disney characters face reality for unhappily ever after
all images courtesy of unhappily ever after

 

 

 

 

eliminating the ‘once upon a time’ fantasy emblematic of a disney film’s storyline, artist jeff hong imagines a harsh reality for familiar childhood heroes in ‘unhappily ever after‘. the series montages what might be the day-to-day lives of the disney company if they experienced the real world, overcome by traumas and tribulations. examples include red-haired ariel, the little mermaid, emerging from the sea covered in a polluted sludge, not quite unlike the unfortunate images of underwater creatures cloaked in slime from oil spills; the ‘drink me’ potion notorious from the adventures of alice in wonderland has led her down a tragic path of drug abuse and narcotic dependency; the lovable bambi is mounted in an ostentatious living room as a hunting trophy. the irony inherent in the illustrations makes a sad case for modern culture, and dissolves the delusion of wonder and awe reinforced throughout disney features.

disney characters face reality for unhappily ever after
bambi is mounted as a taxidermied head

disney characters face reality for unhappily ever after
alice’s magic bottle of potion leads her to a life of drugs

disney characters face reality for unhappily ever after
cinderella in tattered and torn clothing

disney characters face reality for unhappily ever after
the sad reality for many circus animals

disney characters face reality for unhappily ever after
ariel emerges from the water covered in sludge

disney characters face reality for unhappily ever after
esmeralda hides in a dark corner by the parisian metro

disney characters face reality for unhappily ever after
tiana from the princess and the frog deals with racism in mid- 20th century america

disney characters face reality for unhappily ever after
pocahontas walks through a casino, much like the ones that occupy former indian reservations