I’ve been working on creating 8-bit versions of all major religious figures (including every character depicted in South Park‘s Super Best Friends group) and want to be inclusive without potentially upsetting radical Islamist organizations. Thus, here is a censored (think of it as extremely backlit) visual depiction of a certain prophet from Mecca.
If yesterday was Cinco de Mario, then today is Seis de Luigi. Here is more Nintendo-based childhood nostalgia in the form of Mario’s twin brother.
Political leader of India during the Indian independence movement whose philosophy was founded on nonviolence. He inspired campaigns for civil rights and freedom across the world.
Eccentric Supreme Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. He has a fear of flying and always travels by private armored train.
Elusive leader of al-Qaeda and disowned member of the billionaire Saudi bin Laden family. On the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list since 1999.
Update: Frankly, I am stunned by the coincidence that Osama bin Laden was announced as dead this evening. Perhaps I should have posted an 8-bit version of him years ago? Does publishing primitive pixel art stop terrorism? What.
Former President of Iraq and central figure of the Persian Gulf War of 1991. Was executed by hanging in December 2006. Or was he?
The 14th Dalai Lama has represented Tibetan Buddhism since 1950.
P.S. “What surprises me most about humanity is man. He sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future. He lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies never having really lived.” – Dalai Lama
A Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee who got knocked up by God as a teenager. Nine months later she popped out an appropriated sun god named Jesus.
Siddhārtha Gautama was the spiritual teacher who founded Buddhism. He is also considered the ninth incarnation of Vishnu in Hinduism.
Not the real Buddha, but a laughing deity of Chinese folklore. I bought a sitting Budai figurine in Manhattan just after 9/11 and have kept it in my car ever since. For good luck. I am also quite taken by this recent photo of a Hotei Buddha statue resting seemingly undisturbed in the tsunami-destroyed town of Sendai, Japan.
Time to switch things up. Now begins a series of characters that aren’t based on college sports mascots. First is the central figure and namesake of Christianity who was born from the Virgin Mary.
Mario – No. 70
I’m taking a break from political leaders and revolutionaries for a couple of video game characters. Childhood nostalgia runs deep with this Italian-American plumber who first appeared over 25 years ago.
I briefly considered posting an 8-bit Mexican luchador today instead (as a weak tie-in to Cinco de Mayo), but the force of Nintendo was too strong.