- Gripless is an anonymous artist who illustrates puns inspired by celebrities, characters, and current events.
- In March, he began creating art inspired by the coronavirus.
- One of his most popular pieces, for example, was inspired by Dr. Seuss; it features the phrase, "Oh, the places you won't go."
- Speaking to Insider, Gripless said his recent drawings are a way to show his solidarity with people impacted by the pandemic.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
People around the world are finding various ways to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
While some have made quarantine-inspired memes, others have been using American Girl dolls to showcase the reality of toilet-paper shortages. There are also people like New York-based artist Gripless, who's using art to show solidarity with people impacted by the virus.
Here's everything you need to know about his coronavirus-inspired cartoons.
Gripless is an anonymous artist who illustrates puns inspired by celebrities, characters, and current events.
His artwork can be found on both his website and Instagram page, where he has more than 28,000 followers.
He began creating art inspired by the coronavirus in early March.
Speaking to Insider, Gripless said he originally thought the coronavirus was "a distant issue." But once he realized the severity of the pandemic, he immediately turned to art.
"There was a moment when everyone was like, 'This is a real thing, it's affecting us right now, and we can't just pass it off like it's someone else's problem,'" the artist said about coronavirus.
"It affected me greatly and I was like, you know what? I'm going to start drawing how I'm feeling," he continued.
Many of his pieces are inspired by famous Disney and Nickelodeon cartoons.
According to Gripless, he "grew up on Disney movies, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon." Now, characters from these networks — such as Hercules and Phil — inspire his art.
Though his illustrations are comical, they're also meant to show the artist's support for people impacted by the pandemic.
"Coronavirus is affecting a lot of people in a lot of different ways, so I wanted to show my solidarity in a way that I thought would be fun and lighthearted," Gripless said.
Most people seem to really like the coronavirus-inspired art, according to Gripless.
Underneath each illustration Gripless posts on Instagram, you can find numerous comments from supportive fans. Still, the artist told Insider that someone recently asked him to consider drawing cartoons that don't reference coronavirus.
Though he understands that the pandemic is seemingly everywhere these days, it's still "what we're all thinking about."
"I'm gonna paint it in a light that's a little bit fun and lighthearted because that's all we have right now," Gripless said of the pandemic. "Everyone's on their phones, trying to find their entertainment, and this is a way doing that."
"We've always taken things that are scary or uncomfortable and made it a little more digestible," he continued. "Otherwise it's too big for us to even comprehend and it can be really scary. I don't wanna give this thing all the power. In some ways, this is the only way I can show people that I'm with them."
Gripless describes his art as a form of therapy for himself.
According to Gripless, he does feel "scared" of the pandemic, but is especially intimidated by "the uncertainty of it all." Because he's "never experienced something like this," he's now using art as a form of therapy.
"I'm not a therapist, but drawing has always been a way for me to cope with things," Gripless said. "If I couldn't draw, I don't know where I'd be on a regular day, let alone a quarantine. This is something that's been very important to me and I'm learning that it's important to other people too."
His favorite piece he's created in recent weeks was inspired by a Dr. Seuss book.
"Oh, The Places You'll Go!" is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss. It was released in 1990, and still remains popular today. Gripless recently drew his own version of the book's cover, and changed the title to "Oh, The Places You Won't Go!"
"I drew that on Sunday and I was like 'Ma, I got it!' — I was in the kitchen with my mom," Gripless said. "I posted it and it hit hard."
He's now drawing other images inspired by Dr. Seuss books, as the author's characters are "so nostalgic."
At the end of the day, Gripless hopes that people who look at his art realize that "we're all experiencing the same thing."
"I didn't realize people would connect to these parodies so much, but at the end of the day, I hope people are getting the fact that we're all in this together and trying to get through," Gripless said. "If people are sharing my stuff and making someone laugh, then I did what I had to do and I'm very proud. Follow me, don't follow me, share it or don't, but I hope you get a smile from it."
"I don't know how much I'm really doing, but it's all I can really do — I'm staying home, social distancing, avoiding going out as much as I can," he continued. "If I'm helping one person stay away from whatever they're thinking in a negative light, I'm here for that."
The artist is now accepting illustration ideas from people on Instagram.
According to Gripless, this is the time to send him ideas for other coronavirus puns.
"I'll draw what I can," he said. "I have friends and family who have always sent me ideas, and I don't necessarily need help, but at the same time, right now people want to look forward to something."
To see more art from Gripless or send him an idea, visit his Instagram page here.
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