14 Twisted Children’s Tale Designs

Most of us grew up on fairy tales and nursery rhymes – stories of princesses and pots of gold and happily ever after. But many of those stories have a dark side; they were often meant to teach a lesson or a piece of history. The early versions of Little Red Riding Hood were thought to warn women of the advances of men, while Humpty Dumpty has been tied to various battles throughout history.

It makes sense, then, that graphic artists have reinterpreted many of these classic tales as dark, twisted or scary. In the hands of a designer, a princess in a tower isn’t necessarily a romantic, happy story – it’s one of imprisonment. A puppet coming to life isn’t endearing – it’s freakin' creepy.

The following 14 images are some of the best artistic interpretations of childhood tales I’ve come across. What are your favorites?

Rapunzel image: Ibrahim Dayub

The Tortoise and the Hare image: Mark Michelon

Cheshire Cat image: Kevin Eslinger

Hansel and Gretel image: Katy Towell

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves image: Jeffrey Thomas

Humpty Dumpty image: Daniel Cook

Alice in Wonderland image: Nicolas Caesar

Goldilocks and the Three Bears image: Sheharzad Arshad

Cinderella image: David Catrow

Sleeping Beauty image: Keith Williams

Little Red Riding Hood image: Annie Rodrigue

Jack and Jill image: Rachel M. Horwood

Pinocchio image: Aaron Shaw

Jabberwocky image: Kevin Tong