What is a hipster? That seems like a simple question, but it's actually not, especially considering this is a subculture that has taken great pains to avoid submitting itself to labels. You probably have an idea of what a hipster is: someone who wears vintage clothing, listens to indie music, and enjoys craft beer and specialty coffee. Vegan, pacifist, and liberal. Lumberjack beards and Buddy Holly glasses. Skinny jeans. It may be difficult to define a hipster, but most people know when they see one.
Although we think of "hipster" as being a primarily 21st century word, it turns out the term was in use as early as 1902 (when being "hip" was coined as being "in the know"). The word morphed into the full term "hipster" in the 1940s, meaning a fan of hot jazz. After World War II, the idea grew to include the new free-thinking literary movement (think Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg). From there it was a natural path to encompassing everyone who rejects the mainstream.
Whether you love it or you hate it, hipsterism (yes, it's a word; look it up in Merriam-Webster) is easy to take way too seriously. If we can't have fun in this world, then what are we here for? Let's just enjoy ourselves! Whether you like single-origin espresso or get your coffee at the nearest gas station, that's an idea we can all get behind. To that end, here are 25 of your favorite cartoon characters re-imagined as hipsters. Enjoy!
25 Hand-Crafted Crime Fighter
Since his introduction in DC comic books in 1939, Batman has been the quintessential hipster superhero. Just think about it. Whereas everybody else can spin webs or fly or speak to sea creatures, Batman is just, well, a man. No exotic extra-planetary origin story. No radioactive spiders. Just a guy kicking it old school and stopping a few criminals in the process.
Batman's got a bunch of accessories to help him in his efforts. They're obscure, one of a kind, handcrafted specials because he cares deeply about the authenticity of the crime-fighting experience. For example, consider the cryptographic sequencer on his utility belt. He was using that way before hacking was cool. He's even thinking about swapping the Batmobile for a bike because it's better for the environment, but first, he has to lobby Gotham City to install bike lanes.
Art by QueenSarwa.
24 Style Sisters
"The City of Townsville!" So begins pretty much every episode of The Powerpuff Girls, Cartoon Network's award-winning masterpiece. Yeah, I said it. Because I believe it. The Powerpuff Girls aired 78 episodes (and a full-length feature film) from 1998-2005, and each one was packed with action, adventure, and grown-up humor (if you keep your eyes and ears open for it).
If you're making me pick favorites, I pick The Powerpuff Girls.
The series featured three adorable sisters (Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup) who were manufactured in a lab by Professor Utonium with "sugar, spice, and everything nice." But when he accidentally added Chemical X into the mixture, the girls were born bonafide superheroes. The show takes place when the sisters are just kids, but it's easy to imagine them as hipster twenty-somethings. I mean, they've already saved the world; it's tough to find anything quite as cool as that.
Art by ClareBeifong.
23 Squarepants And Suspenders
Are ya ready, kids? Aye aye, Captain! We're ready to meet the hipster who lives in a pineapple under the sea--an organic, locally sourced pineapple, of course. Since its release in 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has been the highest-rated series ever to air on Nickelodeon, and considering the company it keeps (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Rugrats, Rocco's Modern Life, etc.), that's really saying something.
The show follows SpongeBob SquarePants, the quintessential hipster, through his daily life of friends, school, and work as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab. With his high-wasted shorts and tie, SpongeBob's genuine, whole-hearted geeky-ness is a huge part of the series' success. From there, it's really just a short hop over to full-on hipster-dom, with Buddy Holly glasses and suspenders and hand-crafted, authentic Krabby Patties.
22 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor
Even though its run ended over 20 years ago (it was published in 18 tankōbon volumes from 1991-1997), Sailor Moon is not only one of the most successful manga of all time, but thanks to its 200 episode anime adaptation (which also ended in 1997), it's one of the most successful animated series of all time. While Usagi Tsukino, a.k.a. Sailor Moon, may not be the original magical girl (that honor goes to Princess Sapphire from the Princess Knight manga of 1953), she is by far the most well-known.
Plus she is excellent hipster material.
The series is now a bit retro, and you can evaluate the authenticity of any potential fan by whether they watched the 1990s anime or 2014's Sailor Moon Crystal (even more bonus points if they read the manga in the original Japanese).
Art by ZacharyBrite.
21 Street Cred And Shelter Dogs
Considering that it's been on the air almost continuously in one form or another since its introduction in 1969, the Scooby Doo series is in a class all its own. In fact, it's difficult to find a more authentic cartoon experience. The Scooby Gang has achieved fame by sticking to what they do best: solving mysteries and unmasking bad guys, often with celebrity guest stars. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and that's been the Scooby Gang's mantra for the last fifty years.
Considering their street cred, the Scooby Gang make perfect hipsters. I like to think that even Great Dane Scooby-Doo gets into the act as a now-happy rescue dog. Because adopting from your local shelter or rescue is not only a hipster thing to do, it's the right thing to do.
Art by Wiccimm.
