I can’t be alone in wondering what it would be like to encounter a Pokémon in real life. I’d want to capture it, but not to pit it against other creatures in battles. I’d just want it to be my friend. I’m wishing Pokémon existed in the world even more now that I’ve seen Joshua Dunlop’s Pokémon Zoology series. He’s approaching the fantastical lil’ monsters in a new way by illustrating them and considering what their biology would realistically be. The result is images that are both adorable and a little unsettling–but in the best way.
Besides the careful consideration of how the Pokémon would appear IRL, Joshua’s put them into natural environments to help sell the concept. So far he’s tackled popular Pokémon like Pikachu, Cubone, and Bulbasaur among others. He’s even illustrated multiple evolutions of some of them.
Continue exploring Joshua’s Pokémon Zoology project in the gallery below–and bonus: there’s an IRL version of Bowser, too. If you’d like to help Joshua make more images, support him on Patreon and visit his Etsy store. Keep up with his art on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and ArtStation.
Do you create any sort of pop culture-inspired art? If so, I want to see it. Whether you focus on a specific fandom or pull inspiration from multiple stories and mediums, I’d like to highlight what you do. If you’re interested in being featured in a future edition of Fan Art Friday, get in touch with me at [email protected] with examples of your work.
Images: Josh Dunlop
Catch more Pokémon with these stories!
- This spider has a Pikachu butt.
- Build-A-Bear has a cute Meowth.
- Cuddle on a Snorlax bean bag.
