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OK 10/10 would marry. Looking for my dream girl - anybody know her twin/doppelganger?? LOL

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GollyRojer
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Uh... no. Shelley Duvall looked more like her in "Popeye" the movie.

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Kristina Cowan
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

LOL I kept thinking of Shellie Duvall (spelling... 🤔)

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KellyO
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2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

additionally....how many people on this site actually know who Olive Oyl is?

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#16

Lady Tremaine

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Orange Is Aging
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wrong hair. Her butt hair has always been very important to me

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Kristoff

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Orange Is Aging
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He kinda looks like some kind of 2000’s Disney Channel character from a show that takes place in a summer camp

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#20

Isabela Madrigal

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Isabela Madrigal character from the cartoon

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Orange Is Aging
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY MADRIGAL! THE HOME OF THE FAMILY MADEIGAL! WHERE ALL THE PEOPLE ARE fAnTaStIcAl AnD mAgIcAl!

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