The 'Untoons' phenomenon emerged in the late 2000s, largely credited to digital artist Pixeloo who famously rendered hyper-realistic versions of Homer Simpson and Mario. These images quickly went viral across blogs and forums like 4chan and Reddit, fascinating and disturbing users by applying human skin textures and realistic biological features to exaggerated cartoon proportions. The trend taps into the 'uncanny valley' effect, where a character looks almost human but possesses enough distorted traits to evoke a sense of unease or revulsion. Today, Untoons are frequently used to subvert childhood nostalgia or to create surrealist humor based on how terrifying our favorite animated icons would look in the real world.