Artist Reimagines Classic Cartoons as Black and Brown Characters
Written by SOURCE on April 28, 2021
In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month, artist B. Robert Moore has released an extended collection of “Imagine a World; Brown like Me”—a popular art series in which he reimagines classic cartoons as POC.
The drop is centered on three pieces: “I Got You,” “Here to Listen”, and “Self Love,” all of which are based on the Peanuts comic strip illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The first two works are available exclusively in print form, while the latter has been released as both a print and T-shirt design. As you can see below, the art depicts characters like Charlie Brown and Snoopy with Brown and Black faces, while underscoring the importance of mental health aid.
Moore, a self-taught multidisciplinary artist, says the collection is a deeply personal one, as he too has struggled with mental health over the years.
“Mental health is critical to not only survive, but thrive,” he said in a statement. “For me, I needed to make my mental health a priority to counter unhealthy habits that were forming from neglecting my mental health.”
You can check out the prints and merch design in the images below. The “Self Love” print and tee are available now at Moore’s online store, while the other two prints are set to drop sometime in May. Twenty-five percent of sales proceeds will benefit an organization that focuses on mental health in the Black community.
Moore’s “Imagine a World; Brown Like Me,” also includes pieces that reimagine characters from cartoons like The Flintstones and The Jetsons. The 37-year-old artist recently spoke to Variety about the series and what ultimately inspired it.
“I picked those certain cartoons because I actually liked the ‘Peanuts.’ I have a daughter, and I went online to look for an artist of color that painted a black girl from the ‘Peanuts’ series because there was only Franklin,” he said. “Couldn’t find it, so I said, ‘screw it, I’m gonna paint it.’ It’s a beautiful accident, and not because of the money or the revenue. It’s the stories and the reactions I’ve seen from the community and how much they wanted to see this.”
