Pokemon Fan Reimagines Legendary Bird Trio in Rubberhose Cartoon Style
A Pokemon fan has reimagined the legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres in a cartoon image resembling the black and white rubberhose cartoons of the 1930s. This early style of mainstream cartoons includes many names that are still popular today, such as Mickey Mouse. The first Pokemon anime debuted in 1997.
Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are the original legendary trio of the mainline Pokemon games. Introduced in Pokemon Red and Blue, they would go on to be obtainable in all future games through one means or another. In the eighth generation, they were given new types and Galarian forms. In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, players can catch these birds now by completing BBQs in The Indigo Disk DLC. The fan's art presents these golden age Pokemon in a classic style.
Hot off his 1930s Pokemon Ghost trio, Leon_Re_art follows up with his creation of the legendary bird trio in the same rubberhose style on Reddit. The art features the birds standing left to right: Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. They are all standing rather proudly in poses to get the viewer's attention, their wings as arms. Their styles are unique, without the need for color to distinguish them. Moltres sports a fiery top, Articuno's icy crown is rather accentuated, and Zapdos lets out a few electric sparks. It also looks like all three birds are female.
The birds are confident in their posture, with some support from what looks like embers from Moltres' side. The legendary trio of the Kanto region are among many legendary Pokemon that have been reimagined by fans in one art style or another. One artist has featured Suicune in a stained glass art design, calling attention to the elegance of a legendary.
As the three birds represent the early years of Pokemon, so does rubberhose art represent the early years of animation. Before the days of color cartoons, and long before the possibility of a Pokemon Concierge series, this was the first standardized style of animation. Telltale signs are the bending of joints