20 Plaid Princess
Since it was only released in 2009, you might not consider The Princess and the Frog to be that much of an authentic, retro, animated experience, but you'd be wrong. For starters, most everyone is aware that the film's protagonist, the aspiring chef Tiana, is the first black Disney princess (I'll use the term "princess" loosely here, but work with me).
But what you might not know is that The Princess and the Frog was Disney's last classically hand-drawn animated film.
The movie was styled after gorgeous Disney classics of yesteryear, like Lady and the Tramp and Bambi. And while Disney's artists are supposedly working on another hand-drawn film in an attempt to keep the form alive, The Princess and the Frog didn't perform that well at the box office when compared with CGI/hand-drawn hybrids like Frozen. So basically the film isn't mainstream enough. Hipster gold.
Art by Cherriene.
19 Maui And Man Buns
In a lot of ways, Disney's 2016 CGI adventure story Moana is a super modern story. Set in the world of Polynesian legend, the film features a strong female protagonist and people of color in the voice cast. And not only does this create an immersive, exciting movie experience, it also reflects the demands of a modern audience for diverse stories told in authentic ways.
Both of the main characters in Moana are perfect hipster characters. Moana rejects the popular, mainstream view of her village and yearns to return to the lifestyle of her ancestors. And demigod Maui has always had a flair for hipster style. With his many tattoos and man bun, he's basically one mismatched cardigan and a used copy of On the Road away from pure hipster-ville.
18 Rugrat Retro
When you consider that Nickelodeon's Rugrats premiered in 1991, you realize that Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, Phil, and Lil, are all old enough to puff on European cigarettes while they tour the local microbreweries. Do you feel old yet? I know I do.
It seems like just yesterday that they were all diaper-clad dumplings trying to navigate the rocky waters of teething and potty training.
The show boasted 172 episodes (as well as three feature-length films) over its nine-season run, which drew the curtain in 2004. Because it was produced over 13 years, a lot of us grew up right alongside these babies, and we almost love them like siblings--so much so, in fact, that if there was a Rugrats Reunion, I'll be the first one there with a six-pack of my fave regional IPA in tow.
Art by Bumbledom.
17 Reboots And Rainbows
Since hipsters are typically youngsters in their 20s and early 30s, if you're a hipster, there's a really excellent chance that you are younger than My Little Pony. Let that sink in a bit, especially if you're only familiar with the 2010 rebooted version My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
If you want the authentic My Little Pony experience, you have to go back to the 1980s, when the plastic ponies ruled both toy stores and cartoon specials. You get bonus points if you can sing the songs from the 1986 My Little Pony Movie (not to brag, but I totally can).
Far be it from me to impede progress, however, so we can now embrace this resurgence of My Little Pony for the awesome new characters it's given us, such as Rainbow Dash, who wears hipster gear like she was born for it.
Art by Star-lightstarbright.
16 Eight-Legged Leggings
Despite the fact that Spiderman first appeared in Marvel comic books in 1962, he's basically the poster child for the Millennial superhero. Peter Parker doesn't have dreams of making it big on The Voice or of developing the next big mobile game. He's just trying to get by in school, maybe get a date with the girl he likes, and stop a few bad guys on the side.
He's not exactly sure where he fits into this great big messy world, but he knows he wants to make a difference.
I don't know about you, but if the superheroes were throwing a party and I somehow got invited, I'd be hanging out with Spidey. He may have superpowers, but he also knows what it's like to pull an all-nighter to finish a paper. He's the perfect balance of down-to-earth and divine all in one red and blue leotard.
Art by Reed682.
15 Read The Book
Okay, if Belle is not a hipster, I will eat my vintage Pink Floyd band t-shirt. Has there ever been another Disney character who was more opposed to the mainstream than Belle? In love with books, adventure, and travel, she was completely at odds with the mainstream concerns of the other villagers. And when she's forced into an awkward roommate situation with the Beast, she's not impressed by his mansion or servants or titles. No, she wants the same thing that all women want from a man: a great, big library. I suppose the real question is whether the books it contained were hipster-approved. There are the obvious hipster-ish authors, like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Norman Mailer. But did it have Voltaire's Candide or Anatole France's The Gods are Athirst? Probably yes, and in the original French, considering the locale.
Art by Its-Jst-Me.
14 Are These Mushrooms Organic?
Mario has always been a total hipster. I mean, just look at that mustache! And he wears suspenders (okay, they're overalls, but I'm calling them suspenders). He also spends all his time foraging for mushrooms in this really obscure place. You've probably never heard of it. Or at least, none of us had heard of the Mushroom Kingdom before Super Mario Bros. released in 1985 for the NES.
As for Peach, I'm pretty sure she's only ironically playing the role of the damsel in distress.
We've all seen her play baseball and race karts and smash some bros, so obviously, she can do everything the boys can do. She's probably just trying to make Mario work a bit harder to get her back after she caught him spending too much time with Rosalina.
Art by The-Driz.
13 Amazon Accessories
When it comes to one-of-a-kind vintage accessories, Wonder Woman (a.k.a. Princess Diana of Themyscira) wins the grand prize. Don't bother trying to find any for yourself at your local antique market. They were all given to her by her mother as heirlooms of the Amazon tribe. She's got her indestructible bracelets that act as shields, her tiara that doubles as a projectile weapon, and her Lasso of Truth, which is just one of the many methods she has at her disposal for taking the patriarchy down a notch or two.
