Batman and Gandalf Coming Back From a Birthday Party

What the painting shows

Despite the title, there is neither Batman nor Gandalf in this painting. That is the joke: it shows two pop-culture heroes who have swapped outfits. On the left stands a figure with the spiky black hair of Goku from the Dragon Ball manga and anime, wearing Superman's blue suit with a red cape, red trunks, a yellow belt and the S-shield on his chest.

On the right stands Superman, recognisable by his slicked-back black hair and square jaw, but dressed in Goku's orange gi with a navy belt, navy wristbands and a white chest emblem with a Japanese character. Both are muscular, grinning and have their arms around each other's shoulders like two mates heading home from a party, which is where the title "coming back from a birthday party" comes from.

A white outline separates the two figures from the background, which is painted with broad horizontal strokes of brown, silver and grey, with the white primer of the canvas showing through in places.

Technique and style

Oil on a square canvas in a comic-book illustration style: the characters have bold black outlines and flat areas of colour with simple shading, typical of both anime and American comics. The contrast between the smooth figures and the textured, expressive background makes the heroes look like cut-outs stuck onto a wall. It is a piece of fan art and a pop-culture crossover between DC Comics and Dragon Ball.

At a glance

• Medium: oil paint
• Surface: canvas
• Orientation: square
• Dominant colours: blue, red, orange, navy, brown and silver background
• Subjects: Superman, Goku, Dragon Ball, DC Comics, costume swap, crossover, friendship

Fun fact

In the first 1938 comics, Superman could not fly. He could only leap over tall buildings and jump "an eighth of a mile". Flight first appeared in the Fleischer Studios cartoons of 1941, because the animators thought the constant jumping looked silly on screen, and only later did the comics adopt the power.

Want a similar painting?

The Fart studio paints commissioned artwork: portraits of people and pets, landscapes and absurd scenes like this one. You can order a similar piece featuring Superman, Goku, Dragon Ball, starring your own pet, a loved one or your favourite place. Just describe your idea in the contact form and attach a photo.