By Susie McBeth | Follow on Twitter
American graphic designer and illustrator Matt Kaufenberg is my artist of the day. His playful style and whimsical art really struck a chord with me. His storybook style graphics connect with your inner child then hook you in deep with their spellbinding charm in the kind of play worthy of a seriously good first date.
He draws all sorts: monsters, comic book heroes, classic characters from 80’s cartoons and more. His designs are immaculately put together in such a way that they look effortless. They are the epitome of an easy afternoon spent laying in the sun drinking down a couple of cocktails. Though I am guessing that the reality is a little different. I imagine that these Kaufenberg creations are a lot more time consuming then the first glance would have you believe. Beautifully crafted by someone very skilled, these images look like they have heaps of love thrown into the design mix as well.
I am featuring below Kaufenberg’s ‘Avenger’s Day Off’ series and a few from his epically awesome ‘Meanies of the 80’s’ series. I love his recreation of the Avengers. The smiles on their faces are cheeky and childlike, reminiscent of Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts and Roger Hargreaves Mr Men.
Kaufenberg’s Meanies of the 80’s series features some of ‘Masters of the Universe’s’ and ‘GI Joe’s’ most infamous baddies. This collection really struck a chord with me, probably because it was those exact shows that I watched as a child. I love the fact that he has drawn them with some vulnerability and a lot of cuteness, these meanies look like they could carry a show and go on adventures all by themselves, irrespective of the ‘heroes’ that take all the glory. This time it is all about the villains!
If you like what you see and you want to see more of Matt Kaufenberg’s work (and his portfolio is VAST and very awesome) you can view his portfolio here, read his blog here, and buy his work here.
So what do you think? Do you agree with Kaufenberg’s depiction of what the Avengers would get up to on their days off? Which 80’s meanie is your favourite*, (for the record, hands-down mine is Skeletor). Sound off in the comments and let me know.
*You can view Kaufenberg’s full ‘Meanies of the 80′s’ series here
