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Ever wondered what cartoon characters in real life would look like? Yes, they’re fictional sketches, which means we’ll never know their human looks in our world. But what if cartoon characters were real? 

The subject of cartoon characters IRL is fascinating, so Bored Panda’s pro member Hidreley delved into experimenting with AI-generated cartoon characters. That’s what digital art is about—blurring the lines between fantasy and reality on screen!

Surprisingly, some cartoon characters as humans look even better than the originals. See if your favorite cartoon characters are on this list, and scroll further to witness 23 pictures of real-life cartoon characters!

Note: The original article was written by Hidrėlėy and later edited and updated by the Bored Panda team. 

More info: Instagram

Hidreley did all the work on AI-generated cartoon characters by himself: “I’ve done some similar posts by other authors here on Bored Panda. I wanted to try something out myself, and so I dove into the world of AI. This time, I challenged myself to try to do one on the theme of cartoon characters. For this project, I used Photoshop and three mobile applications, FaceApp, Gradient, and Remini.

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The Simpsons were the most challenging when making realistic cartoon characters. “In terms of how they all turned out, I’m more and more pleased with the results with each post I make. I really liked how Moe Szyzlak, Ned Flanders, and Milhouse Van Houten turned out because initially, I thought that the Simpsons drawing style would be very hard to emulate on ‘real life’ terms. Still, they are actually very easy to recognize,” Hidreley explains. 

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#4

Moana

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Moana character from the cartoon

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Orange Is Aging
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“I am Moana of Moto’nui. You will board my boat, sail across the sea, and restore the heart of Te’fiti.”

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“This post inadvertently brought back some good memories from my childhood. Like every kid in my generation, I loved watching cartoons. I really loved the Simpsons and Hanna Barbera classics, and I can safely say that they’ve made a huge impact on my life,” adds Hidreley. 

“I’ve been exploring the world of artificial intelligence recently, and I can tell you, it’s a world without limits! With the rise of AI-assisted art generation, there are virtually (no pun intended) no boundaries for digital art; you just have to be creative and know how to guide the blind hand of the machine,” explains Hidreley. 

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#9

Ned Flanders

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Ned Flanders character from the cartoon

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Orange Is Aging
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

His glasses kinda look drawn onto his face if you look closely

goth mouse (they them)
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

mhm definitely.........but am i the only one that is bothered by his glasses

Blaise Meloche
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not bad. Missing the half sideburns and hair could be a little higher and combed back.

Sharky Meg
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why does it look like a mix of Andy Samberg and Nick Offerman?

Stefan Korth
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

fun fact: there is actually a real life version of Ned, as he was based on a neighbour Groening had - Dean Sherman, who happens to be a preacher and author... I expected his image here, from back in the 90s...

Braceface
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Aaallll aboard the polar Express , try to argue against the resemblance YOU CANT

Mylfy Gamer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always saw Flanders with brown eyes. Why are so the whites blue eyed?

Margaret Coleman
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

idk why but at first I thought this was just an image of Ron Swanson. Don't see it anymore tho

ThePanInPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hens love roosters! Geese love ganders! Everyone else loves Neeeeeed Flanders!

Dan Boyle
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like Randy Havens as Mr. Clarke from Stranger Things.

Sarah DiSalvo
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Omg it looks like an age progression of Thoughty2 on YouTube 😆

Sarah DiSalvo
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Omg, it looks like an age progression of Thoughty2 on YouTube haha

Mayrene Chester
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't know why but I always see zach galifianakis' character in Keeping up with the Joneses

Scourge McCloud
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whoa. If Simpsons was live action, I'd definitely would have a crush on him.

Sasha
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone saying they don't look wrong ;-;

Sally R
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ned looks like he has Thyroid Eye Disorder in his cartoon version!

Riley
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He kind of looks like Jim Carrey with a mustache and glasses.

Loki’s Lil Butter Knife
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And Harry Potter and all his wizard friends went to hell for practicing magic!

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At some point, we’ve all wondered if cartoon characters were real. Were they inspired by celebrities or real-life events? Hidreley explains that he’s also intrigued by this concept: 

“I don't want to tease anything too early, but currently, I’m working hard on a project where I’m trying to show what some prematurely deceased celebrities would have looked like if they were still alive. I hope it will turn out great, and I’ll be able to share this with you soon!”

#10

Milhouse

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Milhouse character from the cartoon

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Kristina Meyer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He looks like a guy I went to elementary School with (except the haircolor). His Name was Sten.

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#11

Rapunzel

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Rapunzel character from the cartoon

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#16

Lady Tremaine

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Lady Tremaine character from the cartoon

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Orange Is Aging
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wrong hair. Her butt hair has always been very important to me

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#18

Kristoff

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Kristoff character from the cartoon

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Orange Is Aging
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He kinda looks like some kind of 2000’s Disney Channel character from a show that takes place in a summer camp

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#20

Isabela Madrigal

ai recreation of appearance in real life of Isabela Madrigal character from the cartoon

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Orange Is Aging
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY MADRIGAL! THE HOME OF THE FAMILY MADEIGAL! WHERE ALL THE PEOPLE ARE fAnTaStIcAl AnD mAgIcAl!

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