80 Weird Pop Culture And Cartoon Character Mash-Ups Created By Aaron Craig (New Pics)

Bored Panda asked Aaron how he first discovered art and illustration, and what led him to make it a central part of his life. He told us: "I was creative as a kid (like most artists) and would spend a lot of time drawing and creating new characters for my favorite cartoons, like Masters of the Universe and TMNT. As I got older, I became obsessed with comics and started drawing my own comic characters. I guess I was always trying to expand on what already existed, imagining my own artworks and characters fitting in seamlessly with what was already out there. As an adult, I studied interior design, fine arts, and graphic design at university. After uni, I started curating art shows for galleries and then decided to pursue art as a full-time career after being diagnosed with cancer seven years ago. I’m all clear now, but it was a big catalyst for redefining what I valued most in life."

We were also wondering what drew the artist to the "pop cartoon mash-up" style and what he finds most rewarding in it. Here's what we found out: "I think my art style was born naturally from what I was creating as a kid, using elements from existing cartoons or comic characters to expand on their universes. My design degree definitely informed my sense of balance and use of packaging, and my fine art studies and love of classic cartoons have shaped my choice in color palette. I genuinely get excited when a new character takes shape and the colors all work seamlessly together. I’m always interested to see my audience's reaction and how they try to piece the works together, relating them back to their own memories of childhood cartoons."

Aaron also shared the goal behind combining characters and visuals from different worlds or eras. He said: “My main goal is to get the audience to relate to the paintings in some way. That’s usually through the use of familiarity and nostalgia, whether that be through character elements or even just the colors used. I want to build on the oddball world that I’ve been creating for years and see the artworks find homes with art collectors and pop culture lovers.”

Finally, the illustrator revealed what new artistic directions he’s excited to explore in the future: “I’ve started working with spray paint and shadow to give my pop mash paintings added depth. I’m also exploring a looser, less refined body of work for my next solo show in early 2026. This uses spray paint and airbrush as the main materials and will feature my sharp, clean linework for the character features. It’s been a fun way of exploring new mediums while keeping true to my overall cartoon nostalgic theme.”