Mat Rule’s Fantastic Tattoo Mashups
By Luis G
Tattoos are a long-held tradition found across many cultures around the world. They have been perfected over time and reflect many different things for different cultures. They have been used as a very graphic form of intimidation to enhance a person’s beauty, signal gang affiliations, express feelings such as love, or even for religious purposes. Tattoos are a kind of body transformation that involves using varied types of ink or pigments with the finality of representing a text in its purest form (which can have an image or words), whose objective is to elicit a response from the viewers. They also express how the canvas (i.e. the person) perceives the world that surrounds it. With the rise of Pop culture, they have paved their way into mainstream culture as a primary form of expression, be it to set their owners apart from the crowd or just to have fun. Mat Rule is a French tattoo artist who has become well known for his hybrid combined tattoo styles. So, without further ado, here are some fresh ink samples from this ink master for you to go ga-ga over. Rejoice your eyes on these bad boys. Hell, even pick a couple of ideas to get one of your own!
Garfield
Okay, this little buddy of ours seems to have run out of lasagna to eat. Quick! Hand him a platter of it asap! His luscious fur, in combination with the bright contrast of his eyes, really set the tone on this one.
Garfield is a beloved character who comes across as a lazy cat with an aloof demeanor and a passion for food. Here he is portrayed with his trademark seemingly uninterested gaze. Pretty sure the owner is a cat person!
The Lion King
All hail the Lion King! If you fail to bow in his presence, he might strike you with his paw and leave a Scar (pun totally intended)! He is the king of the jungle, is serious, and his face means business for real…
In this particular case, the absence of bright colors creates a very imposing mood, highly suitable for such a regal character. The black oblique partition creates an even stronger contrast between the two lions, with an imprint that doesn’t cease to amaze.
Cowardly Dog
Here is one for all the dog lovers out there! Courage, the Cowardly Dog (or Coraje, el Perro Cobarde for all the Latinos reading this)! He kinda looks like he is up to something. Is he? Let’s find out…
Our canine friend here can be the perfect companion for your skin with big eyes and a very sculptured face and snout. Just look into his eyes! How could you possibly ever say no? He’s got Nowhere to go…
Slim Crunchy
Will the real Slim Crunchy please stand up? Please stand up? Is it m & m? Or Eminem? We are struggling to tell the difference… Can you, though? We need help here! A doctor, maybe? And his name is *chika-chika*
This one goes out for all the Rapheads out there. It combines the best of both worlds, one of the most delicious candies ever created and one of the wittiest rappers to ever to, well, rap, both blended to perfection.
Garfield 2
Hey! It is you again, maybe? I have a slight suspicion. This buddy looks a little bit too familiar to us. Is it his yellow and black striped fur, perhaps? His prominent belly? His long limbs? All that’s missing is Odie…
Here we find ourselves with this sort of “reversed Garfield.” His head might have changed, but he still remains the same at heart. Look at the mirror closely if you don’t believe me! I told you so. He’s still there.
Lisa Simpsons
Lisa looks like she’s been through some changes here. Maybe she let her hair grow for a little while? She still has her distinctive pearls on, though! Hope she still plays cool Jazz tunes on the sax from time to time.
The beloved character from ‘The Simpsons’ TV show is partially being depicted here. Blended with a black and white image of a young girl, the overall result forms a girl whose eyes will magically follow us wherever we go.
Coyote
Quick! Catch him before he goes away! Look straight at him. He constantly seems to be hatching a scheme to chase an elusive bird and going somewhere, like being run off a cliff. You better move because you are in his way. Or not? Beep-Beep!
Coyote, a remarkable character from Looney Tunes that marked a generation, is now etched onto somebody’s skin, depicted giving a seemingly defiant stare right into the observer’s eyes. A real work of mash-up art worthy of any cartoon zealot.
