A fan creates fan art teaming up Pixar’s WALL-E and Johnny 5 from 1986’s Short Circuit standing in front of a robotic flag. The comparison is a fairly clear one as both characters have similar features and outwardly mechanical designs, suggesting a throwback to older science fiction’s ideas of artificial intelligence, as opposed to the more sleek and human-like interpretations most modern science fiction explores. Both characters also share an arc of finding a connection in a world that wants to destroy them.
WALL-E follows the titular robot, who’s left to clean up an abandoned Earth, before becoming infatuated with EVE, a robotic probe sent to gauge the planet’s livability. Short Circuit follows Johnny 5, a military robot who gains intelligence after being struck by lightning. Both Wall-E and Short Circuit were box office successes, though Short Circuit mostly continued as a cult classic after its release, as opposed to the massive following Pixar movies maintain.
In a post on Instagram, an artist creates an image of the two paying homage to the album cover for Stankonia, the fourth album of hip hop duo OutKast. The image shows the two in front of an American flag, similar to the album’s cover art, but with gears replacing the stars. The caption simply reads “Robokonia” in reference to the album. Check out the image below:
Short Circuit was briefly brought to renewed attention a few years ago when comedian Aziz Ansari talked about how supporting character Ben who was of Indian descent, was played by Fisher Stevens in brownface. Stevens responded to the criticism by saying the role still haunts him, and how he would never do a part like that in modern times. The character remains another example of Hollywood’s whitewashing tradition, where POC are portrayed by white actors, that stretches back to the beginning of filmmaking itself.
In the age of the Internet, any ridiculous mashup idea can be brought to life. With their noticeably similar appearances, WALL-E and Johnny 5 seem like an obvious choice, though the OutKast crossover is unexpected. Though Short Circuit isn’t necessarily regarded as a very good movie, it obviously made an impact on culture that’s still felt today, however slightly. WALL-E, however, is a modern classic, one whose themes of environmentalism, consumerism, health, and human connection will likely only become more relevant in the coming years.