Since Diana has basically not aged since World War II, she's not only interested in retro stuff, she's old enough to remember when the retro stuff was brand new. If that doesn't make you the perfect hipster, I don't know what does.
12 The Goof And The Woof
One of the things that most appeals to me about hipster subculture is the way it fiercely champions that which is dorky. For far too long, those individuals who liked the wrong things or dressed the wrong way were dissed as uncool. And while I make no assertions that hipster are less likely to make fun of someone that anyone else, I do love how they've embraced those classically uncool elements (such as glasses, non-brand name clothing, raiding your grandparent's closet, etc.) and turned them into a fashion all their own.
I can't help but feel that it's something Goofy would appreciate.
Not that Goofy necessarily dresses any more like a dork than other cartoon characters, but because Goofy has always been a complete dork at heart. And now, dorks are king.
Art by AsherBuckley.
11 Water You Talking About?
If you ever happen to find yourself a tourist in Cerulean City (you never know, it could happen), your to-do list will probably consist of a visit to the Cerulean Cave for some photos, a bike rental from the bike shop so you can tour the city, and a stop off at Cerulean City Gym for a demonstration of their best Water-Type Pokémon.
If you're very lucky, the demonstration might be lead by Misty herself, the esteemed leader of the Cerulean City Gym. But it's been awhile since she and Ash and Brock traveled together in their quest to become a Pokémon Master. She's grown up a bit and changed her style. Even Psyduck has upgraded her look. But don't worry--you can probably buy those Magikarp shirts in the gift shop.
Art by HellCorpceo.
10 Leviathan
Ever since the manga premiered in 2009, Attack on Titan (or Shingeki no Kyojin in Japanese, which is the more hipster way to refer to it) has taken the world by surprise. The story (in both manga and anime adaptation forms) is set in a dystopian future where humanity hides itself in a single city behind giant stone walls.
What are they hiding from? Giant humanoid titans who love to chow down on people. You'd be hiding, too.
Considering his role as Captain of the Titan-fighting Survey Squad (let me put it this way: not too many soldiers live to see retirement), you can see why the hipster philosophy might appeal to Levi Ackerman. When any day might be your last, you want each and every one of them to be as authentic as possible. YOLO, am I right? I think I will get that tattoo.
Art by Mina-Hachi.
9 Poison Princess
Now it's time for a bit of trivia... Did you know in the Grimm Brothers' original 1812 version of the Snow White fairy tale, the princess wasn't actually poisoned by her evil stepmother? Nope, that was just a tweak Disney made to try to give the story a more family-friendly spin. In reality, Snow White was poisoned by her actual mother. All of us have moments where don't get along with our moms, but that's a whole other level of childhood trauma. So I, for one, think it would be totally understandable if Snow White decided she was just absolutely done with traditional, mainstream everything and ran away to become an artist. Be weird, be different, be unique. At least that self-portrait never tried to poison you.
8 Have A Cow
It's a little bit disturbing to think that Bart Simpson is actually well on his way to being a middle-aged man. No, really. The Simpsons made their debut in 1989, and Bart was ten years old.
Now 629 episodes later, the show is currently in its 29th season, which means that Bart is actually staring down the barrel of his 40th birthday.
But we all know that age is just a number (or so we're told), and thus through the magic of television, Bart will forever stay looking like the ten-year-old troublemaker we all know and love. But I wouldn't be one bit surprised to see Bart gravitating to a more mature look on his days off. After all, when you get to be his age, you don't have time to waste not looking your best.
7 Style Bender
When you consider that Avatar: The Last Airbender only aired three seasons on Nickelodeon (from 2005-2008), it's amazing to see the huge impact the series has had. Inside its 61 episodes (a.k.a. Chapters), it's got incredibly complex world-building with established history and lore. And it's got a cast of unique, engaging characters, the best of which are Aang, Katara, and Toph.
The series takes place when Aang is twelve years old (sort of; there's a whole suspended animation thing), and it follows him and his friends as they seek to master the bending of elements and stop Fire Nation from world domination. But it's not that hard to imagine an alternate version of events where the main characters are a bit older. I can totally see them telling Fire Nation to just chill the heck out.
Art by BBandittt.
6 Super Manscaping
You know what? I'm going to finally say that I think Superman is kind of boring. A huge part of that is due to the squeaky-clean image he was born with in 1933. Not that I automatically prefer anti-heroes (ugh, those have been so overdone, don't even get me started), but Superman is such a super man that there's no fun in wondering who's going to win. He has super strength, super speed, super intelligence, and heat vision. He can fly. He's bulletproof and more or less invincible, save for kryptonite (which sure seems to show up a lot considering it's an obscure kind of space rock).
Of course, you already know that Superman is going to win in the end, and that's boring.
That's why Superman needs a make-over. I am a huge fan of this look. Do you think DC would be interested in a redesign?