Artist Imagines A Little Mermaid Living In The XXI Century And It’s Depressing

Danish author Hans Christian Andersen wrote The Little Mermaid in 1836 and since then, it has been reworked many times. Probably the most popular version of the story is the 1989 Disney film.

However, even this was 30 years ago, so German artist Stephanie Hermes (aka s0s2) decided to create a modern-day mermaid. Appropriately titled The Little Trashmaid, her series masterfully reimagines ocean pollution in a way that is as accurate as it’s depressing.

“I’ve enjoyed drawing since I was little,” s0s2 told Bored Panda. “Luckily, my awesome parents supported and encouraged me from the very beginning. After school, I was able to study art for three years, following with a job in the gaming industry. I’m currently becoming a freelance artist.”

“But regardless of your education, I believe that everyone can become an artist as long as they have the passion and motivation to keep going!”

“I would say that my style was mostly inspired by American cartoons from the ’90s with a touch of Japanese anime. I really love drawing funny expressions and cartoons are perfect for that.”

“In May, a close friend suggested drawing a mermaid, referring to the Mermay Challenge,” s0s2 said. “When I started sketching, I wondered what she should be wearing. To be honest, I found those classic seashell bras boring and thought to myself, ‘I need something more realistic. What would a mermaid wear these days? What would she find in the ocean?'”