Brian
“Peter, you should take Brian to the vet. He looks a bit odd. Out of shape.” I bet you read that in either Chris’ or Lois’s voice. His snout seems to have grown Faster Than the Speed of Love…
This seems to be the type of tattoo that only an intrepid lover of the ‘Family Guy TV series would get. His stoic semblance is very well recreated. ‘Wish it, want it, do it.’ We’re sold on this one.
Einstein
In an alternate universe, the Einstein-Sanchez Law is being brought to birth. We can only fathom the type of ideas that could be running through their heads at that moment. Sheer madness to us mere mortals. What an explosive weird combo.
To all the scientists with a Tungsten-solid sense of humor, this piece may as well be considered a work of art. The use of bright colors the comical and contrasting imagery. This science-related tattoo has it all for us geeks.
Robin Hood
What a cutie little Robin we’ve just found. The bright, vibrant colors really suits this tattoo, in combination with his happy appearance, the pointy ears, and the use of perspective — perfect tattoo for a righteous animal lover. Absolutely amazing and totally out-of-sight.
Foxes are animals that are almost identical to dogs, as they share some similarities. Nonetheless, they are wild, savage creatures… with a flair for the whimsical, hence why they fit so perfectly with our idea of Robin Hood. In Japan, they hold secrets and mysteries, and many temples adore them because of that; some seeing them as being able to cross from the land of the living to the land of the dead.
Thanos
Ah, yes. Here we have ourselves one of the main prominent fictitious supervillains in the world. He has become the main protagonist of numerous memes plaguing the Internet nowadays. The one and only Thanos from Marvel Comics. Take a good look:
The hippest ‘Avengers’ villain so far is the one shown here, displayed in a wide variety of bright colors that also merge with the heavy use of black-and-white and shades of grey, creating a rather impactful image worthy of our due admiration.
Doggo
Oh, look at that pretty looking-doggo over there. That right here man’s best friend. Wait, if we take a second look, he might not be as friendly as he seems at first sight. Give him a bone ASAP -quick, before he goes gonzo!
It is not something common to find a dog that rocks a Mohawk. Well, that’s true for all Mohawks nowadays, to be honest. His pointy ears and the oblique splitting-line make him or her look like the canine equivalent of Two-Face.
Rick
Ah, here we go again. Grandpa Rick is drooling all over himself once again. Somebody give this man a napkin or a bib or something, please. Where is Morty Smith when we need him the most? Guess he left us hanging on this one.
Rick Sanchez is a popular character from a television animated series named “Rick and Morty.” While he necessarily is not the greatest role model for his grandson, his controversial personality has made him a sort of antihero cherished by many.
Bender White
Is it Bender White? Is it White Bender? This is getting confusing. I would even dare to say Stone Cold Bender? Hey, we are entitled to interpret mashed-up art in whatever way we wish. To each their own, right?
This work is a visible portmanteau of two very beloved TV characters. Bender, from ‘Futurama’, and Walter White, from ‘Breaking Bad.’ If we look at it closely, it looks as if Walter White were wearing some sort of welding mask with a rather serious look on his face.
Dennis Rodman
Dennis ‘The Spider’ Rodman (well, it is actually ‘The worm’, but bear with me on this one.) Chicago Bulls’ finest. And a really controversial person as of late, mostly because of his unlikely friendship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.
Saturated with distinctive imagery, Rodman’s head etched onto a mechanic spider’s body, all of it while sticking his Gene Simmons-Esque tongue out, with plenty of bling all over his face, as usual. What else could you ask for from a tattoo?
Mona with a Pearl
Mona Lisa, is that you? What is she looking at? Or even better, to whom is she looking? Leonardo da Vinci or Vermeer ?We are in awe yet again of not one- but two enigmatic women—the ones to entice us all. Yes, Mat did it once again.
This black-and-white picture with a touch of gold is a really tasteful work of art with a rather more serious tone than its known counterparts. With a half-parted mouth and the timeless glare, this image has us all in awe.
