‘Real life’ Rick and Morty will sear themselves into your brain forever

“I’ve gotten so many requests to do a Rick and Morty piece, but never did because I had never watched a Rick and Morty episode,” Vasquez told me. He watched the first episode to get a better sense of the characters and their personalities. 

Based on the level of detail, you might think Vasquez is a superfan. Zoom in to enjoy the glossy drool on Rick’s chin.

“Much like Homer Simpson, I googled images of what Rick and Morty would look like in a hyper-realistic way with the body proportions that they have, but I couldn’t find any convincing ones,” Vasquez said. “So that’s when I gave it a shot and created my own version of them in a hyperrealistic way.” He used digital sculpting software ZBrush.

You can keep up with Vasquez’s adventures in 3D renders through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. But be warned: His SpongeBob may haunt your nightmares for all time.

Vasquez seems to be exploring his own peculiar offshoot of the uncanny valley. The distance between humanity and exaggerated animated characters melts away. We see the wrinkles around eyes, the roughness of a tongue, the fall of a shirt’s fabric. 

It’s disconcertingly close to ourselves. That’s why we can’t look away.