Brian Kesinger is a comic genius.
The Disney illustrator put together two of pop culture’s celebrated creations: Star Wars and Calvin & Hobbes since “The Force Awakens” hit the big screen. His downtime creation has earned its own fans and it’s not hard to be converted into one too.
When you search #LilKylo on Instagram, you’ll meet the antagonist as a young menace right in the league of Calvin. Like the young blond wonder, Lil Kylo hates taking baths, lets his mom kiss his Darth Vader plushie good night, and goes on wacky misadventures with his toy-slash-imaginary-friend.
Kesinger wittily made Darth Vader Lil Kylo’s imaginary friend, although he’s also drawn Chewie to look a lot like Hobbes in a couple of panels. The drawings still have the signature Calvin & Hobbes games involving snowmen, soapbox racers, and water balloons.
The artist also plays around Kylo Ren’s powers in the new saga, only this time, he presents them as Lil Kylo’s make-believe capabilities. One of our favorites sketches has got to be about Lil Kylo’s failed telepathy in a game of Go Fish.
Parents Princess Leia and Han Solo also have to deal with a bratty and existentially-problematic son in Kylo Ren.
In one drawing, Lil Kylo asks the iconic pair how sure they are that their way of parenting isn’t screwing him up. Kesinger’s one-panel illustrations are heavy with well-thought-out humor, while still staying true to the saga’s newest narrative.
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While the artist is heavily inspired with Bill Waterson’s humor and style, that’s not the only “Star Wars” mashup we get to see from him. He often draws the intergalactic characters with well-loved pop culture icons like Stitch and Ariel from Disney, and even Jon Snow from “Game of Thrones” and friendly giant Hagrid from “Harry Potter.”
Now that “The Last Jedi” is finally out in theaters, we can’t wait to see how the movie will inspire Kesinger’s next drawings.