Peter Griffin
Alright, alright, alright. We have another ‘Family Guy’ star over here. The one and only Peter Griffin. A man whose antics make us LOL on the regular basis. In the end, he does all the things that make us laugh and cry.
From what it seems from the image above, he might be up to something. That smirk doesn’t lie. He has the look that he has when Quagmire is up to something. People of Quahog (and Hollywood as well), beware! Giggity!
Klaus
Klaus, from ‘American Dad’ (another animated TV series created by Seth MacFarlane.) Back at it with his trademark bored look on his face. Clearly the soul of the party. Legend has it that once upon a time, he was a German spy.
This tattoo is a very funny work of art, since it seems to attempt to combine the stereotyped aesthetics of a Koi fish with the aforementioned cartoon character, all while adding the characteristic sprinkle of orange color. A true masterpiece.
Rick 2
If you thought we were through with the ‘Rick and Morty’ imagery, boy, were you wrong. We’re only getting started. Once more, we find ourselves writing about this iconic star yet again. He must have that look due to a time travel experiment gone wrong, maybe.
In this tattoo, there is an obvious Rick Sanchez plus Albert Einstein combo going on, but in this case, there is even more color present, as well as a psychedelic vibe to it too. The pastel hair is a nice touch too. Groovy, baby!
Pink Panther
The pink Panther figure is an old cartoon that has etched himself into people’s hearts without ever having said a single word (or did he?) Mostly due to his iconic theme song by Henry Mancini. Let’s see what he’s is up to these days.
This design really succeeds in capturing the mysterious aura that has enticed viewers from different generations. The black-and-white color really helps the pink tonalities look even brighter, resulting in a really formidable tattoo. The question is, ‘Why can’t men be more like animals?’
Duck
Now we have got ourselves another duck, but this time it is not Donald Duck, but his female counterpart, Daisy. We can tell because of the big eyes that are accompanied by the long lashes too. And the ribbon, obviously.
The mid-lower part of the tattoo appears to be a woman with glossy lips and a pointy nose, with a few strands of hair beside her face. In the mid-upper part, we can observe the Walt Disney Animated Studios character.
Joker?
Why so serious? There seems to be a slight suspicion that this could be one of the most renowned villains of our time, mostly because of the morals “taught” by this complex character. Yet, it is up to us to find that out.
This is a very particular design, that if you watch really closely, merges black-and-white with colors seemlessly. The purpose served by color here is to enhance the evil traits of the subject, particularly his evil smile of crooked teeth.
Mulan
This is a rather colorful one as well, but in this case, the scheme has been tweaked the other way around; the black-and-white only accentuates and complements the rest of it. Let’s go ahead and take a closer look.
Another creation of the Walt Disney Animated Studios, Mulan is a girl with dark hair and a pretty smile. However, the forceful look in her eyes in this drawing really set the tone, all of it harvesting a defiant look directed towards the onlooker.
Woody
Look! There is a new Sheriff in town! or maybe it’s two of them, who knows. I hope he stays around long enough to keep us safe from harm. And also evil kids with braces with a knack for abusing fireworks.
Andy’s best friend Woody, morphed into the baddest Sheriff in the whole state, with an indifferent look on his face, as if he were scanning the scene. Probably a cool tattoo to have for a law enforcer agent, or a Texas Ranger.
Jake The Dog
Hold on for dear life! This creature has the facial expression of someone riding a rollercoaster ride. Out of his mind, out of this world, and rip-roaring fun! This is the one and only Jake the Dog, a character from ‘Adventure Time.’
The cool thing about this image is that Mat managed to combine both dogs’ snouts, even while being wide open, which can be a hard thing to pull off. The extra friends in the lower part add to the image too.
Crash Bandicoot
You better run because this tattoo is Dynamite! It looks as if it were about to blow! Oh no, never mind. It just was the video game, TNT Crate. Always it is better be safe than sorry though, right?
We better get running with this piece of ink. It depicts the popular video game character Crash Bandicoot, with his classic grin and eye wink—fun fact: at first, Crash was originally created to be the official PlayStation One mascot.
