One talented Pokemon fan has created impressive hardwood pictures of the beloved Charmander and Cubone. Many of the original 150 creatures introduced in Pokemon Red and Blue have become icons of the franchise for various reasons. In the case of Charmander, the lovable Fire-type lizard was one of the first three Starter Pokemon players could select in their entry into the ever-expanding Pokemon world. Meanwhile, the cute Ground-type Cubone carries a surprisingly sad backstory, and many Pokemon fans have drawn interesting theories about why it wears the skull of its deceased mother as a helmet.
Both these original Pokemon have made numerous appearances in the series since their debut in Pokemon Red and Blue, and fans all around the world have paid tribute to them through artwork and other incredible crafts. Charmander has had life-size LEGO models and homemade rugs made after it, and one fan created a stunning light box of its iconic evolutionary line. Cubone has had its share of fan art as well, with dedicated players crafting terrariums after it and making 3D-printed replicas of Cubone's infamous skull mask.
Reddit user and woodcarver ducklady92 is the latest artist to capture Pokemon’s Charmander and Cubone through a pair of skillfully crafted hardwood portraits, which they posted to r/pokemon earlier this week (as can be seen here). Charmander’s carving shows the cheerful little dragon jumping for joy, while Cubone stands stoic and reserved. Ducklady92 notes that they made these carvings for one of their customers, and that they plan on making more of them to sell once they are done with their custom orders.
These stunning Charmander and Cubone wood carvings come during an exciting time for the long-running Pokemon franchise. The latest mainline installments, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, launched on the Nintendo Switch last November, bringing with them several new Pokemon breeds for players to make artwork of. The time-traveling Paradox forms introduced in the new games have been especially inspiring, with Cubone's evolved form Marowak getting its own fanmade variant among countless other Pokemon that haven't officially had one yet.
Even as the assortment of existing Pokemon grows with each new game, fans like ducklady92 still take time to honor the original creatures that helped kick-start the global phenomenon nearly three decades ago. These excellent hardwood images of Charmander and Cubone look incredibly well-crafted and capture each Pokemon’s personality, with Charmander cheerfully celebrating life and Cubone standing on guard in the face of its tragic past. Hopefully ducklady92 will continue to craft more of these Pokemon portraits in the future.