Mystic
For all of you that are into mystic-themed tattoos, this is bound to be your favorite one thus far. It has strands of bronze, mixed up with some black-and-white artistry that makes it all too enticing, to say the least.
This one is similar to the Versace logo that embellishes everything from dinner plates to scarves, and that has silver-and-bronze finishes. Those eyes, eyebrows, and eyelashes are probably the all-seeing fashion police ready to serve you a fine for bad style choices.
Antlers
This is a very unique tattoo. It has a very heavy use of shades of grey, with many details. What makes it so unique is the way in which the antlers shine. The curls on the fur are highly detailed, in addition.
When it comes down to what lies below, a cartoonish, colored sketch of Bambi is presented. The chubby cheeks, the snout, and the bright bubble-gum-colored tongue really stand out on this one. If you like your cartoon characters with a bit of an edge- this is the mashup for you.
Krusty
This one might appeal to people that have both an interest in science and ‘The Simpsons.’ That is Krusty the Clown, transformed into Albert Einstein, in his iconic picture posed sticking his tongue out. Pure entertaining madness it is.
Interesting fun,. yet totally obscure fact: for those that do not know, Krusty the Clown’s real name is Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofski (in Hebrew: הרשל שמויכל פינחס ירוחם קרוסטופסקי.) He is the father to another character on ‘The Simpsons’, Sophie Krustofski.
NSFW
And ‘The Most NSFW Tattoo Trophy Award’ goes too… The mischievous-looking monkey wearing sneakers with white socks while holding a female piece of undergarment while striking a pose for the camera. Wildlife is no longer what it used to be anymore…
There is not much to say about the picture. As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” In this case, we can positively assert that this picture is worth a complete Harry Potter saga of books.
Scrat
Holy Scrat! That is Scrat, from the movie ‘Ice Age.’ The acorn-scavenging squirrel makes its stellar appearance on this tattoo, disguised under the veil of a black-and-white dog portrait. What is he looking for? Sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff…
Another interesting fact: Scrat’s name derives from the portmanteau of the words “squirrel” and “rat,” mostly given due to the alleged species ancestry to the former and the latter. A witty name for a witty creature it is.
Kakarot
Yep. This one has got the potential to go Full Saiyan. Look at the way in which he is sitting. even Jean Claude Van Damme envies those splits. Who would have known he was a black belt from such a young age.
Son Goku, originally named Kakarot, was sent to Earth to have it destroyed, but ultimately he suffers a head injury that gives him amnesia, depriving him of his need to destroy the world. In effect, he becomes the savior of it.
Rex
There is a weird association in spite of the fact that the image is really funny. The Martian toy helmet on Rex, who at the same time has had its limbs transformed into a rocket (the artist still kept his short arms, though.)
That association is that rex means “death” in Latin and that Mars was the god of war in Roman mythology. So it is safe to assume that the deadly god of war is strapped onto a rocket. How cool is that?
Dog
Whoah! That is one big-headed dog right there. He looks like one of those big-head toys sold at comic book stores regularly, but this one comes across as something that looks a bit too realistic; half of him does, anyway.
With tiny paws, brown-and-white fur, this dog possesses an abnormally large head and has its gigantic tongue sticking out, which might signal that either it is happy or it is dehydrated. Please, somebody, give it a bowl of water and a bone to chew on.
Benjamin Scrooge
Money. Some say it rules the world. It may; it may not. But one thing is certain. It can buy you this sweet piece of ink. Highly creative, colorful, and it most likely conveys a particular message directed towards the viewer.
Here we have two classic icons, Donald Duck and a founding father. Should we call it Benjamin Duck? It seems as if he had gone on a bad trip. Maybe he shouldn’t have tied that key to the kite.
Mia Wallace
Everyone should take a moment to examine this masterpiece anthem of Pop culture. Mia Wallace transformed into a milkshake-drinking, fierce-looking, pin-up model. The red details really make her eyes stand out in some sort of comic book fashion, without neglecting the familiar details of her character.
For the younger audience, Mia Wallace is a fictional character portrayed by Uma Thurman in one of the most relevant Pop culture films of our time, ‘Pulp Fiction.’ It was directed by Quentin Tarantino (a looney but highly brilliant man with some sort of ability to get away with everything he says or films.)
He’ll Be Back
“I’ll be back.” He never specified in what form he would return, though. The quintessential 80’s action figure, feared by some, but decisively loved by many, etched onto a portrait with an amazing balance of colors. Those red eyes, hypnotizing they are…
The celebrity symbol is born within James Cameron’s mind, during a nightmare-ridden episode, where he dreams about an ominous cyborg that is out to hunt him (which makes a lot of sense, given that the stars of ‘Terminator’ spend a good part of the film running à-la-Tom Cruise from it.)
Sherlock
Sherlock Who? It looks a bit… Strange, doesn’t it? Inquisitive eyes, inspecting glance, tightly sealed lips. That man is obviously examining something. And by the looks of it, that would be us. Hope he doesn’t jump to incorrect conclusions.
In this particular case, the use of colors is quite dialed down, which really helps keep the stoic resemblance of the famous detective, which in this case seems to be embodied by a famous actor. “Elementary, dear Watson” (yet notorious.) Do you know who we mean?
Leonardo
Not calling this work of art “Leonardo Da Turtle” would be a war crime. The mask and the hat are sincerely curious add-ons that wind up creating an infantile work of art that doesn’t cease to amuse the watcher.
A genius of a man that inspired millions of artists (who was a man of science as well) was ultimately honored as one of the star cartoons of ‘The Ninja Turtles’ that was named after him. Confucious say, “I like turtles.”
Super Mario
Super Mario Racoon Bros. might be right around the corner, guys. The people at Nintendo are sleeping on this one. It is a high-flying concept that could also become an awesome game to play with. We are just sayin’… think bout it!
Regardless of the video game storyline potential this figure has, it still is a super cool and expressive tattoo, which really captures the adventurous nature of the Italian plumber and racoons. Both of whom we are rather fond of. It’s-a-me, Maaariooo!
Death Note
People, you better not give it your full name or it will find you, and it will kill you. No need to run, it will do no good. Another red-eyed critter it is, only this time it doesn’t belong to ‘Terminator’, but to ‘Death Note.’
‘Death Note’ is a Japanese anime cult classic that gained relative mainstream media acceptance, and that has also gained notoriety after Netflix had a remake created that goes by the very same name, based around its plot as well.
Turtle Power
Turtles strike once again! This time, it ain’t about Leonardo anyways (the artist one, that is, not the ninja one. Well, maybe Da Vinci was a ninja too, and we don’t know it. Yet.) This one pertains to Pokémon.
The image in question is related to Squirtle, a turtle-resembling creation of the universe of pokémon, a 90’s Japanese anime that gained a massive fanbase worldwide across many generations. In this case, it has a shell for a vest, shown with its classic smile and open-armed stance.
Courage the Purple Dalmatian
Is it us, or does this doggo look like a Dalmatian who decided to arrive at a costume party wearing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich costume? Poor thing seems to be cold, and that’s why it is wearing a grey hoodie.
Leaving jokes aside, the black-and-white parts mesh really well with the colored yet sober tonalities of brown and violet chosen for the tattoo herein, which was created for a person who appears to be quite fond of dogs, both real and imagined.
Maleficent
Is it The Sleeping Beauty? Is it Maleficent? it is up to you to decide that. As you can tell, this is one of the few works where there is a total absence of color. It is not needed anyway. It has plenty of personality to make up for it even without any vivid hues.
Maleficent is the fictitious cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1959 for the animated film ‘The Sleeping Beauty.’ The evil stare, completely juxtaposed with the soft features of the lady from the lower half of the text, creates an intriguing work of art.